tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181744309080861233.post3951020854376940243..comments2024-01-12T00:48:55.192-08:00Comments on Music and Brain Blog at University of Toronto: The effect of Audience on Music Performance AnxietyLee Bartelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06727468225852676801noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7181744309080861233.post-63068245462990686912012-12-10T20:01:08.783-08:002012-12-10T20:01:08.783-08:00This is a subject that I am very interested in, as...This is a subject that I am very interested in, as I have suffered from performance anxiety to the point where my abilities and execution suffered as well. I have been humiliated on stage, not because I wasn’t prepared, but because I was shaking/sweating so profusely I couldn’t handle my saxophone. However, my performance anxiety wasn’t just based on whether there was an audience present, it was the type of audience that was the determining factor. I would succumb to the pressure when I was performing for teachers or for classmates – but put me on a stage in a bar full of locals and I am in heaven. It is also about where and with what you are most comfortable. The more comfortable you are with anything, the easier and less stressful it is going to be. I think that your idea about “practicing performances” is essential to curbing stage fright. It’s as much about experience as it is about preparation – the “10,000 hours” fits in nicely here. In a school setting I think we need to keep in mind what significance we as music educators may be placing on our students’ performances. Elizabeth Roachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01048324426978205435noreply@blogger.com