Flow, The Optimal Experience

Francesco Siri

In this research I would like to investigate the psychological aspect related to the practice of a musical instrument, going deeper into the experience of the flow state that the musician can live intensely. It is a state of mind of complete absorption in what one is doing. The process started by reading and informing myself as much as possible through books, articles, and personal experience. Based on these I created a strategy of work and exercises that would help me to be more focused and inside the music both in my studies and especially in my performances. I prepared two questionnaires to be filled in after the performances: 1) Personal Questionnaire 2) Group of critical friends To check whether the strategy I had been using over the last few months was helping me to achieve my goal or not. From the results of the two questionnaires until now, I can deduce the most effective and useful aspects of the strategy I implemented. It is also interesting to see how the suggestions of critical friends are similar to the "criticism" I made myself in the personal questionnaire. Over the last few weeks while analysing my latest performances and the results of the questionnaires, I have realised an increase in pleasure in playing and concentration on the task to do, which was not always present before I started this work. I am quite convinced that whatever strategy you want to use, you need patience to see over time if it really works.

Research methodology

These are the 5 most significant aspects of my daily practice that help me day by day to be more efficient and in flow.
The next step is to see if they also help me with performance.
To collect systematic data on this I have prepared two different questionnaires:
1) personal questionnaire: questions to answer that will help you judge your performance (which can be in any circumstance you choose) more objectively and lucidly. [LINK].
2) critical friends questionnaire: shorter but not less important, this questionnaire will be addressed to certain trusted people who can help us in giving an external judgement of our performance. [LINK]

The answers to these questionnaires will give me the opportunity to analyse and better understand if the strategy used to prepare the performance was effective or if there is something to change.

You can already take a look and click on the links above.

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS BASED ON THESE PERFORMANCES:

Audition Training, First Round (25/10/21)

Audition Training Second Round (01/11/21)

"Fake Audition" Trumpet Class (02/11/21)

Audition for Theater Regio in Turino (10/11/21)

Audition for National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (23/11/21)

Trumpet Day in AS (28/11/21)

Concert in KvB in memory of Louis Andriessen (12/12/21)

Excerpts Exame (19/01/22)

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