Progression in Anxiety Management:
Over the course of the seminars O's anxiety dropped systematically. In the first workshop, his anxiety was rated as a 6 out of 10; in the last, it reduced to 2, so improving his capacity to control nerves and concentrate on the
moment and especially on the music.
Comfort with Public Performance:
His comfort levels performing for an audience were quite consistent, ranging from 7 to 9.
O reports on his journals the benefits of good preparation and regular exposure to performance environments since he felt quite comfortable playing for his peers by the end of the seminars.
Mistake Acceptance:
Over time O developed his capacity to embrace mistakes. He struggled with making mistakes (3) in the first workshop; by the fourth workshop, he was more relaxed about them and could more readily accept them (rated 6 for during the performance, 8 for following the performance).
Importance of Preparation:
O underlined throughout the seminars how preparation affected his anxiety and performance. When he felt ready, his confidence levels increased drastically; he also discovered that consistent regular performance helped him to relax at the moment of performance.
Mental and Physical State Impact:
In Workshop 2, O observed that he was extremely tired, and his performance suffered from it. This indicates, as it would be expected, that his performance can be influenced by outside elements, including physical and psychological fatigue. Still, he seemed to control these elements better in the next sessions.
Increased Comfort with Errors:
As the workshops developed, O grew less obsessed about the possibility of making mistakes, embracing this possibility. This change of perspective helped him to see errors and imperfections as inevitable part of the process, rather than as failures.
O improved steadily in controlling performance anxiety, achieving a bigger comfort on stage by embracing his mistakes. Regular exposure to performance mixed with his capacity for mental preparation helped him develop as a more confident and resilient performer. O is extremely
passionate and a perfectionist when it comes to performance. However, Workshop 4, he had embraced mistakes more freely, considerably lowered his pre-performance anxiety, and grown more excited about his performances.
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Intrument: Cello
Comfortable to play for a public: 6
He scores his general comfort levels at a 6, which could indicate that some lingering nerves might still hinder his performance.
Comfortable with the idea of making a mistake on stage: 2
He has a significant struggle with perfectionism, rating his mistake acceptance at a low score of 2, this could affect his ability to focus on music, which could be a cause for anxiety.
Excited with an opportunity to play: 9
O has a lot of enthusiasm for performing and a deep passion for playing music.
Ability to recover mentally after a bad performance: 5
O’s ability to recover from a bad performance is in the middle range. This suggests he may still be affected by mistakes during or after performances, and improving his mental resilience could be an important focus for him.
Comfortable with watching a video of a performance that didn’t go as well as he wanted: 10
O’s ability to recover from a bad performance (5) is in the middle range. This suggests he may still be affected by mistakes during or after performances, and improving his mental resilience could be an important focus for him.
Nervousness with a performance in a week of a piece you’re comfortable with: 1
His extremely low nervousness (1) when performing something he’s comfortable shows us that O seems to perform comfortably in a low-pressure situation where he feels prepared and confident.
Perception of Success:
O rates his performance as a 7 out of 10, hence even though he was rather pleased with it, there are some areas where he would have like to perform better.
Comfort Level:
O's comfort level of 7 indicates that he was rather confident in his
performance and that his anxiousness had no bearing on his output of music.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
O scored 6 on this category, indicating he had a moderate level of pre-performance anxiety. This could be the result of his perfectionism interfering with his enjoyment of the moment, preventing his to be completely care free.
Mistake Acceptance (During Performance):
Here we may notice his unwillingness to be imperfect; a score of 3 indicates that his faults or imperfections disturbed him greatly.
Mistake Acceptance (After Performance): O marks a 7 in this category,
implying that although he could have struggled during the performance, he was more forgiving of errors following it.
Reflection:
O was nervous, aiming for perfection, and struggled
with the idea of making mistakes. He reports that he likes to retreat into his
“bubble” to focus and block out distractions, preparing himself for what’s coming.
Although he was nervous, O used mental preparation to help focus on aspects like tempo, character, and notes, he considered that the prelude went well, contributing to his sense of accomplishment.
O reflected quite positively on the experience, and was happy with how it went despite the initial anxiety.
Perception of Success:
O was confident and happy with his performance,
hence his score of 8 indicates a high degree of enjoyment
Comfort Level:
O reports that his preparation and consistent performance
experiences most likely explain his great comfort level.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
He rate relatively moderate anxiety levels at a 4,
meaning that his comfort was probably derived from being much less worried than his first experience performing in the workshops.
Mistake Acceptance:
The 4 says O still battled somewhat with accepting mistakes throughout the performance, although he was probably able to manage them a bit better that previously, given his increase in comfort on stage.
Mistake acceptance (after performance):
The student considers his level of acceptance of mistakes after the performance was a 9, meaning he was able to evaluate his performance with a great degree of racionality and acceptance, drawing productive conclusions.
Reflection:
O reports he felt prepared, and having studied right before the workshop, he felt "warm" and confident. He emphasises that his regular experience with public performances seemes to reduce the stress of the situation.
This preparation allowed him to feel confident and in control, although he still faced some struggles with minor imperfections.
O reflected on how making a habit of simulating a real performance had helped him with his confidence on stage. His ability to relax and perform well seemed to increase with all the performance opportunities he had been a part of as a result of the workshops.
Perception of Success:
• O ranks this performance as being his greatest up till just now. Regarding
success, With his performance, a score of 9 reveals significant satisfaction and
highlights his development since the first workshop.
Comfort Level:
The student felt rather relaxed during this class, which
corresponds with his assessment of 9 in comfort levels. This reflects his impression of the quality of the workshop.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
The score of 2 shows minimal anxiety, showing great progress in his ability to manage pre-performance nerves.
Mistake Acceptance (During Performance):
O still wasn’s not totally at peace
with making mistakes, even if his score of 6 indicates that he was more accepting of mistakes during this session than any other previously.
Mistake Acceptance (After Performance):
As with the last workshops, O classifies his ability to accept imperfections after his performance as an 8, remaining consistent with his ability to separate emotions from rational observation and constructive thinking.
Reflection:
Although O was slightly apprehensive about performing, due to not having
played that specific piece in a while, he was still not overwhelmed by anxiety.
He felt extremely confident, regardless of a few intonation issues. He reports to
having enjoyed the moment thoroughly, marking a big difference from previous
workshops.
O recognized that his diminishing workload had
contributed to his ability to relax more. He felt a growing sense of freedom and
comfort in his performances, showing progress in his mental resilience and
acceptance of mistakes.
O remarks that his decreased responsibilities allowed him to relax more and
give into the moment with ease. This shows great progress in his overall
relationship with live performance.
Perception of Success:
O gave his performance success level a six, meaning he felt
it went fairly well, even if he might still have some room for improvement.
Comfort Level:
O's comfort stayed at 7, implying that he was still somewhat at
ease on stage, yet his mental and physical tiredness might have slightly worsened his whole performance.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
His anxiety score declined to 3, much below the first
workshop (6), which is surprising given is level of fatigue.
Mistake Acceptance (During Performance):
O's capacity to handle mistakes throughout his performance shows a modest improvement (5)—though it still affects him somewhat and probably causes some level of annoyance.
Mistake Acceptance (After Performance):
O demonstrates consistency in his ability to examine his performance in a healthy and productive way, not too harsh on himself after his performance. A score of 8 shows a good understanding on how to see the experience in a positive light, using it as a learning opportunity
Reflection:
O reports in his journal that he felt physically and
mentally drained due to a long day, which, according to him, helped reduce his anxiety.
He reports to try to concentrate on important elements
of the piece, as agreed with his teacher; his tiredness was slightly negative for his performance even if he lacked anxiety.
O seemed to show a slight growth in his acceptance of mistakes. He reflected on how the experience was less stressful because he was more comfortable with errors and had a more forgiving mindset.