Anxiety Management:
Over the course of the workshops, this student didn’t show any significant reduction in pre-performance anxiety. He went from 0 in Workshop 1 and 2
to a 2 in Workshop 3. This is consistent with his reports on the baseline questionnaire, that showed he wasn’t very much affect by it, although its possible he feels some level of nervousness sometimes.
Growth in Comfort and Confidence:
The student showed a steady increase in their
comfort levels, with their ratings jumping from 4 in the first workshop to 9 in the second and third workshops. This could indicate that the regular exposure to performing and
reflecting on his experiences helped him feel more at ease in front of an audience, but because he only participated in three workshops and the concert, it is hard to know for certain..
Acceptance of Mistakes:
There was a moderate improvement in how the student
handled mistakes during and after the performance. His ability to continue playing
through mistakes increased with each workshop, as evidenced by their high ratings in
"acceptance of mistakes during the performance" (7-9). In the baseline questionnaire he rates his ability to overcome mistakes a 7, so this could suggest that the workshops were somewhat effective in helping him develop a healthier attitude towards errors.
Overall Performance Success Perception:
The student’s perception of their
performance success fluctuated from a low 3 to 7. While they didn’t rate their performances as perfect, the growth he showed in comfort, confidence, and acceptance of mistakes likely led him to feel more positive about their performances over time, as he focused less on perfection and more on the process.
Importance of Preparation:
Even though the student felt calm in each session, his
perception of success seems to be linked with his preparedness. In the first workshop,
he felt unprepared, which might explain his lower score on performance success. In the second and third workshops, he was better prepared, which likely led to the higher success ratings.
In summary, this student’s journey across the workshops indicates a moderate level of progress in handling performance anxiety, perhaps because he did’t have much to begin with. Regardless, it proves that an intervention that fosters self-reflection will help with
developing greater comfort with performing.
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Instrument: Piano
Comfort in playing for a public: (8)
M finds great ease performing in front of an audience. This indicates that, when it comes to public performance, he has a reasonable degree of ease and confidence; nonetheless, he may work on lowering some of his nervousness.
Comfort with making mistakes on stage: (6)
M is very at ease with making blunders on a performance. Although he probably can manage errors somewhat effectively, they could nevertheless cause him some trouble during performances. He might still be somewhat self-conscious or annoyed by mistakes.
Excitement with an opportunity to play in public: (5)
His enthusiasm for performance is moderate, meaning that although he doesn't have bad emotions about the chance to perform, he might not feel extremely passionate either. This could suggest that rather than something he enjoys thoroughly, he might view performance as more of a habit.
Ability to recover mentally after a poor performance: (7)
M has no difficulty in overcoming a performance that didn’t go as planned. Although he might not be impervious to the effects of a bad performance, he has grown to be really good in terms with the fact that mistakes are quite possible, which is a good quality for a musician.
Comfort with watching a video of a performance that didn’t go well: M is somewhat at ease with introspection and viewing performance footage that deviated from expectations. This implies he can assess his performance constructively, which is necessary for ongoing development even
in cases of imperfection.
Nervousness with the performance a piece that you’re comfortable with in a weeks time: (0)
The 0 for anxiousness a week before a performance shows great ease while considering forthcoming events, and he is not scared of putting himself in a vulnerable position. This suggests his levels performance anxiety are
almost non-existing.
Perception of Success:
The student rated his perception of success at a 3,
indicating he didn’t feel the performance was successful, likely due to mistakes
and feeling unprepared.
Comfort Level:
With a comfort score of 4, the student had some degree of
discomfort during the performance, but he was still able to manage the situation without excessive anxiety.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
The anxiety score is a 0, which is intriguing because, despite being unprepared and nervous about mistakes, the student felt surprisingly
calm beforehand.
Mistake Acceptance:
The 7 score here shows the student’s reasonable level of acceptance when he made mistakes during the performance. M was able to keep going without becoming overly anxious, suggesting some growth in his ability to cope with performance errors.
Post-performance Acceptance:
With an 8 score, the student showed a higher
level of acceptance after the performance, demonstrating a mature outlook, not
overly blaming himself despite the challenges he faced.
Reflection:
The student felt unprepared and worried about making
mistakes, but his low pre-performance anxiety (0) might suggest that, despite
feeling unready, he had already somewhat internalized the idea that mistakes are a part of performing.
He felt relaxed but still feared making mistakes. This shows a bit of a contradiction, as he was able to continue performing despite the anxiety.
The student did not feel bad about his performance, indicating a realistic view of his level of preparation. He understood that it was a practice session, and mistakes were to be expected.
Perception of Success:
The student rated the performance success at 7,
indicating that he felt the performance went reasonably well, even if there were a
few mistakes.
Comfort Level:
Comfort level was again very high, with a rating of 9, showing that
M felt at ease throughout the performance.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
Anxiety raised slightly compared to previous
workshops (2), but still within a manageable range, suggesting that they
experienced some mild pre-performance nervousness.
Mistake Acceptance:
The student showed a great deal of comfort with mistakes during the performance (7), indicating that he was better able to manage the
experience of making errors without letting it throw them off.
Post-performance Acceptance:
The student rated post-performance acceptance
at 7, which is a slight dip from the previous workshop, suggesting that although he was generally comfortable with mistakes, there may still have been some moments of self-criticism.
Reflection:
M was calm due to his familiarity with the piece, and the fact that he had been through this process several times with the last two weeks helped ease his anxiety.
The student was able to accept mistakes with more ease, indicating growth in their mental resilience and ability to stay focused despite errors.
M mentioned feeling more confident and communicative during the performance, showing a deeper connection with the music and audience as they continued to build comfort.
Perception of Success:
The student rated their success at a 7, showing a
significant improvement compared to the first workshop. This aligns with the
journal entry, where he felt more comfortable and more at ease during the
performance.
Comfort Level:
The comfort score of 9 shows a drastic improvement in feeling at
ease during the performance compared to the first workshop.
Pre-performance Anxiety:
Anxiety is still rated as 0, indicating that even though the student forgot the sheet music, he was calm and able to manage the situation
with little to no anxiety.
Mistake Acceptance:
A 9 score reflects M’s high level of comfort with mistakes.
He didn’t get overly stressed by errors during the performance and seemed to
accept them readily.
Post-performance Acceptance:
Similarly, the post-performance acceptance was
rated as 9, showing a consistent approach in handling mistakes and not letting
them affect his overall sense of performance quality.
Reflection:
The student felt calm, even though they had forgotten the sheet music. He experienced some apprehension but did not let it escalate to
anxiety.
Despite some mistakes and confusion from not having the sheet music, he was able to stay calm, continue, and not let mistakes affect their performance significantly.
The student felt more at ease during this performance, contrasting with his lack of control in the previous workshop.