Anxiety Management C had almost no anxiety towards playing in public throughout all the workshops which gives her a solid foundation to improve her performance skills over time.
C was also quite comfortable on stage, which is consistent with someone who thoroughly enjoys public performance. Her comfort levels ranged from 7 to a 10, showing a great relationship with performing in public.

 

Mistake Acceptance:

C was initially a little bit critical of herself when mistakes occurred, for example, in workshop 2. However, she quickly improved her ability to let go of mistakes and keep learning with them: by Workshop 4, she had embraced the idea that mistakes are human,
and because some of them are inevitable, we should learn to accept them.

 

Introspection

C’s writing on the journal, although somewhat short and direct, show us that she always maintained a calm and logical approach to performance, even when a bit of anxiety was involved. She never allowed her minor nerves or mistakes dominate her experience, focusing instead on the positive aspects of it.

 

Confidence Levels

By the last workshop, C reported “feeling more connection and confidence” while playing, a sign that regular performance exposure and consistent reflection helped her achieve a deeper connection with her music and the audience.
C’s workshop experience shows how even a performer with little to no anxiety can still benefit from self reflection, allowing them to become even more confident and resilient. It seems like her
approach to self-reflection was more related to the watching of the recordings, rather than to the journal writing, which is totally understandable: everyone will deal with it differently.

Perception of Success: (7)
C’s perceived success remained stable at 7, indicating she felt relatively happy about her performance.


Comfort Level: (9)
Despite feeling slightly more nervous than before, she still rated her comfort at a high 9.


Pre-performance Anxiety: (1)
For the first time, a slight pre-performance anxiety (1) occurred, although it remained insignificant and did not affect her performance negatively.


Mistake Acceptance (During Performance): (10)
Mistake acceptance peaked at 10, showing a strong ability to perform without being affected by minor imperfections.


Post-performance Acceptance: (9)
C reflected on experiencing "more connection while playing", implying that a minor increase in nerves might have improved her emotional response to the music.

 


Reflection:
C reports feeling a bit more nervous than usual, although not to a high degree. She explains that playing for her peers isn’t a nerve inducing experience for her, which could indicate she has a certain degree of immunity to outside factors such as audience type.

Perception of Success: (7)
Consistent with her baseline questionnaire score, C felt very secure before performing, although her score on perceived success was a 7, showing that she was completely happy with it.


Comfort level: (10)

C felt in control and confident while playing, even when she made mistakes. She rates her level of comfort at a 10.


Pre-performance Anxiety: (0)
C reports to having no anxiety before her performance


Mistake Acceptance (During Performance): (10)
She demonstrated an outstanding ability to ignore mistakes without letting them affect her negatively during the performance (10). In her journal, she mentions “there’s no reason to die from anticipation”, showing an extremely logical approach to dealing with mistakes.


Post-performance Acceptance: (7.5)
Curiously, she attributes a score of 7.5 to he ability to accept the mistakes after the performance. This could mean that she is harder on herself after a performance than before or during.


Reflection
C’s journal entry is very short and direct, with a very rational approach to performance . She admits to making some mistakes and explains her views on the matter: for her, mistakes are a part of the process, and shouldn’t be frowned upon, especially during a performance. This mindset seems to be very effective for her at the moment of performance, considering her comfort on stage and lack of anxiety.

Perception of Success: (7)
In line with her past performance, C felt rather satisfied with how she played (7).

Comfort Level: (10)
C felt fully in control while playing, rating her comfort level at a 10.


Pre-performance Anxiety: (0)
• Once more, C showed amazing consistency in her mindset as she experienced no pre-performance anxiety (0).


Mistake Acceptance (During Performance): (8)
• Her ability to accept mistakes dropped slightly from a 10 to an 8, but she still managed to maintain a positive outlook. She reflects in her journal: “Anyone can make mistakes,” showing great emotional resilience.


Post-performance Acceptance: (8)
• C's post-performance acceptance of mistakes was constant at 8, so supporting her logical and healthy views of performance anxiety.

 

Reflection:

Clara keeps consistent, showing no real issues with performance.

Perception of Success: (7)
C’s satisfaction with her performance remained consistent at a score of 7.


Comfort Level: (10)
She felt completely at ease while playing, rating her comfort level at a 10.


Pre-performance Anxiety: (1)
Her extremely low pre-performance anxiety (1) remained but was well under control.


Mistake Acceptance (During Performance): (10)
Mistake acceptance reached its peak (10), showing a slight improvement in her ability to not get distracted by mistakes while playing.


Post-performance Acceptance: (9)
C seems to have no problem with having a rational look on how the performance went, rating her mistake acceptance post-performance at a 9.

 


Reflection
C’s journal writing on workshop 4 mention her past anxiety and shyness with playing for a public, admitting she used to care a lot about who was listening. Clearly, this is not the case anymore. This time she was a bit nervous but it completely disappeared as she started to play, which indicates she was able to channel it in the right direction.

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Instrument: Clarinet


Comfortable to play for a public: 7
C has a good sense of comfort when it come to play for a live audience. She may experience some level of nervousness, but she has a solid foundation to build from.


Comfortable with the idea of making a mistake on stage: 5
A score of 5 indicates that C might not be very comfortable with the possibility to make mistakes on stage. This could mean that it would be beneficial for her to develop the capacity to manage mistakes in a performance context.


Excited with an opportunity to play: 10
C is extremely enthusiastic about a chance to perform for a public. This is a very positive driving force in her development as a musician.


Ability to recover mentally after a bad performance: 10
C shows no issues with dealing with a performance that didn’t go as intended. This shows a strong mental resilience, which is a fantastic trait for a musician. This allows her
to move forward and not get caught up in negative thought patterns that would negatively affect her progress.


Comfortable with watching a video of a performance that didn’t go as well as she wanted: 8
C is fairly comfortable with watching and reflecting on performances that didn’t go as planned. Although it might cause a slight bit of distress, she can still manage to use the
video as a means to improve, which is extremely beneficial.


Nervousness with a performance in a week of a piece you’re comfortable with: 1
C has no issues with playing a piece she is familiar with. This suggests that she is very confident in her ability to perform known repertoire, focusing more on the performance itself and not on the outcomes.

Student C performing 2nd Movement - Concertino by G. Donizetti.

Student C performing 2nd Movement - Concertino by G. Donizetti.

Student C performing 2nd Movement - Concertino by G. Donizetti.

Student C performing 2nd Movement - Concertino by G. Donizetti.

Student C performing 2nd Movement - Concertino by G. Donizetti.