Overcome performance anxiety|Stage deportment/presence
Auditions and competitions | Beta-blockers | Blog
Overcome Performance Anxiety, Conquer Stage Fright
See Chapters 7-10 of The Musician's Way.
Articles about overcoming performance anxiety and improving musical performance on The Musician's Way Blog.
“Conquering Performance Anxiety from Inside Out,” an article by flutist Helen Spielman. Excellent strategies and tips (June, 2009).
“Coping with Music Performance Anxiety,” by Robin Abraham, M.A., and Katherine Schneider, Ph.D. of the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire (2001).
“Performance Anxiety: Letting Go of the Tiger’s Tail,” by John Hipple, Ph.D., of the University of North Texas Counseling Services (May, 2006).
BulletproofMusician.com. Strategies to conquer stage fright and perform successfully, by Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.
Performance Success, by Don Greene, Ph.D. (Theater Arts, 2001).
The Performance Anxiety Workbook, by Eric Maisel (Back Stage, 2005).
“The Fear of Performance,” by Elizabeth Valentine, in Musical Performance, ed. John Rink (Cambridge, 2002). Purchase from Abebooks.com.
“Negative Emotions in Music Making: The Problem of Performance Anxiety,” by Andrew Steptoe, in Music and Emotion, ed. Juslin and Sloboda, 291-307 (Oxford, 2001). Purchase from Abebooks.com.
"Music performance anxiety: New insights from young musicians," by Dianna Kenny and Margaret Osborne, Advances in Cognitive Psychology (2/2-3), 2006.
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Stage Deportment and Presence
See p. 171-179 of The Musician's Way.
Owning the Stage. A video in which musicians demonstrate agile versus awkward stage deportment. Free download from Rice University.
A Musical illusion, by Michael Schutz. Powerful research proves that a performer's on-stage gestures alter listeners' perceptions.
"Visual Cues Impact Judgment of Piano Performances," Miller-McCune, Aug. 29, 2011. How musicians' body language and gender affect listeners.
"Classical Gasp: Yuja Wang's Dress at the Bowl Causes a Crescendo," by Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 20, 2011. Evolving customs in concert attire.
AirTurn.com. Digitize scores and then turn pages with a foot pedal. Fantastic!
Preview Stage Presence from Head to Toe, by Karen Hagberg (Scarecrow 2003). A 110-page stage-deportment manual. Buy at a discount from AbeBooks.com.
Preview “Communicating with the Body in Performance,” by Jane Davidson, in Musical Performance, ed. John Rink, (Cambridge, 2002). Stage deportment, stage presence, and more. Buy at a discount from Abebooks.com
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Audition and Competition Strategies for Musicians
See p. 217-222 of The Musician's Way.
Nail Your Audition. A must-read article on The Musician's Way Blog.
The Competition Question. Thinking about competing? This post on The Musician's Way Blog will help you decide whether a contest suits you.
Preparing for College Auditions, by Barrick Stees, bassoonist & faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Applicable to all musicians.
Symphony Auditions – Preparation and Execution, by trombonist Douglas Yeo.
Navigating Music Careers: Auditioning. Videos in which professionals offer advice about preparing for and excelling at orchestra and opera auditions.
Bakitone.com. Index of links to competitions for classical musicians.
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Beta-Blockers and Musicians
"Musicians and Beta-Blockers." An article on The Musician's Way Blog that explores whether beta-blockers are safe, effective, and appropriate.
“Beta Blockers and Performance Anxiety in Musicians – Frequently Asked Questions.” An article by Harby, Kucharski, Tuck, and Vasquez (1997).
"Beta-blockers used by musicians, athletes, students to enhance performance."
By Vabren Watts, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 16, 2010.
"Better Music by Prescription." The Minnesota Daily, March 1, 2010.
Athlete at Beijing Olympics stripped of medals for using beta-blockers. Discover magazine, August, 2008.
In Defense of the Beta-Blocker. Bioethicist Carl Elliott on the 2008 Olympic controversy. The Atlantic, August, 2008.
“Better Playing through Chemistry,” by Blair Tindall, The New York Times, 2004.
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