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Logan, Emily Cathryn

University of British Columbia

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a prevalent and potentially debilitating condition which can severely affect a musician’s professional and personal life. It is experienced by a high percentage of musicians and occurs regardless of instrument, genre, level of experience, and age. Psychological disorders occurring along with MPA seem to be common, especially among the student and professional musician populations. Although many treatments have been tested by previous scholars, no one single non-pharmacological treatment has emerged as a definitive best. The study team hypothesize that a blended, multi-modal intervention would help music students reduce their MPA. A pilot study and a second larger research study were conducted to assess the impact of an intervention for university music students struggling with MPA. The studies were mixed method studies, employing both quantitative and qualitative measures. The intervention, led by a trained psychotherapist who is also a professional violinist, included elements of Sports Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and Mindfulness. Pre-intervention interviews allowed for the identification of themes pertaining to the level of severity and manifestation of MPA. The post-intervention results demonstrated that this particular blended intervention program lowered participants’ MPA scores, as measured by the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI). The analysis of themes in the post-intervention, semi-structured interviews demonstrated that students perceived that their MPA decreased. Participants unanimously stated that they found the program to be helpful. In order to support students in their endeavours to achieve professional careers in music, aspects concerning health and wellbeing must be considered. University music schools often fail to adequately address the subject of MPA in their curricula. This thesis examines a possible approach towards recognizing its relevance.

Text

2022-01-28

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/80745

Music - Piano

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/