Posted on May 9, 2025

Managing Performance Anxiety

Some nervousness before performing is normal—even professional musicians experience it. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety but to channel it productively.

• Diaphragmatic breathing – Slow, deep breaths help counter the shallow breathing of anxiety
• Progressive muscle relaxation – Systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups
• Movement before performing – Gentle exercise helps burn off excess adrenaline
• Proper nutrition and hydration – Avoiding caffeine and sugar which can amplify jitters

• Focusing on communication rather than perfection
• Chunking – Breaking the performance into manageable sections mentally
• Concentration techniques – Developing cues that bring focus back when it wanders
• Growth mindset reinforcement – Viewing challenges as opportunities to learn

Perhaps most importantly, teach students how to recover when things don’t go as planned:

• Keep going – The ability to continue despite mistakes is perhaps the most valuable performance skill
• Return to fundamentals – Focus on basics like steady tempo or beautiful tone
• Reset points – Predetermined places in the music where they can mentally restart
• The 3-second rule – Wait three seconds before reacting to any mistake

Supporting Different Student Types

No single approach works for every student. Here’s how to adapt your performance preparation based on student personalities:

The Perfectionist

• Emphasize that perfect performances don’t exist—even among professionals
• Set process goals (beautiful tone, musical phrasing) rather than outcome goals
• Assign pieces well within technical capabilities for first performances

The Naturally Anxious Student

• Begin with collaborative performances where they’re not the sole focus
• Implement systematic desensitization—gradually increasing audience size
• Teach specific anxiety management techniques

The Underprepared Confident Student

• Create concrete benchmarks for performance readiness
• Record performances in lessons to provide objective feedback
• Channel confidence positively while building realistic preparation habits

The Reluctant Performer

• Start with non-solo opportunities (duets, ensembles)
• Emphasize the service aspect of performance—sharing music’s joy with others
• Find performance venues aligned with personal interests

After the Performance

How teachers handle post-performance discussions significantly impacts a student’s willingness to perform again.

Effective Reflection

Guide students through structured reflection with questions like:

• “What moments are you most proud of in your performance?”
• “What surprised you about the performance experience?”
• “If you could tell your pre-performance self one thing, what would it be?”
• “What will you do differently in preparation next time?”

Celebration

Celebrate every performance, regardless of outcome. This might include:

• Studio parties after major events
• Performance certificates or tokens
• Photo displays of performance moments
• Recording collections of student performances

Conclusion: Beyond Perfect Notes

As we guide students from private lessons to public stages, our ultimate goal isn’t perfect performances but developing musicians who can share their art confidently and expressively. By creating graduated performance pathways, teaching comprehensive preparation strategies, and fostering healthy performance mindsets, we give our students not just musical skills but life skills. 

The student who learns to walk confidently onto a stage, share their music authentically, handle inevitable imperfections gracefully, and walk off knowing they’ve communicated something meaningful has gained far more than technical proficiency. They’ve learned to be artists in the truest sense—connecting with others through their music.

And isn’t that connection, after all, why we make music in the first place?

This is Part 2 of our series.

If you missed it, check out “From Lessons to Stage – Part 1: Helping Students Transition to Performance Opportunities”, where we explored how to create effective performance pathways from the very first lesson.