Performance psychology information impact on stress and anxiety level of Brazilian music performers

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1 International Symposium on Performance Science ISBN The Author 2013, Published by the AEC All rights reserved Performance psychology information impact on stress and anxiety level of Brazilian music performers Sonia Ray 1, Leonardo Kaminski 2, Carlos Fonseca 3, Rodrigo Dueti 4, Sergio Rocha 5, and Paulo Santos 6 1 Department of Music, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil 2 Department of Music, State University of São Paulo, Brazil 3 Department of Psychology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil 4 Department of Psychology, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil 5 Music and Neuroscience, Federal University of São João Del Rei, Brazil 6 Biology Sciences and Statistics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil This work examines the impact of information on music psychology on Brazilian undergraduate and graduate music performance students and its effect on their stress and anxiety levels. It includes an investigation of 15 Brazilian public university curricula based on previous research. The main goals of this study were (1) to investigate how much information on music psychology Brazilian music performance students had access to during their courses and (2) to determinate the impact such information may have on the level of stress and anxiety in the students performances. Students and teachers from 3 universities of São Paulo State, Brazil were asked to answer three forms: the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI), the Inventory of Stress Symptoms LIPP, and an additional form inquiring of the participant s preparation for performance. The study found that information on music psychology is only presented privately at the teacher s discretion. Because there is no formal class on the topic it wasn t possible to infer the results of such a presentation. Just over half of the 191 participants (50.3%) didn t present a stress condition. Almost half of them (49.7%) presented some level of stress. Keywords: performance psychology; performance preparation; performance education; performance anxiety The theory of music psychology is growing, beginning with the first steps given by Carl Seashore (1967) and incorporating the cognitive sciences with

Department of Music, State University of São Paulo, Brazil 3 Department of Psychology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil 4 Department of Psychology, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil 5 Music and

2 312 music performance as shown by the work of Deutsch (1982), Rink (2002), Williamon (2002), Chaffin and Logan (2006), and many others. In discussing the teacher-student relationship, the musician and psychologist Don Greene (2002) raised a common problem: teachers are not psychologists and often don t have the right education and experience in order to help their students with possible psychological issues. This brings into evidence the need for performers to study the so-called figures of interference, i.e. the positive and negative influences on a musical performance (Ray 2005). Gerald Klickstein (2009, p.155) says that knowing how to deal with psychological aspects is essential for the performer s education, and in particular, to control their level of anxiety and stress. He places mental/emotional preparation as one of the five facets of performance preparation. Although the significant development in this research field is remarkable, little has been in done in Brazilian public universities performance courses (Ray and Kaminski 2011). Therefore, the present study aimed (1) to investigate how much access Brazilian music students have to information on music psychology during their courses and (2) to determinate the impact of such information on the levels of stress and anxiety during the students performances. Participants METHOD 191 of 636 students and teachers from 3 public universities of São Paulo State (State University of São Paulo [UNESP], University of São Paulo [USP], and University of Campinas [UNICAMP]) that offer under graduate and postgraduate studies in music performance took part. University populations were UNESP=308, USP=97, and UNICAMP=231. These populations included musical performance students and instrumental, vocal, and conducting teachers. Materials The participants answered three questionnaires: the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) translated and validated for the Portuguese language (Rocha et al. 2011), based on the validated Portuguese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); the Inventory Stress Symptoms LIPP (ISSL); and an additional form examining the participant s preparation for performance. Error estimation was 11%. Data from the K-MPAI inventory were considered as follows: points where low=<90 points, moderate= points, and high=>138 points. These data were associated with

experience in order to help their students with possible psychological issues. This brings into evidence the need for performers to study the so-called figures of interference, i.e. the positive and negative influences on a musical performance (Ray 2005).

3 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE SCIENCE 313 Figure 1. Samples calculus for a finite population. Figure 2. Levels of anxiety for a finite population. (See full color version at www. performancescience.org.) the levels of stress indicated by the ISSL inventory, which establishes 4 levels of stress: alert phase, resistance phase, almost-exhaustion phase, and exhaustion phase, and the existence (or lack thereof) of information about music psychology during the participant s education.

) the levels of stress indicated by the ISSL inventory, which establishes 4 levels of stress: alert phase, resistance

4 314 Procedure Participants were introduced to the procedure and questionnaires by a psychologist. For scoring, the samples calculus for a finite population (simple aleatory sample) was used (n=191, σ 2 =10%, p=499.74, q=96[q=1 p] 50.26% q=100 p, E 2 =4%; see Figure 1). The population presented a profile very similar to the population of the studies of the K-MPAI scale validation and translation for Portuguese language (see Figure 2). RESULTS Information on music psychology was only presented when a professor volunteered to discuss the topic privately. Because there were no formal classes on the topic it wasn t possible to infer results on that presentation type. A little more than half of the participants (50.3%) don t show stress conditions (see Figure 3). Almost half of them (49.7%) presented stress at some level. Of these, 47% were placed into the Resistance level and only 2% were placed into the exhaustion condition (see Figure 4). DISCUSSION The study yields some relationships between high levels of anxiety and stress. Although high levels of anxiety and stress tend to correlate, 17% of the participants without stress reported high levels of anxiety (K-MPAI above 138) which will be closely observed and discussed in the next part of this investigation. Some participants spontaneously declared that they felt less anxious 96 (50.3%) Participants Without Stress (ISSL) 33 34% 47 49% 16 17% With high level of anxiety (K- MPAI above 138) With moderate level of anxiety (K-MPAI between 90 and 138) With low level of anxiety (K- MPAI below 90) Figure 3. Participants without stress.

5 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE SCIENCE % 14 15% 40 42% 95 (49.7%) Participants With Some Level of Stress (ISSL) 2 2% 3 3% 34 36% Resistance phase: 34 participants (36%) with high level of enxiety (K- MPAI above 138) Resistance phase: 40 participants (42%) with moderate level of anxiety (K-MPAI between ) Resistance phase: 14 participants (15%) with low level of anxiety (K- MPAI below 90) Exhaustion phase: 2 participants (2%) with high level of enxiety (K- MPAI above 138) Almost exhaustion phase: 2 participants (2%) with moderate level of anxiety (K-MPAI between ) Alert phase: 3 participants (3%) with low level of anxiety (K-MPAI below 90) Figure 4. Participants with stress. or stressed after receiving information on music psychology directly from their professors or close friends. In the next phase of this research, more factors from the K-MPAI inventory will be analyzed in detail and compared to the participants daily musical routines. Another 12 universities are scheduled to be visited by the researchers to further these results. Address for correspondence Sonia Ray, Music, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 1008 n.172 apt.1101, Goiania, Goiás , Brazil; soniaraybrasil@gmail.com References Chaffin R. and Logan T. (2006). Practicing perfection: how concert soloists prepare for performance. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 2, pp Deutsch D. (1982). The Psychology of Music. New York: Academic Press. Greene D. (2002). Performance Success. New York: Routledge.

moderate level of anxiety (K-MPAI between 90-138) Resistance phase: 14 participants (15%) with low level of anxiety (K- MPAI below 90) Exhaustion phase: 2 participants (2%) with high level of enxiety

6 316 Klickstein G. (2009). The Musician s Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness. Oxford: Oxford University Press Ray S. (2005). Os conceitos EPM, Potencial e Interferência inseridos numa proposta de mapeamento de Estudos sobre Performance Musical. In S. Ray (ed.), Performance Musical e suas Interfaces (pp ). Goiânia, Brazil: Vieira/Irokun. Ray S. and Kaminski L. C. (2011). O Atual estado da questão da disciplina psicologia na formação de músicos-intérpretes na academia brasileira. Anais do Simpósio Internacional de Cognição a Artes Musicais, 8, pp Rocha S. de F., Dias-Neto E., and Gattaz W. F. (2011). Ansiedade na performance musical: tradução, adaptação e validação do Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) para a língua portuguesa. Revista psiquiatria clínica, 38, pp Rink J. (2002). Musical Performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Seashore C. E. (1967). Psychology of Music. New York: Dover Publications Inc. Williamon A. (2002). Memorizing music. In J. Rink (ed.), Musical Performance (pp ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Goiânia, Brazil: Vieira/Irokun. Ray S. and Kaminski L. C. (2011). O Atual estado da questão da disciplina psicologia na formação de músicos-intérpretes na academia brasileira.

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