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[Part one in a series of three hypothetical case studies involving voice students with musical performance anxiety]
THE PRIVATE VOICE TEACHER ENCOUNTERS a wide variety of students and, therefore, a wide variety of challenges in educating these singers. Performance anxiety, which includes nervousness during a performance as well as fear in anticipation of the event, is likely to present itself in up to eighty percent of individuals.1 Fourteen to sixteen percent of those who are musicians suffer from severe musical performance anxiety (MPA).2 All levels of experience and ages of musicians tend to experience MPA,3 including children and adolescents.4 The causes for performance anxiety and the manifestation of symptoms, however, are as varied as the students themselves. While some "one size fits all" approaches to conquering this obstacle can be successful, tailoring the treatment strategy to the particular student, cause, and symptoms will produce better results both short term and in the long term performance success of the student.
To approach this in a direct and detailed manner, this article is the first in a series of three case studies involving hypothetical students similar to those you may encounter in the voice studio. In each article, we will consider a different theoretical case involving a student that exhibits qualities possessed by some of our own students. Using this student's challenges with MPA as a jumping off point, we will discuss similarities between these issues and more extreme symptoms exhibited by patients that result in a clinical diagnosis. Taking cues from how mental health professionals help these patients, we will interpret that information into specific tactics you can use in the studio to help students overcome their anxiety about performing. It is important to note, however, that we are not making clinical diagnoses, nor do we encourage voice teachers to do so. Additionally, the strategies we will recommend, while based on psychotherapeutic techniques, are not psychotherapy, and are instead tailored toward the strengths of a voice teacher.
HYPOTHETICAL STUDENT #1
"Suzie," is a high school sophomore who has recently come to your studio. She wants to major in music theater in college and pursue a career on Broadway. She is very comfortable singing alone in the practice room and is at ease acting and dancing...