ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the more general term performance anxiety is used, because anxiety occur in off stage playing as well, for example when playing for peers or for a teacher. Many musicians seem to play for the purpose of demonstrating technical skills and they forget that music has a creative and communicating purpose. According to several studies in music psychology, often more than half of the respondents report that they suffer from performance anxiety. The symptoms of performance anxiety are physical and mental. Physical symptoms are autonomous reactions such as an increase in heart rate and respiration, sweaty palms, excessive muscular tension and others. Roland Persson identified the following four main groups of coping strategies: cognitive, somatic, behavioural, and pharmaceutical interventions. Cognitive strategies, such as visualization and different kinds of hypnosis, are aimed at influencing the body through the mentality.
