Investigating musical performance anxiety among music college singing students : a quantitative analysis

Due to the common and undesirable effects of `stage fright' among performing musicians, the current study has been undertaken to re-examine the issue of performance anxiety among second- and third-year vocal studies students taking their mid-year examinations at the Guildhall School of Music in London. The results reveal females to be more anxious compared to the norms regarding anxiety both as a personality trait and as a state condition during the anticipation of a jury situation. In addition, the study confirms the suggestion in the literature that a proportional relationship exists between the trait and state aspects of anxiety, where state anxiety levels get higher as trait anxiety increases and vice versa. Regarding the students' achievement as indicated in their final marks, it has been shown that not only will the more advanced musicians, in terms of training and experience, perform better under anxious conditions but they also benefit from their higher levels of pre-performance anxiety.