<p>My daughter played piano since kindergarten and always had terrible anxiety at the yearly recital. The year she was physically shaking in fear in her seat waiting for her turn to play was the last time she played at any kind of concert or recital. It was not worth it - she plays music for her own enjoyment - she never again played for an audience.</p>
<p>The Don Greene book is great. I have read it and forgot about it when I posted my AT thread. I also agree that performing more helps, especially in conjunction with AT. A good AT teacher will help your son learn how to approach the performance and give him tips.</p>
<p>I agree with the person who said that beta blockers take something from a performance.</p>
<p>I suggest you post this on the music forum, as well as having it here. There is a lot of help on that forum specific to musicians, and responses there can add to any that you receive here.</p>
<p>The problem with anxiety is that it can become anxiety about anxiety. Then anxiety about anxiety about anxiety. So it sort of builds on itself. So there are two things to work on: the initial cause for anxiety (performance) and the anxiety about past experiences of anxiety repeating.</p>
<p>There are many programs to deal with this problem. I would try to find a cognitive behavioral therapist or psychologist specializing in the problem. You could call a conservatory, or university music school, for referrals, perhaps, or just Google. Perhaps an Alexander Technique teacher would be a resource.</p>
<p>Check this out: <a href=“http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/[/url]”>http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/</a></p>
<p>Here is an excerpt from a study:</p>
<p>In another study, the two most critical cognitions predicting MPA (Music Performance Anxiety) in solo music performances related to the consequences (e.g., “My career is
ruined.” “If I make the slightest mistake, they’ll think I’m incompetent and I’ll get thrown out of school”) and likelihood of negative evaluation (e.g., “The audience expects me to play at a higher standard than I can play, and they’ll be disappointed in me”) (Osborne & Franklin, 2002). On the other hand, musicians who are able to control their MPA at moderate levels do so by using realistic self-appraisal, eg. “I’m bound to make a few mistakes, but so does everyone”.</p>
<p>Your son is still young. Can conversation revolve around enjoyment, fun, self-expression rather than skill and evaluation? (Not saying that you yourself are doing this, but the music world can get a little skewed.) Those with talent sometimes have more performance anxiety because their identities get connected a little to performance.</p>
<p>Alexander Technique is a good suggestion. You could also look into EFT (tapping), meditation or Tai Chi or other ways to calm the nervous system.</p>
<p>I think many performers and athletes depend on some superstitious comfort, the proverbial rabbit’s foot. My dancer daughter always has a certain kind of chocolate just before performing. Does you son have any rituals?</p>
<p>I think (low dose as possible) beta blockers (used once or twice) could be helpful in providing an experience or two that is not anxious, and thereby cut the connection, perhaps making your son less anxious about being anxious. (But if he has lowish blood pressure, beware: I took them once and could not feel my hands!) </p>
<p>I have read that some anxiety clinics are using an antibiotic that helps the brain retain memory of having an experience without anxiety, which gets imprinted on the brain and prevents anxiety from recurring.</p>
<p>I really think that if you go over the the music forum, there will be very specific help offered. Performance anxiety is a specialized form of anxiety: though the physiological mechanism is similar across all kinds of anxiety, performance anxiety is an experience particular to that situation.</p>
<p>Thank you, all, for the great suggestions. compmom, I appreciate your detailed post. My son’s teacher is completely supportive and encouraging and does not put pressure on him. The atmosphere at the school is very nurturing. My son does not have a ritual, but I will talk to him about developing one, and also about the bulletproof musician course, which sounds great. </p>
<p>I ordered Don Greene’s book and it should be delivered Monday.</p>
<p>rituals are great, and I have some of my own for my own performance work. a caution, though, as unexpected complications with the ritual can cause more harm than good - say…if your lucky underwear is in the laundry, for example. :)</p>