Exploring music performance anxiety among fine arts high school music department students in Turkey

Abstract

Performance anxiety is a significant factor that hinders musicians from showcasing their potential. Students receiving professional music education may experience negative effects in both their education and professional lives due to this anxiety. It is important to identify the factors that contribute to performance anxiety in order to overcome it. With this perspective, the research measured the anxiety levels of music students in Fine Arts High Schools using the Music Performance Anxiety Inventory and examined the scores in terms of major instrument, gender, GPA, stage experience, and age. This study was conducted with 337 students from 11 fine arts high schools in Turkey. It was observed that anxiety varies depending on the instrument, with higher anxiety found particularly among bowed string instrument players. Female students were found to have higher levels of anxiety. Students with more stage experience had lower levels of anxiety. However, age did not have a significant effect.