Performance anxiety in gifted adolescent musicians

Among professional musicians as well as among music students, performance anxiety occurs frequently and can cause considerable distress. As the professional development starts early among future musicians, younger samples are of great interest, but to date, few studies have examined adolescents. The present survey explored performance anxiety in a sample of 15–19-year-old pupils who attended a German special music school. Of those pupils, 74 participated in the study (93% response rate). In addition to frequency and expression of performance anxiety, coping strategies were assessed. Results pointed to the high frequency of performance anxiety in this sample; about one third of the group were distinctly handicapped by their anxiety. Unfavorable coping strategies, such as drug or alcohol abuse were rarely reported. Most pupils called for more support either from their teachers or from outside of school to cope with their anxiety.