International Journal of Music and Performing Arts

Mental Skills Training for Musicians
Diana Allan

Abstract
While musical skills are necessary for successful musical performances, mental skills play an equally important role. The primary concern of the two surveys reported upon in this paper is the extent to which musicians employ the necessary mental skills for performing their best under pressure. In Study 1, 78% of musicians expressed an inability to perform at desired levels and 71% indicated a lack of awareness of the mental skills necessary to improve their performances. In Study 2, 98% of prospective university music majors indicated that they would like to improve their mental skills and 67% indicated they would like more information about acquiring these skills. Data from the current surveys and the knowledge that the necessary mental skills can be learned suggest that music school curricula should include various opportunities to learn mental skills as an integral part of the music education of all students. In addition, assessing prospective music majors could help faculty determine which mental skills are most needed. This training needs to be proactive, systematic, and available to all students—not just for those who begin to struggle. A primary conclusion to be drawn from these surveys is the need for mental skills training for musicians.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijmpa.v4n1a2