Music Performance Anxiety and Perceived Benefits of Musical Participation Among Older Adults in Community Bands

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine music performance anxiety and self-reported reasons for participation among members of older adult community bands. We asked 35 New Horizons Band members aged 65+ questions about their musical experience in face-to-face interviews, after which we administered two questionnaires: the Performance Anxiety Inventory for Musicians and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. We found a statistically significant difference in performance anxiety between participants suffering from trait anxiety (also called general anxiety) and those who did not. Utilizing the Novelty, Unpredictability, Threat to the Ego, and Sense of low control recipe (NUTS) for stress as a framework, we performed interview and questionnaire analyses that revealed that participants were concerned with issues associated with novelty, unpredictability, and lack of control in contexts of public performances (e.g., new pieces, lack of preparation, or challenging repertoire selected by the conductor). Participants perceived threats to their ego (such as feeling exposed, judged) as a major contributing factor of music performance anxiety. Participants reported the perceived benefits of musical involvement outweighed their negative (i.e., stressful) aspects.