Creating an Expressive Performance Mindset

Abstract

Students in performance situations sometimes experience physiological symptoms that inhibit their ability to perform as expressively as they otherwise might possess the understanding and ability to do. As students set out to perform with an expressive mindset, the brain’s limbic system may detect some perceived danger in the situation and cause a shift away from the expressive mindset toward one that protects them from the danger by inhibiting their expressiveness. We call this the “default mindset.” Commonly accepted solutions, such as eating a banana or picturing the audience in their underwear, are inadequate to help young performers deal with the problem. We offer a solution that helps music students overcome this shift; this solution involves establishing an environment of safety, risk-taking, self-awareness, and personal responsibility, and then regularly engaging students in music instruction that purposefully addresses expressive-mindset-building skills.

Keywords

anxiety expressive performance mindset responsibility risk-taking stage fright

Ms. Moore’s choir is rehearsing a lively gospel piece. She tells the students how important it is to really feel the groove and let it show in their bodies. She can sense the inhibition in her students as she tries to get them to open up and be more expressive. Using her colorful personality and her influence on the students, she finally gets them to sing expressively. They laugh and have fun as she goes crazy that day in class. She gets them singing, dancing, and clapping wildly. It is a breakthrough in musical expression for her choir. In subsequent rehearsals, they allow the heartfelt expressions of gospel music to show in their faces and bodies; they even sound better. One week later, they are on stage performing. The energy, excitement, and freedom discovered in the practice room does not carry over into their performance. They barely move their bodies, only a few even smile. The rhythm is labored and mechanical—no groove, no spirit!

This vignette portrays students who are struggling with musical expressiveness. The students discover in rehearsal that they have the ability to be expressive, but there is something about the performance situation that causes an unintentional and undesirable decline in musical expressiveness when they perform. There are several possible factors involved in this all-too-common occurrence: student conceptions of performance, social stigma, lack of preparation, and others. One frequent factor in inhibited expressiveness is performance anxiety.¹ This is closely related to an explanation that we offer in this article—that students experience an unintentional but natural psychological shift in their mindsets in response to perceived threats in normal performance situations.

How can a music teacher best help students overcome their anxiety and open up to truly expressive musical performance? Here are some ideas to point you in the right direction.

For the purposes of this article, mindset is defined as a “set of beliefs or thought processes that affect somebody’s attitude or behavior.”² A shift in mindset occurs when beliefs and thought processes adjust to changes in the environment. Just as these shifts in mindset are seen as a cause of “choking” in sports performance,³ we believe that these shifts occur in young musicians as well. For many, these shifts are not accompanied by the ability to manage them. Furthermore, just as maintaining a mentally tough mindset is described as essential for enhanced sports performance,⁴ we believe that the mindset during musical performance determines the extent to which expressive abilities can be put into play. Through Ms. Moore’s efforts, her students temporarily achieve a mindset that frees them to be expressive while in rehearsal. Later, when presented with the added complexity of the performance setting, they seem to lack the skill to achieve that mindset.

A student of one of the authors reported being told by a former teacher to lower her expectations and expect only 60 percent of what she could do in the practice room to show up in a live performance. We assert that lowering performance expectations is not the best way to address the problem of inhibited expressiveness in performance. Rather, what is needed is an increased understanding of the nature of the physiological responses to performance situations that create this problem. Such understanding will lead to practical solutions that allow young musicians to perform to their full expressive potential. In the remainder of this article, we address the problem of inhibited musical expression as it relates to performance mindset and provide strategies to address the problem.

The Problem: Shift to the Default Mindset

Understanding the nature of inhibited expression is crucial to addressing it appropriately in instruction. In this section, we detail some of the physiology of the brain with respect to possible explanations for musicians’ frequent inability to fully apply expressive skills and knowledge during performance.

The Brain

The brain may be described as having higher functions and survival functions. The survival functions are located in the limbic system, which is also generally believed to be responsible for most human emotions. The source of mindset that creates performance inhibition is found in the limbic system, the home of the amygdala.⁵ In the limbic system, there is a series of small structures that deal specifically with emotion and memory. This is the survival center of the brain, and the amygdala is responsible for the fight-or-flight response (see Figure 1).

Figure 1

The Human Brain

Performers have countless experiences with pleasure and pain—all recorded in the limbic system. With this vast library at its disposal, the brain constantly scans for situations that resemble any pleasurable or painful experiences in the past. As the limbic system recognizes such a situation, it is activated, and a flood of neurochemicals (such as adrenalin) is automatically released.⁶ A variety of symptoms emerge, including cold, clammy hands; increased heart rate; increased muscle tension; shallow and rapid breathing; stomach distress; and a decrease in fine motor control. Along with these symptoms, the mindset shifts to cope with or manage the anticipated experience.

The higher functions of the brain are located in the prefrontal cortex.⁷ This part of the brain is important to expressive performance. It is where creativity, problem solving, information gathering, analysis, organization, and, most important, choice all occur. Among the functions of the prefrontal cortex is bringing creativity and problem solving to the complexities of life.

In music performance, the prefrontal cortex communicates with the motor areas of the brain responsible for the execution of learned motor skills. The order of operation with these two parts of the brain is important in understanding inhibited expression in performance. Without interference from the limbic system, the prefrontal cortex is free to initiate a performance that puts expressive knowledge and learned skills fully into play. However, when a real or imagined danger is perceived, the anxiety and tension generated in the limbic system are instant and automatic. The prefrontal cortex manages and guides such habitual responses,⁸ but often neurochemicals have already flooded the body, creating a state of stress often referred to as performance anxiety.⁹ The prefrontal cortex may soon determine that the situation is not life threatening, but the body has already been activated.

The Default Mindset

Over time and through myriad life and performance experiences, the young musician’s brain develops a habitual state of mind that protects him or her from perceived threats–the “default mindset.” The default mindset ensures safety. Young performers may desire to be expressive, and the prefrontal cortex may be prepared to achieve it, but the limbic system imposes a shift away from the desired mindset of full expressiveness and toward the default mindset of tension, anxiety, and safety. We believe that this shift to the default mindset, triggered by the perception of some type of emotional, social, or physical danger is the basis of the inhibited musical expression that is commonly part of the developing musician experience.

A Solution: Expressive Performance Mindset Instruction

Just before her solo/ensemble festival performance is set to start, Jenny approaches her teacher and says, “I’m nervous.” Ms. Quinn, her teacher, responds, “So you can feel yourself shifting, huh?” The student responds, “Yeah, I guess so.” Ms. Quinn says, “Jenny, for the last eight weeks you have learned what to do at times like this. You designed a mindset to get yourself mentally ready for tonight. Do you remember your trigger words?” “Yeah.” “Do you remember your centering exercise?” “Yeah.” “Great! Now, just put those skills to use. You’re going to do a great job.” Jenny’s fearful expression shifts to one of purposeful and confident action. She sits down and starts to prepare herself mentally to be the most expressive musician she is capable of being.

Many students in this situation may not have the understanding and skills to do what Jenny apparently is able to do as she deals with her shift to the default mindset. They may be told, “Take a deep breath and you will do fine,” or “Just do your best.” Then, they may proceed to perform with inhibited expressiveness. In this vignette, Jenny seems to possess specific skills that she can apply to the stressful situation at hand. These skills apparently give her the ability to manage her mindset such that it sets her expressiveness free instead of inhibiting it. In the vignette at the beginning of this article, the students temporarily enjoy mindsets that open the way for expressiveness as a result of Ms. Moore’s “crazy day,” but they do not possess the skills to create that mindset for themselves when they need it for the performance.

To investigate approaches to dealing with the problem of inhibited expressiveness, we performed a series of studies. Based on previous research,¹⁰ our teaching and coaching background, and the notion that mindset can be changed,¹¹ we constructed an intervention to be tested. It was designed to teach young performers how to prepare themselves individually for performance in such a way as to counteract the natural tendency to shift to the default mindset. This required mindset-creating skills.

We first used our intervention with members of an unauditioned college choir and found that it resulted in immediate and significant improvements in their musical expression during individual solo singing tests.¹² We wanted to determine whether our intervention would be effective with younger students as well. To test a sufficiently dissimilar age-group, we used middle school–age individuals for another study using an almost identical intervention and found similar results.¹³ On the basis of our findings, we proposed that young singers may possess higher levels of skill regarding musical expressiveness than many assume and that these skills might be more fully put into play if music teachers are able to teach students how to design and implement a positive performance mindset. The specifics of our intervention comprise the strategies we present in this article.

We now add that simply suggesting that students practice more, take a few breaths, eat bananas, or picture the audience in their underwear perpetuates folklore more than it addresses the problem as described above. There is much that can be done by music teachers to help young musicians to overcome the shift and achieve a performance mindset that enhances rather than inhibits expressive performance. Indeed, the specific skills that were the substance of our research intervention can be taught such that a student can learn to design and achieve a mindset that is conducive to expressive performance. Such a mindset nurtures confidence and freedom from insecurities and inhibitions—allowing the student’s expressive abilities to be fully and freely realized in performance. We call this state of mental preparation for expressive performance the “expressive performance mindset.”

General Instructional Environment

The initial step in effective expressive performance mindset instruction is to establish a general environment that is conducive to psychological exploration on the part of the students. This is not easily accomplished and, in fact, requires quite purposeful attention from the teacher. There are four important things that such an environment must nurture: safety, risk-taking, self-awareness, and personal responsibility. First, safety. Students must know that they are safe from social and emotional dangers, such as ridicule, humiliation, shame, and embarrassment. Second, risk-taking. Students must be encouraged on a regular basis to take risks and learn not only that they can be successful but also that risk-taking is rewarding. Third, self-awareness. Students must participate often in self-analysis in order to develop the ability to understand what they are experiencing and how to modify their responses to be more successful. Fourth, personal responsibility. Students must be given regular opportunities to act as individuals—to make decisions and experience the results. A safe environment where risk-taking, self-analysis, and personal responsibility are nurtured will develop student attitudes needed to maximize the skill-building opportunities in expressive performance mindset instruction.

Specific Skill Instruction

We suggest that several specific skills be formally addressed in music classroom instruction in order to nurture the expressive performance mindset in students. They include the ability to identify, design, center, adopt, and process: (1) identify the shift toward the default mindset when it is happening, (2) design an expressive mindset using self-selected positive mental “trigger words,” (3) center the mind’s focus through breathing and thinking the trigger words, (4) adopt the mindset to put expressive skills and understandings fully into play during performance, and (5) process the experience through meaningful reflection. Students will use these skills as consecutive steps.

Initial Lesson: Introducing Five Skills for Creating an Expressive Performance Mindset

1. Identify

Question: “Think of your last performance. What kinds of words best describe the attitude you had during that performance?” (Students respond.)

Question: “Think of your next performance. What kinds of words best describe the attitude you would like to have when you step out on stage?” (Students respond.)

Question: “What might happen if the next time you were to perform you were actually bold, confident, and free?” (Discuss as group. Help students understand that they would be able to put their expressive abilities more fully into play.)

Note. This skill is addressed under “Adopt” as well.

2. Design

Preparation: Supply each student with a blank name tag and a marker.

Instructions: “Think again about those words that describe the attitude you would like to have for your next performance. Use specific attitude words, like bold, confident, and free—not words like perfect or awesome or good-looking. Settle on two or three of your favorites. Those will be your ‘trigger words.’” Let them know that by selecting meaningful trigger words, they are actually designing their performance mindsets.

Instruction: “Now write your trigger words clearly on your name tags.”

Question: “Are you willing to really adopt the qualities on your name tags for the next 40 minutes?” Encourage affirmative responses. “Okay. Put on those name tags and get ready to become those qualities.” Students put on name tags.

3. Center

Instructions: “Centering consists of taking three breaths. Breath 1 is a big, deep, full breath accompanied by saying or thinking the words let it go to yourselves as you exhale.” Have students take breath 1. “Breath 2 is a gentle musician’s breath. As you inhale, say or think your trigger words to yourselves, and do the same again as you exhale.” Have students take breath 2. “Breath 3 is also a gentle musician’s breath. This time, say or think your trigger words again as you inhale, but as you exhale, think of the starting point for your performance. For now, pretend that you are about to sing or play a very loud, accented first note and prepare yourselves for that during the exhale.” Have students take breath 3, followed by a preparatory breath to play or sing some loud, accented first note. Ask students to sit down.

4. Adopt

Instructions: “Pay close attention to your first responses to the request I am about to make. See if you notice a shift into a mindset that inhibits you to keep you safe—your ‘default mindset.’”

Instructions: “Okay. Here we go. We need eight volunteers.” One or two students may promptly raise their hands. The rest of the students may struggle a bit as they battle the shift to default mindset. “Now, remember the trigger words you are wearing on your name tags.” Other volunteers will begin to emerge. Keep at it until you have eight volunteers. “In a moment, you will be performing ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ as a group. Make it expressive.” Identify a location where they will prepare.

Instruction: “Now we need a second group of eight volunteers.” By now, others will have found their courage to volunteer. Give the members of this group some handheld percussion instruments, such as a tambourine, triangle, blocks, bongos, maracas, and so on. “In a few moments, you will be performing as a percussion ensemble.” Identify where they will prepare.

Instruction: “Now we need a third group of volunteers.” Wait and encourage again. “This group will be singing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’” Identify where they will prepare. You may want to create a fourth group and have them sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or “Happy Birthday.” Or, have the group create its own percussion sounds with voices or by stomping or clapping. Involve everyone if possible. Encourage, but do not push.

Instructions: “Each group will perform four times. Each time you perform, you must remember to start with the centering exercise. But, for the first two performances, you will all use the trigger words bold, confident, and free.” Allow seven to ten minutes for the groups to prepare. This can get a bit chaotic, but it is very powerful and a lot of fun. Lead each group through the centering exercise for their first performance.

Instructions: [After all of the groups have performed for the first time] “That first performance was exactly as bold, confident, and free as you let yourselves be. Now you’re going to perform again, this time taking an even a bigger step into bold, confident, and free. Remember that this exercise is about adopting your mindsets—not about the music.” Have all of the groups perform this a second time, again leading them through the centering exercise. Acknowledge the positive differences in the music and the apparent mindsets of the performers.

Instruction: “Now, for your third performance, you’re going to adopt the trigger words timid, shy, and anxious.” Have them perform incorporating these negative trigger words into their centering exercise.

Instructions: “For your final performance, use your own triggers and take them to a level beyond anything you’ve done yet with bold, confident, and free. Now, this is your last chance. Be outrageously committed to your designed mindsets.” Make sure they are centered before each performance. Celebrate the vivid expressiveness of each performance, and ask students to return to their seats.

5. Process

Question: “How many of you felt like you were able to take it to a new level on that last performance? What did you have to do to accomplish that?” Students respond. Help students realize that they overcame the shift to the default mindset and adopted a mindset of their own design. Help them appreciate how huge a breakthrough that was in their performing lives.

Our research findings indicate that while college-age students may retain the ability to apply mindset building skills weeks after a single skill-building lesson, middle school–age students do not seem to have this ability.¹⁴ Therefore, we recommend that music teachers offer formal expressive performance mindset instruction using these five steps periodically throughout each term. We suggest at least one substantial initial lesson, followed by numerous, shorter, follow-up lessons. The initial lesson might look something like the one presented in Sidebar 1 and can be completed in approximately forty-five minutes. Follow-up lessons can be abbreviated variations of the initial lesson, but should also regularly apply the mindset creating skills to concert literature being rehearsed. Sidebar 2 presents an example of this latter type of follow-up lesson.

Expressiveness and More

We do not intend that these sidebar models be used exactly as they are presented here. They are simply examples of lessons that are based on the five skills described in this article. We encourage music teachers to internalize the principles at work and design lessons adapted to their individual settings.

As teachers and students engage frequently and consistently in the formal and informal aspects of expressive performance mindset instruction we have presented here, we believe that the expressive mindsets of students and instructors alike will provide energy to rehearsals and performances and bring new life, meaning, enthusiasm, and joy into the performing experience. Our experiences, both in research and in practical instructional settings, suggest that young musicians can enjoy a dramatic improvement in their expressive performance as they develop the psychological attitudes and skills to manage their performing mindsets.

The benefits of regular mindset-oriented instruction may go far beyond the direct benefits we have discussed here. As students become more and more adept at achieving a positive performance mindset, ensemble performances can be transformed. Responsibility for getting students mentally ready can be shifted to the students themselves. The teacher can focus more on the music and logistics and other concerns involved in a performance. Students can discover that they truly can be musical artists. This can bring a deepened sense of enjoyment and meaning. As skills become habits, a pervasive sense of performing confidence can develop. We see our approach not only as a short-term solution for inhibited expressiveness but as a foundation for a long-term positive performer identity and as a pattern for lifelong, deeply fulfilling performing experiences.

Follow-up Lesson for Creating an Expressive Performance Mindset

Use a piece that you are already working on as an ensemble. Start at the beginning of the piece without any particular instructions. Three or four measures after beginning, stop the group.

Question: “What words would you use to describe the average mindset with which we were just performing?” There may be a range of positive and negative terms.

Instruction: “Let’s practice the centering exercise as a group. Use the words ‘bold,’ ‘confident,’ and ‘free’ this time.” Do the centering exercise with the students, and prepare to conduct with increased boldness, confidence, and freedom. On other occasions, vary this by having students use different trigger words, including their own from time to time. Also, sometimes have them perform without you conducting.

Instruction: “Now, we’re all going to center and then immediately start again.” Do the centering exercise with them repeating the words let it go and bold, confident, and free at the appropriate times. Cue the initial entrance immediately after the third breath.

Question: Stop again after a few measures. “What differences did you notice between the two performances?” Participate in the processing and give feedback to help students go even farther into the desired mindset.

Use the terms identify, design, center, adopt, and process frequently to serve as reminders to the students of the stages of achieving expressive performance mindsets.