Meditating musicians: investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety

TY - JOUR

T1 - Meditating musicians

T2 - investigating the experience of music students and professional musicians in a brief mindfulness course to address music performance anxiety

AU - Paese, Serena

AU - Schiavio, Andrea

N1 - © 2025 Paese and Schiavio.

PY - 2025/5/9

Y1 - 2025/5/9

N2 - Previous research shows that meditation practice helps reduce Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), positively impacting the musicians' wellbeing and performative skills. Several meditation types have been explored, but further investigation into additional methods is warranted to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact and potential use of meditation to address MPA. The present work aims to provide novel insights into the perceived impact of three meditation types, namely: body-centered meditation, meditation on thoughts and affect-centered meditation. Qualitative data were collected from 12 musicians participating in two short introductions to mindfulness courses, held within a pilot study and a main case study, via diaries and open-ended responses. The findings suggest that a four-week mindfulness course can enhance wellbeing, boost emotional balance, and mitigate the occurrence of MPA.

AB - Previous research shows that meditation practice helps reduce Music Performance Anxiety (MPA), positively impacting the musicians' wellbeing and performative skills. Several meditation types have been explored, but further investigation into additional methods is warranted to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact and potential use of meditation to address MPA. The present work aims to provide novel insights into the perceived impact of three meditation types, namely: body-centered meditation, meditation on thoughts and affect-centered meditation. Qualitative data were collected from 12 musicians participating in two short introductions to mindfulness courses, held within a pilot study and a main case study, via diaries and open-ended responses. The findings suggest that a four-week mindfulness course can enhance wellbeing, boost emotional balance, and mitigate the occurrence of MPA.

KW - meditation

KW - mindfulness

KW - music performance anxiety

KW - music practice

KW - wellbeing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105006418162&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567988

DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567988

M3 - Article

C2 - 40417022

SN - 1664-1078

VL - 16

JO - Frontiers in Psychology

JF - Frontiers in Psychology

M1 - 1567988

ER -