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Music-related anxiety in high schools
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When I stepped into middle school to pick an instrument to learn, I never thought I would quite literally commit blood, sweat, tears, and more than seven years of my life to it. They say that a musician is never satisfied with their work, but the various endeavors I have overcome throughout my oboe career makes me proud of my 'unfinished' work. Although there were always be people who are more successful, the value of my achievement is not diminished. Ultimately, the only way to go from here is up.
A lot has changed between the time I first picked up my instrument and today. Many people like to joke that the oboe sounds similar to a duck. Truthfully, for the first three years, there was little distinction between the 'music' I graced my parents' ears with and the quacking noises heard at ponds. Every year at TMEA auditions, the students who auditioned would frequently change. Not because the oboist graduated, but because they simply quit. Many students were discouraged from continuing such a futile instrument, including myself sometimes. How could anyone make this broken clarinet sound less... pitiful? However, I stuck through with it and continued to practice, despite all the discouraging moments I encountered.
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As I gained experienced, more band and full orchestra solos were given to me.
At first, I nearly couldn't handle the stress. Although I was accustomed to performing solo audition pieces in front of others, having the band's performance rely on my solo was a new and truly terrifying experience. In many ways, musical performances feel worse than public speaking, which so happens to be the number one fear in the world. The instrument becomes an extension of your voice, projecting your emotions and intentions with music rather than words. Moreover, the smallest fluctuation of the weather, performance setting, or instrument can change everything. Flexibility is an absolute must for
musicians. In addition to learning the oboe, high school band added on a brand new skill set to perfect: marching. For someone who is a klutz and doesn't enjoy heat or extraneous physical activity, marching band is a commitment that one has to really ponder over. The easy way out is to quit, but having spent three years pursuing music already, giving music up is an even bigger stretch than marching in 100 degree weather. Thus, I continued to stick through with it, despite all the scrapes and bruises I developed from marching band. Although I have encountered many obstacles during my musical career, I roll with the punches and continue my path towards improvement. Every audition, solo, and marching performance marks a moment which I am proud of. The blood (from tripping over potholes in marching band), sweat (from nerves before a big performance at Moore's Opera house), tears (from sometimes botched performances), and seven years I have dedicated to music is a mark of my resilience.
The clarinet is a woodwind instrament consisting of a cylindrical wood, metal, or ebonite pipe with a bell-shaped opening at one end and a mouthpiece at the other end, to which a thin reed is attached. The clarinet has five different sections, the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper section, the lower section, and the bell. The length of the entire instrument is 60 cm long. The mouthpiece section consists of a slotted cylinder, to which a reed is attached by a metal clamp called a ligature. The mouthpiece plugs into the next section which is a barrel. The barrel is simply a connecting cylinder to which the mouthpiece and the upper section plugs into. The upper section is a cylindrical pipe consisting of 4 holes and 9 keys placed in different locations along the pipe. On the back of the pipe there is a hole and a key that is used by the thumb. The lower section plugs into the upper section and is also connected via a special bridge key. This piece consists of 3 holes and 8 keys. On the inward facing side of the pipe, there is a protruding piece of metal called a thumb rest, which supports the entire clarinet. The bell plugs into the lower section. It consists of a cylinder that flares out into a bell shape and ends the clarinet.
Not only am I in the band, but I am an essential component to the success and well-being of my section. The clarinets never sounded better than when they were under the direction of Section Leader Sarah, whom they all loved and adored. Okay, that's a boldfaced lie. As a dedicated band member, I demand perfection, not only in my own performance, but also in the performance of others. I refuse to accept mediocrity from any section member. In my opinion, there is no excuse for not knowing music, ignoring instructions, or not knowing right from left. Sadly, this quirk of mine doesn't make me terribly popular among t...
There is a term for the anxiety that affects performance. Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA) has been defined by the PhD, Levy JJ. (PhD, MA & BA,2011). MPA is like stage fright. When a drum corps member is performing or they might be nervous, have butterflies in their stomach. These are the effect of anxiety during performance. A study by PhD, MA conducted on drum corps members showed the effects of anxiety and created the term MPA. The highest amount of MPA was found in color guard performers due the effect guard members have on the show appearance. The root cause for this in guard members and drum crop members is how the performers are treated during practice. The comments coaches make during practice effect the state anxiety in performers. These similar thought go through the performer in
The first time I picked up an instrument was at the age of 7 when I was in third grade. You can call it fate, luck, or my destiny but I was one of the three students that was able to join my elementary orchestra. Of course like any kid, I was afraid if had the ability to do such a thing. I mean it’s not every day you’re recruiting into the arts. I kept asking myself “can I do this? Will I fit in this group?” in other words can I be part of the classical music culture? It wasn’t till my first school concert where I had my first solo of “My Heart Will Go On” the love theme from Titanic that I was able to express the countless hours put into a 15 second solo. After that experience I never questioned if I belonged to the culture. Instead I focused on the next story I would tell on stage with the music score in
As a freshman in high school and band, I was nervous, and very unconfident. But band changed it all for me. I found that helping people out was much more rewarding than just being a good player or marcher. Leadership is the best skill I've learned from band, and it will
“It always seems impossible until it’s done”. This quote from Nelson Mandela comes to mind when describing why I aspire to become a Physician Assistant. It has always been a great motivation and inspired me not to get discouraged with failure; rather look forward for your goals. Frequently, it takes many trials and lack of success as well as achievements, for one to truthfully discover him/herself. I instinctively progressed through the motions of life. Many options were available and choosing a career as I grew up kept altering, until one day when I saw how helping other people is my sole purpose of life. Getting to know more of physician assistant drove me into the thoughts of pursuing it as a career.
Wesner, R.B., Noyes, R., & Davis, T.L., “The occurrence of performance anxiety among musicians,” Journal of Affective Disorders 18 (1990): 177-85.
It is clear that positive self-efficacy is a crucial influence on successful musical experiences. Fostering positive self-efficacy is vital to student success because music is a complex art form with many intricacies and it requires a great deal of personal self-discipline. Many of the studies that have been conducted on self-efficacy reveal that there are certain factors that
Now, I am at a point in my life where I realize that academics are not everything and that learning goes much beyond the traditional classroom setting. Music has opened up my eyes to the world that surrounds me, and I have indulged myself in numerous new passions because of it: playing the guitar, composing music, and joining new clubs and activities. Most importantly of all, however, I had discovered the joy of learning that became lost in my perfectionist ideals. Now, school no longer requires impeccability, but making mistakes that lead to furthering my education and bettering me as a
The activity that I cherish the most and am the proudest of is playing drums for my school’s marching band. After the long, arduous nights of making sure our drill is perfect and playing the show repeatedly until it becomes second nature to us, marching band is the one activity that I am always striving to be better in. It taught me that if one wants to achieve greatness, one must be willing to put a serious amount of effort into everything one attempts. It instructed me that the road to success is suffused with deterrents and that failure is a state that we must become comfortable with. Essentially, with every mistake, comes a greater accomplishment. Marching band is my most purposeful commitment because it has made me into a leader who is
I have been able to explore many options because my parents have always encouraged and believed in me even when I doubted myself. In high school I was very active in extracurricular activities. I tried different sports and when I realized that playing them was not a strength of mine I tried managing. While I enjoyed managing softball, I wanted to do something more during the other seasons. This is when I decided to join the cheerleading squad, and that turned out to be a strength of mine. I played in the band, sang in the choir, and wrote for the school newspaper. I was not good at all these activities but that is okay because I realized that music was not a skill of mine but I was good at writing. Erikson describes this as a change in self-concept; it is the realization that one has negative and positive qualities that are situation specific but does not affect ones self-esteem.
Making my way to success in my occupation is not an easy road, but my mind is set on my goal. Where did I learn to set a goal? That’s right, softball. Softball has taught me that rewarding word; experiencing minor goals in this sport and overcoming with joy once that goal is met. It shows how satisfying a MAJOR reached goal would be. Setting goals gives clarity on what you want. Whether it is in sports or life events; it is a self-motivator. It leaves me accountable for my actions and grants me responsibility. Overall, playing softball has rewarded me in so many different ways and has blessed me with the vital part to get through my process of nursing mentally and physically. I will always be reminded throughout my life, what softball has done for me along with how it has governed my capability to learn, having an open mind, not to mention the confidence I have
Of all the instruments laid out on display, only one caught my attention. I was thirteen at the time, and naturally, my eye was drawn to the shiniest of the group. I had never heard the sound of a flute before, aside from the cheap imitation of one on my family’s electronic keyboard. Nevertheless, I picked the pretty, gleaming, easy-to-carry flute on that first day of band class. Three years later, I can’t imagine playing anything else. What started off as blind luck and an attraction to shiny objects is now a part of my life. Playing an instrument is always a worthwhile investment; you develop a skill that many people only wish they had, you have opportunities to meet other musicians, and you may even get to travel in a band setting. But in order to reap the benefits, you first have to learn how to play.
All of this implies a sound knowledge in music theory, ear training, musical analysis, music history, and proficiency in piano as the fundamental skills for most professional musicians. So far, I feel proud that the courses on these subjects have been a success for me. For example, I am thrilled not only for being able to play piano with fluency, but also because such proficiency is a key aspect of being a complete musician. In addition, I have experienced a pleasant surprise in music theory not only for understanding the subject matter we are covering, but also pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve with the fundamentals of music, going as far as to have the theory teacher assistant call me “ambitious” for my work. Finally, during the placement exams of ear training at the beginning of the semester, my tested skills were proficient enough to pass three semesters of the
My education journey has been through some setbacks, but I have continued to push forward and conquered. I have felt that I have a fixed mind set and just am not capable of achieving some things. After learning the difference between growth and fixed mindset I have realized that everyone is capable of learning anything through hard work and dedication.