Introduction: My teaching principles are based on outlining the advantageous mental and physical practice techniques revealed through research in Sports Psychology. These methods help my students strategically overcome the numerous psychological obstacles in order to develop a consistently high level of performance. High-level performance under pressure is the common goal among many students, and I apply my teaching methods to develop and increase control of muscular and mental functions, accuracy, precision, discipline, mental awareness and overall coordination in violin performance.
I share with students my Sports Psychology research that focuses on common triggers for performance anxiety, stage fright and other psychological barriers that negatively impact high-pressured performances. By assessing the students’ performances, I design an applicable daily practice plan which gears to establish better control over the physical and psychological symptoms known to negatively impact performance. By incorporating knowledge of Sports Psychology in my lessons, I hope to educate about the existing relationship between mental process and physical execution and the impact one has on the other, while maintaining integrity of the repertoire.
For professional athletes and musicians, performing under pressure is an inescapable element of their careers. Given the current levels of performance excellence and the consequent fierceness of competition, consistency in performance quality is indispensable in attaining the degree of professionalism. This implied link between musical and athletic disciplines is a logical one. Similarly to athletes, musicians must achieve high levels of technical skill, efficient movement patterns, acute focus, composure and extreme concentration, all while maintaining a consistently high level of performance.
Musicians ‘play’ music as athletes ‘play’ sports. Therefore, like sports, a musical performance is a physical activity with extreme demands on technical facility, training ethics, discipline, deliberate practice, structure, dedication, determination, motivation and inspiration. Like sports, it is a form of self-expression, performed in front of an audience and demanding astounding mastery of the human mind and body. Both performance practices provide the performer with opportunities for excellence, though the journey may bring forth intense pressures, challenges, anxieties, fears and psychological phobias. Adapting the methods and principles developed by research in sports psychology, affords tremendous advantage in a musician’s constant desire to elevate, not only the quality, but also the consistency of quality in their performance. The success of this approach is evident in my students’ positive attitude towards practice, their audition success in winning positions, acceptance into festivals, music programs and performance achievements.
