Adam was considered the best trumpet player in his school band, but he quit mid-semester due to paralyzing fear

Anita gets sick to her stomach every time she "has to" sing a solo

Keisha plays the cello for fun several hours each day but dreads going to private lessons each week.


Many music education environments evoke fear, causing students to loathe performing or withdraw from expressive music making.

We don't want anxiety to be an outcome of our programs, but research tells us that it is a common experience for our students. Participants in performance anxiety workshops reported ho the demands o their well-meaning teachers caused them to perform in fear or even lose their love of music altogether.

Researchers Karin S. Hendricks, Tawnya D. Smith, and Jennifer Stanuch have provided considerations for how we can better the outcomes of music education for students. As we continue, let's consider the following questions: 1. What kind of learning environments fosters intrinsic motivation and music engagement? 2. How do competitive structures affect student creativity and self-expression? 3. In what ways are music students influenced by critical, demeaning, or fear-based attempts at motivation? and 4. What effects do elitist notions of talent have on perceptions of music as an accessible, learnable skill?

The research completed by Hendricks, Smith, and Stanuch Inform us that "learning environments foster intrinsic motivation and music engagement when students are treated as unique individuals."

Many successful teachers work to perceive students as distinct people and know how each values the music learning experience.
This allows us to create more personalized learning experiences for our students.
For example, some students might flourish with a solo performance, with others value the social music experience and have better success in group opportunities.

Research has shown that intrinsic motivation can be fostered b viewing musical ability, not as a fixed skill, but something that can be developed. A students efforts are rewarded b increased mastery.

We as teachers can encourage intrinsic motivation by recognizing accomplishments of progress and effort. With this, our students are likely to become motivated by the process of learning instead of concrete outcomes. In this process, we have to trust students and allow them to take ownership of their music learning.

Hendricks, Smith, and Stauch's research tells us that music teachers traditionally have used competition as a means o motivation students. This practice happens ESPECIALLY in the United States.
Competition can be a positive, engaging atmosphere for students. It can be exciting, stimulating and a source of musical pride.
However, it can cause other students to experience anxiety beyond normal performance jitters.

While competition is portrayed as motivating students, research has found that it may not have influence over competitive or motivation. The competitive drive many consider to be part of the "human condition" may actually be more about familiarity, tradition or pressure rather than personal or internal needs.

When we use competition as a fear-based motivation, our students are in danger of developing anxiety or panic disorders, interfering with the students' abilities to learn.

Competition can be a great opportunity to provide our students with invigorating challenges, but we must keep it in check.

If the goal is to create a learning environment where our students feel free to take musical risks, it is unwise to be an authoritarian figure who motivates with "fear of failure" or disappointment.
In one case study, students reported that emphasis on competition and social comparison overshadowed and inhibited their sense of expressive ability.
In our classrooms, to foster creativity and expressiveness, we must promote joy and love of music.
To do this, Hendricks, Smith, and Stanch, suggest that we must provide feedback that is informative rather than evaluative. and to create a climate where individuals experience psychological safety and freedom, openness to experience, and the opportunity to experiment.

Many in our society doubt the practicality or accessibility of public music education because they share a belief in discriminatory "talent", that is to say, music study should be reserved for the "gifted few." One researcher suggests that this stems from the American emphasis on competitive performance ensembles. This limits the musical opportunities for students who are not among the elite minority, and the opportunities for student-centered instruction.
In our programs, we should provide a broad range of performance opportunities that include more experiences of personal expression, and autonomous, self-directed learning.

All students need teachers who can respond to their diverse needs. These considerations when adapted for various contexts and individuals can promote learning spaces that are supportive of all learners.

1. students need the sense that they are really being heard. don't mentally check out of your rehearsal or private lesson. focus on giving specific constructive feedback regarding improvement and effort.
Music requires vulnerability, respect this and pay attention to the moment.
2. Don't set your students up for failure, don't let it be a humiliating experience. Carefully select repertoire that has a mix of challenges and already mastered skills. Not bored and not floundering.
3. use words and modeling. Students must learn the expectations for a safe learning environment that fosters growth. nurture mutual trust and respect. Use honest and affirming critiques.
4. outside factors influence our students' music making ability. so we must make critiques and praise about the music and not about the person. ex. Inability to capture expressive element does not reflect upon the emotional maturity of the student.
5. make adaptations to the students' social, emotional, and physical needs. relate to a student's age, interests, or particular abilities. Offer your own experiences and honest failings as students try new musical skills. inspire them to perserver.