How Do Musicians Deal With Anxiety

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Whatever happens on stage, you can take it in stride if you remain detached from specific outcomes. Whether you’re learning how to start a music career as a musician or you’re a seasoned pro, the pre-show jitters will always be there. Here are four thoughtful tips for managing music performance anxiety.

What is music performance anxiety?

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a very real experience that most musicians face, no matter how seasoned they are. It’s that rush of nervous energy, the tightening of your chest, and the voice in your head saying, “What if I mess up?” But here’s the thing — you’re not alone. In fact, it’s almost a rite of passage for anyone who performs. It’s the body’s natural response to pressure, heightened by the vulnerability of being in the spotlight. The key is understanding that it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s simply a signal from your body — one that can be managed.

Why does performance anxiety happen?

You may wonder, “Why do I feel this way? Why does my body betray me with nerves?” The truth is, it’s all about your brain’s protective mechanisms. When you step on stage, you’re stepping into a situation that feels risky — there’s the potential for judgment, criticism, or failure. Your brain perceives this as a threat, triggering the fight-or-flight response. While a little anxiety can sharpen focus, too much can be crippling. Understanding that this response is just your body’s way of gearing up for action can help you start to take back control.

My journey through performance anxiety

Heart racing, wobbly knees. Shaky, sweaty palms. You’re backstage, in a warm-up room, or hiding in the bathroom. Even if everyone has been saying “Don’t worry, you’re going to be great,” believing them is easier said than done. If you’ve ever been in this scenario, you’re not alone. According to professor Dianna T. Kenny’s current research on music performance anxiety, 70% of orchestral musicians reported experiencing performance-impairing anxiety.

But, take it from me, there’s hope for you. I know exactly how it feels to be consumed by fear and anxiety. The story doesn’t have to end there. It certainly didn’t for me.

Early in my music career, I played guest fourth horn with a symphony in Spain. They liked me and asked me to stay an extra week for Brahms Symphony #2. At the last minute, they moved me to principal horn. That’s when the disaster happened. When the big horn solo came, I got catastrophically nervous and crashed and burned in front of all my colleagues. I was so physically impaired I couldn’t even make a sound for the final few notes.

Fast forward to 2016, when I played principal horn on Mahler’s Fifth Symphony at the Palm Beach Kravis Center. This symphony is jokingly called “Mahler’s Horn Concerto” for the incredibly exposed and virtuosic principal horn part. Sure enough, my body was full of energy before the musical performance. But I knew not to call it nervous. Instead, I repeated to myself why I was so excited to play. Backstage, I practiced moving meditation and established shared intention with my colleagues.

The musical performance was spectacular. Not only did I play accurately and musically, but when I stood to deliver the third movement solo obbligato part, electricity flowed through my instrument to the audience. I felt connected to my colleagues and inspired to share a meaningful musical message.

What was different from the catastrophe of earlier days?

When the time comes for me to step onstage, my adrenaline still goes through the roof. My muscles start feeling twitchy, and I start imagining worst case scenarios. But I’m able to quickly manage my insecurity and anxious thoughts, sometimes before it even shows up. So, how do musicians deal with anxiety? Here’s how:

1. I manage my energy

Some of my current practices for channeling my energy to mitigate music performance anxiety and stage fright include:

Yoga, power poses, and breath work
Repeatedly tensing my whole body and releasing tension
Using the Moodnotes app
Specialized learning techniques that allow me to access desired emotional states

2. I connect with everyone involved in the performance

I like to consider every person in my audience. I do this so that I can feel compassion, care for them, and see them as close allies rather than potential adversaries. I think about what my audience and colleagues want, and how I can serve.

I encourage you to do the same. You might be pleasantly surprised with what’s reflected back when you bring unconditional kindness and compassion.

3. I focus on one thing

As Soren Kierkegaard once said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.”

For my Mahler Fifth Symphony performance, we used a simple focus point: “Nail it!”

You may want a more sophisticated focus, such as “Share the musical message,” or you might want to go kinesthetic like, “Feel my feet on the ground.”

Pick a focus point, like a rallying cry, that you know will support excellence and thwart any anxiety and negative thoughts throughout the live performance.

4. I visualize with expectation

How often have you wanted to win something and then repeatedly visualized yourself failing?

If you have, don’t worry, you’re not alone. I’ve definitely been there and done that too.

Now, I make sure to spend time visualizing positive outcomes before I perform. I imagine how great I’ll feel when things go well. I hear myself playing music with divine beauty.

Pre- and post-performance rituals

Managing and conquering performance anxiety doesn’t just happen in the moments leading up to or during the performance itself. It’s about setting yourself up for success before you walk onstage and giving yourself space to recover afterward. Before the performance, I like to ground myself with rituals — a bit of yoga, some deep breaths, and a quiet moment to center my focus. These little practices help me feel prepared and present. Afterward, I make it a point to reflect — not just on what went wrong, but on everything that went right, too. Celebrate your victories, big or small, and be kind to yourself if things don’t go perfectly. Growth happens over time —not in a single performance.

The art of detachment from music performance anxiety

As helpful as these practices are to me, what I believe to be most important in performing is mastering the art of being detached.

Whatever happens is what happens, whether you’re in the spotlight receiving a standing ovation or the proverbial rotten tomatoes. You can take it in stride masterfully, but only if you remain detached from specific outcomes. Believe it or not, the results are less valuable than the process that brought you to where you are. Your best work always remains ahead of you. But if you can truly understand the beauty in all your hard work and hours of practicing, when the time comes for you to perform, you’ll realize that you’ve already gained what matters most — more wisdom and strength.

For any professional musician, this detachment is especially crucial because performance nerves can often cloud judgment and make it difficult to enjoy the process. So keep being brave, keep making music, and may these four tips make your performance process even more enjoyable and quell music performance anxiety!

How Do Musicians Deal With Anxiety?