Performance Anxiety in the Collegiate Class Piano Setting: Student Reflection and Self-Diagnosis

The purpose of this poster is to highlight the initial coding and analysis process of a qualitative study focused on addressing and combatting performance anxiety in the collegiate class piano setting. Students representing a range of collegiate group piano settings submitted responses to free-response questionnaires regarding their experiences in class piano.  Responses were classified according to Saldana's (2013) model of holistic coding. 

Excerpts of these coded responses are included on this poster, and the emergent holistic themes for potential further study are listed. These themes will form the basis of a larger action research process that will include lesson planning, assessment, piano lab technology, practice routines, and more frequent of use of student reflection in the class, all intended to aid the college group piano student and the instructor in dealing with issues of “stage fright” at the piano.

Although there is an abundance of research in group piano pedagogy, there is comparatively less information available regarding the all-too-common issues of performance anxiety in the college group piano setting.   It is the researcher’s hope that this poster will encourage a healthy self-reflection on ideas, anecdotes, and best practice advice for addressing and dealing with performance anxiety in the group piano classroom.