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Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles

Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2009.

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Other Authors: Hinch, John de Courteille
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Hinch, John de Courteille
author_browse Hinch, John de Courteille
author_facet Hinch, John de Courteille
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2008, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2009.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:34.018Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/28870 Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles Hinch, John de Courteille adup@telkomsa.net Hoberg, Annelie F.m. alexander Awareness Woodwind Flute Stage fright Alexander technique Alexander principle Primary control Musical performance UCTD Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2009. Many musicians are forced to scale down or even abandon their profession due to injuries caused by playing and practicing their instruments for long hours in unnatural body positions; also, the competition and the high standard expected of performers in the industry causes anxiety and tension in their lives. Increasingly, music schools, conservatories and colleges attempt to cater for these problems by including classes in the Alexander Technique. But young learners can also fall prey to these problems. Performance anxiety is potentially a threat to any musician’s career and can be experienced at all levels of expertise. In the light of this the following research question was tested: Is it possible to substantially reduce performance anxiety (stage fright) in instrumental playing by implementing Alexander Technique principles? The study included a group of twelve school-going children who had been identified as being prone to performance anxiety. They were divided into two groups of six each, one being the experimental group and the other the control group. The experimental group consisted of six flute students who were exposed to selected Alexander Technique principles in their lessons, while the control group consisted of six flute students that were taught by different teachers, who provided no exposure. Both groups were tested at the beginning of the research, before they played an examination, to ascertain the level of performance anxiety they experienced. Eighteen months later, after the experimental group had been exposed to Alexander principles, both groups played another examination and were then tested again to ascertain whether or not the experimental group’s levels of anxiety had been significantly reduced, compared to the control group. The control groups’ second testing was very similar to their first testing and performance anxiety was still a big drawback to their musical performance. Not only was performance anxiety markedly reduced in the experimental group, but their self-esteem and self-confidence were increased as well. As a result it was deduced that young learners can benefit tremendously from learning and applying Alexander Technique principles to the playing of a musical instrument. Copyright Music unrestricted 2013-09-07T14:23:56Z 2009-11-04 2013-09-07T14:23:56Z 2009-04-29 2009-11-04 2009-10-20 Dissertation Hoberg, A 2008, Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles, MMus dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28870 > E1419/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28870 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10202009-161440/ © 2008, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle F.m. alexander
Awareness
Woodwind
Flute
Stage fright
Alexander technique
Alexander principle
Primary control
Musical performance
UCTD
Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title_full Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title_fullStr Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title_full_unstemmed Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title_short Reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the Alexander technique principles
title_sort reducing performance anxiety in woodwind playing through the application of the alexander technique principles
topic F.m. alexander
Awareness
Woodwind
Flute
Stage fright
Alexander technique
Alexander principle
Primary control
Musical performance
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28870
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10202009-161440/