The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of music-assisted desensitization(M+DES) technique, and music-assisted progressive muscle relaxation and imagery(M+PMR) technique on reducing music performance anxiety for high school musicians. ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of music-assisted desensitization(M+DES) technique, and music-assisted progressive muscle relaxation and imagery(M+PMR) technique on reducing music performance anxiety for high school musicians. 29 high school musicians were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) M+DES group, (b) M+PMR group, or (c) control group. All subjects except those in control group participated six weekly music therapy sessions according to their assigned group. Two
juries were provided one before and one after the six music therapy sessions, as the performance stimuli for music performance anxiety. All subjects completed pretest and posttest measures that included three types of visual analogue scales(anxiety, stress, physical tension), the state portion of Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), and the Music Performance Anxiety Questionnaire(MPAQ) developed by Lehrer et al. (1990). Results showed that statistically significant differences between the three groups occurred in three of five measures— physical tension, STAI, MPAQ. Moreover, it was indicated that both M+DES and M+PMR decreased more significantly in physical tension and MPAQ than the control group while there was no statistically significant difference between the both music therapy groups. In STAI, however, M+PMR decreased more significantly than both M+DES and control group while there was no statistically significant difference between M+DES and control group.