Akshaya K's Senior Project Blog

Project Title: Exploring The Relationship Between Type of Motivation and Performance Anxiety in Musicians BASIS Advisor: Chuck Stewart Internship Location: University of Kansas School of Music, Remote Onsite Mentor: Dr. Melissa Sawyer, Assistant Director of Bands

Project Abstract

Musical ability is shaped by a variety of factors, one of the most significant being type of motivation. Motivation is what drives musicians to practice, perform, and grow. So, for my project, I will be researching how type of motivation in musicians can affect musical growth and performance anxiety. Specifically, I will be focusing on intrinsic motivation, which is driven by personal enjoyment, versus extrinsic motivation, which is driven by external factors. Also, I am focusing on performance anxiety because it is common among musicians, and oftentimes, it can hinder progress if not managed properly. So, understanding how motivation influences performance anxiety could help us discover risk factors for performance anxiety, which could help improve musicians’ mental well-being and musical growth. My research question is “How does intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation affect performance anxiety in musicians?” To address this question, I will review existing studies on motivation’s role in performance anxiety, specifically in musicians. Additionally, I will conduct my own study, where I will survey music students from different age groups and musical backgrounds to gather data on their history with music as well as their motivation types and performance anxiety levels as musicians.