Short Courses & Events / Archive

Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) (3-week course)

Monday 20th January 2025, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

In this updated three-part course, you will learn how to detect symptoms of music performance anxiety (MPA) among your students/clients and whether those symptoms are problematic or not. You will also learn about Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), an evidence-based psychotherapy and coaching model that aims to promote mindfulness and acceptance of one’s MPA symptoms, while also enhancing performance skills by increasing actions consistent with a musician’s values.

ACT can be used in non-clinical settings by practitioners other than psychotherapists, and when applied non-clinically it is called Acceptance and Commitment Training or Coaching. Newer research suggests ACT coaching may be a promising intervention for treating MPA by singing teachers with no formal training or education in psychotherapy (Shaw, Juncos & Winter, 2020; Brussel, 2022; Kutsal, 2022; Mahony, Juncos & Winter, 2022; Paul, 2022; Ballard, 2023; Heasman-Cossins, 2023; Zenobi & Juncos, 2023). You will learn ACT techniques that are safe for use in non-clinical settings to help your students effectively manage their MPA.

Part 1: Defining and Detecting Problematic Levels of MPA

  • MPA definition
  • Detecting problematic levels of MPA using categories of MPA symptoms
  • Understanding how problematic MPA develops and is maintained

Part 2: ACT Skills for Effectively Managing MPA & Increasing Artistic Presence

  • Ethical issues in doing this work as a non-clinical ACT practitioner
  • Mindfulness
  • Acceptance
  • Defusion

Part 3: ACT Skills for Taking MPA Less Personally & Enhancing Overall Performances

  • Cultivating a More Flexible Sense of Self & Musician Identity
  • Identifying One’s Performance or Practice Values
  • Committed Action
🏷️ Price £150 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available

Dr David Juncos

Dr David Juncos is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Philadelphia, PA. He received his Psy.D. and M.A. degrees in clinical psychology from La Salle University, and...

Sorry, this is an archived short course...

We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.

Empowering Teachers to Manage Music Performance Anxiety within Teaching Studios: From Understanding to Strategy Development
Tuesday 11th February 2025
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(London Time)

Empowering Teachers to Manage Music Performance Anxiety within Teaching Studios: From Understanding to Strategy Development

Isabella Mazzarolo

Music performance anxiety is a significant challenge faced by musicians of all ages and skill levels. This interactive course provides music practitioners with an understanding of performance anxiety, while also offering practical strategies to help musicians manage it.

The Acoustics of Choir Singing
Thursday 13th February 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

The Acoustics of Choir Singing

Sten Ternström

When many people are singing together in a room, a number of phenomena present themselves that beg for a scientific inquiry. What can knowledge of acoustics do to help the singer and the conductor?

Pop Pedagogy
Monday 17th February 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Pop Pedagogy

Kim Chandler

RESCHEDULED event from 27th January. As the ‘newest’ of the singing styles to be taught in music institutions and private studios, the pedagogy for teaching popular singing is still in its early stages relative to other styles of singing, particularly classical singing. However, pop pedagogy has been developing steadily since the year 2000 when the author was part of the team that developed and delivered one of the very first degrees in Popular Music in the UK.