It’s not a virus! Reconceptualizing and De-pathologizing Music Performance Anxiety
Thursday 19th February 2026, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM (London Time)
Performance Anxiety is one of the most widespread and debilitating challenges facing musicians across all ages, nationalities and musical genres. It affects musicians both on and off the stage, impacting performance quality and enjoyment, health and wellbeing, relationships, identity and self-worth. At its most severe, performance anxiety can threaten, or even end, studies and careers. Despite decades of research and the development of numerous interventions, we do not yet have an established way of supporting performers experiencing performance anxiety.
Aimed at performers, teachers, researchers and students, this presentation will first summarise the current state of play in performance anxiety research, through discussing key issues including performance anxiety’s definition, assessment, impact and management. We will then explore alternative ways to think about performance anxiety, drawing on new research outside of performance psychology, my recent autoethnographic study exploring the intersection between my mindfulness and performance practices, and the much-loved children’s classic ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’.
Lastly, we will discuss the theoretical and practical implications of de-pathologising and reconceptualising performance anxiety including strategies to support performers in the practice room and on stage. This session will provide insight into practical approaches for musicians experiencing performance anxiety based on empirical research.
🏷️ Price £30 (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
Rebecca Herman
After training as a cellist at the Royal Academy of Music, Rebecca Herman performed all over the world with ensembles including the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Britten Sinfonia, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, and English National Opera. In 2017, Rebecca stopped performing due to debilitating stage fright and went back into education to find answers. After completing an MSc in Performance Science in 2018, Rebecca won an LAHP award to pursue doctoral research at the RCM’s Centre for Performance Science.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, 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.
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Dr David Cane
Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Thursday 14th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday 15th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
The Vocal Health Challenges for Actors and Singers!
Leda Scearce
Two part course! Vocal health principles are inextricably and symbiotically linked with singing and acting voice pedagogy: Good vocal health allows the singer and actor to more easily and effectively achieve their technical and artistic goals, and good teaching reinforces vocal technique that diminishes the risk of vocal injury. We now also recognize the necessity for singers and actors to understand how their instruments work, how to take care of their voices, and what to do when something goes wrong. Singing and acting teachers are indeed on the front lines of vocal health!
Tuesday 19th May 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Staging A Coup: History meets science for the coup de la glotte!
Kourtney Austin
Historical vocal pedagogy, voice science, voice health, and performance practice come together in this presentation from Kourtney Austin! The session addresses the historical context for teaching the onset as a fundamental skill, along with a review of a recent publication examining the acoustic effects of different types of onset, and practical studio implementation of onset training. The aforementioned publication is the first known research to objectively measure the acoustic implications of the coup de la glotte, and delineate it from the hard glottal attack.