Differences in performance anxiety levels among advanced conservatory students in Spain, according to type of instrument and academic year of enrolment

This study aims to analyse differences in MPA (Musical Performance Anxiety) in students in five Spanish university-level music conservatories according to instrument type (solo or orchestra) and their academic year of enrolment (AYE). A sample of 476 students with a mean age of 22.59, enrolled in different specialties, responded to the K-MPAI questionnaire [Zarza, F. J., S. Orejudo, O. Casanova, and B. Mazas. 2016. “Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Spanish Version.” Psychology of Music 44 (3): 340–352. doi:10.1177/0305735614567932]. We found significant interaction between the two variables ‘instrument type’ and ‘AYE’ along the dimension of specific anxiety cognitions, after having considered other variables such as performance frequency and gender. Results reveal tendencies in soloists that are different from those in orchestra musicians. In soloists, the level of MPA increases during their four years of university-level studies: first-year students display less anxiety than those in third or fourth year, whereas no significant MPA level differences can be observed in orchestra musicians in function of their academic year of enrolment. We hypothesise that these divergences could be due to divergences in training conditions and career perspectives.