Proactive approaches to overcome performance anxiety among students in the Faculty of Music, UiTM / Juwairiyah Zakaria

This study was carried out in January-April 2011 in the Faculty of Music, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. The scope of study focused on Diploma and Degree music students during for this semester. This study was initiated based on problems and feedback received from the students regarding feeling of nervous and anxious during their performance. The main objectives of this study were: 1) to do comparison study level of performance anxiety between diploma and degree music students and 2) to identify ways to reduce performance anxiety among music students. Survey questionnaires were distributed directly to the music students in various places in university followed by interview on selective respondents in the faculty. Analysis was done using the SPSS VC12.0 making use of descriptive data, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations. Findings showed that the level of performance anxiety were average for both Diploma and Degree students. The anxiety assists in every individual no matter how long their involvement into music especially during their lives performance. Hence, this implied that the level of performance anxiety persisted among the music students regardless of age, years of ~tUdY and also experience. Next findings also show that there are many proactive approaches or ways towards reduction of performance anxiety mainly; praying, mental preparation, experience and exposure and also readiness to perform. Additionally, these approaches help build student's confidence level and affect the performance skills ability, as well as reduce anxiety during performance. The study concluded that every individual differ from each other. Hence, the approach to overcome performance anxiety are also varies according to age, gender, experience, background, level of ability to performance and many others. In the other words, there is no one technique that appropriate to solve performance anxiety among all musicians especially music students.