The effect of guided imagery and preferred music listening versus guided imagery and silence on musical performance anxiety

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of guided imagery and preferred music listening versus guided imagery and silence on musical performance anxiety.

The design was a pre-test/post-test control group design. Eighteen volunteer music students were randomly divided into two groups: (a) the experimental group (N = 9), which underwent the guided imagery plus preferred music listening treatment, and (b) the control group (N = 9), which experienced the guided imagery plus silence condition. Participants in both groups listened to the guided imagery tape, which lasted approximately 10 minutes. The participants in the experimental group listened to the preferred relaxation music tape they had chosen for 5–6 minutes. No specific verbal instructions were given during the music treatment. The strategy for the control group was the same, except that the participants remained quiet without music for 5 minutes and 30 seconds after hearing the guided imagery tape. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)