Helping Students With Performance Anxiety Before Recitals

You can have a student who plays beautifully in lessons, then suddenly their hands shake the second you say “recital.” That moment is tough for them, and honestly, it can feel tough for us too.

Performance anxiety shows up in every studio, no matter the instrument or age. A little nerves can help focus, but too much can shut down memory, breathing, and confidence.

Here’s why this matters. Recitals are often the one time families see the full arc of progress. If a student melts down, they may decide they “aren’t good at music,” even if they are. The goal is not to erase nerves. The goal is to teach students what to do when nerves show up.

Normalize nerves and give them a name

Students often think anxiety means something is wrong with them. I try to make it boring.

• “Your body is getting ready to do something hard.”
• “That shaky feeling is adrenaline. Lots of performers feel it.”
• “We are going to practice playing with that feeling.”

With younger kids, I keep it concrete. When a 7-year-old struggles with shaky fingers, I might say, “Your hands are doing the wiggles because your brain is excited and a little worried. We can still play with wiggly hands.”

With teens and adults, I name the pattern. “Your brain is trying to protect you from embarrassment. It overreacts. We can train it.”

A small tool that helps: ask them to rate nerves from 1 to 10.

• 1 to 3: “Good energy.”
• 4 to 6: “We need a plan.”
• 7 to 10: “We simplify and focus on getting through.”

This won’t work for everyone, but many students calm down when they realize anxiety is common and measurable.

Build “performance practice” into lessons

Most students prepare pieces, then they perform the piece once at the recital. That is like training for a marathon by running one mile each week.

Try adding tiny performance reps starting 3 to 6 weeks out.

• Start the lesson with a “cold run.” They walk in, set up, and play without warmup.
• Record one take on your phone or tablet. One take only.
• Do a “three tries” challenge. They play the opening eight bars three times in a row without stopping.

Practice the moments that trigger panic

Performance anxiety spikes in predictable places:

• The first 10 seconds
• After a mistake
• At a memory slip
• During a tempo wobble

So we practice those moments on purpose.

• First 10 seconds drill: Have them breathe, place, and start. Repeat three times. No comments until the third start.
• Mistake recovery drill: Tell them, “Make one small mistake on purpose, then keep going.” This teaches the skill of continuing.
• Memory slip plan: Pick a “rescue spot” every 4 to 8 measures. If they blank, they jump to the next rescue spot.

If you teach an instrument where tone is sensitive to breath or embouchure (voice, winds, brass), add a “reset cue.” For example, “Exhale, drop shoulders, then re-enter at letter B.”

Teach a simple pre-recital routine

Students love routines because routines reduce decision-making. Keep it short enough that they will actually do it.

Here’s a routine many students can handle:

• 60 seconds: Slow exhale, then inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts (repeat 3 times).
• 30 seconds: Quietly say the first three “action words” for the piece (examples: “steady,” “sing,” “light”).
• 30 seconds: Mime the opening. Fingers on a leg, bow hold in the air, silent articulation, silent counting.

Action words work well because they give the brain a job. They also keep feedback musical, instead of fear-based.

This won’t work for everyone, but if a student tends to spiral, a short routine can give them something to hold onto.

Choose recital repertoire with anxiety in mind

We all want students to stretch. Recital season can tempt us to pick the hardest piece they touched all year. Sometimes that backfires.

A helpful rule of thumb: pick a piece they can play at about 80 to 90 percent on a random Tuesday.

Signs the piece might be too fragile:

• They need you to cue them through transitions.
• They only play it well after 15 minutes of warmup.
• A single mistake causes a full stop.

You can still keep it interesting without raising the risk:

• Shorten the piece.
• Choose a slower tempo that still sounds musical.
• Pick an arrangement with a strong pattern.
• Add a duet part so they feel supported.

If you charge $60/hour and you only see a student once a week, you may not have time to rebuild a shaky piece in the final two weeks. In that case, a slightly easier piece often leads to a better recital and a happier student who stays enrolled.

Coach parents and set expectations early

Parents can accidentally increase anxiety by focusing on outcomes.

A quick script you can send in an email helps a lot:

• “Ask your child what their plan is if they make a mistake.”
• “Praise preparation habits, not talent.”
• “After the recital, say ‘I loved hearing you play’ before offering any feedback.”

If a parent says, “You have to play perfectly,” the student hears, “Mistakes are dangerous.”

Another script that works well:

• “Nerves are normal. Your job is to play through them.”
• “We measure success by staying steady and finishing.”

If you teach adults, you can adapt the same idea. Ask them to choose one supportive person in the audience, or to sit near the back if seeing faces makes them tense.

Make the recital day feel familiar

The more unknowns, the more anxiety.

A few practical ideas:

• Send a simple schedule with arrival time, where to put cases, and how the lineup works.
• Tell students what to wear, or give a range. Uncertainty about clothes sounds small, but it can spike stress.
• If possible, let students try the performance space for 2 minutes each during a rehearsal.

If you can run a short studio class or mock recital, even better.

Mock recital ideas:

• Students perform for each other in a lesson block.
• Invite one parent to sit quietly in the back.
• Use the exact recital order and have students practice walking on, adjusting the chair or stand, and bowing.

Keep feedback minimal. Focus on the skills:

• Starting
• Continuing
• Ending
• Acknowledging applause

Practical takeaway: what to try this week

Pick one student who gets nervous and try a small, repeatable plan.

• Add one cold run at the start of their lesson.
• Teach a 2-minute pre-performance routine and write it in their notebook.
• Choose two rescue spots in their recital piece.
• Send one short parent message that defines success as “steady and finished.”

If you do this for a few weeks, students start to trust that nerves are something they can handle. That is a bigger win than a perfect performance, and it tends to stick with them long after the recital.