In order to maintain a long-term career and consistently deliver high-quality performances, professional musicians are required to exercise control over their psychological state before and during the performance. However, managing emotions can be challenging, as they are often influenced by a range of uncontrollable factors, including fellow performers and audience, venue, and the nature of the program.
The part of our nervous system that unconsciously regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, etc., is known as the autonomic nervous system (ANS). A part of the ANS—known as the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)—prepares our body for stressful situations by triggering the stress response, commonly known as the “fight or flight” response.
Prior research in this area suggests that SNS activation can improve musical performances. However, the precise mechanism remains unknown. Some studies suggest that positive emotions impact and influence SNS activities, reducing stress, boosting confidence, and enhancing performance in general. Recollection of positive past memories, evoking happy emotions, might activate the SNS, enhance emotional valence, and lead to an enhanced performance.
Inspired by the desire to unravel strategies that can help boost musical performances under pressure on stage, Aiko Watanabe, a saxophonist, set out to undertake further investigation. “As a saxophonist, I have long been interested in understanding what allows musicians to perform at their best, especially under the pressure of the stage,” says Watanabe, a Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, and this study’s main researcher.
The study was led by Associate Professor Shinya Fujii, and was published in Frontiers in Psychology on September 2, 2025. Sotaro Kondoh, a JSPS Research Fellow, and Tomohiro Samma, a Ph.D. student, both from Keio University, were also a part of the research team.
The team evaluated thirty-six active and experienced professional classic wind instrumentalists. The instruments played by the participants included flute, horn, trombone, etc. The performers were asked to recall either a positive autobiographical memory, or a negative autobiographical memory, or no memories at all, prior to the performance.
Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement was done during the memory recollection phase of the participants. The same musical piece was played by all instrumentalists for five minutes after this memory recollection phase.
All the participants had to do a subjective evaluation, where they evaluated their own performance, and an objective evaluation, during which they evaluated the performance of the other thirty-five performers. The subjective evaluation depended on valence, which represents the positive or negative quality of an emotion; arousal, reflecting the intensity or activation level of an emotion; and performance achievement.
The researchers observed that performance achievement score, along with valence and arousal scores, was higher in participants who recollected positive memories before the performance. SD2/SD1 ratio—an indicator of SNS activity—exhibited a higher change in participants with positive memory recollection compared to the rest, indicating an increased SNS activity.
These findings indicate that positive performance memories, accompanied by SNS activation, enhance valence and increase arousal during performance, ultimately contributing to improved performance. As Dr. Fujii explains, “This means that what matters is not simply physiological arousal itself, but how musicians interpret and regulate their bodily state. Positive memory recall is one effective strategy to foster such positive interpretations.”
These findings can have implications beyond theory, in a way that musicians can benefit during their performance. Strategies like positive memory recollection can help reframe their physiological arousal before going on stage. Deliberate recollection of positive performance memories can shift the interpretation of heightened arousal from “anxiety” to “readiness.” Performers can feel more confident and expressive during their performances. This approach may also be applied to music education, helping students with stage fright management, and developing healthier performance habits.
Sharing her concluding thoughts, Watanabe adds, “These findings highlight the importance of individualistic interpretation of physiological arousal in high-pressure situations. Such reframing strategies can also benefit athletes, public speakers, and other performers.”
Looking ahead, these findings can pave the way for developing strategies to incorporate in training methods that reduce performance anxiety, support the performers’ well-being, and ultimately enable optimal on-stage performance.
More information:
Aiko Watanabe et al, Enhanced subjective performance achievement in wind instrument playing through positive memory recall: effects of sympathetic activation and emotional valence, Frontiers in Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544069
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