The Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) had the honour of welcoming Gary McPherson, Professor at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music of the University of Melbourne. Specialising in music education and performance, McPherson is part of the MUS-A (Music Performance Anxiety - children and adolescents) project, dedicated to developing new strategies to help young musicians overcome stage anxiety.
The visit marked a unique moment of exchange and innovation in the field of music education, bringing valuable contributions to the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH) of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, one of the partners in the MUS-A project, led by the University of Aveiro. CEDH researchers Lurdes Veríssimo, Patrícia Oliveira-Silva and Pedro Dias are collaborating on MUS-A.
During his time in Portugal, McPherson interacted directly with students and researchers and gave inspiring talks on key issues for musical success, such as self-efficacy, motivation and resilience.
Sofia Serra, from the University of Aveiro and Principal Investigator at MUS-A, praises the impact of this knowledge exchange: "It was a great learning opportunity. Our students had the opportunity to attend enriching lectures led by the professor, where topics such as self-efficacy, determination and motivation were addressed in an inspiring way.”
“The stage is not a test": a revolutionary intervention in musical anxiety
One of the highlights of the MUS-A project is the pioneering work of the Human Neurobehavioural Laboratory (HNL), one of the four Research and Community Outreach Units of CEDH. Using advanced NIRS neurofeedback techniques, the laboratory, led by Patrícia Oliveira-Silva, has developed an approach to monitor and regulate brain activity in real time to help young musicians better manage anxiety during performance.
“Musical performance is not a test of perfection, but a moment of emotional connection with the audience,” argues Patrícia Oliveira-Silva. “By reducing anxiety on stage, we allow young artists to express themselves in an authentic and meaningful way.” The work carried out aims to help transform the stage into a space of fulfilment and authenticity rather than a source of tension.
Gary McPherson's visit to Portugal enabled the MUS-A team to give the project a significant boost and clearly define the next steps.
The MUS-A project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and its partners are the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH) of the FEP-UCP, the Research Center for Science and Technology of the Arts at the School of Arts of the Universidade Católica, the Institute of Ethnomusicology, the Instituto de Etnomusicologia, Centro de Estudos em Música e Dança, I2ADS, Research Institute in Art, Design and Society, and the University of Melbourne.
