Senior Capstone 2020

April 17, 2020

Power of Music

Rosy Beltran
Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, Rbeltran100844@laleadership.org
POWER OF MUSIC Beltran ​1

Senior Capstone 2020

Abstract

This paper will discuss the bridge between the power of music and anxiety. The

autoethnographic research will include points made by people who are directly involved in the

music industry including personal experiences from entertainers such as: Julia Micheals, Zayn

Malik, and Selena Gomez. The research begins with a personal narrative of the author, who

struggles with anxiety. The personal experience then transitions into the exploration of what

defines anxiety, and further discusses how anxiety not only affects “the average person” but,

also entertainers who are most often associated with having confident personas. Moreover, the

research will show that anxiety comes in many forms to every individual who struggles with it

without a warning/ The final transition moves into how an individual can overcome anxiety

using current research studies done on musicians. This paper is intended to educate and address

the idea that the power of music can help an individual to improve their anxiety.

Keywords: ​anxiety, music, power of music, performer, overcoming

POWER OF MUSIC Beltran ​2

Acknowledgement:
To the little girl who felt she was drowning in the noise. Remember she was able to overcome
it.
POWER OF MUSIC Beltran ​3

Power of Music

Rosy Beltran
Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, Los Angeles, California, USA

Abstract

This paper will discuss the bridge between the power of music and anxiety. The

autoethnographic research will include points made by people who are directly involved in the

music industry including personal experiences from entertainers such as: Julia Micheals, Zayn

Malik, and Selena Gomez. The research begins with a personal narrative of the author, who

struggles with anxiety. The personal experience then transitions into the exploration of what

defines anxiety, and further discusses how anxiety not only affects “the average person” but,

also entertainers who are most often associated with having confident personas. Moreover, the

research will show that anxiety comes in many forms to every individual who struggles with it

without a warning/ The final transition moves into how an individual can overcome anxiety

using current research studies done on musicians. This paper is intended to educate and address

the idea that the power of music can help an individual to improve their anxiety.

Keywords​: anxiety, music, power of music, performer, overcoming

POWER OF MUSIC Beltran ​4

The Incident at the 5 Seconds of Summer Concert

The day was August 13, 2016, a hot summer day. I was so excited for the day to come

since that meant that along with my siblings, I would be attending my second, 5 Seconds of

Summer concert. The concert began with us having to wait in line to receive our passes and

wristbands. It took some time to get them since there were many people in line. After what felt

like a century the line began to move, this is when the incident began. I began to feel anxious,

stressed, and nervous. All the conversations around me got louder and louder, “I felt like I was

drowning in the noise.” I began to feel my body tense, and a gush of heat spurred through me, “I

couldn't take it! At the spur of the moment my only escape was to take off my shoes,” to me

taking off my shoes meant I had taken control over my mental situation.

In the corner of my eye I saw my sister instantly act differently. Her facial and body

expressions changed, she ran to my side and began to comfort me. She asked if I was okay. I let

her know that I was not feeling well, I needed to get out of there. That’s when my older brother

stepped in, he took my shoes and pulled me out of the line. We left the building and we found a

nearby bench. He sat me down and helped me put my shoes back on. He knew it would not be a

good idea to get back in line, so he decided to take me to the nearest coffee shop we could find.

Inevitably it was a Starbucks, we walked in and the smell of the coffee beans lingered in my

nose. I felt comfort in knowing I was far away from the crowd and able to calm my anxiety

down.

After a quick coffee run we went back to join our sisters in line. They were as relieved

as I was, knowing that I was feeling better. After that day, I realized that my anxiety could get
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the best of me if I allowed it to. I had to be stronger than ever, and prepare for healing to be a

life-long process. Over the years, I have attempted many approaches that would support my

healing and help me control the unexplainable anxiety that arises in me without warning. Some

episodes are more manageable than others, but I do my best to take this challenge as an

opportunity to learn about myself and still expect and ensure my own success.

It was not until two years ago, that I turned to art as a way to express my emotions. I

joined a program called Inner-City Arts, an after-school and weekend program that creates a

community of young artists. Initially, my decision to join the program caused me more anxiety

than relief. These thoughts were pushed back however when I realized that songwriting and

dancing required dedication, which helped me center my attention and energy on something

other than the negative feelings that often tried to stop me. Most importantly, knowing that my

dedication would create something meaningful not just to me but also to my audience, was

something that although intimidating, provided me with hope. The idea of creating something

for others or helping them in some way gave me a new perspective on my own abilities. It was

what encouraged me to take on more responsibilities at school. In fact, it is why I was able to

control my anxiety when school became stressful during AP classes, college classes, and the

environmental club I founded during my junior year. While my challenge has attempted to hurt

me, I am not defined by one moment in my life or the many where the uninvited feelings come

in. Instead, the decisions I have made represent my work ethic and dedication as a student,

especially considering that I always meet deadlines and challenge my own condition by facing it

directly and taking on more responsibility when my anxiety has attempted to limit me.
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Analysis

Introduction

(Michaels) “​My friends, they wanna take me to the movies I tell 'em to… off, I'm

holding hands with my depression And right when I think I've overcome it anxiety starts

kicking in to teach… a lesson” Both musicians and fans face similar experiences with anxiety,

and through the power of music, musicians and their fans are able to overcome their struggles

with anxiety. This research paper will tackle the scientific idea of what anxiety is, its limitations

to its sufferers, a personal narrative of an anxiety episode at a concert, musicians’ anxiety

struggles, a look at the similarities between the fan and musician anxiety, musician examples of

anxiety, overcoming anxiety through the power of music, and lastly, the benefits of music

overall.

What is Anxiety?

The scholarly article, “Anxiety” written by ​Michelle G. Craske and Murray B. Stein

MD, MPH, defines “anxiety” as an umbrella term for various disorders. For instance, Craske et

al state, “​Anxiety disorders (separation anxiety disorder, ​selective mutism​, specific phobias,

social anxiety disorder​, panic disorder, ​agoraphobia​, and generalised anxiety disorder) are

common and disabling conditions that mostly begin during childhood, adolescence, and early

adulthood. They differ from developmentally normative or stress-induced transient anxiety by

being marked (ie, out of proportion to the actual threat present) and persistent, and by impairing

daily functioning.”​ Anxiety is a common disability that typically occurs during adolescent years

and early adulthood. Its characteristics come in different forms. Among the most recognized
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characteristics of the disorder are generalised anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive compulsive

disorder. Despite being part of the same umbrella, all anxiety disorders differ from one another.

Generalised anxiety for instance, is the constant feeling of worrying, stressing, and having

trouble concentrating. While obsessive compulsive disorder, is the constant focus on illogical

fears and thoughts leading to physical response through uncontrollable behaviors. Thus, anxiety

is an individual's personal response to the different stresses that their brian experiences. As

these responses could be mild, moderate, or severe, so could their anxiety levels. While most

people experience anxiety, as it is produced by the brain under stress, not everyone experiences

the same levels for the same experience. Therefore, some people develop it as a disorder that

limits their daily life.

Emotional Limitations and Anxiety

As stated, in the scholarly article, “The Limitation of Anxiety,” written by ​Pyradyne

Publishing, ​“T​he ​National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that 18.1 percent of adults

in the United States (approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18 to 54) suffer with

anxiety disorders. Current estimates put this number much higher - approximately 30 percent -

as many people do not seek help, are misdiagnosed, or do not know they have issues with

anxiety.” This means that anxiety comes without warning, and oftentimes its symptoms are

overlooked, which makes it difficult for people to know whether or not they have anxiety. In

addition, ​Pyradyne Publishing also states, “​Anxiety becomes so frequent, or so forceful, that it

begins to take over their lives.” Struggling with anxiety leads to excessive worrying, irrational

fears, chronic indigestion, stage fright, self- consciousness, panic, and self - doubt. Anxiety is
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harmful to people's lives, health, and self-esteem and because of this some individuals seek

professional help while others suffer in silence.

Further, this suffering is not only limited to the average person, it also limits people who

appear to be confident and outgoing such as musicians. According to ​Pyradyne Publishing, a

study that looked at two hundred participants showed that concert performers get nervous and

experience anxiety, as a result of their own mental health. This means that based on one’s own

experiences, the brain can react and respond in a particular way, even if the person appears

comfortable in their exterior. The scholarly article, “Music performance anxiety: Perceived

causes and coping strategies” found in ​Medical and Scientific Collections results states that,

“Thirty-nine per cent of the musicians had indicators of music performance anxiety (MPA). The

most commonly reported causes were repertoire difficulty (57%), concerns about audience

response (52%), and self-pressure (51%). The most common coping techniques included

breathing/relaxing techniques (66%) and increased practice (53%), regarded as efficient by at

least 49% of the musicians. Strategies like seeing a doctor/psychiatrist/psychologist and taking

antidepressant/anxiolytic medication were among the least frequently used in the sample. Also,

18% of musicians with MPA used ​beta-blockers​ and 6% used non-prescribed medications.

Comparatively, musicians with MPA believed that it was associated with a higher number of

conditions and regarded coping techniques as less efficient.” Therefore, it can be concluded that

anxiety does not only occur in people who deal with common daily experiences such as, work

meetings or assignments, it can also attack people who deal with uncommon experiences. For

musicians, anxiety creates a hold that does not allow them to perform while feeling safe and

confident on stage. In addition, as in the average person, anxiety is not a one size fits all for
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musicians. Based on the research for example, a majority of the musicians studied were found

to have MPA, that is to say that others still suffer in different ways. MPA stands for Music

performance anxiety, this is a form of anxiety where musicians have stage fright and self

evaluate their performance before, after, and during their performance. This is like many

different types of anxiety as it affects an individual's confidence when performing on a stage.

Entertainers and Overcoming Anxiety Through The Power Of Music

As previously mentioned, anxiety does not just affect the “average” person, it also

affects celebrities and entertainers who people see as being confident. For example, in an

interview, singer/songwriter Selena Gomez discusses her struggles with anxiety, panic attacks,

and depression. Before the interview, records showed that Gomez had cancelled some of her

concert dates during her 2016 ​"Revival" world tour. In the interview, the singer revealed that the

cancellations were due to her mental health. ​In the article, “N.L. Singer decries 'trolls' criticizing

Gomez's concert cancellations; Singer was set to headline AtlanticFest 2016” written by

Canadian Press it is revealed that, “The former Disney Channel star told People magazine she

suffers from lupus-related anxiety, panic attacks and depression.” During the interview, Gomez

stated, "I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have

decided that the best way forward is to take some time off." As a musician who struggles with

multiple forms of anxiety, Gomez realized that her own experiences led her to develop anxiety.

Based on her approach, in efforts to overcome and heal her anxiety, she found that taking time

off from her experiences was a healthy choice for her.

Similarly, singer/songwriter, Julia Micheals discusses her challenges and experience

with anxiety. In the article, “Julia Michaels Gets Real” author Joe Levy, describes the feeling
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that Michaels experienced during a public event where she became overwhelmed by her

disorder. The article states, “​Thoughts echoed ceaselessly in her brain; sometimes her breath

wouldn't come. And the spotlight left no place to hide. During a live TV performance of

"Issues" at the Billboard Music Awards, she had a panic attack, collapsing in a ball backstage

afterward.” This experience demonstrates that like the average person, Michaels can experience

anxiety without a warning. She however, has learned to continue trying to face her anxiety so

that it does not let it limit her passion for her career. In fact, as Levy found, “Michaels is

fighting back by singing about it. "I try my best just to be social," she sings on a track called,

"Anxiety." "I make all these plans with friends and hope they call and cancel/ Then I overthink

about the things I'm missing." Michaels has made it clear to the public that there is no shame in

having anxiety, and offers the advice that making it public is a way of healing. Using her

songwriting and singing, Michaels conveys the message ​to her fans ​and audiences that not

feeling okay is acceptable. As a way to overcome her situation, she has expressed her decision

to seek professional help in order to help her face and defeat her everyday fears. Micheals is an

inspiration to her fans, she teaches them that they are strong and capable enough to overcome

their anxiety and panic attacks. It does not matter how bad it is, they have the ability to

overcome it.

Anxiety is not limited to female identifying artists, just as the disorder does not only

affect the average person, it can also affect male identifying artists. Singer/songwriter, Zayn

Malik for instance, also struggles with finding confidence while performing and handling his

anxiety. Similar to Gomez and Michaels, Malik has previously canceled concerts due to his own

experience with anxiety. The article, “Singer Zayn Malik cancels Dubai concert, cites anxiety”
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written by ​Reuters (an international news organization), ​discusses Malik’s mental health and

how his anxiety prevented him from performing during a concert on October 7, 2016. Prior to

the cancelation, Malik had a large concert scheduled in Dubai. However, right before the show

began, it was unexpectedly canceled. Sources later stated that the cancellation had taken place

due to Malik’s own feelings about the performance. Reuters states, “​Singer Zayn Malik, who

devastated One Direction fans when he left the chart-topping boy band last year, has cancelled a

concert in Dubai, saying anxiety issues did not make him confident enough to perform a major

solo show.” In this case, ​anxiety could have been a result of Malik’s expectations of self or

placing high value on others’ opinion. Nonetheless, Zayn revealed that he struggles with finding

the confidence to perform live due to his past experiences with anxiety, thus confirming that it

was due to the disorder that he was unable to perform. Upon cancelling his concert, Zayn was

honest with himself and revealed that anxiety affects both his state of mind and his self-esteem.

Like Michaels, Malik also used found professional help to continue his dream without letting

his disorder completely stop him. He tells Reuters, “I have been working over the last three

months to overcome my extreme anxiety around major live solo performances. I feel I am

making progress." Thus, through ​help, practice, patience, perseverance, and healing Gomez,

Michaels, and Malik agree that all individuals who struggle with anxiety are capable of doing

what they love and can overcome their personal anxiety.

Overcoming Anxiety and The Benefits of Music.

In addition to musician proof, research has also shown that those who suffer from

anxiety do have the possibility of overcoming their disorder. The scholarly article, “Overcoming

Panic / Overcoming Anxiety / Overcoming Depression” written by author Dennis Trent,

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discusses how to overcome panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. Trent states, “ ​Overcoming

Anxiety again gives a clear, unambiguous set of guidelines and exercises with which the

individual can begin to recognize an increasing degree of control over what was heretofore seen

as uncontrollable. Utilizing cognitive techniques such as challenging irrational beliefs as well as

behavioural techniques such as controlled breathing and self-monitoring, the individual is given

an armoury of methods and approaches with which to alter future responses.” In other words, in

order to overcome anxiety people must remember that the process of healing is about learning

how to respond with growth after experiencing the latest episode. In order to see the progress

they are making, sufferers must create an ​open for interpretation ​list and practice their exercises

daily. Among them are breathing techniques and the approach to self-monitoring, this would

help in learning how to control their breathing, emotions, and actions during future anxiety

episodes. This creates a hopeful future for sufferers who can experience an increase in control

of their own mind and body, as long as they practice.

Another effective way for an individual to overcome anxiety is by listening to music.

In ​the article, “Music Soothes Anxiety, Reduces Pain,” ​Rick Nauert PhD, discusses ​how music

can benefit a person that struggles with anxiety by reducing their anxiety and pain. Nauert

states, “​Researchers have documented that listening to music can be effective for reducing pain

in people who generally have high levels of anxiety. Investigators discovered music can be used

as a distraction and is effective among those who can easily become absorbed in cognitive

activities… ​Music helps reduce pain by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain

pathways in the brain, stimulating emotional responses, and engaging cognitive attention.

Because the music is competing with the pain pathways in the brain, it appears to help to take
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the focus away from pain… Music, therefore, provided meaningful intellectual and emotional

engagement to help reduce pain.” ​According to research, music can help people heal and feel

understood. The power of music helps individuals to lower their anxiety level and panic attacks.

Music is an escape for all who struggle with any form of anxiety.

Effects

Opinion

Further, in order to face my obstacles, three years ago in 2017, I joined Inner-City Arts,

and turned to art to express my emotions through healthy approaches. I initially felt

uncomfortable with my new decision, but not long after joining, I found that Inner-City Arts

was a community that supports young diverse performers. I remember feeling excited, yet

nervous, just looking at the list of available courses for the Winter session. I knew that I wanted

to break my own mental boundaries by choosing to become a performer. I knew that this was an

atypical choice for me since it required me to be front in center. Yet that was exactly the reason

why I was drawn to this community. Since I struggle with anxiety, it forces me to become

someone that I am not. I decided that as a performer, I would reclaim myself and become any

character that I wanted to be.

After consideration and reflection, I decided on “Characters, Skits, and Bits.” Jennifer

Carroll was the instructor and she was an unbelievable teacher that taught me to not be afraid of

the spotlight. She taught me to just roll with it and make up any story when it was scene time.

Every time I was too nervous and scared to perform in front of the class Jennifer always

encouraged me, believed in me, and made the classroom a safe space to be as creative as I

wanted to be. As they say, joining her class made me “come out of my shell.” After the Winter
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session, I made sure to return to my art community. In the Summer of 2018, I decided I would

expand my performing abilities. I enrolled in Vocal Performance class, then I joined the

Fundamentals of Dance and Songwriting in 2019, and in 2020 I joined the Find your Voice

class. Becoming part of this community taught me that whether professionally or not, I will

always be an artist and that helps me reclaim the anxiety that I face during unexpected

moments. In general, my art community became a place where I learned not to be afraid of who

I am, including being a sufferer of anxiety. One of my biggest realizations was that while my

anxiety has attempted to limit me, I learned to recognize and accept that I am free to express

myself through my art, and anxiety cannot stop me.

My ultimate goal is to learn how to use art to heal, whether this is through my writing,

singing, or dancing. I am glad that I found a positive outlet to process my thoughts and feelings

that not only helps me accept my anxiety and try to heal, but also allows me to develop one of

my life goals.

Conclusion

This research began with an explanation of what anxiety is. It further tackled and

discussed concepts such as: the limitations of anxiety, concert anxiety from a personal

perspective, musicians anxiety, similarities between the fan and musician anxiety, musician

examples of anxiety, overcoming anxiety through the power of music alongside the benefits of

music. The focus on research and personal experiences demonstrated that both musicians and

the average person face similar experiences with anxiety. The results further illustrated that

those who suffer with anxiety, despite who they are, are able to overcome their struggles. After

this research, it is clear that all students benefit from having creative outlets available to them.
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Students should be encouraged and given the opportunity to express their emotions through an

artistic approach in order to help cope with the anxieties they may or may not know they suffer

from. Art is an outlet that helps many performers cope. Singer/songwriter Melanie Maritnez

discusses how art helps her cope through her anxiety. In her short documentary titled ​Episode 1

– Arts & Crafts with Melanie Martinez, ​Martinez states,

“The one way for me to really process my emotions and to deal with them,

To cope with them. Is to create! Whenever I am upset, whenever I am

angry, whenever something... has happened in my life I am like “I just

need to write about it.” Once there is a finished song and I feel good about

it and I am like this is exactly how I feel right now. I can sleep just fine at

the end of the day. I am like “okay that is exactly what I needed to do.”

That’s why it is so therapeutic cause you can experience something and

then directly after you just write about it and then you immediately feel

better.”

- Melanie Martinez

Therefore, every student or young adult, no matter their age, should be given the opportunity to

use art as an outlet as it might help them cope with the current rising cases of anxiety.
POWER OF MUSIC Beltran ​16

References

Craske, M., & Stein, M. (2016). Anxiety. ​The Lancet,​ ​388(​ 10063), 3048-3059.

Levy, J. (2018, 07). Julia Michaels gets real.​ Rolling Stone, ,​ 23-24. Retrieved from

http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2268269689?

accountid=10352

Martinez, M. [Melanie Martinez]. (2019, November 19). Episode 1 – Arts & Crafts with

Melanie Martinez [Video file]. ​YouTube​. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBsq35nWOPo&feature=youtu.be

Nauert PhD, R. (2019). Music Soothes Anxiety, Reduces Pain. ​Psych Central​. Retrieved on

March 18, 2020, from

https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/12/23/music-soothes-anxiety-reduces-pain/32952.ht

ml

N.L. singer decries 'trolls' criticizing Gomez's concert cancellations; singer was set to headline

AtlanticFest 2016. (2016, Sep 02). ​Chronicle - Herald​ Retrieved from

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http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1816340263?

accountid=10352

Osório, F., Burin, A., Nirenberg, I., & Barbar, A. (2017). Music performance anxiety: Perceived

causes and coping strategies. ​European Psychiatry,​ ​41(​ SS), S110.

The Limitations of Anxiety. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.pyradyne.com/blogs/health-nutrition/the-limitations-of-anxiety

Trent, D. (1998). Overcoming panic / overcoming anxiety / overcoming depression.​ The British

Journal of Clinical Psychology, 37​(2), 243. Retrieved from

http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/218644635?a

ccountid=10352

"Singer Zayn Malik Cancels Dubai Concert, Cites Anxiety." ​Reuters Health E-Line​ 2016:

Reuters Health E-Line, Sept 6, 2016. Web.