It is clear that beyond the stereotypes about the world of music and the lives of those who dedicate themselves to it, developing a professional career as a musician is far from completely surrendering to spontaneity and pure intuition. In the vast majority of cases, it is not possible to wait for the muses to do the work, and everything must be created from work routines, a deliberate effort when composing, interpreting and taking care of logistical details, etc.
This fact, that the work of musicians is full of rather prosaic responsibilities, might seem like a reason to become disillusioned with the profession, but in reality it is quite the opposite. And although we cannot control the type of ideas and combinations of notes that come to mind (this depends more on luck and randomness), where there are voluntary and conscious actions, there is room for maneuver to learn how to do them. perform better and squeeze our potential. And that is why By managing certain psychological processes it is possible to find better solutions to the challenges of working in music day to day.
What psychological elements can be worked on and developed in the field of music?
Beyond the technical and theoretical knowledge about music theory, the use of musical instruments and complementary tools, Knowing how to take advantage of the profession of musician involves developing several “soft skills.” that is, professional attributes linked to the management of emotions, social relationships and patterns of self-motivation and creation of contexts that predispose us to work better in what we dedicate ourselves to.
These are skills and aptitudes that are not limited to a specific profession or trade and in whose development practice and training guidelines in these skills have a lot of weight in both work life and private life.
For this reason, in psychology it is common to provide support and assistance in this experiential learning process, both in cases in which the person goes to psychotherapy and in the context of coaching or psychological accompaniment to those who do not have a mental disorder but want to improve. in some aspect of their lives. In the case of musicians, these are the main skills that can be trained from psychology
1. Motivation
Learning to set goals and work in a way that predisposes us to give the best of ourselves is key to not only achieving excellence in our work, but also doing it efficiently and without investing excessive time in it. That’s why, In psychology, training programs are created in self-motivation strategies establishing work rhythms that offer both long- and short-term incentives (and that are not limited to always focusing on financial remuneration).
2. Development of self-esteem and learning from successes and mistakes
Having good self-esteem is not a simple matter of feeling good or bad; Furthermore, it makes it easy or difficult for us when it comes to relating to ourselves (and others) at work, and whether we are able to identify our achievements or our mistakes as such depends on it.
Thus, psychology helps the person establish an appropriate type of locus of control, that is, the way in which you learn to attribute what happens to you to your own merits or to circumstances beyond your control And quite a few people are incapable of advancing in their work, among other things, because when they do something well, they automatically assume that it is due to luck or the intervention of third parties, and when something bad happens to them, they assume that it is always their fault. . In the same way, it helps to create patterns of self-reflection to take advantage of everyday failures and learn something from them, instead of limiting ourselves to suffering their immediate consequences.
Knowing how to adapt the state of our nervous system to the type of activation that the job requires at all times is key to performing well. In the case of musicians, exposure to stress can wear us down on numerous occasions, which is why psychology teaches how to regulate the degree of mental and physiological activity. For it training is used in relaxation techniques and focusing of consciousness such as controlled breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation.
4. Attention management
In the field of psychology, whether in therapy or other forms of psychological assistance related to personal or professional development, it is common to train in the use of attention management routines. to optimize performance when performing key tasks And it is not the same to approach a creative task or one focused on muscular coordination while maintaining dispersed attention than one focused on what is being done; The second allows us to focus on the motor and mental processes involved in the task, and the second exposes us much more to distractions, errors and recurring intrusive thoughts.
5. Modification and replacement of limiting beliefs
Having one or another belief system can expand our creative possibilities or limit us professionally, leading us to the same dead end over and over again. For this reason, psychological support helps people detect and identify limiting beliefs as such, check why they do not fit well with reality and are a professional and creative brake, and change them for other more adaptive ones that correspond more to an objective vision of reality
Although as we have seen we do not have direct control over what occurs to us, we do We can expose ourselves to situations that help us make the most of our creative potential For example, learning to examine unusual connections between ideas and aesthetic elements, setting limitations for ourselves so that (paradoxically) these are a creative support, using examples in ways that do not induce us to copy, but instead inspire us to create on our own, learning which They are our interests at each moment and what stimulates us most intellectually at each moment, etc.
7. Management of emotions
Finally, the management of emotions and the cultivation of Emotional Intelligence helps musicians both to better manage their personal relationships (by better identifying the emotional states of other people and knowing how to better express their own) and to create the contexts of work and creation of musical pieces that induce us to an emotional state that fit the tone and theme of what we want to create
Conclusion
Learning to manage the psychological skills we have seen with professional support helps music professionals optimize their performance, creative potential, satisfaction and well-being. If you are interested in having this type of services, contact us.
In UPAD Psychology and Coaching We have several years of experience supporting professionals dedicated to the arts and activities in which creativity is a fundamental element. We serve in person at our center located in Madrid, and also online in video call sessions.
