Do You Experience…

• Intense nervousness before performances or auditions

• Shaking hands or loss of control while playing

• Tight breathing or a feeling of panic on stage

• Muscular tension that affects your technique

• Difficulty accessing your full musical expression in performance

Performance anxiety is extremely common among musicians. Often it is not simply psychological — it is deeply connected to how the body reacts to stress.

The Alexander Technique helps you learn how to respond differently.

Why Performance Anxiety Happens

When we feel pressure, the body often goes into a fight-or-flight response:

• The neck and shoulders tighten

• Breathing becomes shallow

• The body stiffens

• Fine motor coordination becomes less reliable

For musicians, this can interfere with the very skills they rely on most: sensitivity, coordination, breathing, and expressive control.

Learning how to interrupt these patterns can transform the experience of performing.

How the Alexander Technique Helps

The Alexander Technique teaches you how to recognize and change habitual patterns of tension that appear under pressure.

Instead of trying to “fight the nerves,” you learn how to:

• Stay physically balanced and coordinated while performing

• Allow breathing to remain free and natural

• Prevent the build-up of excess muscular tension

• Respond to stressful moments with greater clarity and calm

Many musicians discover that when their body is functioning more freely, their focus improves, their sound opens, and their confidence grows naturally.

Practical Work for Real Performance Situations

Sessions often include working with real situations that trigger anxiety, such as:

• Preparing for auditions or exams

• Simulated performance situations

• Playing difficult passages under pressure

• Managing the moment just before going on stage

You may bring your instrument, and we can explore how your body responds while playing or preparing to perform.

This practical approach helps you develop skills that transfer directly into concerts, rehearsals, and auditions.

Who This Work Is For

This work can be especially helpful for:

• Music students preparing for exams or auditions

• Professional musicians performing regularly

• Singers and instrumentalists experiencing stage fright

• Musicians returning to performance after a difficult experience

Performance anxiety is not a sign of weakness — it is often a sign that the body is working too hard under pressure. Learning how to respond differently can change the entire experience of performing.

About Nadia Banna

Nadia Banna works with musicians and performers who want to improve their coordination, reduce tension, and perform with greater ease and confidence.

Using the Alexander Technique, she helps musicians develop the awareness and physical freedom needed to support both health and artistic expression.

Sessions take place in Zürich in a calm, focused setting designed for individual work.

Start Performing With Greater Ease

Performance should be an opportunity to share music, not a struggle with tension or anxiety.

If you would like support in transforming your experience of performing, you are welcome to book a session.

Location: Zürich
Individual sessions available