Flow is a state of complete absorption and concentration over a particular task, making it intrinsically rewarding. This phenomenon was developed by Csikszentmihalyi, who stated that music is one of the easiest activities to reach flow. Additionally, flow has been studied in other settings, such as sports and work environments. Flow states are related to positive outcomes, like optimal performance, increased skills, self-regulation and creativity. Other benefits of experiencing flow are higher levels of concentration, more coping skills and intrinsic motivation. An essential element to achieving a flow state is finding an equilibrium between the challenge and the skill. Focusing on musicians, a challenge-skill balance means that the performer's abilities must match their repertoire. That is, if the repertoire is too easy for them, they will feel bored, and flow states will not be achieved. Also, if the musician thinks the repertoire is too difficult, the performer will experience stress and anxiety. In the following paragraphs, an account of the research done so far about flow in the domain of musical performance is provided.
Flow is a multidimensional variable. The dimensions of challenge–skill balance, clear goal setting, and unambiguous feedback are conditions for flow to happen. The other six describe the flow state experience. These are merging action and awareness, undivided concentration on the task, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, sense of time transformation, and autotelic experience. Since flow is an individual experience and many factors influence it, it is common to study its dimensions instead of the global scale. Concerning musicians, research indicates that the most relevant dimension is challenge-skill balance, and the less important are loss of self-consciousness and transformation of time. In this regard, the fact that musicians must be aware of the tempo and rhythm leads to necessarily being aware of time and, therefore, a perception of transformation of time might be unwanted to have an optimal performance. However, it is worth mentioning that one study found that this dimension is one of the most experienced in musicians and suggests that it develops at a high expertise level.
As mentioned, several factors influence the achievement of flow states. For instance, music experience might help develop flow states, possibly because experienced musicians have more musical abilities, and it is easier for them to find a challenge-skill balance. In addition, mental health also plays a role in finding this state of absorption. For example, depression and perfectionism prevent flow states from happening. Furthermore, the performance itself can also affect flow states. It is easier for musicians to achieve flow when performing in groups and during informal performances because they perceive these situations as less threatening than solo
and formal performances. Therefore, there are various factors, internal and external, that determine flow.
Other significant variables impacting flow states are Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) and the audience. First, MPA prevents flow from happening because performers perceive ambiguous feedback and are self-conscious. Other flow dimensions influenced by MPA are concentration on the task, sense of control and autotelic experience. However, their perception of challenge-skill balance is not affected by anxiety. The negative correlation between flow and MPA contributes to a better understanding of both variables and performers' mental health. In fact, there is evidence indicating that activities promoting flow can reduce MPA. Concerning the audience, there is some discrepancy on how the public influences the achievement of flow states in musicians. Several studies suggest that flow is more experienced in front of an audience. Other scholars have found opposite results because, according to them, musicians perceive less sense of control when performing in public. What is more, they indicate that musicians with high levels of MPA tend to have less loss of self-consciousness and more ambiguous feedback during performances in front of audiences.
This article has given an overview of how musicians experience flow during performances. Some conclusions can be drawn from the current research. First, the challenge-skill balance is a key element for musicians to achieve flow. Second, it seems that musicians do not lose track of time during flow states. Third, MPA plays a relevant role in the development of flow, and musicians with high levels of anxiety have many difficulties in reaching a state of complete concentration. Fourth, external factors such as the type of performance and the public also influence flow states. Nevertheless, these conclusions should be approached with caution due to the early development of this research field.
Citations
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