A reflective self-assessment for performing musicians
The work of being on stage is rarely just about the work.
This twelve-question reflection is informed by decades of research on music performance anxiety. It is not a diagnostic tool. Instead, it's designed to help you get a clearer sense of how performance anxiety shows up for you in real life, and whether there are patterns here that might be worth paying closer attention to.
The questions draw on the same theoretical framework as the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI), the most cross-culturally validated instrument in this field. We use the same factor structure that research has replicated across more than a dozen countries: the immediate experience of performing, what's underneath it, and what was around it growing up.
You'll respond to twelve statements using a scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. There are no trick questions, and there is no way to "fail" the scoring.
Question one
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Your reflection
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The three factors, individually
Where the score is concentrated
The immediate experience of performing; somatic symptoms, anticipatory worry, audience awareness, post-performance rumination.
The substrate beneath the surface; hopelessness, sense of uncontrollability, anxiety that extends beyond performance, difficulty trusting the response of others.
The developmental ground the performing self grew up on; emotional attunement from caregivers, whether approval felt conditional on performing well, whether your authentic voice was welcomed.
A note on the pattern
If any of this is resonating
I work with musicians, because I am one.
I'm a licensed therapist in Illinois and a working professional singer. I created this space because I know how helpful it can be to have language for what you're experiencing as a performer, especially when things feel confusing or hard to put into words.
If you'd like to talk through what came up for you, I'd be glad to connect. There's no pressure or obligation. The first conversation is simply a space to explore what your results might mean for you and your music.
If you're in crisis right now
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988, any time, from anywhere in the US.
About this tool. This self-assessment is grounded in the published research on music performance anxiety, particularly Dr. Dianna Kenny's program of work on the K-MPAI, but it is not the K-MPAI itself and is not a diagnostic instrument. The interpretive ranges shown here are reflective approximations intended for educational use. They are not validated clinical cut-points for the twelve-item version.
About your data. Your responses were computed entirely in your browser. Nothing was sent to a server, stored, or paired with your identity. When you close or refresh this page, your responses are gone. If you choose to reach out, that's an action you initiate yourself.
Not medical advice. Self-reflection tools cannot replace consultation with a licensed mental-health professional. If you're concerned about your mental health, please reach out to a clinician where you live.