The factors affecting stage performance of brass players

There are several factors that affect the stage performance of brass musicians. Among these factors, breath control, posture and mental exercise, play a crucial role in providing musicality by affecting the cognitive and behavioral actions of brass players. Repeated and continued practicing on the instrument can create excessive tension in the body which may cause musculoskeletal disorders. Posture exercises can be used to prevent from musculoskeletal system disorders affecting stage performance. On brass instruments each sound requires a different amount of air. Thus, in cases, where the air blown to the instrument is excessive or insufficient, production or quality of sound may be affected. Brass players can overcome blowing problems with breath control. Musical performance anxiety is one of the major problems which brass musicians can often face. One of the most effective ways to overcome musical performance anxiety is mental exercise. The problem of this research examines the effects of posture, breath control and mental exercises on brass players during stage performance. This research is a qualitative research, in which the data is collected by means of document review. In the research, suggestions for solving the problems, which brass players may experience during stage performance, are presented, and importance of posture, breathe control and mental exercises are emphasized.