Monitoring Stage Fright Outside the Laboratory: An Example in a Professional Musician Using Wearable Sensors

We implemented and tested a wearable sensor system to measure patterns of stress responses in a professional musician under public performance conditions. Using this sensor system, we monitored the cellist’s heart activity, the motion of multiple body parts, and their gradual changes during three repeated performances of a skill-demanding piece in front of a professional audience. From the cellist and her teachers, we collected stage fright self-reports and performance ratings that were related to our sensor data analysis results. Concomitant to changes in body motion and heart rate, the cellist perceived a reduction in stage fright. Performance quality was objectively improved, as technical playing errors decreased throughout repeated renditions. In particular, from performance 1 to 3, the wearable sensors measured a significant increase in the cellist’s bowing motion dynamics of ~6% and a decrease in heart rate. Bowing motion showed a marginal correlation to the observed heart rate patterns during playing. The wearable system did not interfere with the cellist’s performance, thereby allowing investigation of stress responses during natural public performances.