“Stress Reduction and Relaxation for the Performing Artist”

Workshop to be presented by Jessica Bonatakis-Mattingly at the University of Louisville International Guitar Festival on Saturday, May 29th, at 2PM:

Performing artists devote a significant amount of their time to perfecting their art in order to provide enjoyable experiences for their audiences. While the professional training of a musician focuses on the development of technical skill and artistry, it is rare one is taught specific strategies to assist in burnout prevention, stress management, and muscle relaxation. This workshop will introduce participants to signs of burnout and engage participants in a discussion of stress reduction, motivational, and self-care strategies. Participants will be guided through a relaxation technique incorporating deep breathing, visualization, and muscle relaxation and will be taught how to implement such strategies into their regular practice routines.

Jessica Bonatakis-Mattingly is currently a full-time doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL. She received her master’s in Counseling and Human Systems from the Florida State University and has completed practica, internships, and professional work across numerous settings including schools, intensive outpatient programs, community mental health, and juvenile detention. Having completed her B.M. at the Eastman School of Music in Applied Horn and Instrumental Music Education, Jessica has an intimate knowledge of the developing musician’s experience and stressors encountered by performing artists. At present, Jessica is embarking on data collection for her dissertation where she is examining how certain personality traits of musicians help to cope with potentially traumatic events.