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UPDATE: More mental training for young musicians

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norman lebrecht

February 12, 2015

The accordionist Ksenija Sidorova has been distressed to hear that the Royal Academy of Music is stopping courses that help young musicians cope with stress and performance anxiety. She wants the RAM to reconsider. So do we. Read below.

Dear friends, in particular present and ex Royal Academy of Music students!

I’m so upset with the news I recently heard and want to do something about it.
I never hide that at some points of my career I have felt not particularly comfortable on stage and was seeking professional help regarding his matter. Huge thanks goes to the wonderful psychologist, who happens to be the wife of my accordion professor Owen Murray, Inger Murray.

The Academy wants to stop mental training for musicians classes- cutting costs.

Just for reference, she has recently published a book based on mental training for musicians subject and has a huge past in working with heavy PTSD cases on top of everything she now does for some very well known musicians out there.

And as much as I love the Royal Academy of Music, I docio not understand why such a high profile institution would want to so easily get rid of someone so preus who helps students achieve what they achieve. By doing this they cut students opportunities and chances; needless to say- RAM prestigious name is supported by the performances of its’ students, which depend on psychological state just as much as on musical training, practice and overall education.

I do not recall all of the students who took the class with me back in the day (later I started having one-on-one classes), but anyone who is reading this and willing to help- would you be so kind writing something little, just a few sentences in the support of Inger Murray and post it either in a comment or as a private message to me (on Facebook). I will make sure all of this gets to the right people at RAM and will hope they reconsider.

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UPDATE (24 hours later). The RAM has issued the following statement:

‘The Academy is committed to the health and wellbeing of its students and to providing a world-class training in preparation for all aspects of a successful career in music. Contrary to a recent statement, we are in fact in the process of expanding and strengthening our Professional Development provision in all programmes of study and making it a core element of our students’ educational experience – rather than an optional extra in the curriculum, as it has been in the past.’