The purpose of this research study is to analyze the relationship between anxiety and muscle activation in undergraduate trumpet players. sEMG will be used to measure three muscle groups: the upper trapezius, sternoclidomatoid, and masseter. This data will be analyzed along with State Trait Anxiety Inventory anxiety reports of each subject, and with VAS data of perceived anxiety after performing the repeated playing trials. Through covariate data obtained from the anxiety reports and an anxiety-induction experimental protocol, we hope to discover what effect anxiety will have on general muscle activation and fatigue in trumpet players. We hypothesize that subjects with higher anxiety levels will display greater levels of muscle activation and fatigue over the course of playing the trumpet as compared to subjects with lower anxiety levels. Preliminary data analysis has shown that there is no significant difference in VAS scales between the anxiety-induced group and the control group; the rest of the data analysis is still in progress.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1085/thumbnail.jp
