EMU Music Colloquium to feature performance psychologist Noa Kageyama

A new series of multifaceted music colloquia continues at Eastern Mennonite University Thursday, March 25, with Noa Kageyama, Juilliard professor, performance psychologist, and violinist. He will present “How to beat nerves, and play your best when it matters most,” at 12:20 p.m.

Kageyama “has become one of the most respected and sought-after experts in the field of performance psychology for musicians,” Professor David Berry, chair of the EMU Music Department

The presentation will be broadcast on EMU’s Facebook Live and the EMU Music Department’s Facebook page.  [You do not need a Facebook account to access Facebook Live.] There is no charge for the event; the video will also be kept available on the Facebook pages for later viewing.

Kageyama is on the faculty at Juilliard and is the performance psychology coach for the New World Symphony. He has degrees from Oberlin (BA, psychology) and Juilliard (MM, violin performance) and earned his MS and PhD in counseling and counseling psychology from Indiana University.

Kageyama specializes in teaching performing artists how to utilize sports psychology principles to more consistently demonstrate their full abilities under pressure. 

The music colloquium series has hosted cellist Amanda Gookin and flutist Judy Dines. The final event is April 15 with Deepti Navaratna.

“Since everything is virtual, it is a wonderful opportunity to bring many more great artists from around the nation and even around the globe to our students,” said Berry. “It is not every year that we can bring such a diverse array of top-rate artists and presenters to our students in one semester.”

The colloquia includes a mix of students performing for and learning from the guest artists, interviews, and lectures. 

“We have found these combined modes of presentation to be very engaging for everyone no matter the spectators’ area of musical specialty,” Berry said.