Performance profiling: A systematic approach to the enhancement of music practice and peak performance

Performance profiling (PP) has been used by elite athletes and their coaches and/or trainers for more than three decades to identify, select, and implement the qualities they believe are most important for them to achieve peak performance in their own sport. It thus enhances athletes’ awareness and ability to establish task-relevant goals contributing to their pursuit of excellence. Given the similarities between athletes and musicians, and in particular the psychological, physiological, and technical requirements of their professions, I believe that PP could usefully be applied in the context of higher music education, with benefits for music students and their teachers. In this article I provide an overview of the theories on which PP is based and, review the ways in which it has been implemented, adapted for use with populations other than athletes, and evaluated. To date, musicians have used PP only to a limited extent, and research on its effectiveness for musicians is therefore scarce. I propose specific adaptations of existing approaches to PP for athletes with a protocol that can be used by music students with their peers and/or teachers.