Somatics, Archetypes, and Identity Under Pressure

Session Overview and Dates

  • Zoom Session #1: TBD

  • Zoom Session #2: February 15 at 1:00 pm ET

  • In-Person Session: Wednesday, February 18 (UNCG)

(Details and access links will be provided by your department.)

Music school asks a lot of you.

Full schedules. High standards. Constant evaluation. Many of us learn to survive by tightening, over-efforting, pushing through, and privately questioning whether we belong.

These sessions offer a different kind of training.

Not therapy. Not a performance class. Not a “fix yourself” workshop. This is a guided, practical exploration of how high-pressure environments shape effort, identity, confidence, and creative access.

Across two Zoom sessions and one in-person class, we’ll name common patterns, make space for honest reflection, and build more choice into how you meet performance, practice, and pressure.

What You’ll Experience

1) A clear introduction to archetypes

We’ll use “archetypes” to describe common, understandable patterns that show up in high-achieving training environments.

Archetypes are not labels. They’re not personality types or diagnoses. They are ways the system adapts when pressure is high, and belonging feels uncertain.

You might recognize yourself in more than one. You might shift between them depending on context. That’s normal.

2) A student-centered lens on impostor experiences

Many collegiate musicians live with a private fear:
“One mistake and I’ll be exposed.”

We’ll look at what fuels that experience in training environments and how it connects to:

  • evaluation and comparison

  • perfectionism and self-monitoring

  • fear of disappointing mentors or peers

  • pressure to be exceptional all the time

You’ll leave with language that makes these experiences less isolating and more workable.

3) Practical somatic experiments (low-stakes, not performative)

You’ll be guided through short, optional practices designed to increase choice under pressure.

These are not about “calming down” on command. They’re about noticing what your system is already doing, and learning how to respond with more options.

No one will be asked to share personal trauma content. No one will be put on the spot to perform vulnerability.

4) Identity and belonging, without clichés

We’ll explore how identity in music school often becomes fused with:

  • productivity and achievement

  • approval and external feedback

  • audition outcomes and ranking

  • being “the reliable one” or “the talented one”

The goal is not to abandon ambition.
It’s to build a foundation where artistry can exist without constant self-erasure.

How These Sessions Work

Structure

Each session includes:

  • short teaching segments (clear frameworks and language)

  • guided reflection (private, optional)

  • small-group or full-group discussion (with choice)

  • practices you can apply in the practice room and rehearsal

Participation

You are always welcome to participate at your level of comfort:

  • camera on or off

  • speaking or listening

  • engaging actively or taking notes quietly

What This Is Not

To set clarity:

  • This is not therapy

  • This is not a masterclass

  • This is not about fixing your mindset

  • This is not about forcing positivity

  • This is not about “just relax”

This is about understanding patterns, reclaiming choice, and supporting sustainable artistry.

One Last Note

You don’t need to be “good” at this.
You don’t need the right words.
You don’t need to arrive calm.

You just need to arrive.