|
Post by stickshifty on Apr 23, 2009 23:36:55 GMT -5
Ok so for those who might not of heard of them before (I didn't hear about them until after I was in college), beta blockers are medicines taken by musicians who have really bad stage fright (performance anxiety). The real purpose of beta blockers is for people with high blood pressure to take them, since they decrease the heart rate. So they don't keep you from getting nervous per se, but they'll eliminate the signs of nervousness: the shaking, sweating, etc.
For some people, they're godsends. Other people think that musicians taking beta blockers are comparable to athletes taking steroids.
What's your opinion?
Mine is that if you need them, take them, but get them legally. And I do since in the past couple of months, I've had some bad solo performances that have reeaaaalllly made it hard for me to calm myself down. So I was at the doctor for something unrelated to my performance anxiety, and I asked about getting some... turns out he took them for his public speaking classes in high school. So I got them the "right" way (I had to have an EKG to make sure my heart was aight for them).
(I use them for public speaking too since I stutter when I'm nervous.)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2009 23:56:54 GMT -5
I have to disagree with the idea that it is the same as athletes taking steroids, because it doesn't give you an unfair advantage. In fact, it levels the playing field for those people who get stage fright no matter what to get an equal shot against those (like me) who never get it, ever.
|
|
|
Post by stickshifty on Apr 24, 2009 0:23:40 GMT -5
^ Yeah that's my opinion too. It's like they don't enhance your playing magically, they just give you the ability to play to your best ability. My 10 page English final has to be about a controversy within our major, and there are sources that honestly believe that beta blockers are the antichrist or something.
|
|
|
Post by altoclarinets on Apr 26, 2009 16:28:09 GMT -5
Seems a bit strange... but God knows I coulda used some at region auditions this year...
|
|