Dalt wrote:

> "Any tips on how to mentally prepare for things like this? Concerts
> standing at the front of the stage in front of a couple hundred
> people are fine, but this gets edgy [auditions]."

You've gotten some very good advice. I'm going to add something a bit more
controversial, because you deserve to know about it. I'm going to talk about
a prescription medicine called beta blockers. I'm not going to recommend
them for you, but I'm going to talk about them.

What we experience as performance anxiety, stage fright, etc., is the
primeval "fight or flight" reaction. Your body produces adrenaline, which
causes a series of physiological reactions. In the primeval world, these
helped us either fight better or run faster.

Of course, this reaction is inappropriate on stage or in an audition. Some
adrenaline helps keep you sharp during a performance, but too much makes
your mouth dry out, your breathing become shallow and fast, you sweat, and
your muscles start to quiver. Some musicians have such strong reactions that
pianists can't keep their foot on the pedal, and violinists' bow arms shake
uncontrollably.

Beta blockers--Inderal is the most popular among performers--doesn't stop
the production of adrenaline. What it does do, though, is block the
receptors in your body, so the adrenaline's effect is blocked.

My personal opinion is that you should try every way you can to combat
nerves before turning to beta blockers. However, there are some people who
are superbly talented and accomplished musicians, totally prepared, but they
still fall apart from nerves on stage. Perhaps it's something genetic or
environmental--some people can control their nerves, but an unknown
percentage cannot. I'm high-strung, and I'm one of those who can't.

I'm principal horn in the Boston Civic Symphony, and I couldn't hold that
position without beta blockers. I don't use them heavily--maybe a dozen
pills a year--but I do use them.
Without them, I get the shakes. My mouth dries out. I can't breathe. My
fingers get slippery from sweat. And I can't play worth a darn.

I've been playing the horn for over 40 years, and the only way I can play up
to my potential in public is with beta blockers. I've tried everything
else--I'm prepared, I'm reasonably good, I've tried bananas, I've tried the
various mind techniques. They help, but, for me, there will come a time when
I have a big solo, and I will embarrass myself, my colleagues, and the
audience, regardless of how well I'm prepared.

There are a surprising number of professionals who use beta blockers, from
world-class soloists to top 5 concertmasters to section horn players. I've
found that some of those who are most vocally opposed to them actually use
them in secret. This isn't speculation--I personally know world-class
musicians who use beta blockers. Without them, they wouldn't have a career
(and, conversely, I know musicians who lost their jobs because of nerves,
including principal horns in two major U.S. orchestras.

Facts about beta blockers:

- They are not performance enhancers like steroids. They won't make you the
Barry Bonds of the Horn. In fact, they won't make you any better--if you
can't play that solo in the practice room, beta blockers will be no help.
They merely block the adrenaline so you can play as well as you are able.

- You MUST get them with your doctor's approval. They are a prescription
medication, and only your doctor can know if they are right, and safe, for
you.

- They are relatively mild--in fact, their initial use was to lower blood
pressure--but there are potential side effects, including, ironically, dry
mouth and, of course, low blood pressure.

- Using beta blockers isn't "cheating." You are not giving yourself an
advantage that isn't available to everybody. And, be sure, when you
audition, there will be several people auditioning who ARE using beta
blockers.

Again, I'm not recommending them for you. In fact, I'm recommending that you
try everything else before you use beta blockers. But I want you to know
that they are there if it turns out to be the only thing that helps.

The bottom line for me is that I owe the audience, and my colleagues, the
best performance I can give them. And so do you, and everybody on the list.
We all have our paths to achieving that, and beta blockers are part of that
path for many of us. Hopefully you won't need them, but now you know about
them.

Cordially,

Kerry Thompson