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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers
Author: Sylvain 
Date:   2006-03-25 21:16

The debate over whether or not it is appropriate to use beta-blockers is not as interesting to me as the large number of professional musicians using it.

25% of players using and 70% of them getting them illegally is IMHO a concern. I should state that I am not a medical doctor and will never experience life as a professional musician. So everything I say pretty much amounts to nothing. However, if indeed 1 out 4 players are using drugs for stage fright, either some are abusing it or the stress level of professional performance is simply not healthy and a serious change in attitude towards classical music performance needs to be addressed.

The related links to opinions given by MDs and pro players are enlightening and I do believe that there is a point when pills are what you need. I have witnessed friends incontrollably shaking for a masteclass or performance and nobody should have to go through that. But do 25% of all musicians *really* need it? Why are so many gaining access to it illegaly?

The article from ubc.ca brushed over a lot of the details so it is hard to judge wether the musicians use it always or on occasion to break a cycle of bad stage fright. I would very interested if some research lab out there would run a study of using beta blockers vs. placebo. Do most performers on beta blockers actually need the chemical or is it a placebo effect?

There has always been a stigma around medicine for the mind. There is such a thing as chemical imbalance which can affect the mind in many different ways. Ask any teenager (or parent of) and his/her raging hormones. There is no reason why drugs should not be used to help correct this imbalance. Afterall, like it or not 100% of the people I know are hooked on caffeine.

Beyond the question of whether or not beta blockers are needed, one has to question the current state of classical music if a quarter of its contributors must be on drugs in order to simply do their job.

The analogy to professional athlete is IMHO ludicruous. Music is not professional sport, we are not talking about *enhancing* one's abilities, but simply bringing stress levels under control in order to show one's *true* abilities.

In any case, the numbers in the article are worrisome to me.

--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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 One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Ken Shaw 2006-03-24 17:10 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
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 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Sylvain 2006-03-30 13:57 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Brenda Siewert 2006-03-30 15:10 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
ghuba 2006-03-30 16:22 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Mark Charette 2006-03-30 16:41 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
ghuba 2006-03-30 17:19 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
ginny 2006-03-30 16:06 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Gregory Smith 2006-03-30 16:42 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Gregory Smith 2006-03-30 19:15 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Sylvain 2006-03-30 21:29 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
ginny 2006-03-30 23:05 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
sherman 2006-03-31 14:45 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
tictactux 2006-03-31 19:19 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
Carol Dutcher 2006-03-31 19:33 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
3dogmom 2006-03-31 20:34 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
DaveF 2006-04-01 08:57 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
tictactux 2006-04-01 11:24 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
EEBaum 2006-04-02 00:13 
 Re: One in Four Classical Musicians Use Beta Blockers  new
CK 2006-04-02 18:14 


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