End it all
A few days ago Scott Spiegelberg had an interesting post on the use of Inderal, or beta-blockers, by musicians. For those not familiar with the drug, Inderal blocks the action of adrenaline and other substances, effecively muting the sympathetic nervous system, which produces fear or anxiety. Some musicians use the drug to overcome stage fright or performance anxiety. The New York Times had an article about the topic not too long ago. Even some of the greatest players the world has known–Pablo Casals, for example–suffered debilitating bouts of performance anxiety–something that’s hard to believe when you hear artists like that perform either live or on recording.
I first met people who used Inderal when I played with a group in Washington, D.C. from 1999-2002. Musicians in this group used the drug for various reasons–one player used it when he played a solo in front of the ensemble; another used it when taking auditions; and another used it when he had a small solo part in the context of a large ensemble work. Of the three musicians, I could understand why the first two might feel the “need” to use it–maybe they always get extremely nervous, to the point of almost being incapacitated, when they are put in high pressure situations–but I have a really hard time justifying why the third musician would use the drug. It seems to me that musicians need to learn how to cope with a certain amount of pressure. Personally, I think that the last musician mentioned probably became “addicted” to the feeling (or no feeling) he experiences and gradually became unable to trust his own musical instincts. If it gets to that point, I think you’re using it for the wrong reasons.
I don’t use Inderal and the thought of using it never crossed my mind. Part of what I love about performing is the rush that I experience before, during, and after a performance. I live for that adrenaline rush. I feed off of it as a player. It gives me an edge and intensity that I experience nowhere else in my life. Why on earth would I want to quell that intensity? I’ve heard some people call Inderal, “End-it-all” for that very reason.