BETA-BLOCKERS - EFFECTS ON PERFORMING MUSICIANS

For many musicians, stage fright is a significant performance problem. Beta-blocking medications can effectively block the symptoms associated with stage fright, such as tremor, palpitations, and tachycardia. However, it appears that cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor skills may be negatively affected by beta-blockers. This paper focuses on an evaluation and review of the results of published research on the use of beta-blockers, which indicates that there may be negative side effects that should not be ignored by performing musicians.