Pianists and drugs

I am only an amateur pianist so I cannot really say about performance. But I did suffer from anxiety problems (not stage fright though) and had to be on medication. Judging from my experience, I can totally imagine how these medicines would affect the playing in a very negative way. It made me less sensitive and responsive to a lot of things, and in general just caused a lack of energy.

1 Like

Vid?
Asking fo a friend

I never tried da beta blocker shit

I like feeling slightly nervous n den blowing ma load on stage. Nothin like it!

Why put a condom on wiz a beta blocker when u can go raw?

1 Like

They simply had no effect on my nerves so I stopped taking them. Frankly I would’ve probably given up performing solo if I’d have continued with piano. I never really got nervous playing chamber music.

For me it’s the same, but it depends on which medication. Overall antidepressants/anxiolytics kind of steamroll my emotions so I just feel numb. But again it depends on which meds and how high the dose.

1 Like

Numb is probably the best word to describe how I felt, too. My therapist believed that for most anxiety issues the meds should be used to help keeping the physical symptoms (like full-blown panic attacks) under control so the person could have the energy to work on the mental issues, and hopefully one can eventually stop taking the meds. She said those meds should not be considered a cure-all.
But then there are more severe cases of anxiety and depression, in which people might need to be on medication long term.

To avoid prematurely shooting your wad. I legit used to feel like I was being led to the gallows. I hated it. Randomly I reckon I’d be okay now because I care a lot less about what people think of me.

Yeah, they’re useful to help take the edge off. I think each of us has to find their way to deal with it. I used to have to verbalise what I was feeling, but it didn’t really help (I hate talk therapy/psychology and would never do it again). Now I just try and ignore it.

Have you ever been hypnotized Bru?

1 Like

I tried hypnotherapy but it didn’t work for me. Apparently not everyone can be hypnotised, even if they want to.

Ursuleasa is missing in this thread.

I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s common among top performing musicians - simply because I don’t think you can continue to be top performing if your brain isn’t.

Da Sofro, surely?

Also, da ogdong wuz heavily medicated at times. Poor guy.

Likewise Cortot.

Alco, tru. Hofmann also.

da queztion iz

how do da different drugz affect ur playin ?

do ZPEED improve ur zpeed ? :lib:

@Rob

5 Likes

I remember seeing an interview with his daughter where she vehemently denied this, saying that he had no way to access those drugs and could not even begin to figure out where to get them. I guess we often can’t trust this kind of denials by family members, but Sofro did seem to be someone lacking in the most basic everyday life skills. So I just don’t know.

I dun believe da Sofro drug tales.
He died in 1961, I doubt da heavy shit was accesible back in dose days

Alcohol? Sure

2 Likes

haahahahahha u fuckah :sunglasses:

3 Likes