Module 1: The Mental Game · Lesson 3

How to handle audition-day nerves without medication

Beta blockers work, but you should not need them. Here is the breath-and-attention routine that gets you to the chair calm.

8 min read· Kingdom Pass

About 30% of orchestral musicians use beta blockers (propranolol, mostly) for auditions. They work. They blunt the physical symptoms of adrenaline. But they have a hidden cost: they also blunt your capacity to bring intensity to a phrase. The pros use them strategically. The amateurs use them as a crutch. There is a better default, which is to teach your nervous system that the audition is not actually dangerous.

Kingdom Pass unlocks the full lesson

The full How to handle audition-day nerves without medication lesson is part of the Kingdom Pass curriculum. Pass also includes unlimited Judge takes, the AI Teacher, weekly Oracle plans, and Counsel.

How to handle audition-day nerves without medication · Audition School · Orchestra Kingdom