Kicking off Season 2 of Talking Ears with a conversation with audiologist and musician Brendan Fitzgerald!

With over a dozen special conversations, taking a moment to think on the importance and the impact of those people’s voices and their music sounds like the most appropriate thing to do. This time, a reflection of someone that we had thought of having a discussion with since the beginning of Talking Ears: Brendan Fitzgerald. A friend, musician, and audiologist, he tapped us into a conversation about his creative methods and the reason why music continues to mean so much to him. 

With a strong emphasis on artistic collaboration with the people he gets to make music and embracing experimental rhythmic and harmonic complexity, the music of Brendan Fitzgerald and his bands Wooden Cities and f-f-f-f-Faulty Tower brings forth a realm of acoustic energy that can be described as unpredictable, intriguing, structured chaos, and thought-provoking. Through democratic exploration of both traditional and unconventional means in creating new sound, the tonality and substance of their art challenges the listener to search inward, focus on what the music is doing, brace for the unexpected, and take in a truly awe-inspiring aural experience. 

In a seemingly effortless way, Brendan produces a transcendental art form which, (particularly now in an era bursting with trending, capital-driven, and attention-seeking stimulation) pushes what creativity can be and the possibilities of where it can take our minds. All this makes their music one of the most refreshingly original artistic experiences that we’ve had the privilege to encounter. 

Talking Ears is beyond honored to present this conversation with Brendan; especially with a new understanding that it’s the people that he gets to play music with that makes the process unique and worth continuing; a feeling that we certainly share.

Stay tuned for the continuation of Season 2 of Talking ears! We have a very exciting batch of episodes coming out in the coming months!

2022 recap and Talking Ears featured in the NHCA "Spectrum" publication

2022 brought about many changes for Earmark Hearing Conservation, including the launch of my music audiology interview podcast, “Talking Ears”. The show provides space for guests to share their stories and views on what is arguably the most important issue in the music industry: hearing health. The formula is rather simple - long-form interviews provide nuance and breadth, while the artist’s own music provides context.

As the host, I try to stay out of the way as much as possible and let the guests’ words and music do the talking. However, this show has marked a significant shift in the way I share my own personal story as an individual who experienced hearing damage and tinnitus due to music exposures from a young age. Though it is a vulnerable feeling and not always comfortable to do so, this relates directly to the philosophy that sparked the show in the first place: dialog and transparency are the bricks that pave the path to better hearing health awareness.

View Article

Click here to download the full NHCA Spectrum article.

One of those instances where I spoke about myself was when past National Hearing Conservation Association president Merlyn Lubiens interviewed me for the recent issue of “Spectrum”, the official NHCA publication. Feel free to read the article through the above link, admire the masterwork writing, and chuckle at the endearing use of a dad-joke to wrap up an otherwise buttoned-up piece. If you listen close, you’ll likely hear me blushing through the pages.

But this isn’t about me. Along with producers Juan Vasquez, AuD, and Mary Kim, AuD, we’ve interviewed Grammy winners, touring musicians, audio engineers, researchers, psychologists, educators, and some of the most renown music audiologists in the world. Their words and music is what we are collecting. And the more personal stories we share, the greater the chance a listener will see their own experiences and attitudes reflected back. The subject remains loosely the same (it is called “Talking Ears” after all) but the views and connections are always refreshing and inspiring to our team.

This is a labor of love, and boy howdy is a labor. From top to tail, each episode takes between 10 to 16 hours for our team to produce. Luckily, the overwhelming response shows that this is a worthwhile endeavor and one we will continue with gusto into the new year.

None of this would be possible without the support of Juan and Mary. The show would be nothing without countless hours spent planning and scheduling guests, listening to interviews, and providing edit suggestions and feedback.

We have incredible things planned in 2023, exciting upcoming announcements, and sincere hopes the future of the show. Your continued listenership means the world to us, and we welcome your thoughts, feedback, criticism, and suggestions. Some would say… we’re all ears.

Best, Frank

Michael Lawrence - talking SPL and concert safety

Michael Lawrence (co-host of the Signal To Noise Podcast), joins us to talk about SPL, loudness, and the audio engineer's responsibility when it comes to exposure risk at live sound events. Expressed through his work as a system engineer and senior instructor at Rational Acoustics, he brings humanity to the technical aspects and numbers when balancing a concert's perceived loudness and safety of all involved.

This episode features music by Audiologist and Talking Ears producer, Juan Vasquez and his band The Absolute Threshold.

Heather Malyuk - talking fiddle and music audiology

Our special guest this week is Dr. Heather Malyuk, a fiddle player, lifelong musician, and celebrated music audiology expert. She shares her musical upbringing and how she fell in love with her instrument from a young age. As a professional musician herself, she brings realism and empathy to her work as a music audiologist.

"This is one of those things we talk with patients about... wear your hearing protection... [But] sometimes you get to the gig and you can't hear right, and work comes first."

The risk of acquired hearing loss and tinnitus are known and now widely discussed in the music community, but she takes this time to share her personal story of diplacusis - a less common music-induced hearing disorder which results in distorted pitch perception. We also dive into the emotional and physical demands of a musician's life, which can strain one's overall health and wellbeing.

"Everyone hurts, so you think it's supposed to hurt..."

Heather points out that music is a language that provides a unique medium for self-expression, as well as invaluable connection to your fellow musicians. Throughout this episode we'll be hearing music featuring Heather Malyuk to give better context to the relationship between her musical career and her career as a celebrated music audiology expert.

In a special bonus episode of Talking Ears, Heather and Frank will be diving deep into the clinical side of music audiology, so keep tuned for more from Heather! If you would like to book a private virtual appointment with a music audiologist, both Dr. Heather Malyuk and Dr. Frank Wartinger are now on the Tuned platform. Simply follow the below links to view available appointment times, sign up for a consultation, or inquire further. We look forward to caring for you and your ears.

Schedule a tele-audiology consultation with Heather Malyuk

Schedule a tele-audiology consultation with Frank Wartinger

Rickie Mazzotta - talking drums, whiplash, and tinnitus

Rickie Mazzotta joins us to discuss his career as the drummer and founding member of the Philadelphia-based indie rock band mewithoutYou. As the band embarks on their farewell tour after over 20 years making music together, Rickie generously gave his time to check in about the status of his ears and offer some sage advice to concert goers and young musicians.

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of mental health and suicide.

Rickie is, by any measure, a loud and energetic drummer, and his approach to the drum set is one of the driving forces behind mewithoutYou’s exciting albums and live shows. In 2019, Rickie experienced what he refers to as “the bomb”. This is when he was first diagnosed with whiplash, which was attributed to his stage movements and the energy he puts into his performances. Did we mention he is an energetic drummer? As it turns out, energy and loudness go hand-in-hand, and his “bomb” was also characterized by onset of debilitating chronic tinnitus, which he described most uniquely:

“Its just like a fairy screaming… a tiny fairy but with this massive weird magical power screaming.”

Coming off tour, he took a full pause on his music career and tried everything to improve his situation and resolve the spiral of tinnitus and anxiety. As it turns out, it was the strategic use of isolating in-ear monitors, awareness of exposure levels, and the careful and intentional return to the stage that did the most good.

Now, Rickie shares his general optimism, and knowledge that he can continue his music career safely while still having the capacity to continue performing with same energy:

“I got a hearing test fairly recently, and its almost line for line the test we did two years ago. So just that alone gives me incredible peace of mind - I can do this thing without further doing more damage to my ears.”

After listening, you can read more of Rickie’s thoughts in our January, 2020 Sound Profiles interview.

Feel free to reach out talkingears@earmarkhc.com to discuss this episode and hearing wellness in general. We look forward to hearing from you. And stay tuned for future episodes, with a hopeful release every couple weeks.

Thanks for listening!

- Frank

Special Thanks

Additionally, I would like to acknowledge everyone who helped with the development of Talking Ears: Scott Hallam, Mary Kim, Juan Vasquez, Brian Heveron-Smith, and Meaghan Strickland - thank you for your time, thoughtful notes, and most of all your patience with me. This wouldn’t be anything without each of you.

Introducing... Talking Ears!

I am excited to announce the start of a new project, a podcast called Talking Ears. In this show, I’ll be interviewing music creators about the often overlooked topic of auditory wellness and hearing healthcare for music industry professionals. Through guests’ stories, candid advice, and their own music, I hope to give context to the role their hearing plays in their lives and careers.

With so many musicians developing career-threatening hearing injuries, and sparse training for aspiring musicians and engineers, I feel an urgency to this discussion. The first episode will be released soon, and features in-depth discussion with Rickie Mazzotta, drummer and founding member the band mewithoutYou. In January, 2020, we featured Rickie in a Sound Profile interview, and he was kind enough to check in and give us an update on his ears and life. Now, he is embarking on mewithoutYou’s farewell tour.

Stay tuned!

- Frank

Virtual CAOHC Certification Courses: A Success!

Earmark has been offering CAOHC approved occupational hearing conservation courses for years, but the shift to virtual courses was not an easy one. This change required approval from the CAOHC advisory board, an entirely new course structure, and rigorous development and testing of virtual solutions to replace the keystone section of the in-person certification course: the hands-on practicum. I believe all these changes have made the course stronger and more valuable for students.

Now that we have conducted several successful courses in 2021, and have many more on the schedule, I wanted to take a moment to look at what students are saying about their virtual course experience:

Excellent course and the instructor was great!

I loved the class.

Great course. Thank you for offering virtually!

We have also heard the request for students to have access to written material during the courses. That is why we have made it a priority to ship each student a full CAOHC Hearing Conservation Manual (5th Edition) and official CAOHC Study Guide ($92 value total) ahead of the courses. In addition, we are shipping a generous selection hearing protection devices to each student in order to improve the virtual hands-on learning aspects of the course.

It was a great course w/flexible learning options for its students.

I was not real excited about the virtual course, since I am a hands on person, but it was not as bad as I expected!

Online continuing education is new for all of us, and I want to take a moment to thank each of my past students for their attention and diligence during the courses. For all my future students, I would like to promise you that I will continue to improve and expand the course offerings.

To view the current course schedule and access the registration pages, visit the CAOHC Course information page here.

I look forward to seeing you in the next course!

Sincerely, Frank

(CAOHC Course Director ID #496199)

Rock On…with Caution: Hearing Loss Risk in Musicians

Earmark's Frank Wartinger, AuD, was interviewed for a recent article titled "Rock On…with Caution: Hearing Loss Risk in Musicians" published in the Hearing Journal.

Solid Advice

The article is packed with incredibly honest and sage "I've been there" type advice from industry veterans David Uosikkinen (The Hooters) and Tom Hampton (Marshall Tucker Band, Robert Hazard). Dr. Wartinger's main take-away was simple: never stop making music.

"Yes, there are risks, but with the right tools and precautions, you can reduce your risk. The key is to understand, respect, and protect your hearing as a valuable tool in the music-making process..."

Know better, do better, teach the next generation

Many of rock-and-roll's icons have given their ears to help craft the soundtracks of our youths and good times: Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend (The Who) and Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) to name a few. In many ways, the technological and stylistic revolutions these visionaries created was the very thing that put them at risk. Bigger audiences and stages, ever more powerful sound systems, and heavier sounds had the cummulative effect of creating a previously unheard-of health hazard: Music Induced Hearing Disorders.

“It is serious business,” said Uosikkinen. “I tell my students that they should take care of their ears because they need to last you an entire lifetime. I'm grateful that technology has made it a little bit better, but I'm still concerned about young people today.

Solutions exist and music audiology experts such as Dr. Wartinger are capable of connecting your performance needs with the long-term needs of your career in music. Reach out to Earmark Hearing Conservation with any questions or comments, or to further discuss your own needs and situation.

Hearing Wellness Workshop Announcement!

On Saturday, October 21st, 2017, Earmark Hearing Conservation will be hosting a workshop titled "Caring For Your Money-Makers", an event uniquely designed to serve Philadelphia's professional and student music community.

For those who are curious about professional monitoring options, are worried about their hearing health or tinnitus, or want to connect with like-minded musicians, this is the prime opportunity.

View fullsize

What Will I Get?

The two hour event will feature discussion aimed at demystifying your invaluable sense of hearing, practical tips to improve your listening while protecting your hearing, and a chance to demo professional in-ear monitors and hearing protection devices.

Knowing that you should care for your ears is one thing, but respecting how they work and how you can make them work best for you is another.

How Do I Get Involved?

Limited spaces are available, and registration will close on Friday, October 13th.

The ticket price of $60 includes a coupon for free ear mold impression service (up to $85 value) or $60 towards the purchase of any custom device (in-ear monitors, custom earplugs, etc). Basically, the workshop pays for itself and you'll be well on your way to improved monitoring and healthy hearing for years to come.

Sign Up For Hearing Wellness

Contact Earmark to get more information about the workshop and to reserve your ticket.

Special thanks to Aberdeen Audiology for housing the event.

A Music-Lover's Guide to Tinnitus

Frank Wartinger contributed insight and clinically-based commentary to a powerful article written by Angus Finlayson (@angusWFinlayson) for the electronic music publication Resident Advisor. The feature of the article is the accounts of two musician's with tinnitus and how the auditory condition has shaped their lives and careers.

A Music-Lover's Guide To Tinnitus, Resident Advisor. 

Words / Angus Finlayson

Published / Thu, 22 Jun 2017

Talking About Tinnitus

By demystifying tinnitus and openly discussing how professional musicians can continue to have a fulfilling relationship with music, this article repeatedly hits on an important message: don't ever stop! Keep going and do so in a manner that respects your ears and hearing.

Act Before You Should Have Acted

The article feedback has been positive and engaging. However, a telling trend has emerged from the comments - those who endorse caution have already been burned. 

From those who have not experienced first hand the warning signs of hearing damage, we still hear the chant of "if it's too loud, you're too old". That saying is ironic since both our youth and hearing health are delicate - even transient - and certainly worth appreciating and protecting. Consider that both these things are true: one day it will be too loud AND you will be too old. 

I Have Tinnitus... Is It Too Late?

Far from it! If you're noticing constant ringing in your ears or dulled hearing after every rehearsal or gig, these are warning signs that should encourage action. If our feet hurt from running we would given them a rest and look into more supportive footwear. Our ears don't feel pain like that, but with tinnitus and temporary hearing loss, they are able to tell us when something needs out attention.

Reach out to a hearing professional and discuss how you can keep your career on track. Indeed, there are ways of helping even the most dire situations. What's more, musicians often notice improved performances and increased satisfaction when they begin to rehearse and perform with their hearing health in mind.

Hearing Wellness for Musicians

Hearing Wellness for Musicians

Dr. Frank Wartinger wrote a brief "Patient Handout" document titled "Hearing Wellness for Musicians", published in the April Issue of The Hearing Journal. In the document, he outlined practical solutions to reduce the risk of music-induced hearing disorders (MIHD) in rehearsals and performances.

"By treating our ears as the invaluable, irreplaceable assets they are, we can take important steps to improve our performance while reducing the risk of a career-limiting hearing injury."

Download the PDF for free, or view the article and April issue of the Hearing Journal online.

Of course, as musicians we often find that our settings don't quite fit the mold and some of these suggestions may not apply or require adjustment to work for our needs. Contact Earmark Hearing Conservation to discuss your situation and needs. Phone consultations are free and a good first step towards taking control over your listening and monitoring situation.

Hearing Conservation Through Partnership With Musicians

Figure. Hearing Conservation, Musicians, Hearing Loss. iStock/cyano66. Source Hearing Conservation Through Partnership With Musicians The Hearing Journal. 70(3):16,18,20, March 2017.

Article on the Musician/Audiologist Interactions

The Hearing Journal recently published an article by Frank Wartinger, Au.D., titled "Hearing Conservation Through Partnership With Musicians"

Clinician's Perspective

The implicit distinction of hearing conservation services for musicians was discussed from the clinician's perspective with the hope of fostering more positive, supportive, and productive partnerships between clinicians and the musicians they serve. By better understanding the musician's goals and needs, audiologists can more effectively discuss performance-oriented aspects of hearing conservation interventions.

Musician's Perspective

In the next issue of The Hearing Journal we will explore the same clinician/client relationship from the musician's perspective. Contact Earmark Hearing Conservation to discuss your past experiences with audiology and how you would like to promote a productive interactions for mutual success.

MusiCares Hearing Clinic in Philadelphia on March 3rd, 2017

Earmold Impression Services

Earmark Hearing Conservation and Frank Wartinger, Au.D. will be providing earmold impression services to musicians at the MusiCares free clinic on March 3rd, 2017. Services will be provided on an appointment only basis at Philly Sound Studios in South Philadelphia.

About MusiCares

MusiCares is the non-profit charitable wing of The Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. In addition to providing free dental and hearing services to qualifying musicians, they also provide other forms of assistance to those in need. Contact 212-245-7840 for more information and to request an application for services.

National Hearing Conservation Association position

Director of Communications of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA)

Frank Wartinger, Au.D., was elected to serve as the Director of Communications for the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), and began his 2 year term at the 2017 annual conference in beautiful San Antonio.

The mission of the NHCA is to prevent hearing loss due to noise and other environmental factors in all sectors of society.

Formed by Audiologists and Otolaryngologists concerned with the serious problem of noise-induced hearing impairment, the NHCA now represents engineers, industrial hygenists, safety professionals, nurses and others with interest in preventing hearing damage from occupational exposure to noise.

What Does This Mean For Earmark and Philadelphia's Musician's Clinic?

Good things, for sure. Frank Wartinger is excited to join the NHCA Executive Council in order to gain further expertise to better serve Philadelphia's vibrant music community. He is joining many illustrious hearing conservationists on the Executive Council. As Director of Communications, Frank will be tasked with the dissemination of the most current and relevant information pertaining to the NHCA and the field of Hearing Conservation.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - Podcast Episode for Pediatricians

Primary Care Perspectives: Podcast for Pediatricians

Primary Care Perspectives: Podcast for Pediatricians            

Episode 6: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Published January 2017.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Audiologist Frank Wartinger, AuD, discusses the prevalence, risk factors and prevention strategies for noise-induced hearing loss.

About Primary Care Perspectives: Listen in as Katie Lockwood, MD, a primary care pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses hot topics in primary care with experts from across the Hospital. In this podcast series for pediatricians, CHOP subject-matter-experts weigh in on issues affecting the daily practice of pediatricians. You can also download these podcasts and subscribe to the series in the iTunes Store.

https://soundcloud.com/childrensphila/primary-care-perspectives-episode-6-noise-induced-hearing-loss

Safety Headphones: Not All Are Made Equal

The Wirecutter just released an analysis of Volume Limiting Earphones, otherwise known as 'Safe' or 'Kids' headphones. Besides confirming that many do in fact protect our children's hearing, it was revealed that many fail to serve up the kind of results we would expect given their marketing claims. This is concerning and the consumer should be careful to choose a device that has been proven to be safe.

Read more from the New York Times' response here. As always, if you have any questions regarding hearing conservation and safe listening, contact Dr. Frank Wartinger at Earmark Hearing Conservation.

A preventable problem: Noise-induced hearing loss in kids

Philadelphia is hosting the ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Convention this week, and an article on the Healthy Kids section of Philly.com was dedicated to Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) in children.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss: A Global Problem

"With a large number of kids using ear buds and headphones, noise-induced hearing loss is a serious issue, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Just last year, the World Health Organization estimated 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, and sporting events."

Oran Etkins demonstrating how inner ear hair cells move with sound at an ASHA Listen To Your Buds concert. Image from interview on NBC10, aired 11/15/16

Reaching Children through Music

ASHA has developed and promoted a concert series with the highly successful 'Listen To Your Buds' campaign. With renowned artists such as Oran Etkins and Jazzy Ash & the Leaping Lizards, the message of healthy hearing is being present to children and families in a fun and relatable manner.

How Do We Help Prevent Noise Induced Hearing Loss in children?

"... there are many products available to help parents protect their children’s hearing. These include things like earplugs and earmuffs designed to protect hearing in loud sound environments as well as earphones and headphones that limit the volume levels to reduce the risk for hearing loss. While these products are valuable tools, their appropriate use still requires that the child understands the dangers of loud sound and that they are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss."

Thank you to ASHA and all the amazing guest musicians for bringing this conversation into the limelight in such a creative manner. NBC10 took notice of this topic and featured the discussion on air with an interview featuring musician Oran Etkins and Joy Peterson, Manager of Audiology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Earplug Decision 2016

Earplugs are like elections (in years other than 2016)

There are many options: foam, silicone, generic, earmuffs, custom fit, filtered, conservative, low-profile, libertarian, Russian-connected, etc...

OK, enough of that.

Which earplugs are right for your needs?

Plug'em, an outreach program by the British Tinnitus Association, has a user-friendly guide to hearing protection selection.

Why British?

Perhaps I'm drawn to them because they are British and sound more intelligent than us yankees, but this site is a well-made resource for hearing protection information. The authors even included a succinct explanation of loudness and hearing risk titled How Loud Is Loud.

Get To Know Your Ear Plug Options

Contact Dr. Wartinger and Earmark Hearing Conservation for a free phone consultation to discuss your unique situation, needs, and options.

Tinnitus and DJing

Tinnitus: A Real Problem For Every DJ

Ean Golden, the man behind the site DJTechTools.com, laid out a personal and practical account of tinnitus and, in a larger sense, what it means to have your career path altered by auditory damage. In the article that could have been titled 'how to avoid destroying your ears while DJing', he wrote about his own tinnitus which came on at the peak of his professional DJing career.

"That fear, and the realization that DJing was making things worse, triggered me to change my lifestyle and significantly reduce noise. In the end that meant adjusting how I DJed, cutting most gigs and limiting set lengths. Having something taken away from you without choice was profoundly depressing and took a while to get over."

Although Ean wrote this article several years ago, it is impressive to see many subsequent articles he published pertaining to practical hearing protection tips.

Tinnitus is not the end

"Fortunately, it was a blessing in disguise. Instead of gigging full time, my focus turned to this site and today, I feel significantly more fulfilled helping others DJ but for many, tinnitus may mean the end of a career completely"

On a personal level, I reflect Ean's sentiment that even the worst outcome can have an upshot. The realization that my persistent tinnitus would significantly damper my budding music career, or at least hinder the enjoyment of that career, lead me to study Audiology. Now I devote the majority of my time to helping others maintain their own music careers - a cathartic and productive twist.

Message of caution

Often I find that after countless hours of wording and rewording hearing conservation messages, someone else has found a way to say the same thing more clearly and realistically than I could. Ean Golden proves this phenomenon again in his closing lines: 

"Your ears can heal themselves of short term damage, but once things are really broken, they are broken for good."

http://djtechtools.com/2012/05/20/tinnitus-a-real-problem-for-every-dj/

Hearing Conservation featured prominently on Medscape.com

Medscape Feature

An Expert Commentary video featuring Dr. Wartinger was published on Monday, September 12, 2016 on Medscape.com. Medscape is the leading online global destination for physicians and healthcare professionals worldwide.

Hearing Conservation for Adolescents

With an intended audience of clinicians and medical professionals, the goal of this presentation was to concisely convey the importance of Hearing Conservation efforts in children and adolescent patients. Noise Induced Hearing Disorders are 100% preventable and the first step is education.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Medscape should be acknowledged for recognizing the importance of this issues, as well as for their efforts in bringing this discussion to a large and critically important audience.

Combating Adolescent Hearing Loss in an Ever-Louder World - Frank Wartinger, Au.D.

Medscape.com Expert Commentary

Monday, September 12, 2016

Posting date: Monday, September 12, 2016

Title:  Combating Adolescent Hearing Loss in an Ever-Louder World

Faculty: Frank Wartinger, AuD

URL: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/868227?src=par_chop_stm_mscpedt&faf=1

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Content Edit: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)'s Healthy People 2020 goals were inaccurately attributed to the World Health Organization (WHO) in this discussion. The WHO does many amazing things, but this was not one of them. For more information about the Health People 2020 goals mentioned, please visit: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/hearing-and-other-sensory-or-communication-disorders