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)

Ongoing Musicians' Tinnitus and Hearing Supports

Tinnitus and Hearing Supports

We are facing a strange and unsettling situation across all walks of life - this is all too true for the music industry. Many musicians and tour professionals face cancelled tours, postponed sessions, and awkward band conversations. Suddenly, so many of us find ourselves shuttered up at home in quiet rooms, seemingly steeping in the anxiety the news cycle serves. I have heard from many that this is an unhelpful situation for their ongoing tinnitus and hearing concerns. I have heard the request for more support.

Virtual Tinnitus Support Group

We are hosting free virtual meeting groups for musicians and music industry professionals who are experiencing tinnitus and hearing problems, but cannot get out to get the needed support. If interested, please contact us for further details and to sign up for a group.

Televisit Care

We have expanded our Televisit offerings at temporarily discounted rates. Televisits can be tailored to your needs, completed over the phone or video chat, and booked for time slots from 30 to 60 minutes. Even if you're shut in, you don't need to be shut off. If you find that tinnitus or hearing concerns are some of your constants in this uncertain time, I am here to help.

Moving Forward Together

While I cannot address many of the shared anxieties we are all facing, we can work together to alleviate those which are related to your sound, your music, and your ears. If financial considerations are preventing you from reaching out for care, please contact me to discuss alternative arrangements.

Trust we will get through this together,

Frank

Rickie Mazzotta - Sound Profile Interview

Rickie Mazzotta

Drummer and founding member of the explosive and influential band mewithoutYou.

As the group is entering their final year touring, Rickie shares advice and opens up about his recent experiences with Tinnitus and hearing loss: “It is life altering. It happens without warning. It is something to take as seriously as you take your craft.”

Photo credit: Nick Karp

Earmark: What (or who) first drew you towards music making?

Rickie: I got into listening to and subsequently attempting to play music when I was in about sixth or seventh grade. I was a pre-teen when the grunge explosion hit in 92-93 and as an avid MTV watcher, I was a ripe candidate for being the target audience. I was largely influenced by that type of “alternative” rock music and had an uncle who would get me records and take me to concerts as well as a best friend who shared in the same interests. For its time, it was fresh and unique, deviating from the L.A. glam scene that dominated the mainstream. I wasn’t sure how I fit in with all my classmates at school so it seemed like a natural pairing - grunge was about just wearing whatever you wanted and writing songs however you wanted. It also appeared to me that anybody could do it, you didn’t need costumes or even that much skill to get going.

My parents got me a boombox for my 13th birthday alongside Nirvana’s “In Utero” and the Smashing Pumpkins “Siamese Dream” on CD. A year later I would get a drum kit and start to play along to all types of LPs that my Dad had laying around. One particular performance left an impression on me; Nirvana in December of 93 on MTV’s Live and Loud. Dave Grohl was playing so hard and the whole vibe of the performance kind of stuck a chord with me and really put the idea in my head that I wanted to be a drummer; It didn’t hurt that my main boy at the time got a guitar for Christmas. But all in all, growing up in the Lollapalooza era with so many great bands was what set me on the course of being a musician.

Is there someone who inspires you, musically?

This is always one of the hardest questions to answer, it never really is just one musician or album that inspired/inspires me but the sum of many parts fusing together. When I started taking drums seriously, Jimmy Chamberlain was my go to guru, Dave Grohl too. I ripped so many things from their playing, heck, all the people I am about to mention I took all I could from. With how they presented their art, there was never anything that felt too impossible to emulate even though, at times, it was fairly technical, especially being a self taught drummer. As I progressed and got older, Abe Cunningham from the Deftones really pushed me to play harder and be dedicated to keeping a certain level of intensity while performing. Brendan Canty of Fugazi introduced me to elements of rhythm I was not familiar with that added many volumes to my musical knowledge. My Dad always use to tell me that whenever I was around somebody who knew more than me that I was to “pick their brains” and using music as my primary form of entertainment, I always soaked as much as I could when I listened. As of now, being almost 40, every day it changes. It could be Jerry Garcia on a Friday and then Kim Deal come Monday morning with so many other artists and genres in-between. I really do not have any boundaries of where I pull from (even though I am have almost exclusively been talking about “rock music”). If it is audible and makes me feel something, it is fair game to drive my creativity.

What is your current monitoring setup used when performing and rehearsing?

This current tour, with Thrice, I was forced to make the jump to custom molded in ear monitors, using Westone ES30 earphones. Prior to that, the past year and a half I was using generic in ears that were my introduction into the “in ear world”. And before all of that, I was using a standard stage monitor, almost exclusively on my left side. I would say foolishly but I truly didn’t know any other way to do it. My reason for waiting so long probably had something to do with the initial cost it takes to get an IEM set up and just being a creature of “whatever is easiest” habit. Looking back now, with what I know and now feel, it would have been worth it from day one. I do understand however that it is not necessarily practical for people starting out.

Hearing Conservation is a general term that means "maintaining one’s current hearing health by reducing the risk of acquiring hearing damage from noise/music exposure." How do you think Hearing Conservation plays into your career and life?

Hearing Conservation right now in my life is as important as having a pair of drumsticks on stage with me. Without going into too much detail, over the past six months, I have had several health issues that called into question whether or not I could ever perform on a stage again. The ones that pertain most to the job that I do with mewithoutYou are moderate hearing loss and the development of Tinnitus. I guess I thought it was dorky to wear ear plugs on stage or that the show’s energy wouldn’t be the same. I used to think that I couldn’t feel the music when we were all playing together. I had a litany of excuses as to why I wasn’t blessing my future self with the gift of pure silence. What is the old saying about hindsight? Had I only gotten used to protecting my ears whenever I practiced, that may have translated over to the live show and potentially, I wouldn’t have gotten myself mixed up with the never ending ringing that is now in my ears/brain. Things changed almost on a dime with my entire way of living and how I treat myself and what I put in my body. The conservation and preservation of what I am left to work with physically, here on earth, is paramount to my well being. So please, if you are reading this, take all aspects of your health seriously - you never know when the bottom may drop out on you.

You've been performing with the dynamic, eclectic, and energetic band mewithoutYou for close to 2 decades now. Has your approach to performance changed as you have grown increasingly aware of your hearing health?

Well, being that this is the first tour since my hearing has changed, I am at the infantile stages of how my approach is morphing. For starters, I am using the custom molds as well as shotgun style ear muffs over top of my outer ears; it could be overkill but it's worth my peace of mind. I used to hit as hard as I could - that is no longer happening. I am giving what I think is enough to serve the music. Also, overall, I believe it is making us a better band. I am not flying through songs at a break-neck speed but rather trying to be more true to the original album tempos. That alone has reigned in how loud I am playing and I know the rest of the band appreciates it. On stage, it still feels like I am moving with a purpose even though I am not thrashing around and beating the hell out of my drums the way I used to. It feels good to embrace change, I have no other choice. Luckily, the little tweaks that I am making aren’t totally deviant from my “former self” so I would put this down on paper, strangely, as a win.

Is there anything you would like to impress upon your younger self, or someone just starting down the path of a touring musician?

Yes, yes and yes, this is the main reason I am taking the time to write these responses. Screw talking about bands I love or how I got into playing music, none of that matters compared to the conservation aspect of one’s auditory health. I wish that when I was 17 somebody would have steered me down the right path of always practicing my instrument with ear protection. Even more so, when I started touring, that there had been an old head who was suffering from Tinnitus to impart their learned wisdom upon me. You hear about things like hearing loss and Tinnitus, they may seem abstract or distant or like it can’t happen to you but HEAR ME NOW, nothing can prepare you for the actual physical feelings and distress that you may experience if you are unfortunate enough to catch either. It is life altering. It happens without warning. It is something to take as seriously as you take your craft. If you are playing live music and doing it fairly regularly, there is a good chance you will develop T - I call it T because I hate giving it a name - if I could call it Gollum I would but that would be giving it too much power 😎. It took me months to actual wrap my brain around what was happening inside of me. The developments of said conditions were directly related to the work I do and the habits I developed. It took me a crazy amount of money and a ton of visits to indifferent doctors and specialists to start to even figure it out. It wasn’t until I met Frank [Wartinger] at Earmark Hearing Conservation that I began to become “okay” with the crystal sounds that perpetually meet me when I wake in the morning, lay down for bed at night and those that visit me all the moments in between. As I understand it, there is no cure; you may search high and low in a state of panic but will be met with no magic pills or procedures to disarm the hissing. You may take on a feeling of hopelessness if you let it eat you alive; it does have the power to consume your every thought if you let it. Granted, T has many ranges and forms, it is possible to adjust over time, just takes a lot of patience, discipline and the rewiring of your daily activities and habits. Is that the position you want to put yourself in?

Please really take what I am saying to heart. While you have the ability to correct the bad form of not protecting your ears (at practice, at concerts, at the movies, at sporting events, loud parties, etc), change your ways while it is still possible. Your future self will appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Though this may seem morbid, it’s not, I am doing alright. I was issued the warning shot. It could be much worse and I acknowledge that. Thankfully, in my current state, doing all that I can to be health conscious and having Frank help me cope and understand the changes in my body. He has provided me with a road map of tools and techniques so that I am able to continue doing what I love with a gang of friends that I love. In 2020 I am 100 percent committed to closing out the final year of my tenure in mewithoutYou with a bang! Not a loud one of course 😉. If you made it this far, thanks for reading and remember one thing - take care of your ears, people!

Sound Profile are a series interviews focusing on the key element at the heart of Music Audiology: the musician. Frank Wartinger, Au.D., and Earmark Hearing Conservation are dedicated to improving the hearing health of all musicians throughout and the Philadelphia region.

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.

Matt Scottoline -Sound Profile Interview

Matt Scottoline

Songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist from the indie band Hurry, based in Philadelphia, PA. @Hurryband

EARMARK: What first got you into music? 

Matt: I think my first memories of emotionally connecting to music were very young, probably around 4-6 years old. My parents had given me a Fisher Price cassette player with headphones, and I had two tapes: Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” and a collection of The Beach Boys hits. Both of those albums were really captivating for me at a young age, and even though I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on musically, or what they were talking about, those are the first times that I remember feeling something from music. I could connect with the melodies and tones and have an emotional reaction to them. 

From a slightly more “intellectual” perspective, the first time I really attached myself to a band or artist and felt that compulsion to try and be a part of music was when I first heard Green Day’s “Dookie” album. I was really young when it came out, I think in 2nd grade, but a friend who had an older brother got a copy of the tape, and played it for all of us. I was hooked. So that album is probably what helped push me down the path to eventually become a musician. 

That Album was an early tape of mine as well, and one which I have been surprised to find had a pervasive influence on my music-making since. Have you found that as well, with “Dookie” or another early record?

For sure. While “Dookie” was what sort of drove me down that more punk-influenced road from a young age, I think things like those Beach Boys songs - and even Michael Jackson - influenced and helped develop my pop muscle. It was that combination of classic pop (Beatles, Beach Boys, Michael Jackson) distilled into the more attainable and relatable form of a punk band that really stuck. 

When did you know you wanted to do music professionally?

Once I got into highschool, and started to realize what my ideals were on a basic level, and where I saw myself fitting into society as a whole, I think I started to play around with the idea that music, and my affinity for it on whatever level, was a differentiating factor for me versus my peers. So since then, I’ve been pursuing music in whatever capacity; writing songs, playing in bands, recording other people’s records… really whatever I could do. But I wouldn’t say it was necessarily in pursuit of becoming a “professional,” only because I think that’s so unattainable for a vast majority of people (including myself, really). But I think when you’re any kind of artist, your compulsion is to create, and if you’re anything like me, you start to feel anxiety when you aren’t creating. So that’s really what I’ve settled into. A lot of anxiety and a need to create to keep myself feeling centered.

Who is someone who inspires you, musically?

I tend to feel inspired by any artist who is able to effectively create pop music and melodies, but present them in a new or exciting way. Brian Wilson is obviously one example of this, and someone who probably means more to me than anyone else. But then there are bands like Yo La Tengo, or Guided By Voices, where they are taking the constructs of pop music, and surrounding them with noise or chaos. But I love mainstream pop music too. To me, the ability to create memorable melodies and package them in a compelling way is inspiring. 

What is your current monitoring setup used when performing and rehearsing? 

We’re still fairly punk in a lot of ways… so our rehearsal and performance monitoring setups are sort of… nonexistent. We don’t even have a PA system most of the time during rehearsals. And our band is in a place where we are performing in a huge variety of settings, from professional venues and clubs to totally DIY venues and house shows. It kind of runs the gamut. So we don’t have strict standards for performance… we kind of just roll with the punches, and most of the time it’s just us and our amps. 

Do you feel this variability has lead to resourcefulness and flexibility?

I would say it’s made me much more adaptable. I absolutely appreciate when we play somewhere with a stellar setup, and a great team running it. That does make a difference, and I think improves the performance from a technical standpoint. But at the same time, I also love when you can’t really hear anything on stage, so you just crank everything and it has a much more exciting and loose vibe. So yeah, I guess overall we’re flexible. Whatever works.

How do you think "Hearing Conservation" plays into your life?

Hearing Conservation has become hugely important to me. When I was playing a lot in college, it finally dawned on me how much potential damage I was doing to my ears. I’ve always played in loud bands, and there were plenty of nights we’d finish up a show or rehearsal, and my ears would be ringing, or have that muted effect over them. So, I started wearing earplugs pretty religiously since then. I think it’s probably natural that the older and more mature one gets, the easier it is to picture how terrifying hearing loss could be, especially when it’s preventable in most cases. So, yeah, it’s hugely important to me. I literally carry my earplugs with me 24/7.

What is your favorite sound?

I have a soft spot for the ambient hum that comes from a guitar amp that’s turned on but not currently amplifying anything. I also love the sound of water at night…which, I know you can’t technically hear time of day…but I also feel like you can. Or at least I like to think I can.

One final question: why “loud”?

I think my attraction to loudness is subversive. I’m not a loud person, and my songs aren’t loud. Most of the time my music is pretty innocent and straightforward. So using sound to take that framework and put a new lens on it is interesting to me. I also think the 10 year old in me still just loves the sound of a crazy, overdriven guitar, too. Maybe it’s just that. 

Sound Profile are a series interviews focusing on the key element at the heart of Music Audiology: the musician. Frank Wartinger, Au.D., and Earmark Hearing Conservation are dedicated to improving the hearing health of all musicians throughout the Philadelphia region.

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.

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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.

When Punk Meets Hearing Wellness

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Frank and Earmark Hearing Conservation were proud to participate in the inaugural production of the YallaPunk Conference and Festival in Philadelphia. YallaPunk brought the art and music, and Earmark brought the hearing wellness discussion to the audiences and artists, as well complimentary earplugs for everyone to enjoy the shows safely.

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Barakka playing at Johnny Brenda's at the YallaPunk Festival, September 2nd, 2017.

YallaPunk's stated goal was to "highlight creative accomplishments of MENA (Middle Eastern and Northern African) individuals and serve as a safe space forum for discourse about social issues." The three day event featured bands, poets, comedians and visual artists in an inclusive setting at several venues in the Fishtown neighborhood.

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Special thanks to Rana Fayez and all the organizers for taking on such an ambitious and timely project, and to the venues that hosted the concerts - Johnny Brenda's and The Barbary.

With such a positive response from the audience and artists, we're motivated to bring the message of hearing wellness to many more concerts and venues in the future. Contact Earmark Hearing Conservation to discuss your event and stay tuned for more to come!

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.

Musicians Earplugs - Part 1: The Science Behind The Sound

“How do Musicians Earplugs actually work?”

Musicians Earplugs (tm) photo credit: www.sensaphonics.com

This is one of the most common questions I answer during Hearing Conservation Consultations, so it is as good a place as any to start a blog series on Musicians Earplugs. Further installments in this series will cover the available filter levels, importance of build material, purpose an acoustic seal in the ear canal, and tips for acclimating to the use of earplugs during rehearsal, performance, and audio production work.

What are Musicians Earplugs?

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Attenuation mimics the natural resonance of the open ear canal

Custom musicians earplugs are the standard professional option for reducing sound levels while maintaining the fidelity of the signal. They are custom built molds made from impressions of the individual's ears. The design allows them to mimic the natural resonance of the open ear canal, which differs from the acoustics of foam earplugs or other generic 'music earplug' options. 

How do they work?

The answer is wonderfully simple, but it also speaks to the high level of quality control that is required on the part of the lab to ensure a relatively flat broad-band attenuation (sound level reduction). This is accomplished by combining a sound attenuating filter with a resonance channel that emulates the acoustic parameters of an open ear canal. The following technical information is presented by Etymotic Research, the company that developed the design and manufactures the ER-series filters:

Musicians Earplugs™ buttons have a diaphragm which functions as an acoustic compliance, while the volume of air in the sound bore of the custom earmold acts as an acoustic mass. The combination of the two produces a resonance at approximately 2700 Hz (as in the normal ear), which results in smooth, flat attenuation.

ER-9 Provides flat 9-dB sound reduction through the mid range and 15 dB in the highs
ER-15 Provides uniform 15-dB sound reduction across frequencies
ER-25 Provides 25-dB relatively flat sound reduction across frequencies

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Diagram of Musicians Earplug (tm) www.etymotic.com

Attenuation/frequency response of ER Series Musicians Earplugs (tm) compaired with generic foam earplugs. www.etymotic.com

What do they sound like?

In the simplest terms, listening through Musicians Earplugs sounds like the original signal, but quieter; it could be said that they are the closest thing to a volume control for real-world sounds available. Dr. Brian Fligor created a clear demonstration of the sound of Musicians Earplugs by using data from in-ear sound level measurements. You can listen to these sound examples on the Boston Audiology Consultants webpage.

Though Musicians Earplugs are often marketed as "flat" or "uniform", it is important to point out that nothing is every truly flat. If you've ever worked with any sound device, electronic or acoustic, this is an accepted and understood fact. It would be more fair to describe Musicians Earplugs as "balanced" and "accurate", as they maintain the relative balance of tonal components and harmonics across a very broad spectrum. Everyone has a different perception and response, so check out the tutorials section for individual reactions.

Further reading about Musicians Earplugs

Contact Earmark Hearing Conservation to discuss whether custom earplugs are right for you and your individual situation. For more information about our services, please visit our services page.

Science of Hearing Wellness

Dr. Michael Santucci, the founder and president of Sensaphonics, Inc., recently penned a concise and thoughtful review for ProSoundWeb.com which discussed the science of sound, hearing, and hearing wellness for the musical community. The entire article is clear and expertly laid out, but I want to bring special attention to the last line of the article:

"There’s no reason a career in music or pro audio should cost you your hearing. We have the technology and techniques to help you keep your hearing while still enjoying the music you love!"

Hearing Damage is Not Inevitable

I hear all too often the sentiment that a loss of hearing or tinnitus is a 'badge of honor', or in some way a foregone conclusion if one leads the life of a musical professional. This couldn't be further from the truth, but we often confuse anecdotal patterns - countless reports of rockstars' careers being cut short citing auditory problems - with actual causal relationships. Dr. Santucci put it succinctly with the above except and in this article: the technology, and almost more importantly the techniques and mindset/behavior changes, are available to keep your music going for your whole life time.

Many thanks to Dr. Santucci for his words and to ProSoundWeb.com for their commitment to sharing important information on Hearing Wellness to their readers.

Link: The Science Of Hearing Wellness: The Doctor Is In

Hearing Protection Myths and Recommendations: The Lowdown from Two Rock-Star Audiologists

Reverb, the gear-driven marketplace/community, may be young (started in 2013) but it is proving to be wise beyond its years. With a series of articles regarding hearing wellness, Reverb.com has shown a commitment to not only helping musicians get the gear they want/need, but also helping musicians keep the hearing they have. This emphasis reminds the reader that it isn't all about the gear, it is really all about the ear.

https://reverb.com/ca/news/hearing-protection-myths-and-recommendations-the-lowdown-from-two-rock-star-audiologists

"Stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss”

Doctors advised AC/DC singer Brian Johnson to "stop touring immediately or risk total hearing loss." http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/03/acdc-frontman-brian-johnson-ordered-to-stop-touring-immediately-or-risk-total-hearing-loss/

I hope there is more to this story, for Brian Johnson's sake. Not only is AC/DC known as one of the loudest bands of all time (http://tinyurl.com/jhyfgx9), Mr. Johnson has cited race car driving as a cause for hearing damage in past interviews. Whatever may be the exact cause, musicians like Brian Johnson rely on their hearing to deliver their performances, night after night. It is a real tragedy when a performer can no longer continue due to hearing problems.