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

Televisit Appointments available for your tinnitus and hearing needs

Here at Earmark, we are not virologists, or epidemiologist, or journalists, or chemists. We are Audiologists. While it seems the world has changed overnight, some things remain constant. You still are a musician. You still have ears. You still have plans and dreams and projects and an audience.

If you find that some of your constants are tinnitus or hearing concerns, I am here to help. 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 and your ears.

To address this need, we have expanded our Televisit offerings (telephone or video calls) at greatly discounted rates. Even if you're shut in, you don't need to be shut off. Please reach out!

Sincerely,

Frank Wartinger

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.

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.

Susan Rogers: From Prince to Ph.D.

Susan Rogers, Ph.D. Photo from TapeOp ISSUE #117 JAN/FEB 2017

Susan Rogers: Sound Hero

TapeOp recently published a fantastic and expansive interview with the great Susan Rogers, Ph.D. She is perhaps best known as Prince's engineer for many years in the mid 80s, as well as her extensive career as a record producer and mixing engineer with diverse groups including David Byrne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Rusted Root, Barenaked Ladies, Tricky, Geggy Tah, and Michael Penn. But, what sets her apart as a bonafide Sound Hero (my new designation for people like her) is her work in Music Cognition. Currently, she is focusing her studying on the causes of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

"The mechanisms are just now being understood, but at Berklee I can investigate our musician populations to see if some musicians are at a greater risk than others of developing tinnitus. Will it be the horn players, or the drummers, or the electric guitar players? Will it be the vocalists? Think about it, if you're singing in a choir, you're singing next to a sound source that can get really loud. Really, really loud. Who's at the greatest risk?"

Music Cognition

To hear more of Susan Rogers speaking about the discipline of Music Cognition, check out her video explanation of her work with the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory. To hear her speak about music and auditory science, it is clear the connections are deep and endlessly explorable:

The arts and sciences, I discovered, have way more similarities than I ever realized. It's just that the directionality of it is different. In the arts we imagine a condensed ball of dark matter that contains all of humanity, all of human knowledge, and you explode it into billions and billions of individual expressions of the human condition. Paintings, movies, television shows, books, records, and songs. You've got billions of individual ways of describing what it means to be human. Science is the same exact process, in reverse. We look at all the individuals, then we work our way back and try to describe what is universal. How do people hear? How do they think? How do they pay attention? How do they decide? How do they learn? How do they memorize? How do they grow? That's what science does. So it's the same journey, just in a different direction. You can explore record making with the goals of individual expression, or you can explore auditory science with the goal of what we all have in common.

Here is hoping for a continued stream of excellence from Dr. Rogers in helping us understand everything from a solid groove to the cause of the most puzzling auditory disorders, such as tinnitus and hyperacusis. Clearly, a great background in music creation can lead to a great career in music cognition and hearing science.

What is Tinnitus Music?

Composing the Tinnitus Suites: 2016

8PM @ The Rotunda
4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

The final installment of Daniel Fishkin's vibrant concert series is tonight. Daniel Fishkin, a Philadelphia-based composer and instrument inventor, is exploring the question "What is Tinnitus Music". The answer may be elusive but the process is captivating and exciting.

In 2008, Daniel Fishkin's ears started ringing, and they never stopped. Composing the Tinnitus Suites: 2016 investigates the aesthetics of hearing damage through a performance series in the Sanctuary of the Rotunda, consisting of experimental music concerts and conversations with other thinkers who confront hearing damage in their own practice and personal lives. The series is anchored by the Lady's Harp: a system of 20-foot long piano wires activated by mixer feedback, using guitar pickups and pressure transducers to coax the strings into vibration, not unlike the cilia that transduce vibrations into electrical impulses for the brain. Fishkin says, "To make 'Tinnitus Music' is not just to compose sounds, but also to compose situations that can break the isolation of its experience." 

Listen to samples of Daniel Fishkin's work

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/

"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.