But don’t go one louder!
In the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, Chris Guest’s rocker “Nigel Tufnel” proudly points out that the volume controls for his amplifiers are “one louder” than standard amps. “These go to 11.” In real life, This Isn’t Spinal Tap, and one can have too much of a good thing. The “good thing” we are talking about is playing or listening to your favorite music too loudly and possibly damaging your hearing. Once you have hearing loss, music will never sound the same; ringing in the ears will rob you of the sound of silence.
Whether it’s rock, classical, hip hop, or something in between, at certain sound levels, repeated exposure to music can cause permanent hearing loss and/or ringing in the ears known as tinnitus.
Recent studies by NIOSH researchers and others at nightclubs and other music venues show that all employees studied, regardless of occupation (waiters, bartenders, DJs, etc), were exposed to noise levels above the internationally recommended limits of 82-85 dB(A)/8 hours and were at a higher risk of developing hearing loss and/or tinnitus. A new term, music-induced hearing loss, has been coined to reflect this growing condition.
Musicians and others working in entertainment and sports (see related blogs) are often overlooked in terms of occupational safety and health. Few countries (Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden) have specific recommendations for occupational exposure limits when it comes to musical activities or noise in the entertainment industry. While great strides are being made in terms of research on music-induced hearing loss, hearing conservation efforts have been minimal.
Hearing loss prevention approaches need to be customized, since “classic” conservation initiatives—those geared toward industrial settings—may not be appropriate. For example, removing the hazardous noise source or removing the worker (i.e., the musician) are not really applicable. Assessing hearing risk can be complicated when it comes to music. Correct and consistent use of hearing protection can prevent hearing loss among musicians, but convincing DJs, musicians, and others at risk of hearing loss to use appropriate hearing protection is challenging. Finally, since we are not dealing with “noise,” hearing conservationists have to think about hearing loss prevention from an artistic view—not just medically or scientifically.
So what can be done? Targeted communication campaigns are needed to highlight the value of hearing, the risks associated with continuous exposure to loud music and more importantly, the availability of services and products that preserve sound quality and are suited to musicians’ needs. Examples of efforts to reach musicians and other professionals exposed to music come from three recipients of an award created by NIOSH in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), the Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award™:
2010 Innovation Winner (Manufacturing Sector). Etymotic Research, Inc*, was arguably the first company to offer solutions to the problem of music related hearing damage. They approached the problem of managing risk by thinking like musicians and working with them. Conventional earplugs can offer too much attenuation or distort sounds, but today we have better hearing protection alternatives for music performance and enjoyment. In terms of music and conservation, one of Etymotic’s greatest contributions is the flat attenuating “Musician’s Earplug”. While many industries regard hearing protection devices as a last resort in terms of conservation, for many musicians this may be the only realistic and readily available option for protecting their ears. Etymotic’s most recent contribution (Electronic BlastPLG earplugs) received a 2011 Innovation Award from the Consumer Electronics Association. The EB15 model automatically becomes a 15-dB high-fidelity hearing protector when ambient noise exceeds safe levels.
2010 Innovation Winner (Services Sector). Professor Kris Chesky (a musician himself, who has hearing loss since college) and the College of Music at the University of North Texas (UNT) are taking a broad approach to raise awareness of the importance of hearing loss prevention by changing the pedagogy of music education. They have developed educational goals, policies, support materials for music educators and an occupational health course for music students. They are also conducting research on measuring sound pressure levels in music classes and establishing exposure databases for different music school scenarios.
Professor Chesky’s work has been inspired by his belief that: “…every person learning about music in the United States, from early grade school through college, must be taught to understand that music is a sound source capable of harming hearing and that music can be studied, practiced, performed, and consumed in ways that are not risky to hearing.”
UNT’s innovative research and methodology, education, and advocacy have reached music educators and students, university administrators and board members of accreditation agencies. It is also bringing additional attention to the risk of music-induced hearing loss to other professionals in entertainment venues and to the general public.
So, we are making strides and can go beyond “don’t go one louder!” by offering some do’s, which can work for musicians, workers exposed to music, and music lovers:
- Know the risks. Overexposure to excessively loud sounds can cause irreversible damage to your hearing.
- Exposure time is just as important as exposure levels when it comes to creating risk. Be sure to take breaks in quieter areas. Limit your time in noise (from sports, transportation, firearms, etc). It all adds up!
- Wear earplugs. Consider custom- or universal-fit Musicians Earplugs to keep fidelity but decrease intensity.
- Move around venues to find a “quieter spot.” Sound reverberates and you might decrease your exposure level if you stand in a spot where you are not getting sound directly from the source.
- If you are a professional performer in a constant venue (house player), examine or ask about engineering controls that could be implemented to improve the acoustics of the room or hall and reduce exposure levels.
- If you experience ringing or “muffling” for more than 24 hours, you may want to consider a hearing check-up. Tinnitus and temporary changes in hearing might be a sign of early onset of permanent damage.
Are there reasons for optimism? Plenty! In Sweden, a country that has invested in educational campaigns early on, higher percentages of young people wear hearing protection when exposed to loud music or noise, in comparison to other countries (61% study participants in Sweden, 9% in the US and 2% in Brazil; Zocoli et al., 2009). Hearing protection use for music exposure is increasing in Australia following reports issuing recommendations (Binge Listening, 2010).
Spreading the information from campaigns such as those referenced above and included below can help those exposed to loud music preserve their hearing and extend the enjoyment they get from music.
Dr. Morata is a research audiologist in the NIOSH Division of Applied Research and Technology.
Ryan Johnson, a musician-audiology student, worked at NIOSH as a student member of the Safe-in-Sound Expert Committee in 2010.
*Inclusion of a company name or product does not constitute an endorsement from NIOSH or the Federal Government.
Additional Resources
Hear Tomorrow – The Hearing Conservation Workshop
H.E.A.R. – Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers
American Tinnitus Association – for musicians and music lovers
Turn It to the Left – from the American Academy of Audiology
Listen to Your Buds – from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Binge Listening: Is exposure to leisure noise causing hearing loss in young Australians? [pdf] – report from Australian Hearing, National Acoustic Laboratories
Hearing Aids and Music: Interview with Marshall Chasin, AuD – from the American Academy of Audiology
Safe Listening Resources – from the National Hearing Conservation Association
References
- Beach E, Williams W, Gilliver M. Hearing protection for clubbers is music to their ears. Health Promot J Austr. 2010 21(3):215-21. Bray A, Szymański M, Mills R. Noise induced hearing loss in dance music disc jockeys and an examination of sound levels in nightclubs. J Laryngol Otol. 2004 118(2):123-8.
- Gunderson E, Moline J, Catalano P. Risks of developing noise-induced hearing loss in employees of urban music clubs. Am J Ind Med. 1997 31(1):75-9.
- Jansen EJ, Helleman HW, Dreschler WA, de Laat JA. Noise induced hearing loss and other hearing complaints among musicians of symphony orchestras. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2009 82(2):153-64.
- Mendes MH, Morata TC, Marques JM. Acceptance of hearing protection aids in members of an instrumental and voice music band. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 20077 3(6):785-92.
- Potier M, Hoquet C, Lloyd R, Nicolas-Puel C, Uziel A, Puel JL. The risks of amplified music for disc-jockeys working in nightclubs. Ear Hear. 2009 30(2):291-3.
- Sadhra S, Jackson CA, Ryder T, Brown MJ. Noise exposure and hearing loss among student employees working in university entertainment venues. Ann Occup Hyg. 2002 46(5):455-63.
- Santos L, Morata TC, Jacob LC, Albizu E, Marques JM, Paini M. Music exposure and audiological findings in Brazilian disc jockeys (DJs). Int J Audiol. 2007 46(5):223-31.
- Zhao F, Manchaiah VK, French D, Price SM. Music exposure and hearing disorders: an overview. Int J Audiol. 2010 49(1):54-64.
- Zocoli AM, Morata TC, Marques JM, Corteletti LJ. Brazilian young adults and noise: attitudes, habits, and audiological characteristics. Int J Audiol. 2009 48(10):692-9.
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Public Comments
Comments listed below are posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. These comments do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC does not guarantee that any information posted by individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. Read more about our comment policy ».
January 25, 2011 at 2:42 pm ET - Ted Teske
About 7 years ago I had wanted to conduct a study on the noise exposure to people at concert venues and nightclubs. I played in a band for about 10 years where we played two or three shows a week and after a few years my band all decided to get the musician ear plugs. They worked great, but the young people (13-25) in the audience were still unprotected.
We started handing out free ear plugs at our merch table with our CDs and t-shirts. And we made sure that we wore our ear plugs even when we weren’t playing to set an example for the other attendees.
Good article and great links. Thanks for tackling such an interesting subject.
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January 25, 2011 at 2:59 pm ET - Bob Wheeler
I think University Pep Bands often play music > 100 dba average for more than 2 hours during basketball games. I think some one should try and protect the hearing of the 40-50 18-22 year old students.
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January 25, 2011 at 4:21 pm ET - Bill Montante
This comment is indirectly related to musician noise exposure, but was wondering if there has been any research on noise exposure and hearing loss in airline flight attendants. Can the repeated pressurization + noise levels typically in the 80-83 dB range have a cumulative effect on hearing loss? And following that thread, might same dynamics adversely affect hearing of us frequent flyers? I am a million + miler on one carrier and have spent way too much of my life abave 30,000 ft in noisy aircraft and wonder what toll it has taken on my hearing.
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AUTHOR COMMENT January 25, 2011 at 5:19 pm ET - Thais Morata
Thank you for your comment. Unless the individual who is flying has some ear disorder, the pressurization issue would not add significantly to the risk of hearing loss. Such risk is low. NIOSH has examined this topic and noise measurements done in 3 studies showed that the levels encountered on individual flights were not enough to increase an employee’s or the public’s (even a frequent flier’s) risk for hearing loss. Even when the noise exposures from the multiple flights taken by the flight attendants during a day’s schedule were combined, the attendants would need to take 12-24 of these flights per day before realizing an increased risk of occupational hearing loss. However, in some unusual scenarios risk may exist since some aircrafts are still noisy and members of the flight crew could spend long periods of time in the noisier parts of airplanes.
The following resources provide more information.
Health hazard evaluation report: HETA 2002-0354-2931, Horizon Air, Seattle, Washington
Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2003-0364-3012, Mesaba Airlines, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Tubbs RL. “Noise exposures in aircraft passenger cabins during flight operations.” NHCA Spectrum 2005 Feb; 22(Suppl 1):25
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January 25, 2011 at 4:54 pm ET - Jackie
I work in a call center. Last spring my employer put speakers in the ceiling and started playing rock, rap and r&b music at a loud volume. The headset I wore did not filter out static, loud music and other loud noises that were coming directly into my ears through the headset. Add to that the loud music playing in the work area, and I was having trouble concentrating on the customer calls. I asked that they turn the music down, but they refused. As the days proceeded into weeks I started becoming agitated and became aggressive in behavior and I thought I was going crazy. I had also developed very loud tinnitus in my one ear.
I went to the doctor, who referred me on to specialists. I asked to be moved to a quieter area, which helped but did not resolve the problem, since instead of two speakers surrounding me, there was now one. I went to two specialists. I met with the HR Department. They did a sound test in the call center and said with the music playing the external noise came to 55 decibels. And since it was within OSHA guidelines, there wasn’t a problem.I do not know at what volume the music was played during the test. It was very disingenious of them because they failed to do a test on the volumes coming through the headsets along with the external noise.
What I can tell you is that they began replacing the headsets in the call center. I believe the one I had been using was defective, or of such a cheap nature that it did nothing to filter out the “bad” noise coming through the earpiece. But the new ones did not control the static, the screeching and other noises coming through them directly into our ears.
The second specialist I saw recommended a special headset to stop all of the bad noise from making it into my ear from the phone calls. I can’t believe the difference it has made. I am calm all of the time. Knowing what I do know now, I believe that I was having some problems harmful noise through defective headsets even before they added the loud music to the center.
The company continues to refuse to quit playing the music, although most of the time it is so low it is like a hum in the background. It’s just an irritating addition of more noise. But if a manager turns the volume high, I become agitated. Now, even during peak hours when the noise level rises because of the number of people talking, I become agitated.
I went on line and searched for information about call centers and hearing damage and there doesn’t seem to be much out there. I did find one website that said that even 55 decibels with a headset can cause damage and that even one type of music can trigger an attack (R&B seems to be the worst trigger for me). Millions of people work in call centers. Why are there not special standards and requirements? A simplistic OSHA 85 decibels just doesn’t cut it in this environment.
Can anyone provide me with real facts on this issue?
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AUTHOR COMMENT February 1, 2011 at 9:17 am ET - Thais Morata and Chuck Kardous
Your experience was brilliantly illustrated on the short film Noise in the Office, co-produced by several European Health Institutions.
NIOSH has examined this issue with call center operators and dispatchers, and there were also several European and Australian studies on the subject. Most of the findings could not confirm that the levels were hazardous, unless volumes were set to maximum. NIOSH used an acoustic head fixture (a mannequin), to play the same sounds that an operator receives through her headset and we did not find any conclusive evidence of hazardous exposure. However, when we (or other researchers) interviewed the operators, most have reported symptoms similar to what you report. We have recommended that employers provide workers with a variety of headsets to try, purchase headsets with sound limiting circuitry, noise cancellation, and improved protection features, and most of all, make the workplace environment quieter using acoustical treatments to walls, partitions, and such.
There are international standards on office noise for comfort, and measuring sound levels but not one with exposure limits specific to Call Centers. The International Standard ISO 11904-1, 11904-2 that describe the proper way to measure the noise levels through the headsets using an acoustical head fixtures. If anyone is to conduct a “sound test” at your facility in the future, they should follow the guidelines in these standards or their tests will be invalid.
Currently, NIOSH researchers are in the process of developing guidelines on this very issue. It will be published in the form of a Workplace Solutions document, available in a couple of months. Please check back with us at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pubs/workplace_date_desc_nopubnumbers.html
References:
Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2007-0235-3064, evaluation of potential noise hazards to mechanics and 911 dispatchers at a fire department, Anchorage, Alaska
Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-2003-0273; 2003-0280; 2003-0287-2974, Kaiser-Permanente, Santa Teresa, Redwood City, and Santa Clara, California
Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-1999-0199-3053, Cincinnati Police Department, Cincinnati, Ohio
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January 25, 2011 at 6:19 pm ET - Murray Grossan, M.D.
I ask my patients to download a sound meter onto their smart phones. This is a FREE app. then they can read the noise level. One of the worst things I have seen is the wedding where they plunk the little kids in front of the 8 foot speakers all evening. With a sound meter the parents could see the noise is too loud.
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AUTHOR COMMENT January 31, 2011 at 9:08 am ET - Thais Morata
Thank you for sharing. You might also consider letting your patients know about the information and materials available at http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/ I also use the sound level meter app to compare noise levels in restaurants, and I try to include that in the reviews I post.
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January 26, 2011 at 4:12 pm ET - Gary
i think i have come down with tinitous.
Is there any cure for it??/
If so, can you please tell me what the cure is.
thank you!!!
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January 27, 2011 at 11:45 am ET - Billy
Gary, tinnitus is a complex condition that can be caused by many medical and non-medical events. I suggest you visit [http://ohsu.edu/ohrc/tinnitusclinic] for more information or the American Tinnitus Association ata.org Best of luck with this.
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AUTHOR COMMENT January 27, 2011 at 4:10 pm ET - Thais Morata
Thank you Gary for your post and Dr. Billy Martin for joining the discussion. Gary, I would also encourage you to see a specialist about your tinnitus. You may also want to view a recent interview with Dr. Martin on this issue at http://www.kgw.com/thesquare/hearing_loss_william_shatner_ohsu_ipod-114253074.html
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January 27, 2011 at 12:33 pm ET - John Legere
I know many musicians who have had a long career exposed to loud music and still have perfect hearing. Is that unusual?
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AUTHOR COMMENT January 28, 2011 at 10:03 pm ET - Thais Morata
Excellent question. It is not unusual for musicians to have excellent hearing. We know from studying the effects of noise on hearing that risk is not only determined by characteristics of exposure conditions to noise (and other risk factors) but also determined by biological characteristics of the individual. The bottom line is you can have 2 individuals that share similar exposure histories and one will have a hearing loss while the other will have perfect hearing until old age. As we are not able to tell who is more resistant, we suggest the precautions above.
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January 29, 2011 at 11:32 pm ET - Andrea Kleesattel
Thank you so much for this article! As a musician I’m often so focussed on the music that I’m creating and listening to that I forget that it is a sound which can cause terrible harm. It’s so important for musicians to be educated about ways to protect their hearing. Thank you for all your work in developing ways to help us do this!
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February 16, 2011 at 1:20 pm ET - Angela Babin
As a performing musician with some hearing loss, I was inspired to look at orchestra pit musicians in the Broadway shows years ago. High sound levels were recorded. Orchestra pit configuration, PPE, and other sound protection methods were of importance. Here is a link to the article. I think the conditions are similar today as then.
[http://sciandmed.com/mppa/journalviewer.aspx?issue=1094&article=1038]
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February 25, 2011 at 1:45 am ET - Michael Shull
I too played in a rock band for many years. I have noticed some level of hearing loss. Today, I settle for a more acoustic style of music. I’m still able to enjoy and hear most nuances in a quiet setting.
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March 7, 2011 at 3:03 pm ET - Judy
I believe that concert listeners develop tinnitus as a result of ground vibrations which cause different levels of concussion in each individual. Young people have said that their tinnitus resolved in few days, where as old people can take six months or more.
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March 15, 2011 at 10:36 pm ET - Shanelle Myers
Are there any known methods for repairing if possibly any hearing loss once it has happened? I recently saw a show with a surgical procedure that revamps the inside of the ear.
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AUTHOR COMMENT March 16, 2011 at 3:19 pm ET - Thais Morata
Different treatments and interventions exist for different hearing disorders. Unfortunately, noise-induced hearing loss is permanent. That is why we put so much emphasis on protecting hearing before it is damaged.
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April 10, 2011 at 10:01 am ET - Jay Gieseke
We saw the traveling production of STOMP recently. The ushers offered earplugs to families with children, but no instruction on how to use them properly.
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April 11, 2011 at 10:50 am ET - Jackie
Thank you for responding to my inquiry about music in the call center.
Since then my employer has added a microphone. I walked in one day and there was loud music playing and managers were yelling thru the microphone and walking around the center yelling, to spur sales. Also, I was on the phone one day and all of a sudden my left ear popped and I lost all hearing in it for seconds. When it returned I had a loud ringing in it for the rest of the evening. It was the ear that my headset was on. The Otolaryngologist that I have seen twice could not explain what happened.
He does not seem to be familiar with call centers and acoustic shock and the other dangers to the hearing of call center employees. My employer refuses to quit playing the music although they have turned the volume down. But now I have a hypersensitivity to it and when they play it, I get headaches, my ears feel like they’re swollen inside and they ache, as if my ear drums are hurting. They say they can’t find a headset with ear mufflers on it to block out the music and other loud noises. They asked that my doctor tell them what headset to get. My doctor responded he doesn’t know, that my employer is the expert. My employer also wants to know if there are certain frequencies they should block out. I’m stuck in the middle. Would OSHA know of doctors who are familiar with work-related hearing problems? I’m at a loss and afraid I am going to lose my hearing or be unable to work. Thank you. Jackie
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AUTHOR COMMENT April 15, 2011 at 1:37 pm ET - Thais Morata
You may want to search the internet using the keywords “high-performance noise-isolating headset earphones” to find a head set that is appropriate for your needs.
For doctors familiar with prevention of work-related hearing loss I suggest looking for an occupational health clinic in your area. You can find one in your area on the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics website.
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April 28, 2011 at 4:30 pm ET - Iggy
I totally agree. People should listen to music and sing at a reasonable volume…louder does not equal better.
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June 3, 2011 at 5:26 pm ET - Audicus
Very interesting post and thread.
There seems to be a pathological reason why people are drawn to loud music; the inner ear contains a tiny organ called the Sacculus that has neural links to the parts of the brain that register pleasure. This organ is generally stimulated at low frequencies higher than 90dB – the exact area of a pounding bass line.
We discuss this in more detail on [http://audicus.wordpress.com]
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July 11, 2011 at 3:23 pm ET - Marcus
Great ideas guys, I think it’s massively important for musicians to bare in mind the importance of hearing protection. I’ve recently put together this article recommending the earplugs for musicians that you might want to consider referencing?
[http://themusiciansguide.co.uk/blog/19/what-are-the-best-ear-plugs-for-musicians/best]
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July 22, 2011 at 3:31 pm ET - Anonymous
I’m a little worried about eventually losing my hearing from insanely loud Music.
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September 30, 2011 at 9:48 am ET - REED
HOW DO WE GET TSHIRTS
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AUTHOR COMMENT September 30, 2011 at 4:15 pm ET - Thais Morata
While we haven’t made t-shirts with our cautionary slogan, shirts with the original Spinal Tap reference are easily found on the web.
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October 1, 2011 at 3:27 am ET - Ericko
Yep me too. Even though I don’t go out to places with loud music. I often play music at home with my headphone with loud volume. Fortunately not anymore after I started to hear buzzing in my ears.
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October 6, 2011 at 5:31 pm ET - Tim F
I can only imagine what noise levels those employed at bars and clubs are exposed to on a daily level. The long term noise exposure to their ear drums must be devastating. I guess my parents were right to warn me to turn my music down.
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October 10, 2011 at 4:12 pm ET - stody
I know numerous music artists who may have had an extended profession subjected to loud music and have perfect hearing. Is that uncommon?
I also know a lot of musicians with tremendous ear problems.
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AUTHOR COMMENT October 11, 2011 at 1:38 pm ET - Thais Morata
Please see the response to comment 8 above.
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March 29, 2012 at 8:24 pm ET - Blair
I am a musician and have worked as a professional audio recording engineer for 20 years. I have retained my hearing by using earplugs for rehearsals and keeping the volume down in the studio.
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April 16, 2012 at 11:38 am ET - Thais Morata
I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to a new hearing health advisory for use in schools of music. On November 2011, following the encouragement of several organizations, some featured in this Science Blog, the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) ratified a new health and safety accreditation standard that recognizes the need to address hearing health. Together with the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), NASM developed and disseminated a comprehensive hearing health advisory for use in schools of music across the country. The advisory is available at http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=NASM-PAMA_Hearing_Health
Founded in 1924, the NAMS is an organization with approximately 615 accredited institutional members. NASM uses national Standards that characterize basic requirements and conditions for the study of music. We congratulate NASM for this important step towards helping professional musicians maintain a healthy hearing.
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May 7, 2012 at 5:55 pm ET - Anonymous
I have been a musician for several years and have had many very close calls in regard to hearing loss. Once, not too long ago I connected my guitar cable to my (product name removed) and all of the sudden there was crazy feedback. My ears were ringing for hours. Hearing loss is scary!
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May 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm ET - Thais Morata
Permanent haring loss and/or tinnitus can happen after a single traumatic exposure. However, most noise-induced hearing disorders commonly occur gradually and the first signs of hearing loss may not always be obvious. As such disorders can get worse over time, it is important to address them. The earlier a problem is detected, the greater the chances of preventing further hearing loss – and gaining the best possible results from treatment.
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July 22, 2012 at 10:25 am ET - Graig Miller
I think it’s important that the famous music artists start using earplugs when they play for the crowd. I see in the Netherlands that many hobby music players start imitating this. It should be great if the artists also recommend the use of earplugs to their fans and tell them why it’s so important. There’s a long way to go to let everybody be aware of the need of noise protection, but this can be the beginning.
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July 25, 2012 at 3:07 am ET - Evert
I think there’s also a serious task for the Government in this case. Showing short and shocking movies on tv about real people who already destroyd their lifes due to noise induced hearing loss, will in my opinion increase the overall awareness. In the long run it will save lots of money in the medical health care for the country as well.
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October 31, 2012 at 8:10 pm ET - Bobby
Great article. In the United States awareness for hearing loss is significantly less than melanoma or breast cancer. The devices designed for musicians by musicians will be effective, that’s a practical implication at the sites of hearing loss incidents. Somebody tell my friends about the possibility for hearing loss so they don’t reserve seats for the first row! Unfortunately, education about hearing loss to kids in music courses will be less effective in prevention for two reasons: 1. music class is not a site of dangerously loud music. 2. music courses are teaching theory which means disconnection from a scenario where the lesson needs to be applied. kids will won’t retain 100% attention, some may think they won’t be affected. Finally, I agree that employees in music, sports and entertainment are treated to inferior safety policies. Their jobs are viewed as all pleasure (which it’s not) and they are neglected. However, no reason exists why musicians that move us with great alternative rock songs should suffer hearing loss.
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December 20, 2012 at 3:47 pm ET - Richard
I found this blog very interesting so I have bookmarked it. I hope you do not mind if I refer to your blog on mine thank you Richard
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