Musicians are awesome! Their shows bring us so much enjoyment. The drawback is that music is almost always loud, in fact, many individuals like it better that way. The musicians themselves are at an increased danger of hearing damage since they are exposed to loud music nearly every day.
As you grow older, you’ll still want to be able to enjoy your favorite songs whether you’re a musician or not. The key to having an extended successful career, for musicians, is protecting their hearing. For the rest of us, hearing protection is the secret to a lifetime of musical enjoyment and enrichment.
Music is surprisingly loud
Most people would say that a jet engine is really loud.
Is music really that loud? If you ask somebody whether an acoustic guitar or a lone violin is loud, they may not reply right away. Imagine their surprise when they discover the reality: that music is indeed loud! Even classical music can get to relatively loud volumes that can easily harm your hearing.
A violin, for example, can produce sounds in excess of 90 dB. A leaf blower is about this loud. In Europe, for example, they have laws that require hearing protection for anyone who works in a setting where there is noise louder than 85 dB.
And your hearing can be seriously damaged over time if you’re working with music every day, especially if you don’t wear ear protection.
How can you safeguard your hearing?
Okay, musicians who want to maintain their hearing for years to come need to safeguard their ears. So how can musicians continue to enjoy their music while also safeguarding their hearing?
Here are a couple of strategies:
- Track your volume: Knowledge is power, right? So being aware of volume levels of noises around you will help you safeguard your hearing. Usually, this is as easy as monitoring your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also monitor day-to-day volume levels of external noises using a decibel meter app that you can download on your cellphone. You will need to make some changes if the meter regularly detects volumes above 85 dB.
- Take breaks: Your ears are the same as any other part of your body: they can become exhausted and will frequently benefit from rest. So give yourself “hearing breaks” frequently. This will help prevent your ears from getting overpowered with sound (and damage). Duration is nearly as important as volume with regard to hearing health. Taking breaks can be the difference between just enough stimulation and too much!
Wear hearing protection
Using hearing protection is the number one most effective way to protect your hearing. Lots of musicians are worried that ear protection will mute the sound and impact its overall sound quality. But depending on what kind of hearing protection you use, that may not always be accurate.
- Ear plugs made primarily for musicians: Disposable earplugs are something that’s most likely very well known to most people. They don’t always fit comfortably, but they do reliably block a lot of sound. They’re not difficult to get, don’t cost much, and can be disposed of easily. For musicians, they aren’t an ideal solution. But earplugs made just for musicians are also available for a little more money. A special material and modern engineering are used to help these earplugs fit snuggly in the ear and reduce external noise by about 20% while maintaining the audio clarity. This solution is perfect for musicians who require a light to moderate amount of protection (and who don’t have a lot of money to invest in earplugs, or are likely to misplace them).
- Electronic earplugs: Electronic earplugs work in basically the same way as high-quality, non-electronic earplugs. The majority of the sound will be blocked by the earplug itself. But the earplug itself will send in the sound you hear. This option is perfect for individuals who work in particularly noisy environments, and who want more options when it comes to volume control.
- In-ear monitors: Most music is electronic now, or at least amplified by electronics. A device, called an in-ear-monitor, is put inside of your ear and transmits signals in electronically. It’s like a specialized little speaker for your ear, and most monitors can block out sound from the outside environment (thanks to a fairly tight fit and special design). This means you can hear exactly how you sound, at a volume you control. For musicians who electronically amplify their instruments these in-ear-monitors are the perfect answer.
Protect your career by protecting your hearing
It’s better to begin safeguarding your hearing early, before any substantial harm occurs. With options available at just about every price point, there are simple ways for everyone to safeguard their hearing and their future. Don’t forget that you’re investing in your career by using hearing protection for musicians. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy making music for as long as you want to.
Contact us so we can help you get started.
