Musicians are cool! They bring so much pleasure to our lives with their songs. But music is a lot more powerful when it’s loud, and that can be a hearing hazard. Since musicians expose themselves to loud music on a daily basis, their hearing is at greater risk of being damaged.
As you get older, you’ll still want to be capable of enjoying your favorite songs whether you’re a musician or not. For musicians, protecting their hearing is the key to an extended and successful career. For the rest of us, hearing protection is the key to a lifetime of musical fulfillment and enrichment.
Oftentimes it can be surprising how loud music can get
Most people would say that a jet engine is really loud.
Is music actually that loud? People may not be so fast to answer that question if you ask them if a violin or acoustic guitar is loud. Imagine their surprise when they discover the reality: That can also be loud music! Even classical music can reach fairly loud volumes that can easily harm your hearing.
Sounds higher than 90 dB can be created by a violin, for example. A leaf blower is about this loud. To put that into context, the European Union laws dictate that any work environment louder than 85 dB requires the use of hearing protection.
And your hearing can be significantly damaged over time if you’re working with music every day, especially if you don’t wear hearing protection.
How can you protect your hearing?
Okay, now you’re aware that musicians need to protect their hearing (especially if they want to keep on rocking out for many years). So what can musicians do to safeguard their ears and still enjoy the music they love so much?
Well, here are a couple of simple things musicians can do:
- 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 take frequent breaks from the noise. This will help stop your ears from getting overwhelmed with noise (and damage). Regarding hearing, how long you’re exposed is almost as important as how loud it is. Taking breaks can be the difference between just the right amount of stimulation and too much!
- Track your volume: Knowledge is power, right? So being aware of volume levels of noises around you will help you safeguard your hearing. Sometimes, this is as simple as tracking your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also purchase a decibel meter app for your cellphone to make it easy to monitor the real-world volume levels your ears are encountering from day-to-day. You will need to make a few changes if the meter regularly detects volumes louder than 85 dB.
Wear hearing protection
Of course, the single most effective thing you can do to protect your ears is simple: wearing hearing protection of some kind. A lot of musicians are worried that hearing protection will mute the sound and impact its overall sound quality. That’s not always the case, depending on which type of hearing protection you choose.
- Ear plugs made specifically for musicians: Disposable earplugs are something that’s likely very familiar to most individuals. They’re pretty good at blocking a lot of sound although they sometimes don’t fit very well. They’re inexpensive, easy to get, and easy to throw away. For musicians, they aren’t a great solution. However, by paying a little more, you can purchase high-quality earplugs designed chiefly for musicians. These earplugs use fancy manufacturing processes (mostly they’re made out of very specific materials and are designed to fit comfortably in the ear) to maintain audio fidelity while diminishing the noise you experience by about 20dB. This solution is perfect for musicians who need a light to moderate amount of protection (and who don’t have a ton of money to invest in earplugs, or are likely to lose them).
- Electronic earplugs: The same general functionality found in non-electronic earplugs can be found in electronic earplugs. The earplug itself will block out the majority of the sound. What you hear will instead be piped in by the earplug itself. For people who work in very loud environments and need better control of the volume, these earplugs are perfect.
- In-ear monitors: Electronics are a major part of modern music. A device, known as an in-ear-monitor, is placed inside of your ear and transmits signals in electronically. It’s like a special little speaker for your ear, and most monitors can block out sound from the outside world (thanks to a rather tight fit and special design). This means you can hear exactly how you sound, at a volume you control. In-ear monitors are practical for individuals who work primarily with electronically amplified instruments.
Protect your hearing, and protect your career
It’s better to start protecting your hearing early, before any substantial damage occurs. With options available at just about every price point, there are easy ways for everyone to safeguard their hearing and their future. Remember that you’re investing in your career by utilizing hearing protection for musicians. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy making music for as long as you want to.
Don’t really know where to begin? Contact us today, we can help!
