Musicians are awesome! Their songs bring us so much enjoyment. The downside is that music is pretty much always loud, in fact, many individuals prefer it that way. Since musicians subject themselves to loud music on a daily basis, their hearing is at an increased risk of being harmed.
As you grow older, you’ll still want to be capable of enjoying your favorite music whether you’re a musician or not. For musicians, safeguarding their hearing is the key to an extended and successful career. Hearing protection is also key to a lifetime of musical enjoyment for everyone.
Music is surprisingly loud
If you ask most people whether a jet engine is loud, they’ll likely say yes.
But what about music? If you ask someone whether an acoustic guitar or a lone violin is noisy, they might not answer so quickly. Usually, when they hear the answer, they’re pretty surprised: that music is certainly loud! Your ears can even be harmed by classical music which can get to fairly high volumes.
Sounds louder than 90 dB can be produced by a violin, for example. A leaf blower is around this noisy. To put that into context, the European Union laws dictate that any work environment louder than 85 dB requires the use of ear protection.
And your hearing can be significantly damaged over time if you’re working with music every day, particularly if you don’t wear hearing protection.
How can you protect your hearing?
Okay, now you know that musicians need to protect their hearing (especially if they want to continue rocking out for many years). So what can musicians do to safeguard their hearing and still enjoy the music they love so much?
Here are a couple of tips:
- Take breaks: Like any part of your body, your ears can become fatigued and may need a little break. So take frequent breaks from the noise. By doing this, noises won’t overwhelm and harm your ears. Duration is almost as important as volume when it comes to hearing health. The difference between the ideal amount of stimulation and too much can come down to taking regular breaks.
- Track your volume: Everyone knows the old saying “knowledge is power”. So being aware of volume levels of sounds around you will help you safeguard your hearing. Sometimes, this is as easy as keeping track of your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also keep track of day-to-day volume levels of environmental noises using a decibel meter app that you can download on your cellphone. If the meter reads above 85dB regularly, you’ll need to address this.
hearing protection is important
Needless to say, the single most effective thing you can do to protect your ears is simple: wearing ear protection of some kind. A lot of musicians are worried that ear protection will muffle 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: Most people are most likely familiar with disposable ear plugs. They’re pretty good at stopping a lot of sound although they sometimes don’t fit very well. They’re not hard to find, don’t cost much, and can be disposed of easily. And they aren’t best suited for musicians. But earplugs made just for musicians are also available at a slightly higher cost. These earplugs use fancy manufacturing processes (mostly they’re made out of very distinct materials and are designed to conform nicely to the ear) to maintain audio fidelity while diminishing the noise you hear by around 20dB. For musicians who require a moderate amount of protection on a budget, this solution is perfect.
- Electronic earplugs: The same general functionality found in non-electronic earplugs can also be found in electronic earplugs. Most of the sound will be blocked by the earplug itself. What you hear will instead be routed in by the earplug itself. This solution is perfect for those who work in particularly noisy settings, and who want more options in terms of controlling volume.
- In-ear monitors: Most music is electronic now, or at least amplified by electronics. A device, known as an in-ear-monitor, is put inside of your ear and sends signals in electronically. Most monitors are little speakers that fit tightly and block out the majority of sound while playing sounds you want to hear at less harmful volumes. So you control the volume level and can hear sound accurately and clearly. In-ear monitors are beneficial for individuals who work mainly with electronically amplified instruments.
Safeguard your ears, and protect your career
It’s better to begin safeguarding your hearing early, before any substantial damage occurs. Everyone can safeguard their hearing and future with hearing protection solutions for every budget. Remember that you’re investing in your career by using hearing protection for musicians. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy creating music for as long as you want to.
Don’t really know where to begin? Give us a call today, we can help!