Musicians are cool! They bring so much happiness to our lives with their songs. The downside is that music is almost always loud, in fact, many individuals prefer it that way. The musicians themselves are at an increased risk of hearing damage since they are subjected to loud music just about every day.
As you grow older, you’ll still want to be able to enjoy your favorite music whether you’re a musician or not. For musicians, safeguarding their hearing is the key to a lengthy and successful career. For the rest of us, ear protection is the secret to a lifetime of musical fulfillment and enrichment.
Music is surprisingly loud
If you ask most individuals if a jet engine is loud, they’ll likely say yes.
Is music really that loud? People might not be so quick 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 very loud music! Your ears can even be damaged by classical music which can get to relatively loud volumes.
Sounds louder than 90 dB can be produced by a violin, for instance. That’s about as loud as a leaf blower. In Europe, for example, they have regulations that require hearing protection for anyone who works in a setting where there is noise above 85 dB.
And if you’re working with music day in and day out, consistent exposure to that kind of volume, particularly without ear protection, can seriously damage your hearing over time.
Can you protect your ears from noise damage?
Okay, now you know that musicians need to protect their hearing (particularly if they want to keep on rocking out for years to come). So what can musicians do to safeguard their ears and still enjoy the music they love so much?
Here are a couple of tips:
- Track your volume: Knowledge is power, right? So being aware of volume levels of noises around you will help you protect your hearing. Sometimes, this is as easy as monitoring your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also buy a volume meter app for your smartphone to make it convenient to monitor the real-world volume levels your ears are experiencing from day-to-day. If the meter reads above 85dB regularly, you’ll have to address this.
- Take breaks: Your ears are like any other part of your body: they can become exhausted and will frequently benefit from rest. So give yourself “hearing breaks” frequently. In this way, noises won’t overpower and damage your ears. With regard to hearing, how long you’re exposed is almost as significant as how high the volume is. The difference between the ideal amount of stimulation and too much can depend upon taking frequent breaks.
Ear protection is important
Using ear protection is the single most effective way to protect your hearing. Lots of musicians are worried that hearing protection will mute the sound and effects its overall sound quality. That isn’t always the case, depending on which kind of hearing protection you choose.
- Ear plugs made mainly for musicians: Most people are most likely familiar with disposable ear plugs. They’re pretty good at blocking a lot of sound though they sometimes don’t fit comfortably. They’re inexpensive, easy to come by, and easy to dispose of. For musicians, they aren’t a great solution. However, by paying a little more, you can buy high-quality earplugs designed chiefly for musicians. 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 preserve audio clarity while reducing the noise you hear by around 20dB. This solution is perfect for musicians who need a light to moderate level of protection (and who don’t have a ton of money to invest in earplugs, or are likely to misplace them).
- Electronic earplugs: Electronic earplugs work in pretty much the same way as high-quality, non-electronic earplugs. The earplug itself will block most of the sound. What you hear will instead be routed in by the earplug itself. For individuals who work in very loud environments and need better control of the volume, these earplugs are perfect.
- In-ear monitors: Electronics are a significant part of modern music. A device, known as an in-ear-monitor, is put in your ear and passes signals in electronically. Most monitors are little speakers that fit tightly and block out most sound while playing sounds you want to hear at safe volumes. So you regulate the volume level and are able to hear sound in an accurate and clear way. In-ear monitors are useful for people who work primarily with electronically amplified instruments.
Safeguard your hearing, and protect your career
It’s never too late to take steps to safeguard your ears, but it’s definitely a good idea to begin sooner rather than later. With options available at just about every price point, there are simple ways for everybody to safeguard their hearing and their future. Keep in mind, hearing protection for a musician is an investment in your career. It’s one way to make sure you’ll be making amazing music for many years (maybe even decades) to come!
Contact us so we can help you get started.