Musicians are cool! They bring so much joy to our lives with their performances. The downside is that music is almost always loud, in fact, many individuals prefer it that way. Since musicians expose themselves to loud music frequently, their hearing is at greater risk of being damaged.
As you get older, you’ll still want to be capable of enjoying your favorite music whether you’re a musician or not. The key to having a lengthy successful career, for musicians, is protecting their ears. For the rest of us, hearing protection is the key to a lifetime of musical enjoyment and enrichment.
Music is surprisingly loud
If you ask most individuals if a jet engine is loud, they’ll likely say yes.
But what about music? People might not be so fast to answer that question if you ask them if a violin or acoustic guitar is loud. Usually, when they hear the answer, they’re pretty surprised: That can also be loud music! Even classical music can reach fairly high volumes that can easily harm your hearing.
A violin, for instance, can create sounds in excess of 90 dB. That’s around as loud as a leaf blower. 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 use ear protection.
How can you protect your hearing?
Okay, now you’re aware that musicians need to protect their hearing (particularly if they want to continue rocking out for many years). So what can musicians do to protect their hearing and still enjoy the music they love so much?
Well, here are a couple of easy things musicians can do:
- Track your volume: Knowledge is power, right? So it makes sense that you should always be aware of what volume of sound you’re subjecting your ears to. Sometimes, this is as easy as tracking your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also track day-to-day volume levels of environmental noises using a volume meter app that you can download on your cellphone. If the meter reads above 85dB consistently, you’ll want to do something about this.
- Take breaks: Like any part of your body, your ears can become exhausted and might need a little break. So take regular breaks from the noise. In this way, noises won’t overwhelm and harm your ears. Regarding hearing, how long you’re exposed is nearly as significant as how loud it is. Taking breaks can be the difference between just enough stimulation and too much!
Use hearing protection
Of course, the single most effective thing you can do to protect your ears is easy: using hearing protection of some kind. Many musicians are unwilling to wear hearing protection because they’re concerned it will impact the quality of sound they hear, as well as dampening the volume. But depending on what type of hearing protection you use, that might not always be true.
- Ear plugs made mainly for musicians: Disposable earplugs are something that’s probably very familiar to most individuals. They’re fairly good at stopping a lot of sound although they sometimes don’t fit comfortably. They’re inexpensive, easy to come by, and easy to throw away. And they aren’t ideal for musicians. 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 conform nicely to the ear) to maintain audio clarity while decreasing the noise you experience by around 20dB. For musicians who require a moderate amount of protection on a budget, this option is perfect.
- Electronic earplugs: The same general functionality found in non-electronic earplugs can be found in electronic earplugs. Most of the sound will be blocked by the earplug itself. But the earplug itself will pipe in the sound you hear. For individuals who work in very noisy environments and need better control of the volume, these earplugs are perfect.
- In-ear monitors: Most music is electronic these days, or at least amplified by electronics. A device, known as an in-ear-monitor, is placed inside of your ear and passes signals in electronically. Most monitors are small 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 are able to hear sound accurately and clearly. In-ear monitors are useful for those who work mainly with electronically amplified instruments.
Protect your career by protecting your hearing
It’s never too late to take measures to protect your hearing, but it’s definitely a good idea to start sooner rather than later. With solutions available at nearly 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. By doing so, you will be able to enjoy creating music for as long as you want to.
Don’t quite know where to start? Give us a call today, we can help!
