Musicians are cool! Their songs bring us so much enjoyment. The drawback is that music is almost always loud, in fact, many people prefer it that way. The musicians themselves are at an even greater danger of hearing damage since they are exposed to loud music just about every day.
As you get older, you’ll still want to be able to enjoy your favorite songs whether you’re a musician or not. For musicians, preserving their hearing is the key to a lengthy and successful career. 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 the majority of people whether a jet engine is loud, they’ll likely say yes.
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. Usually, when they hear the answer, they’re pretty surprised: that music is certainly loud! Even classical music can reach relatively loud volumes that can easily harm your hearing.
Sounds higher than 90 dB can be created by a violin, for instance. That’s around as noisy as a leaf blower. To put that into context, the European Union regulations stipulate that any workplace louder than 85 dB will require 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 use hearing protection.
Can you protect your ears from noise damage?
Okay, musicians who want to preserve their hearing for years to come need to protect their ears. So how can musicians keep enjoying their music while also preserving their hearing?
Here are a couple of tips:
- Track your volume: Everybody knows the old saying “knowledge is power”. So knowing volume levels of noises around you will help you safeguard your hearing. Tracking the volume on amps and PA systems is one factor. But you can also monitor day-to-day volume levels of environmental noises using a decibel meter app that you can download on your cellphone. You will need to make some changes if the meter regularly reads above 85 dB.
- Take breaks: Your ears are the same as any other part of your body: they can be overworked and will frequently benefit from rest. So give yourself “hearing breaks” regularly. This will help stop your ears from getting overwhelmed with sound (and damage). Duration is nearly as relevant as volume when it comes to hearing health. The difference between the ideal amount of stimulation and too much can come down to taking frequent breaks.
Use hearing protection
Using hearing protection is the single most effective way to safeguard your hearing. Many musicians are hesitant to use ear protection because they’re concerned it will effect the clarity of sound they hear, as well as dampening the volume. That’s not always true, depending on which kind of hearing protection you choose.
- Ear plugs made mainly for musicians: Most individuals are most likely familiar with disposable ear plugs. They don’t always fit perfectly, but they do reliably stop a lot of sound. They’re not hard to get, aren’t expensive, and can be disposed of easily. For musicians, they aren’t an ideal solution. But earplugs just for musicians are also available for a little more money. A specialized material and state-of-the-art engineering are utilized to help these earplugs fit comfortably in the ear and minimize external noise by around 20% while maintaining the audio fidelity. This solution is perfect for musicians who require a light to moderate level of protection (and who don’t have a lot of money to invest in earplugs, or are likely to misplace them).
- 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 piped in by the earplug itself. For individuals who work in really loud environments and need better control of the volume, these earplugs are ideal.
- In-ear monitors: Electronics are a major part of modern music. An in-ear monitor takes those electronic signals and conveys them directly to a device placed in your ear (called an in-ear monitor). The majority of monitors are small speakers that fit tightly and block out the majority of sound while playing sounds you want to hear at safe volumes. So you control the volume level and are able to hear sound in an accurate and clear way. In-ear monitors are practical for individuals who work mainly with electronically amplified instruments.
Protect your career by protecting your ears
It’s never too late to take steps to protect your ears, but it’s definitely a good idea to start sooner rather than later. Everyone can protect their hearing and future with ear protection solutions for every budget. Remember, ear protection for a musician is an investment in your career. It’s one way to be certain you’ll be making incredible music for years (maybe even decades) to come!
Contact us so we can help you get started.