Musicians rock. They bring so much pleasure to our lives with their performances. But music is a lot more powerful when it’s loud, and that can be a hearing risk. Since musicians expose themselves to loud music on a daily basis, their hearing is at greater 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. The key to having a long successful career, for musicians, is protecting their ears. Hearing protection is also key to a lifetime of musical fulfillment for everybody.
Sometimes it can be surprising how loud music can be
Most people would say that a jet engine is really loud.
Is music actually that loud? If you ask someone whether an acoustic guitar or a lone violin is loud, they might not answer right away. Imagine their surprise when they discover the reality: That can also be loud music! Your ears can even be harmed by classical music which can get to fairly loud volumes.
Sounds louder than 90 dB can be produced by a violin, for example. That’s around as loud as a leaf blower. In Europe, for example, they have laws that require ear protection for anyone who works in a work environment where there is noise above 85 dB.
And if you’re working with music on a daily basis, constant exposure to that sort of volume, especially without ear protection, can seriously damage your hearing over time.
Can you protect your ears from noise damage?
Okay, musicians who want to preserve their hearing for years to come need to safeguard their hearing. So how can musicians keep enjoying their music while also protecting their hearing?
Well, here are a couple of simple things musicians can do:
- Take breaks: Your ears are like any other part of your body: they can become exhausted and will often benefit from a break. So give yourself “hearing breaks” regularly. In this way, noises won’t overwhelm and harm your ears. Duration is nearly as important as volume with regard to hearing health. Taking breaks can be the difference between just enough stimulation and too much!
- Track your volume: Everybody knows the old saying “knowledge is power”. So it makes sense that you should always be aware of what levels of sound you’re subjecting your ears to. Usually, this is as simple as monitoring your volume settings on amps and receivers. But you can also invest in a decibel meter app for your smartphone to make it convenient to monitor the real-world volume levels your ears are encountering day in and day out. If the meter detects volumes above 85dB regularly, you’ll want to address this.
Ear protection is important
Needless to say, the single most effective thing you can do to protect your ears is easy: wearing hearing protection of some kind. Many musicians are hesitant to use ear protection because they’re worried it will effect the quality of sound they hear, in addition to dampening the volume. That isn’t always the case, depending on which kind of hearing protection you use.
- Ear plugs made primarily for musicians: Most individuals are likely acquainted with disposable ear plugs. They’re fairly good at blocking a lot of sound though they sometimes don’t fit comfortably. They aren’t difficult to find, don’t cost much, and can be thrown away easily. And they aren’t ideal for musicians. But earplugs just for musicians are also available for a little more money. A special material and modern engineering are utilized to help these earplugs fit snuggly in the ear and reduce external noise by around 20% while preserving the audio clarity. 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 lose them).
- Electronic earplugs: The same basic functionality found in non-electronic earplugs can also be found in electronic earplugs. The earplug itself will block most of the sound. What you hear will instead be piped in by the earplug itself. For people who work in really noisy settings 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 snugly and block out most sound while playing sounds you want to hear at safe volumes. So you control the volume level and can hear sound accurately and clearly. For musicians who electronically amplify their instruments these in-ear-monitors are the perfect answer.
Safeguard your career by protecting your ears
It’s never too late to take measures to protect your ears, but it’s definitely a good idea to begin sooner rather than later. Everyone can protect their hearing and future with hearing protection options for every budget. Remember that you’re investing in your career by utilizing hearing protection for musicians. It’s one way to ensure you’ll be making amazing music for years (maybe even decades) to come!
Don’t really know where to begin? Give us a call today, we can help!
