Occupational noise is commonly considered in environments such as manufacturing and construction industries but tends to be a forgotten issue for musicians who often regard high sound levels as essential elements to their career. Because hearing sensitivity is central to optimize any musician’s career, noise-induced hearing loss is an occupational hazard. Protecting musicians from harmful noise is unique compared to other types of hearing protection strategies because detecting specific frequencies and characteristics of the noise is an essential part of their profession. As opposed to other industries who attempt to minimize the noise source, musicians require noise that is sufficiently loud enough to be heard from every member in the audience. Is there a solution that both protects the musician from harmful noise exposure without compromising the ability to hear the music they are creating?
Types of noise exposure
From Broadway musicals to high school band rooms, musicians are exposed to a variety of noise levels. Angela Babin (1999) compiled various articles regarding sound level measurements from a variety of different musical settings and audiometric testing of musicians and summarized their findings. She cited a study on rock-and-roll bands that were found to have noise levels ranging from 90-100 dBA (Babin, 1999). In a study noted by Cândido (2012), drummers in a pop-rock band were exposed to 109 dBA and 107 dBA. A research project investigating classical, rock, and jazz musicians concluded that those who played brass and woodwind instruments exhibited the worse auditory thresholds in the band (Kahari, 2004).
In a study of sound level measurements in a public school band room there was an average of 92.8 dBA and a maximum-recorded noise of 104 dBA. A study on sound level exposures in musicians who performed in the opera Wagner’s Ring Cycle found that many
Conclusion: If I am near a plane taking off, I should wear ear protection, and if I am near a hand drill that is on, I don’t need ear protection. This is because a plane taking off is 120 decibels, and the sound of a hand drill is 100 decibels, and 120 decibels is greater than 110 decibels, so you need protection, and 100 decibels is less than 110 decibels, so you don’t need ear protection.
Occasionally music is used as medicine. One scholar shows that music can lower blood pressure, speed up stroke recovery, help you fall asleep, and help relieve pain (Surprising Effects of Music). Many schools provide a challenging curriculum for their students. Music classes would give students a chance to relax. Research demonstrates that liste...
The unit used to measure the intensity of sound is called the decibel(dB). Sounds that measure up to 75dB are considered to be in the "safe zone". Constant exposure to to sound at these levels are very unlikely to cause any lasting damage to long term hearing. The sound of regular volume conversation measures at around 60dB and the sound of a running dishwasher measures at roughly 75dB. Sounds around the 85dB level are considered a moderate risk to hearing. Exposure at these levels for extened periods of time may lead to some form of damage causing NIHL. Sounds at these levels include heavy traffic and crowded areas at 85dB, active subway stations at 95dB and listening to an mp3 player with ear buds at maximum volume at 105dB in which listening for just 15 minutes can cause permanent damage. Sound at 120dB and above are in the "danger zone". This level of sound is to be avoided at all cost as exposure even for a short pulse will lead to immediate permanent damage. This level includes the sound of ambulance sirens at 120dB, a jet taking off at 140dB and gunshots at 165 dB and above. (Rabinowitz,
Age is also a common cause of hearing loss, Over time the hair cells in the cochlea gradually gets damaged, hence hearing deteriorates.Hearing loss occurs in old people as by this time most of the hair cells are damaged.
Whether you’re a devoted music enthusiast or you just listen to the radio to pass time, we all listen to music. However, when listening to music, nobody stops to think about what they are doing. Nobody stops to contemplate how the music they are listening to affects them psychologically. We just listen to the music and enjoy ourselves. In fact however, a great deal of research has been done to determine the psychophysiological effects of music. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether music can help people who suffer from psychological and medical disorders, Scholars continually debate whether music can influence behavior, and researchers are attempting to understand what is happening in our brain when we listen to music.
Linder, Todd. “The Effects of Music on People's Behavior”. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec 2013. .
In the year 2011, Rigby High School’s Concert Band was coming to the close of another great concert. They were getting to a very dramatic part of the song Ave Maria, and during a break in the melodies, a sharp baby cry was heard throughout the auditorium, followed by a loud yell from a parent. The rest of the concert was a disaster, with conversation and talking heard in the recording. In fact, Rigby has not once gotten a clean recording without conversation and noises in the concerts. People unfortunately do not understand how to behave during concerts of any type. With some concerts and performances, it is ok to vocalize, but concert band is not one of them. To help explain this, concert band will be compared to jazz band in its origins, type, and expectations to show why this type of behavior is unacceptable.
People who are hearing impaired experience issues at school, work, and in their personal life. Although there are varying degrees of hearing impairments, there are several accommodations that could be made to support individuals with hearing loss. Each individuals is unique therefore, accommodations may vary from person to person. The March of Dimes defines a hearing impairment as “the decreased ability to hear and discriminate among sounds.” There are several degrees of hearing loss but the most important thing to remember is that any individual with a hearing impairment will need accommodations that a person without a hearing impairment won’t. People often have preconceived ideas about people with disabilities and that can cause them to overlook their talents.
Hearing loss is a major global public health issue. Hearnet (2017) defines hearing loss as “a disability that occurs when one or more parts of the ear and/or the parts of the brain that make up the hearing pathway do not function normally” (para. 1). There are many different types of hearing loss, which can have multiple causes, giving each individual experiencing the issue a unique hearing loss case. These types include Auditory Processing Disorders, when the brain has problems processing sound information; Conductive Hearing Loss, a problem with the outer or middle ear which prevents sound making its way to the inner ear; and Sensorineural Hearing Loss, when the Cochlea or auditory nerve is damaged and cannot
In a waiting room, you have to endure several forms of torture. The most prominent of these is the music they play. The music is too quiet, so the patients can barely to hear it in the silence, meaning if you cough, or make any form of noise, you are worried people will pay more attention to you and j...
Wicke, Roger W. . "Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute." Effects of music and sound on human health . N.p., 2002. Web. 14 Jan 2012.
...cott, Elizabeth. "Music and Your Body: How Music Affects Us and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health." . N.p., 10 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Cooper, Belle. " How Music Affects and Benefits Your Brain."lifehacker.come. N.p., 11 22 2013. Web. 3
For this assignment, our class was instructed to spend two to three days with impaired hearing. To do this, I obtained some regular green foam ear plugs and wore them while going about my daily routine. The plugs gave me a decent 30dB loss in my “mid” and “upper” frequencies. At first, I did not see how it would be possible to walk around with ear plugs in all day. I started to think what my other instructors would think, but being an audio arts and acoustics major, most hardly batted an eye. Truthfully, I thought I would put my plugs in when I wanted to jot notes down for my journal, but that was not the case. My ears became acclimated to the loss and I could keep them in for most the day. The purpose of this exercise was to reinforce the point our professor had been teaching us all semester; living with hearing impairment is possible, but incredibly challenging.
Weinberger, Norman M. “Music and the Brain.” Scientific American Special Edition 16.3 (2006): 36-43. Health Source- Consumer Edition. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.