By Rick Kelly
Used with permission of CMA Close Up News Service.
Everyone involved in the music industry needs a different set of skills to be effective at their job. Engineers have to know the capabilities of their equipment. Studio musicians have to play what is asked of them on the first take. Producers have to draw the best possible performance from an artist and capture it. Publishers must recognize songs that have the potential to connect with a listener.
All of these diverse professions rely upon one common denominator: the ability to hear accurately. Hearing is the most important factor in the creation and appreciation of music. Persons who use their ability to hear for their livelihood should be taking every precaution to preserve and protect this precious commodity. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of how fragile hearing is, or of how to protect themselves from the dangers in their working environment.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) sets guidelines for the level of noise exposure that is healthy in the workplace. As the noise level - expressed in decibels or dBs - increases, the duration of exposure that is healthy decreases.
Dr. Robert Labadie, an Otolaryngologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, reports that decibel levels of most concerts (around 110 dB) are only approved for one half hour of unprotected exposure by OSHA.
This contrasts starkly with the actual exposure that artists, road crews, musicians and engineers endure on a regular basis when touring.
"The road is certainly hazardous for hearing damage," Labadie said. "People are exposed to louder sounds for a much longer time in that setting."
The most common sign of damage from noise exposure is what Labadie describes as a temporary threshold shift, or ringing in the ears. While most of us consider this to be a minor inconvenience, it is in fact a sign of exposure to toxic noise levels. If the ringing is accompanied by soreness in the ears, it is a sign that permanent damage has probably occurred. Hearing loss usually occurs at the higher frequency ranges first, as those high frequency sounds are more damaging to the ears.
Labadie believes that hearing damage is very common among music professionals.
"Often, engineers are exposed to very loud feedback, which may kill a specific frequency in the range of hearing," he said.
Labadie said that many of those at the greatest risk for hearing loss are the most reluctant to seek medical attention, because they fear that being diagnosed with hearing loss will hurt them professionally. He promotes hearing protection in loud environments, and recommends custom fitted earplugs for anyone who is regularly exposed to high volume levels. Even those who aren't regularly exposed to such high levels should protect themselves with affordable earplugs that are readily available from any drugstore. These earplugs will filter out 20-30 dB of noise, and greatly decrease the chances of permanent hearing damage.
"Once your hearing is damaged, it does not regenerate," Labadie said. "While there are surgical procedures such as cochlear implants and mechanical devices such as hearing aids to help people with profound hearing loss, none of them approach the sensitivity needed to mix or master a CD. You only have one set of ears."
Nashville-based The Ear Foundation is working to preserve the hearing of Country Music industry workers. Under the leadership of Executive Director Suzanne Wyatt, The Ear Foundation educates the public on the hazards of noise-induced hearing loss.
Wyatt said that there is very little public awareness of the dangers of exposure to toxic noise levels.
"There are 28 million Americans with organically caused hearing loss, and another 10 million with noise induced hearing loss," she said. "Additionally, another 10 million Americans are regularly exposed to toxic noise levels that will eventually cause hearing loss. Essentially one in six Americans has hearing loss, or is at high risk of suffering hearing loss."
