[Dixielandjazz] Hearing Loss and Musicians

Wed Sep 16 19:39:29 PDT 2009

I guess I am lucky.  I am now 70 and I do have some slight hearing loss but 
it is selective.  I have difficulty with multiple sounds for example two 
people talking at the same time.  I can only hear one at a time.  While my 
wife was living she sometimes would walk up in front of me if I was watching 
TV because I could hear only the TV.  Some of that may very well have been 
part of concentrating on something.  She always thought I was ignoring 
her -- maybe so.

All in all my hearing has in some respects gotten much better.  I can now 
detect out of tune notes much better than I could when I was 30.  My sense 
of pitch keeps getting better.  I don't know if this is "hearing" or an 
acquired skill but whatever it is I like it.

Usually the very high pitches like overtones leave us first but while I was 
still teaching (up to 2 years ago) I could hear the clocks in the building 
resetting which is a very high pitch.

The closest I came to hearing damage was when I engaged in Ham Radio Morse 
Code contests that usually lasted 24 hours.  After one such contest my 
hearing was definitely effected but bounced back after several days and my 
loss was only temporary.  I learned to not wear the headphones over my ears 
but over my head allowing the sound to conduct through my skull.

When I was young and in the Air Force I worked around Jet noise which is 
well over 100 dB.  I was in the ground power unit that started the Jets.  I 
only did that for a couple of months but I'm sure it would have damaged me 
if I had worked for years on the flight line.

I have been subjected to high school bands and amplified bands for over 50 
years and have not had any real problems.  I guess it depends on the 
individual but any audiologist will tell you that hearing loss will creep up 
on you and you should do everything to protect what you have.  You can't 
count on getting by without damage so don't take a chance.
Larry
StL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 12:22 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hearing Loss and Musicians

> Ken Gates asked about hearing different tones in different ears. Like  a 
> telephone dial tone sounds different depending u[on which ear he  uses to 
> listen to it.
>
> Same with me Ken. For a treat go to 
> http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/
>
> Take the test and block one ear at a time. Be sure to turn your volume 
> up.
>
> Scary.
>
> I can hear 8kHtz with either ear, however can only hear 12 kHz in my  left 
> ear. And nothing above that in either or both ears.
>
> Like the site says, musicians are especially subject to hearing loss.  And 
> as we age it gets worse.
>
> No wonder I like loud amplified guitars as our OKOM chord instrument.  No 
> wonder too, that we all tune up electronically. <grin>
>
> WHAT????
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
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