You want to be in the music business, you want to play in clubs and make records, but how much thought have you given to your hearing? The simple fact is loud music can permanently damage your hearing or give you tinnitus, that ‘ringing in your ears’ you’ve probably had after a night clubbing. Imagine if you couldn’t do what you love? Play and listen to music! Our good friends at Action on Hearing Loss have provided us with their top tips to make sure you keep safe and don’t damage that most precious commodity…your hearing!
TOP HEARING TIPS
It’s not all doom and gloom, there are simple things you can do to protect your hearing and hear banging tunes forever. Here are some handy tips to looking after your ears and having a long and successful music career!
- Take regular breaks away from the music at gigs, clubs and the studio. Most venues have chill out areas – make use of them.
- Turn down the volume through your headphones.
- Invest in good quality headphones that cancel out background noise, so that you don’t need to turn it up so loud.
- Wear earplugs and protect yourself from the effects of loud noise.
- Don’t stand in front of the speakers when you’re on a night out.
- Be the first to act and tell your friends who are still putting their head in the speakers.
- Be in control and act now! It’s not too early to protect your ears from the effects of loud music.
LOUD MUSIC HURTS EARS
Many people believe that their ears will get used to loud music, but this is a myth.
Listening to loud music over long periods of time can damage your hearing temporarily, but repeated exposure can lead to permanent hearing damage. It can also cause ringing in your ears or tinnitus which can be permanent too. This can affect every aspect of your life not just how you listen to music. It can affect your sleep, concentration and ability to lead an active life. Some nightclubs and studios can reach volumes of 110dB(A) which is well above the level where noise is damaging to you hearing. That’s the equivalent of a jumbo jet taking off!
Just compare the decibel levels below…
WEAR EARPLUGS
Have you ever tried earplugs? Check out the ones below, nifty aren’t they? They’re small and inconspicuous and have special acoustic filters to ensure that music and other ambient sounds such as speech remain clearly audible. Earplugs help you to continue enjoying your music, whilst protecting your ears from long term damage.
Custom made earplugs provide the best fit, comfort and sound to help musicians and DJs to protect their hearing. These are used by amateurs and professionals for hearing protection as they have filters suitable for reducing the sound level to the level you want, helping musicians to protect their most important asset.
All the top DJs wear earplugs and many support the Action on Hearing Loss campaign Loud Music, which encourages music lovers to listen to music safely.
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Editor’s Note: This is an old article and things have moved on considerably since the original publication date 🙂
For more information head over to the Point Blank Music School website to learn the very latest about our school.