Hear this before you lose it
For a person considering a career in music, hearing is of the utmost importance. However, many acoustic instruments go beyond the safety and health limits when playing them, which put classical, traditional, and jazz musicians at a high risk of hearing impairment. Music blaring at 95-120 dB has a cumulative effect on hearing and is risky for the ears.
The sound waves we receive via the ears are processed by the brain and have a profound effect on our balance, hearing, and speech. If there is excessive sound stimulation, the nervous system can get overloaded and give rise to negative symptoms as far as health is concerned.
If you sense a continuous ringing in the ears at any time, there is something awry. You may be developing hearing conditions like tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and hyperacusis (hypersensitive hearing). Both of these conditions can be career-threatening for musicians.
The simplest way to prevent hearing damage is to wear hearing protection when concerts are underway and at rehearsals as well. Before, the only commercial earplugs available were made of yellow foam. These tended to block out vital frequencies that a musician needs to hear to play in sync. However, today, top-quality earplugs are available over the counter that do not cost much and yet provide excellent sound quality.
The intensity of sound is measured in decibels, and hearing loss can occur from either a single exposure to excessive decibels or repeated exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set an average exposure level of 70dB in 24 hours as the standard of sound which will prevent hearing loss. You are advised to wear earplugs in noisy places because they reduce the decibel count appreciably to make the environment safe for you.
Reports have stated that drummers, buglers, and pipers, in the course of their practice, can exceed these exposure levels, and therefore they should be treated as at risk of hearing damage and subjected to annual hearing testing.
A bagpipe has the power to cause hearing damage if it is played for a period exceeding 24 minutes, and many pipers practice their art in unsuitable areas without thinking about its impact on their hearing. Therefore if the piper is playing indoors, they should only play for 15 minutes and only 6 minutes in echo prone areas. By doing so, there can be a limit on excessive sounds, and the hearing can be protected.