What?
Hearing Loss is not funny at all. You spend your entire time on and off stage being hyper vigilant about the tiny differences in sound and frequency at your gig. If you have played in bands on huge stages with massive PA systems over many years, you may find yourself dealing with Tinnitus.
According to the Hearing Health Foundation, “musicians are 400% more likely to have a hearing loss and 57% more likely to have tinnitus than the general public.”
If you are a performer, it’s important to not only wear hearing protection while playing, but to get regular check-ups and give your ears a rest from time to time. It can be tempting to think tinnitus won't happen to you, especially when music is a big part of your life.
So wear ear plugs, take regular breaks away from the noise and get regular hearing tests.
This is a link to a free online hearing check. https://www.hearing.com.au/OnlineHearingCheck
Some very famous and well seasoned musicians that struggle with tinnitus include Chris Martin, Will.i.am, Noel and Liam Gallagher, Moby, Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Clapton, Anthony Kiedis, Pete Townshend, and Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.
So make an appointment to get your hearing tested if you notice that you have to keep edging the sound up while watching TV or have to ask people to repeat what they are saying. Directly after playing a loud show, it is common to experience some ringing in your ears. However, if it continues for more than a day, get it checked. Your business relies on your ability to be able to work with sound and frequency at a high level. So look after your hearing.
It is an asset that you really can’t do without.
On stage.
Or off.
Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterprise A Little Pitchy Copyright 2024