It's 2024, we can't keep neglecting our hearing health!
On November 15th, 2023, our director Millicent attended a hearing health workshop in Birmingham, taught by Miles Dakin, the founder of Dakin Custom Audio. Miles Dakin is a guitar player who suffers from tinnitus. Around ten years ago, he got in contact with other professional musicians and sound engineers to develop ear monitors that protected the users' hearing. He also campaigns to bring awareness to hearing issues.
This is what Millicent had to say about the experience:
The workshop was fantastic. I learned about the structure and anatomy of the ear canal, which allowed me to understand better how the process of hearing actually works. Miles Dakin explained that whenever we are exposed to loud and startling sounds, like sirens, roaring machinery, or blasting speakers at live concerts, we might experience ringing in our ears or discomfort. These sensations indicate that some of the nerves on our ears have died, therefore our hearing has been reduced.
This is something that musicians should avoid at all costs. While it's possible for deaf and hard of hearing people to be musicians, as the brilliant Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie has demonstrated, the vast majority of us can't really work without our hearing. It's important, then, that we take measures to protect it. Besides loud sounds in everyday life, we also have to remember that the technology we use for working can be damaging to our ears. In-ear monitors are commonplace, and if the sound engineer isn't careful with the volume control, they can easily hurt us because the sound is being poured directly on our ear canals.
The good news is that there's technology to protect our ears too. I'll soon get special custom-made earplugs to protect my hearing in loud environments. In order to make them, the specialists will take into account both my musical background and ear anatomy. Members of the Musicians' Union have a discount on the hearing health scheme, so if you are part of the union or have considered joining, you could get access to it.
Speaking of the Musicians Union, they're currently calling all members who work with health and wellbeing to participate in an informal meeting that will take place online on January 29th. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss workplace challenges and opportunities regarding health, and identify ways in which the MU can help. Find more information about this event clicking this link.