The Total Hearing Care Difference

Amplifying Performance: How Musicians Can Protect and Preserve Their Hearing

• Dr. Jill Copley • Episode 11

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How Would You Treat Musicians With Hearing Loss - Featuring: Dr. Matt Webster

Your ears are your most valuable instrument. For musicians, hearing loss isn't just inconvenient—it threatens careers and artistic expression. Dr. Matt Webster dives deep into the specialized world of hearing care for performers, where standard solutions often fall short.

We begin by exploring prevention strategies that preserve musicians' remaining hearing. Unlike ordinary foam earplugs, custom musicians' earplugs with specialized filters maintain sound clarity while reducing volume. These passive devices allow performers to monitor themselves naturally while preventing further damage—protection without compromising artistry.

For musicians already experiencing hearing loss, treatment approaches differ significantly from standard care. Dr. Webster explains how audiologists use specialized high-frequency testing particularly relevant to musical perception, and how hearing aid selection focuses on qualities musicians prioritize: lower latency for real-time monitoring and reduced compression settings that preserve musical dynamics. Particularly fascinating is how singers benefit from properly fitted hearing aids that help maintain pitch accuracy during performances.

The conversation addresses the fundamental challenge in treating musicians: hearing aids are designed primarily for speech comprehension (an objective outcome) while music appreciation is subjective and requires different processing parameters. That's why audiologists often create separate programs that minimize signal processing for musicians, preserving the natural characteristics of musical sound.

Whether you're a professional musician, a weekend performer, or simply someone who values music, this episode offers critical insights for protecting your hearing without compromising sound quality. Dr. Webster's final recommendation applies universally: invest in proper musicians' earplugs with appropriate filters—they'll allow you to enjoy musical experiences safely while preserving the emotional power of music.

Ready to protect your hearing or address existing concerns? Contact Total Hearing Care today at 469-218-4853 or visit TotalHearingCare.com to schedule a consultation with our specialized team. Your music—and your hearing—deserves nothing less.

To learn more about Total Hearing Care visit:
https://www.TotalHearingCare.com
Total Hearing Care
Multiple Locations Across the DFW Metroplex
469-218-4853

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference where we help you experience life through better hearing. Hosted by the experts at Total Hearing Care, a leading private audiology practice serving the DFW Metroplex, we're here to provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus and the latest advancements in audiology. Transform your life through better hearing let's get started. Transform your life through better hearing let's get started.

Speaker 2:

Musicians depend on their hearing not just to enjoy life, but to make a living. In this episode, we explore how hearing care for performers goes beyond standard solutions, balancing precision, protection and performance. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host and producer, here in the studio today with Dr Matt Webster. Dr Webster, how are you today?

Speaker 3:

Great thanks.

Speaker 2:

Great. Now, this is such an important conversation for the creative community. How would you treat musicians with hearing loss?

Speaker 3:

musicians with hearing loss. Yeah, so two main things. Number one is even before treating it, is maintaining the hearing that you have currently or is preventing further hearing loss? So I'm a big advocate of custom musicians.

Speaker 3:

Earplugs is what they're called, and it's different from a typical, like foam earplug because it has a special filter in it that, instead of just muffling the sound, it turns down the volume. It's not electronic or anything, it's just a little passive filter that turns down the volume to where you're able to hear in a similar way, so you can monitor yourself if you're singing or playing music. So it still sounds the same, just a bit quieter. Those are a great way to protect your hearing while not dramatically drastically affecting your own performance.

Speaker 3:

Of course, the next item, number two, would be monitoring your hearing with annual hearing tests and if there is a hearing loss, of course you'd be looking at a pair of hearing aids. There are some unique considerations to consider for a person with hearing loss who's performing or singing. Generally, musicians will prefer hearing aids that have a lower latency. A lower input latency, which makes the input latency is the time it takes for the hearing aid to record the sound, process it and then put it back into your ear. Musicians also generally prefer lower compression, so those two things together will give you a more natural sound quality.

Speaker 2:

Now, what are the most common causes of hearing loss in musicians you typically see?

Speaker 3:

So common causes of hearing loss in musicians is gonna be noise exposure from whatever playing concerts or just exposure to loud music, either listening or playing yourself.

Speaker 2:

Now, how does treatment for musicians differ from treatment for the general public?

Speaker 3:

A lot of times we'll do some what we call high frequency testing, which is just we're testing some extra frequencies that are particularly more relevant for music. Versus speech, there's a little bit of a difference in diagnostic testing. It doesn't necessarily dramatically affect the treatment of it, but it's something that a lot of musicians care to keep track of. So that's one of the ways that we differentiate. That and then other considerations with the musician again is going to be the type of hearing aid that you're getting one that's probably going to give you a more natural, sound response.

Speaker 2:

Now, what role do custom earplugs or in-ear monitors play in both protection and performance?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so they're critical for protecting your ears when you're playing, and in-ear monitors are a great way for monitoring the sound versus the traditional wedge speaker that you listen to at your feet, versus the traditional wedge speaker that you listen to at your feet. That's going to allow you to block out the noise in the venue and just have the volume of whatever you're monitoring at a more safe, appropriate level. The key is just not turning it up too loud when you have the in-ear monitors in.

Speaker 2:

Now. Can a musician continue performing after being diagnosed with hearing loss and, if so, how?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, absolutely. I find that it's mostly personal preference. If you're going to use the hearing aids while you're performing or if you're just going to set them aside for the performance. You get to a point where it's quite loud and the hearing aids may or may not be helpful.

Speaker 3:

So it kind of depends on what kind of music you're playing. I know that a lot of singers really like to have the hearing aids in. Maybe they turn them down just a little bit or they have a special customized program or mode for performing. But it helps singers in particular make sure that they're singing in tune and not getting too crazy with what they're putting out there.

Speaker 2:

Now, how do you address a musician's concern about sound distortion or loss of nuance when using hearing aids?

Speaker 3:

Hearing aids. Their main function is to help you hear speech better. Hearing aids are their main function is to help you hear speech better. So generally they're not trying to maintain the integrity of music, they're trying to manipulate the sound so that you can understand what's being said in a conversation. So hearing music and hearing speech are very different acoustic goals. With speech it's objective, it's did you or did you not understand what was said, whereas music it's subjective. We just want it to sound pretty. With musicians, hearing aids often will create a separate program that turns off a lot of the processing of the sound. That would be helpful for speech but maybe would negatively affect your experience listening to music speech but maybe would negatively affect your experience listening to music.

Speaker 2:

Now, what kind of counseling or long-term hearing?

Speaker 3:

management plans do you recommend for career musicians? So definitely, annual hearing tests are important. You want to keep track of what's going on with your ears. That's going to be the biggest thing for you. And then, if hearing aids are in the picture for you, then you want to make sure that they're getting thoroughly cleaned by a professional, probably every six months, just to make sure that you're not having any loss of sound quality with those hearing aids.

Speaker 2:

Any final words of wisdom for us today, Dr Webster?

Speaker 3:

I'll just reiterate my biggest recommendation for really anybody musicians and just people who enjoy listening to music is getting a pair of musicians earplugs with a filter. That makes things sound still pretty but at a safe level.

Speaker 2:

Wow Well, thanks again for letting me be a part of this one, Dr Webster. It was a great reminder of how hearing care truly supports not just health, but passion and purpose. See you next time.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing Care Difference. If you're in the DFW Metroplex and ready to take the next step toward better hearing, call 469-218-4853 to book an appointment or visit TotalHearingCarecom, because when you hear better, you live better. See you next time.