PERFORMERS’ HEARING
THE EARPLUG OPTION
The earplugs available to musicians today comprise a plug
moulded from an impression of the musician’s ear, and a
percussive filter. Fiona Butterworth of Musicians’ Hearing
Services warns that these need replacing regularly.
“The filter should last indefinitely; it’s the plug that would
need to be changed,” she explains. “There will be wear and
tear with anything custom-made that you use regularly. The
other thing is that the ear actually never stops growing, so the
fit of the plugs may not be as secure after a couple years of
use. The manufacturers recommend getting new plugs made
every four years.”
There are different filters for various situations. “The level of
filter needed depends on the musician and what they’re doing,”
says Butterworth. “Someone in an orchestral environment might
have a different requirement than a DJ in clubs multiple times
a week. It’s not that there’s one type of musicians’ plug; we’re
really tailoring the plug to the person.”
While some custom earplugs can eliminate sound altogether,
for classical musicians, reducing sound levels by 5-10dB is
more appropriate, says Magne Skålevik of Brekke & Strand.
“The lightest commercial hearing protection gives a 9dB sound
level reduction. In some cases, that is also too much. But one
violinist told me he had custom-made plugs that ensure a 4-5dB
sound level reduction, and that was more adequate.”
says Case. “It’s a much more widespread problem
than people want to acknowledge because
there’s a stigma attached to it. If you’re a classical
musician and you admit you have hearing loss,
your career is done. It’s a huge problem in the
classical music industry, and one that I hope
can be talked about some more.”
Culture and planning
There is no single means by which musicians’
hearing can be protected; rather there are a range
of potential measures. “The main thing that will
have to change is a culture and behaviour rather
than anything physical,” says Helen Butcher, an
acoustic consultant with global engineering firm
Arup. “The thing about the regulations
protecting hearing is that it’s not about physical
spaces; it’s about the exposure of musicians.
It’s all about the activity and the time period,
and much less about the space.”
AUDITORIA 2020 VOLUME ONE 19