Warning - Decibels and Hearing Loss
Yesterday, while Clara was playing with her friend Kate, they began screaming while jumping on a mini-trampoline. The noise from their high-pitched voices put an immediate stop to my conversation with Kate’s mom.
It reminded me to answer a reader’s question from the mailbag today. He wonders if playing musical instruments can cause hearing loss. We’ll look at that and more.
"Hi Tania,
As somebody who is an expert in this field I was wondering what information if any you may have on Music Induced Hearing Damage (MIHD). I play the violin and have been wondering recently if I am causing damage to my hearing in the course of my daily practice. I can't seem to get a straight answer from anybody on this subject. There are some statistics claiming that 50% of classical musicians and 30% of rock musicians have some degree of hearing damage."
Thank You,
Vuk Bulajic
Great question, Vuk. You CAN receive hearing damage if you’re a musician. For classical musicians hearing damage most often occurs when they play in an orchestra. Not so much from their own playing, but from the brass and percussion section behind them.
Hearing loss begins when you have sustained exposure from 90-95 dBs and upwards. A violin plays between 82-92 dBs. Sustaining a loud violin sound long enough to cause damage would be very difficult, if not downright impossible.
You’d have to play for eight straight hours at 90 decibels to cause hearing loss.
Other instruments have a higher decibel range. For example, a cello ranges from 85-111 dBs, whereas the clarinet and trombone range from 85-114dBs.
Now let’s look at LIVE symphonic music and rock music.
A symphonic climax ranks between 120-137 decibels. Pain in your eardrums begins at 125 decibels. If you listen to 15 consecutive minutes of music at 115 decibels you’ll cause hearing damage. So, yes, a long symphonic climax could cause damage, even to members of the audience.
As loud as symphonic music can be, rock music comes out even louder. No surprise there. Hold on to your seats, because the decibel level for a peak rock concert is 150 or more. That’s really painful.
I’ll be sharing more on high decibels and their effect on your health.
Meanwhile, restore your equilibrium by listening to sounds of rejuvenation and joy. The Secret Power of Words and Music is your ticket to healthy, positively charged music.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. Only 4 copies left. Reserve your free package of The Science of Getting Rich for Creators when you join the rewarding and fabulous Sounds of Gold Inner Circle.
It reminded me to answer a reader’s question from the mailbag today. He wonders if playing musical instruments can cause hearing loss. We’ll look at that and more.
"Hi Tania,
As somebody who is an expert in this field I was wondering what information if any you may have on Music Induced Hearing Damage (MIHD). I play the violin and have been wondering recently if I am causing damage to my hearing in the course of my daily practice. I can't seem to get a straight answer from anybody on this subject. There are some statistics claiming that 50% of classical musicians and 30% of rock musicians have some degree of hearing damage."
Thank You,
Vuk Bulajic
Great question, Vuk. You CAN receive hearing damage if you’re a musician. For classical musicians hearing damage most often occurs when they play in an orchestra. Not so much from their own playing, but from the brass and percussion section behind them.
Hearing loss begins when you have sustained exposure from 90-95 dBs and upwards. A violin plays between 82-92 dBs. Sustaining a loud violin sound long enough to cause damage would be very difficult, if not downright impossible.
You’d have to play for eight straight hours at 90 decibels to cause hearing loss.
Other instruments have a higher decibel range. For example, a cello ranges from 85-111 dBs, whereas the clarinet and trombone range from 85-114dBs.
Now let’s look at LIVE symphonic music and rock music.
A symphonic climax ranks between 120-137 decibels. Pain in your eardrums begins at 125 decibels. If you listen to 15 consecutive minutes of music at 115 decibels you’ll cause hearing damage. So, yes, a long symphonic climax could cause damage, even to members of the audience.
As loud as symphonic music can be, rock music comes out even louder. No surprise there. Hold on to your seats, because the decibel level for a peak rock concert is 150 or more. That’s really painful.
I’ll be sharing more on high decibels and their effect on your health.
Meanwhile, restore your equilibrium by listening to sounds of rejuvenation and joy. The Secret Power of Words and Music is your ticket to healthy, positively charged music.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. Only 4 copies left. Reserve your free package of The Science of Getting Rich for Creators when you join the rewarding and fabulous Sounds of Gold Inner Circle.
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