Subject:  Re: Musicians' hearing problems |
Author:
Simon
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Date Posted: 16:17:26 22/08/2001
In reply to:
Lee
's message, "New additions to the RAH stage?" on 14:19:38 22/08/2001
This is a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine (so long ramble coming up), but also nothing new.
Some years ago in the US, an industrial dispute involving (I believe) the Boston Symphony centred around this very issue. I think it ended up being concluded that it was a matter of compliance with health and safety law that the management had to make musicians ear defenders available to all players.
As a (minor) tinnitus sufferer myself, I've become aware over time that this issue is hugely complex. The problem is that there is no accepted physiological causal mechanism for most tinnitus. The medical profession's historical connection between exposure to loud sound and tinnitus was apparently mostly down to prejudice (in the scientific sense) and their inability to explain it any other way. It remains highly controversial. It is quite widely believed that tinnitus has a large psychological element. This may also explain why classical musicians are apparently very subject to it. They are very sensitive to the prospect of damaged hearing for obvious reasons, they hear messages about the damaging effects of loud sound, are aware that they're being exposed to it, and start to consciously focus on their hearing. This sets up a vicious circle of anxiety, which is definitely accepted to exacerbate tinnitus symptoms etc. etc. Some musicians get hyperacusis, which is the exact opposite of deafness. This is a condition (with even less physiological explanation) wherein the suffer hears even the slightest sound as deafeningly loud. Deeply distressing, and poorly understood.
Perhaps interestingly, percussionists don't appear to be particularly subject to hearing problems, despite the perception (not actually correct) that they're the "loudest" players (and the physics of "loud" are not straightforward). I developed tinnitus during my many years as a violinist, long before I went near percussion instruments. If you've ever played the timpani in Mahler or whatever, you'll have drawn the unsurprising conclusion that however loud they sound from other parts of the band or the audience, it seems about 100 times louder when you're sat almost physically on top of them. The same goes for the bass drum, where your left ear is only inches from the batter head. As far as anyone knows there's no particular history of deafened timpanists though. Cymbals and tam-tams are a different matter altogether. Also, perhaps surprisingly, the Glockenspiel and the triangle cause problems. Anything with lots of high frequencies can be at least uncomfortable, if not damaging. I can practice the snare drum in a small room in comfort, provided the snares are off (i.e. it sounds like a tenor drum). With the snares on, it gets unpleasant. On the other hand, a decent triangle with decent beaters is unbearable in a small room due to all the harmonics and overtones. (And believe me, it's also 4000% harder than it looks to play it properly, hence you do need to practice).
However, Mr Wallace's trumpet will also be among the most dangerous perpetrators. In fact, it is the the trombone that is the "loudest" instrument in the orchestra in terms of the sound-pressure-level it can output. The trumpet though is just about the most hearing-damaging instrument due to the combination of the high frequencies it produces, and the very high intensity it is capable of. If John Wallace did have temporary hearing loss and tinnitus after Belshazzar's Feast it was more than likely due to himself and the other 11 trumpets in his section for that exceptionally blasty piece.
Having defended fellow percussionists against the occasional accusation that we're to blame for all things hearing-trashing I would point out that we also know when enough is too much. I know several professionals who will privately admit that they use earplugs in certain pieces. For example, Messiaen's Turangalila symphony. It's imperative to use ear defenders (or at least stick your fingers in your ears if you're not the player) during those huge tam-tam and cymbal rolls at the end of the 5th and 10th movements. That applies to the players and anyone else in the percussion row who's near the instruments. Otherwise you'll either be deafened (tam-tam rolls are truly ear-splitting close up) or you'll be forced to play down an awful lot for the sake of your hearing, which ruins the effect for the audience who are quite safe.
Likewise in the Strauss Alpine Symphony. With 12 horns (whose bells point straight at the percussion remember) blasting away, a huge trumpet/trombone section, the organ, and the barely audible woodwind and strings, the decibel level in the storm sequence is enormous. When the percussion weigh in with two timpanists, bass drum, wind machine and thunder sheet, the highest decibel level recorded in any orchestral work is reached. I'm playing in a performance of this piece next year, and I will most definitely be using ear defenders for the loudest passages.
Tinnitus is a potentially very distressing condition for anyone, musicians perhaps more so. It is also one shrouded in mystery, and an unhelpful blame culture (i.e. GPs tend to implicitly or explicitly blame the sufferer which can make things far worse). If you're a musician, don't abuse your hearing, you should realise how priceless it is. But don't panic about occasional exposure to loud sounds either.
In case of the unlikely event that anyone who is concerned or interested has happened across this post, I suggest you try the web pages of Jonathan Hazell FRCS at University College London / Middlesex Hospital (do a Google/Altavista/whatever search for him and "tinnitus" or "hyperacusis" or go to http://www.tinnitus.org/ ). Here you will find markedly better informed, less alarmist and more helpful information on the subject than in most places.
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