You Love Live Music! So Start Loving Your Ears
By Taylor Sandal
I quietly stepped into the studio, careful not to trip over the pile of amps and cords on the floor. I was on a mission, balancing a camera in one hand and an oversized tripod in the other.
“You’re listening to 90.5 KCSU Fort Collins. We have In The Whale live in the studio tonight, and they’re gonna start us off with their song, ‘Galaxie,’” said Mia Sawaya, KCSU’s Local Music Director and DJ of the night’s show.
I quickly popped in my ear plugs, a ritualistic act that has probably saved my hearing on many occasions. All of what I had watched, been told, and read about this band was running through the back of my head; this Colorado band was notably talented — and notably loud.
My body jolted upward, during the first few seconds of the song, momentarily frightened by the wall of sound hitting me in the small space. The sound coming from this explosive duo was energizing, fun, and aggressive at the same time.
If I had failed to remember the ear protection, the consequences would have lasted a lifetime.
Whether people know it or not, concerts and live music events pose serious risks to our hearing health. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, or NIHL, can present itself in the temporary form of tinnitus, or ringing type sounds in the ears. The other form of NIHL, however, is permanent.
Long story short, permanent hearing damage has to do with the human hair cells located in the inner-ear. We’re born with thousands of these sensory receptors, each with the ability to translate vibrations from sound into electrical signals to our hearing nerve. These amazing hair cells are key to our ability to hear.
But when sound at or above 85 decibels hit the ear, our hair cells can break and bend over. Once this damage has occurred, it cannot be undone. Inner ear hairs cannot regenerate like other parts of the human body can.
When you’re having the time of your life rocking out in the front row at a concert with unprotected ears, there is a micro war zone happening in one or both of your ears. The sharp bang on the guitar reminds you why you paid for a ticket to the show, even though you will unknowingly end up paying a much greater price in the future.
Having been in the second row as Bonnie Raitt headlined NewWestFest this summer, close enough to touch the slide guitar of Megan Lovell of my favorite band Larkin Poe at their show, or even my job of filming live bands in the studio for KCSU — I’m by no means telling you to not get as close as you can to the action. In fact, I think that every music-lover should have the experience of seeing great live music up close — as long as you put your hearing needs first.
There are many options for concert-goers, from cheap foam sleeping plugs to the high-grade noise filtering variety. The investment for quality earplugs is definitely worth it, but at least some effort at protection is better than none whatsoever. Bohemian Nights NewWestFest have offered their musicians free custom earplugs from MusicCares, a service which my band was happy to take part in this summer.
The bottom line is if you like to hear the musicians you love and want that same privilege in the future, be smart about protecting your ears at the next concert. Being able to enjoy performances in the future at the same intensity as you are today should be the main priority. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be right in the front row!