Classical listeners and hearing protection

[Ciel_Rouge]

I was stunned to discover that non-classical listeners appear to be totally unaware of the possibility of hearing damage resulting from sounds made by everyday objects. People protect their eyes from glare, dust etc. and this is considered "normal". However, protecting our ears and keeping them in good condition is, quite surprisingly, far less common. Complaining about potentially harmful noises is considered "weird" and the amount of ignorance is beyond me. I am just checking if it's just me... I would like to know your opinions about the following:

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
4. How do you keep your ears clean?
5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?

[Gurn Blanston]

I am likely out of the norm for your survey, since I am an industrial safety professional, and hearing protection is a large part of my business.

But before that, I was an electrician for 27 years, mostly in construction and industrial environments, and I did irreparable damage to my hearing. It wasn't chic in the 70's or even the 80's to wear hearing protection, and now I pay the price every time I listen to music.

The best I can do for myself is to not make it worse, which is why I never "crank it up", I have accustomed myself to listening at lower volumes and now that has become normal for me, which is a good thing. The best I can do for the people who work for me is to be a fanatic that they wear hearing protection. Since I have myself to use as an example, having to make them repeat things often, this has proven quite effective.

Odd noises don't bother me particularly, since I can't hear them mostly (especially in the range of the "done" alarm on a microwave, for example). I get my ears power washed annually by my doctor. I check my hearing every year.



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Listening to:
Jean-Baptiste Lully: L'Orchestre du Roi Soleil - Savall, Jordi - Alceste, ou Le triomphe d'Alcide, opera, LWV 50: Loure pour les Pêcheurs

[Sorin Eushayson]

I am likely out of the norm for your survey, since I am an industrial safety professional, and hearing protection is a large part of my business.

But before that, I was an electrician for 27 years, mostly in construction and industrial environments, and I did irreparable damage to my hearing. It wasn't chic in the 70's or even the 80's to wear hearing protection, and now I pay the price every time I listen to music.

The best I can do for myself is to not make it worse, which is why I never "crank it up", I have accustomed myself to listening at lower volumes and now that has become normal for me, which is a good thing. The best I can do for the people who work for me is to be a fanatic that they wear hearing protection. Since I have myself to use as an example, having to make them repeat things often, this has proven quite effective. To answer the questions listed above...



Odd noises don't bother me particularly, since I can't hear them mostly (especially in the range of the "done" alarm on a microwave, for example). I get my ears power washed annually by my doctor. I check my hearing every year.

Well, I feel quite ashamed at the moment since I'm known to play my Beethoven quite loudly in the car.    Come to think of it I'm probably pretty likely to suffer from hearing damage later on since I work in a loud facility, lots of crashes and clanks with the continual grind of machinery going on in the background. 

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?

I'd say yes.  I'm noticing more and more lately that certain genres of 'music' which shall remain nameless really offend my ears and I'm finding that I'm aware of sounds I wasn't before.

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?

At home, yes, but at work, no.  In fact my workspace is very noisy.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?

The aforementioned 'musical' genres shall still remain nameless.

4. How do you keep your ears clean?

Brace yourself for this: I used to have huge fungal build up in my ears.  I would go in for treatment after treatment but they couldn't figure out what was wrong; it wasn't until I went to a specialist that the situation was made clear.  He gave me some anti-fungal drops and I've not had ear trouble since, not the slightest bit of buildup.  Squeaky-clean ears!    Too much information, okay, okay... 

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?

Errr, I haven't had a hearing checkup in ten years, so that's a 'no.'

Well, I think I scored pretty low on the hearing safety test.  Perhaps I should be a bit more careful in the future... 

[Ciel_Rouge]

By "ugly" I actually meant weird sounds produced by everyday objects like styrofoam etc. and not other genres. Although I must admit that now that I really got into classical, some of the non-classical stuff sounds just plain funny and highly unnatural to me.

[Bulldog]

I was stunned to discover that non-classical listeners appear to be totally unaware of the possibility of hearing damage resulting from sounds made by everyday objects. People protect their eyes from glare, dust etc. and this is considered "normal". However, protecting our ears and keeping them in good condition is, quite surprisingly, far less common. Complaining about potentially harmful noises is considered "weird" and the amount of ignorance is beyond me. I am just checking if it's just me... I would like to know your opinions about the following:

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
4. How do you keep your ears clean?
5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?

I don't concern myself with any of the above except for keeping my ears clean.

[jochanaan]

By being a performing musician, I've probably lost a fair amount of physiological hearing; those trombones are really LOUD!  And I'm usually more or less right in front of them! But because my ears are so important to me, I've gained a lot of awareness regarding what I'm actually hearing.  Most especially, there is no such thing for me as "background music;" I've often commented on Muzak in grocery stores etc., only to find that my non-musician companions have been completely unaware of it!

As for "ugly" noises, it probably even out, since cymbal crashes and bass-drum smashes aren't particularly "beautiful" in isolation. Loud sounds can still startle me, though, if they're unexpected.  Those clunks and rumbles when the garbage truck empties the dumpster in the morning aren't as loud as sitting in front of trombones and timpani--but I expect the timpani hits.

[DavidW]

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
As someone that lives in a small town, I probably am more sensitive to ugly noises that city slickers have become accustomed to.

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
Yes both work and home are quiet, except at work you can hear the quiet hum of the lights.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
I don't like tornado sirens because it makes me think that I'm going to die.

4. How do you keep your ears clean?
I recently discovered that my ear clogging problem is related to congestion, and I use nasal sprays for it.  It works.  I have a powerful one, but I'm regularly using saline sprays and soon I'll be able to quit the powerful one.

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?
Nope.

[CRCulver]

I find that a lot of people who are really passionate about classical music listen less and less to recordings as time goes on, preferring to read scores and attend the occasional concert. Some degree of hearing impairment isn't much of a problem.

[DavidRoss]

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people? More than some, less than others.  Doubtful whether liking classical music has anything to do with it, but watching a few minutes of the Grammy awards show last night before being so appalled by the awful performance featuring the talentless Justin Timberlake tends to affirm my belief that classical fans might well be more sensitive to harmful, ugly noises than fans of pop.

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing? I live in a quiet neighborhood comprising single-family homes at the edge of a farm town.  My coffee grinder makes obnoxious noise, but does a great job so I tolerate it for a minute or so each day.  When crop dusters or harvesters are working the fields at the end of the street it can be a bit noisy out, but the spls at my home are not harmful.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to? Yes.  See Justin Timberlake, above.  In the same category as "rap" or "metal" or most other forms of pop when adolescent punks blast their noise at high volume in public from their cars.  One seldom hears Mozart under similar circumstances.  Other particularly ugly sounds include jackhammers, car crashes, and the ignorant blather of politicians and their media whores falsely presented as "experts" on TV news programs.

4. How do you keep your ears clean? Infrequent irrigation with peroxide solutions and warm water to flush out wax buildup.

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing? Yes.  These days my high frequency hearing extends only to about 16KHz.  My wife has given up trying to train me with the dog whistle.  Enchiladas are more effective.
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[eyeresist]

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
I don't think it's anything to do with being a classical listener. Living in apartments has made me much more aware of, and thence more sensitive to, the noise of others.
As a music lover in general, I find I am unable to overlook or "listen past" music played in public, i.e. pubs or cafes. If the music is bad it drives me to distraction because I can't tune it out! My theory is that people who aren't bothered by bad music in public places don't really care about music except as a "lifestyle accessory".

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
Nowhere is safe! I would ideally live in a sound-proof bunker.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
Apart from hip hop so loud it shakes the whole building at 3am... any sound I have not chosen to listen to is disturbing if above subliminal volume. Sub bass sounds seem more difficult to escape.

4. How do you keep your ears clean?
Warm water and soap in the shower, cotton tips afterwards.

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?
No. But as I no longer expose myself to very loud music, I don't suffer from intermittent deafness, only very rare tinnitus. I guess things will get worse as I age, but for now I'm happy with my hearing.