Musicians’ Hearing Program

These precision in-ear monitors will be music to your ears at every performance, every time.

To perform your best, you need to hear your best. Stage performers are routinely exposed to hearing damage both from amplifiers and the ear monitors that must be turned up to potentially harmful levels just so that they can be heard above the music. Inside-the-ear musician’s monitors replace traditional wedge-shaped monitors with precise, isolated sound delivered directly to you, so that you can stay in tune and perform your best.

Today’s professional musicians know that the superior fit and sound quality of in-ear monitors provide clearer sound and effective sound monitoring at much lower volume levels. This means you can hear and perform your best while protecting your hearing from the prolonged exposure to loudspeakers and from damage to your hearing — one of your most precious resources as a musician.

 

We specialize in hearing care for people who love music

It is the mission of Boston Audiology Consultants and the Musicians’ Hearing Program to allow musicians and music lovers to remain safe in their chosen sound, with as little impact on their musical experience as possible. Hearing injury prevention and treatment is available, and done correctly, can enhance the musician’s ability to monitor, perform, and engage.

Dr. Fligor is a Gold Circle audiologist in Sensaphonics audiologist network and Hearing Solutions Provider for Etymotic Research, Inc.

He is recipient of the Natalie Stukas Hearing Conservation Award (2012) and Active Advocate of the Year Award (2007) for advocating hearing loss prevention in musicians and the public. He is an adjunct professor at Salus University (Elkins Park, PA), teaching Managing the Musician’s Ear to students in the Doctor of Audiology program, GSO School of Audiology.

The image to the left is of a plaque given to Dr. Fligor by BoysLikeGirls in appreciation for audiological care before their first album.
(Click the image to see a larger view)

 

What makes an earplug sound good, what makes it sound bad?

A recent study from the Netherlands showed that only about 6% of people attending a concert use earplugs? Why!? As many as 80% of concert attendees reported after the show they had temporary or permanent tinnitus (ringing, buzzing or hissing noises in the ear or head).

You go to a concert to listen to the music, that’s why… not a muddy version of the music that sounds like you are listening to it from the parking lot. If you are a musician, using earplugs can make it very hard to listen to yourself and blend with your bandmates – this compromises your performance, and could mean you lose your job. But is it worth it to lose your hearing, or get debilitating tinnitus?

Musicians Earplugs™ were first available in 1988, after the folks at Etymotic Research found lots of music-induced hearing loss in members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. These earplugs are supposed to be “flat” (that is, they bring down sound level by the same amount across the low-to-high pitches). They can be, but only if the audiologist taking the earmold impression and the lab that makes the custom-made earplug-sleeve both do a really good job. Dr. Fligor has inherited dozens of musician patients/partners who could tell their “flat” earplugs weren’t really flat; it was due to the earplug sleeve being too short and the sound channel going through being too narrow. He also verifies every earplug he fits with a probe-tube microphone, to ensure they are within the correct range of sound reduction across pitches.

 

Custom Earbuds Better Than Headphones?

Media and music are more accessible than ever, making earbuds and headphones essential. With the rise in technology, it’s no surprise that there’s a rise in hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 13 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older have hearing loss in both ears.

 

Benefits of Custom Earbuds

Listen and Learn: Think about when you turn up your headphones. It’s probably during your favorite song, or to block out background noise. This common theme is what really hurts your hearing. With custom earbuds, you don’t have to worry about that annoying background noise; their secure, custom fit allows you to hear what you want to and not what you don’t. Noise-cancelling headphones are also a good option.

Plus, you can pick the colors of your technology, which adds to their appeal!

 

How to Protect Your Hearing When Using Earbuds

There are other ways to reduce the effects of loud music on your hearing.

• Be conscious of your volume (most listening devices allow you to set a warning when you’ve turned up the volume to a possibly harmful level).
• Be conscious of how long you’re listening to your music and at what volume.
• Don’t believe the myth that certain music is more damaging than others; it’s all the same. What really matters is the decibel level and the length of time you listen.
• Try the 60/60 rule — listening to your headphones or earbuds at 60% volume for 60 minutes at a time.

 
Love live music? Consider getting custom earplugs, which are customized for optimal fit and function by us for you!