This information was collected from 61 adult musicians (mean age of 46.5 years) 85 youth musicians (mean age of 23.6 years) and 37 children musicians (mean age of 9.7 years). The musicians were asked to fill out a questionnaire to collect information on ear symptoms, music practice and playing habits, knowledge on hearing conservation practice and use of hearing protecting device (HPD) during practice and performance.
8.19.1 Adult musicians with hearing loss
8.19.1.1 Usage of ear protecting devices during rehearsal
Table 8-50 shows that among 37 (Average age = 48.7) established musicians with some degree of hearing loss, only three of the musicians used ear protection devices on a regular basis, four musicians used them 50% of the time, and one musician used them 45% of the time. Seventeen musicians never used ear protection devices, and the majority of the musicians who used the protector did so only during loud passages based on subjective perception.
Table 8-50 Adult musicians with hearing loss – usage of ear protection devices during rehearsal
Percentage of Use Number of people
100% 3 50% 4 45% 1 20% 3 10% 6 5% 2 3% 1 0% 17
8.19.1.2 Usage of Ear Protecting Devices (EPD) during performance Table 8-51 shows that among 37 established musicians with some degree of hearing loss (mean age 48.7 years), only one of the musicians used an ear protection device on a regular basis. One musician used ear protection devices 80% of the time, one musician used them 50% of the time, and one musician used them 40% of the time, but most of these musicians used them only during a loud passage based on subjective perception. Twenty-three of the musicians never used ear protection devices. During a performance, most musicians do not use ear protecting devices because of stress and fear of making a mistake.
Table 8-51 Adult musicians with hearing loss – usage of ear protection devices during performance
Percentage of Use Number of People
100% 1 80% 1 50% 3 40% 1 10% 6 5% 1 3% 1 0% 23
8.19.2 Adult musicians with normal hearing
8.19.2.1 Usage of ear protection devices during rehearsal
Table 8-52 shows that among the 24 musicians with normal hearing (average age: 42.6 years) only one of them used ear protection devices 100% of the time. Eleven musicians used them only during loud passages, based on subjective perception. Twelve of the musicians did not use ear protection devices at all.
Table 8-52 Adult musicians with normal hearing – usage of ear protection devices during rehearsal
Percentage of Use Number of People
100% 1 50% 1 40% 1 20% 1 10% 4 5% 2 5% 2 0% 12
8.19.2.2 Usage of ear protection devices during performance
Table 8-53 shows that out of the 24 musicians with normal hearing (average age: 42.6 years), only one of them used ear protection devices 100% of the time. Three musicians used them only during loud passage based on subjective perception, and 15 of the musicians did not use ear protection devices at all.
Table 8-53 Adult musicians with normal hearing – usage of ear protection devices during performance
Percentage of usage Number of musicians
100 1 80 1 50 1 40 1 10 3 5 2 0 15
8.19.3 Youth orchestra musicians
Among the 85 youth musicians (mean age: 23.6 years), although many are aware of loud music and the danger of hearing loss, musicians’ ear plugs are only accessible to a few – 12 out of the 85 musicians. Two musicians used musicians’ plugs on a regular basis, two used them 50% of the time, five used them only during loud passages, and three musicians seldom used them. Using hearing protection as well maintaining the quality of the music is reported to be the major issue.
8.19.4 Children orchestra musicians
Among the 37 child musicians (mean age: 9.7 years) who are part of the two school orchestras surveyed, only four were partly aware of the risk of hearing loss due to loud music, and none of them used any form of ear protecting device. Only three of them took up the offer of custom-made musicians’ plugs. Following up after two years, they were found to be using the musicians’ plugs on a regular basis and reported that the music perception is not distorted.
8.19.5 Reasons for not Using Ear Protecting Devices (EPD)
8.19.5.1 Adult musicians – Reasons for not using musician plugs
Figure 8-11 Adult musicians – the reasons for not using musicians’ plugs
Results: Figure 8-11 shows that in adult musicians, the reasons given for not using ear protection devices as follows: 12 of the musicians (19.7%) felt that the quality of music is affected; 11 musicians (18%) did not like them (they feel unusual); eight musicians (13.1% ) did not use them for fear of making a mistake and stress; six musicians (9.8%) felt it is not practical to use them; five musicians (8.2) felt plugs blocked feeling; five musicians (8.2%) did not want to be seen wearing them; five musicians (8.5%) felt they had a resonating effect on the music heard, two musicians (3.3%) said they forgot to take them along; and seven musicians (11.5%) had other minor issues with wearing ear protection devices such as poor fit, not used to wearing them, they gave unusual feelings etc.
8.19.5.2 Youth musicians – Reasons for not using musicians’ plugs
Figure 8-12 Youth musicians – the reasons for not using musicians’ plugs
Results: Figure 8-12 shows that among the youth orchestra musicians, 14 (16.5%) said they cannot afford musician’s ear plugs; 24 (28.2%) did not know what to wear; two musicians (2.4%) said they forgot; one (1.2%) thought they were inconvenient; one (1.2%) thought they look silly; 11 musicians (12.9%) thought the music was not loud enough to warrant using them; 25 (29.4%) thought the quality of music would suffer; two musicians (2.4%) would not wear them for fear of making mistakes; and five (5.9%) felt them uncomfortable.