When Music Becomes NoiseBy Sally Ann Connolly

Amplification turns a concert’s music into noise, endangering the hearing health of the audience.

he music was deafening. Literally. Yet I continued to sit there, as did the rest of the audience. We had come for an evening of musical entertainment, first, from the local high school jazz band and,

then, from a nationally renowned swing/jazz/blues group.TThe excessive sounds emanating from the amplifiers, however, had turned the delightful performance by the high school band into unbearable noise. The sounds were not only unpleasant; they were dangerous. I recognized that. “Noise-induced hearing loss” is the medical term. Excessive noise causes immediate or gradual and cumulative damage to hearing, and it doesn’t matter whether the source of the sound is an explosion, an iPod, or a concert.

But I remained seated, socially constrained from escaping the unpleasantness. I stuffed pieces of cotton tissue into both ears. My companion stuffed pieces of napkin. Only after the lady who was sitting next me turned, grimacing in pain, did I say to myself, “That’s enough. I’m out of here.” Sheepishly I retreated to the back of the auditorium, where I remained for the rest of the evening.

Later I discovered that my personal discomfort had been shared. Although they had tolerated the noise, only one-third of the audience returned after intermission.

A report sponsored by a federal government agency in Australia says that in order to protect young people, “venue operators, bands and DJs need to be aware of the level of noise being produced in enclosed venues and the damage which can be caused by repeated exposure to this noise.”

This responsibility is based upon indisputable evidence. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says that “of the 28 million Americans with hearing loss, nearly half are the result of damage from excessive noise.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 12.5% or approximately 5.2 million children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age suffer hearing loss due to excessive exposure to noise.

Hearing loss is not our only concern. Repeated exposure to high intensity sound results also in tinnitus and vertigo as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Instinctively I had followed two of the recommended ways to protect our hearing. I had moved away from the sound source, and I had blocked the sound. Although my ear plugs were improvised and insufficient, they were a step in the right direction. The third recommendation was not feasible. As a mere attendee I could not turn down the volume.

In the future, I will be certain to pack a set of ear plugs when attending a musical performance. This lesson I should have learned earlier. A Disney ice show in Boston years ago and several state-wide dance competitions this past year also had me rummaging through my pocketbook for something to block the noise.

Educators need to step up to protect and preserve our youngsters’ hearing. We should ensure that their learning and recreational environments maintain safe decibel levels. We should provide a curriculum for them and their caregivers that includes information about normal hearing, hearing loss, and the deleterious effects of noise. We should encourage them, in their daily activities, to turn down the volume, take sound breaks, and, if necessary, wear appropriate ear protection. We should also tell them that if they have to shout to be heard, they should muster the courage to stand up and walk away.