Music & Hearing Loss

Hearing and Musicians Sound Levels in Practice Rooms

• Hypothesis: Sound levels in student practice rooms would be high enough to trigger OSHA regulation were the School of Music an industrial site
• Methods: Measurements were taken of student practice sessions with a dosimeter attached to one shoulder.
  
• Results: Mean sound levels exceed 85 dBA, the level at which OSHA would mandate a Hearing Conservation Program.
• Sound level measurements in music practice rooms   (PDF)  MPR (Vol.2, 36-47)

Hearing Acuity in Undergraduate Music Students

• Hypothesis: A significant number of undergraduate music students will demonstrate a noise notch.
  
• Methods: This is the fourth year of a longitudinal study of hearing in undergraduate students.
  
• Results of the first four years’ measurements show that about 50% of the students who participated had a noise notch 15 dB in depth at 6000 Hz. 12% of students demonstrate bilateral notching at 6000 Hz.
  
• Environmental Factors in Susceptibility to Noise-induced Hearing Loss in Student Musician (PDF)


• Prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in student musicians (PDF)

Genetics of Noise-induced Hearing Loss

• Genetic Bases of Music-Induced Hearing Loss 
• Hypothesis: A clear phenotype will make it possible to explore the association of susceptibility or resistance to NIHL with particular alleles.
  
• Methods: Buccal samples are collected from students with bilateral notching for allelic analyses. Daily sound dose measurements are also taken for these students. Students matched for instrument played with no hearing loss will be included in the control group.
• Genetic Bases of Music Related Hearing Loss (PPT)