Klarinet Archive - Posting 000523.txt from 1997/08

From: agrenci@-----.net (Andrew Grenci)
Subj: Re: FALSE ALARM!!!
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 12:21:27 -0400

Andy Scholberg writes:

> I'm shocked to hear that only 60 percent of hard-rock "musicians" are
>going deaf. I would have guessed 95 to 100 percent.
> But the conclusion is fallacious and illogical; it doesn't follow
>from the
>premises. If 60 percent of hard-rockers are going deaf, does that
>necessarily mean that 60 percent of professional orchestral musicians will
>need hearing aids? No. Do I worry about damaging my hearing when I hear a
>symphonic work by Mozart? No. If someone puts the bite on me to chaperone a
>teenage dance, do I worry about my hearing? YES! (That happened last year,
>and it was a miserable experience, but I protected myself with ear plugs.)
> Hard rock and gangsta rap isn't music. It's racket. It's abrasive,
>strident, and grotesque. The volume is routinely cranked up well beyond the
>sound of a jumbo jet at takeoff. I feel sorry for people who make it a
>normal part of their environment. Besides the damage to hearing, think of
>the damage to the soul. The "lyrics" are beyond disgusting.
> If anyone is looking for an alternative to hard rock, let me suggest
>Gregorian chant.
> I'm not afraid to use my ears like a man. I listen to Mahler and Wagner
>without ear plugs, including the magnificent fortissimo brass choirs. These
>great composers marked certain sections FF for a reason: they want us to
>*hear* the sound of fortissimo. How can we hear it if we stuff our ears
>with cotton?
> Rock "music," like the sound of a powerful lawn mower, is noise,
>and it's
>wise to protect your hearing from it.
>
>Andy Scholberg
>ascholbe@-----.com

While I agree with some of Andy Scholberg's sentiments (i.e. one would
generally not need earplugs when performing Mozart, and certain types of
pop music are tremendously louder than classical), I think he is missing
the point. I have not seen anyone on this list recommend earplugs for a
member of an audience at a symphonic concert. What is recommended is
earplugs for performers who are on stage and in the vicinity of dangerously
loud instruments. The decibel level of a trumpet at a distance of a couple
feet can reach 120 decibels. Dittos for tympani. This is not healthy.
Decibel levels decrease drastically as distance from the sound source
increases. A distance of even 10 feet makes a huge difference. The
unfortunately truth is that orchestral clarinetists often have chairs right
in front of the trumpets, and beside the percussion.

AG

Andrew Grenci
New London, CT
agrenci@-----.net

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org