Klarinet Archive - Posting 000054.txt from 2002/09

From: w8wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Too Loud
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 15:13:28 -0400

Pardon the pun (below), but in years gone by, I've talked to my teacher
about this and I've listened to her explanation of why she wears ear
plugs when she performs with an orchestra or band, and how she can't
hear herself play and must use other cues in order to blend, and so
forth.....

The bottom line (in her opinion) is: Any complaint would fall on deaf
ears!

Ken, you've been on the List for a while, so you already know that
there's plenty of discussion about loudness in the archives ---
including some of my own messages when I took a sound level meter to a
school dance and I was horrified at the numbers (in addition to my own
physical pain from the loudness).

My youngest daughter was born with hypersensitive hearing and she won't
go to concerts with me unless there's something especially important
about the concert. Nevertheless, when my sound meter reported at the
school dance that the disk jockey was playing music at unquestionably
unhealthy levels, and when I was not able to remain in the dance hall
myself for more than 2-3 minutes at a time, I suggested to my daughter
that we leave.

She replied: "This isn't loud.... I can take it, Dad. You just don't
understand music."

It's a vicious circle. Since the audiences say things similar to what
my daughter said, the promoters, conductors, DJ's, etc feel that they
_must_ play loud in order to keep their audience (and perhaps even a bit
*louder* would draw *more* audience), and the acoustics in this room are
so bad that we 'need' the extra loudness....

The only good result to come from the school incident was that the
school principal said to me, "Finally, someone has given me a scientific
tool" (as if sound meters are a new invention!), and she said that the
school would buy their own meter. My daughter has moved on to the next
school, and so I don't know whether the school is actually using a meter
or enforcing any standards. The social pressure on kids and adults
alike to "enjoy because loud music is a groove!", and the social
pressure to agree that "loud music fills an emotional need and exalts
the listener" are very difficult to overcome.

One statement that I remember (I don't know who said it): "Enjoy our
music from the silence out of which it is born."

Cheers,
Bill

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