Klarinet Archive - Posting 000233.txt from 2007/09

From: Jason Tiller <jason@-----.org>
Subj: [kl] Hearing Protection?
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:39:02 -0400

Hi, All, :)

This is my first post to the list. I look forward to learning a lot
more about the clarinet and the helpful people who play it!

At 38, I have just begun taking up the clarinet (around a year now).
I've been a musician all my life, most recently playing percussion
(handbells) in a professional organization in Oakland, CA. About five
years ago I became concerned about hearing loss & tinnitus while
playing timpani in a community band, so I invested in a set of custom
musicians earplugs with 9dB/15dB/25dB filters from Etymotic Research.
I now wear them full time while playing bells and other percussion. I
am pleased to say that my audiologist thinks my hearing is excellent.

Within the last month or so, I've finally been able to consistently
play in the middle of the altissimo register (Fs and F#s - G still
escapes me). However, with extended practice and, thus, extended
exposure to these high frequencies, I've begun to notice a slight
ringing in my ears after my 30- to 45-minute practice sessions.

I'm familiar enough with tinnitus to recognize this for what it is,
but the ringing is fairly mild, and it dissipates within 30 minutes or
so. I also recognize, however, that this is just the beginning of a
far more serious (and irreversible) condition.

No biggie, I thought - I'll use my 9dB reducers, just like I do when I
play bells. (The 15s are for playing timpani, and the 25s are for
flying.) This works fine for the upper range, but playing notes in
the chalumeau produces MASSIVE BUZZING in my ears. I assume that this
is the result of bone conduction produced by the vibrating reed on my
jaw. The pitch becomes indistinct and the sound feels much more
intense than it does *without* the plugs! Frustrating!

I already practice in a room with high and popcorned ceilings and
non-square angles, so while it's not anechoic, it's also not terribly
reflective.

For those who wear hearing protection, what do you use? Have people
found a method that creates a smooth attenuation across the entire
clarinet range?

Thank you for your wisdom!

---Jason
Sonos Handbell Ensemble
http://www.sonos.org/

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