Klarinet Archive - Posting 000235.txt from 2007/09

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Hearing Protection?
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:59:59 -0400

Jason,
I suspect that if you use a less invasive and dense kind of ear
protection, you might just solve your problem. Is it possible that the
fancy ear plugs you've got fit so perfectly that they don't let enough
air out of the ear? (when you pay high notes, it puts alot of pressure
on the ear - and the entire nasal cavity - and literally forces some
air out) Try using those foam ear plugs you can get anany drug store.
They really don't do much - just take the edge off the sound. However,
they are very porous so they don't impede air in or out of the ear. And
they are dirt cheap too, so you've got nothing to lose!

Fred Jacobowitz

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
On Sep 26, 2007, at 6:39 PM, Jason Tiller wrote:

> 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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>

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