In our everyday lives we hear many different sounds. Many times we hear noises that are harmful to our hearing. When we hear noises that are too loud for a long amount of time or a loud impulse noise, something called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) can occur. In NIHL the inner structures of the ear, which are very sensitive, are damaged.
In the normal system sound waves are transformed into electrical energy. The sound waves are first caught by the outer ear. When the waves reach the end of the outer ear they cause vibrations in the ear drum and then travel to the middle ear. Here the vibrations are carried through three small bones in the middle ear called ossicles. These vibrations are magnified and then carried to the inner ear. After entering the inner ear they flow through fluid in the cochlea, the part of the ear that allows you to hear. The cochlea contains many hair cells which are moved by pressure changes in the fluid and then signals are carried to the brain and perceived as sound. Different levels and variations of sounds have different impacts on the motion of the hair cells. Very loud noises for long or short amounts of time can cause damage to the hair cells, which can cause NIHL (NIDCD, 2002).
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss can be temporary or permanent. The symptoms increase gradually as a person is exposed more and more to loud noises. Sounds begin to sound less clear and muffled. Sometimes a person may not even realize they have a hearing loss (NIDCD, 2002). NIHL can also be accompanied by pitch distortion, speech impairment, and tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears (Prasher, 1998).
Many people all over the world experience loud noises on the job, during leisure time, or at home, and do not even realize they are at risk for hearing loss. Carpenters, construction workers, loggers, firemen, policeman, factory workers and many more jobs involve loud noises. Rock stars who play many shows throughout their lives experience hearing loss. Even younger people who attend concerts, go to clubs, listen to loud music, or play musical instruments are at a risk for hearing loss. At home, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, power tools, and many more items are used, which can also cause a loss. As you can see, there are many different types of people who experience loud noises and many items that can cause hearing loss.
Approximately one-third of Americans have been affected by loud noises (NIDCD, 2000). Usually, hearing sounds of more that 75 decibels (dB) are likely to cause temporary hearing loss, while sounds of 85 dB or more can possibly cause permanent damage. Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, so as the dB increases by 10, the level of sound doubles (Zembower, 2000). To give some examples, a jet taking off emits loudness of about 140 dB. Attending a rock concert or using a chainsaw can give off 110 to 120 dB, and stereo headphones can have a loudness of 100 dB. Conversation is not nearly as loud compared to the previous sounds, giving off a loudness of only 60 dB. A whisper gives off only a mere 30 to 40 dB (Rabinowitz, 2000). Now that you have an idea of exactly how loud certain sounds are, we can begin talking about when a hearing loss can originate, for example, during childhood.
The childhood years have a great impact on whether or not NIHL can occur. If a parent does not realize early in a childís life that hearing loss can be brought about by loud noises, then there is a greater chance of damage once a person gets older. Some types of toys made for children can generate enough sound to cause a hearing loss that could be permanent (Rabinowitz, 2000). There is a really good chance that todayís teens who experience loud noises might end up needing hearing aids at some point in their lives (Current Health 2, 2001). In a recent study, it was found that people who use portable stereos regularly and have a history of childhood ear infections have a greater risk of hearing loss than people who attend rock concerts two times a month or more or work in a noisy environment (Napoli, 1999). Many children are interested in music and decide to join the band in school. Young band students are also at a risk for hearing loss, especially those who play the loudest instruments, the brass and percussion sections. By choosing to play a musical instrument at an early age, younger children are at risk and this risk continues as they play longer.
There are not many studies performed on marching band students, so most of my background will come from general musicians. It has been found that grade school students who are musicians have an increased incidence of hearing loss (H.E.A.R., 2001). Studies have shown that sound levels within concert bands can reach a loudness of 130 dB (Eberwein, 2001). Individual instruments can produce extremely loud sounds that are 90 dB or more, especially the brass and percussion sections (Eberwein, 2001). Solomon (1986) found that even though hearing losses of any kind can cause both personal and professional problems, people who are in the music profession spend a great amount of time in hazardous environments for the ears. Because musicians are exposed to these hazardous environments, they tend to show more problems with hearing later in life. Zeigler (1997) found that there are more reports of tinnitus in music majors than in any other major. Zeiglerís study reported that percussion majors reported the most tinnitus, then the brass and woodwind players. Musicians are also at a greater risk when they play in larger numbers. A band with eighty to one hundred members can produce sound levels of 80 to 90 dB when playing at the lowest dynamics, and loudness of up to 115 dB at the loudest dynamic (Mortenson & Rainbolt, 1992). The type of room played in can affect exactly how loud the band sounds. Rooms used for rehearsing and concert auditoriums are labeled as damage zones because they can produce sound levels equal to factories (Zembower, 2000).
Musicians are at great risk for hearing loss because they usually begin at an early age and are exposed throughout their career. If musicians do not realize at an early age that they are at a risk for hearing loss, they could end up having even more damage as they get older. Marching percussion students require more time in practice together because of the difficulty to get the music right together and the time spent getting the drum line adjusted. Marching percussion instruments probably produce the highest sound levels compared to the rest of the marching band.
The purpose of this study is to determine how much hearing loss can occur in high school marching band students. Not much research has been done on when a hearing loss can originate in musicians. Hopefully, this research will give a better understanding to musicians at risk for hearing loss and explain when the hearing loss can actually start. My hypothesis is that marching band students who play percussion and do not wear ear plugs will have the most hearing loss and that brass players who do wear ear plugs will have the least amount of hearing loss. I expect these results because the marching percussion section experiences the loudest noises during performance and practice time.
Participants
Approximately 75 high school marching band students will be used for this study. Students from Clear Brook High School (CBHS) brass and percussion sections will be studied. The students will be divided into two main groups: those who play percussion and those who play brass. Each of these two groups will be divided into subgroups: those who wear earplugs and those who do not wear ear plugs. There are approximately 20 percussion students and 55 brass students at CBHS. Demographics will be recorded for sex, race and age. Participation will be voluntary; volunteers will be given extra credit in music class for their participation and will be treated in accordance with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 1992).
Apparatus
A pure-tone audiometer will be used to create a hearing profile showing the thresholds for which pitches can be heard (Santucci, 1990). This will be used for initial screening and also for monthly screening of hearing loss. The thresholds will be measured with the audiometer by presenting pure tone stimuli at different frequencies and intensities (Goldstein, 2002). A dosimeter will be used to measure sound levels (Santucci, 1990). The dosimeter measures loudness near the performerís ear and is worn on the musicianís body with a microphone positioned on the musicianís collar (Santucci, 1990). Some band members will be using hearing protective devices (ex: ear plugs). The students will have a choice as to whether or not the protective devices will be worn during the study. All band members participating will fill out a practice card every week in order to determine how much time students spend in individual practice. Band directors will use a time card to record full performance playing times.
Procedure
Students will first be given a survey to fill out or have their parents fill out in order to determine any pre-existing causes for hearing loss. The survey will ask about family history of hearing loss and diseases of the ear (Santucci, 1990). Subjects will also be investigated for any non-band exposure to sounds that could cause a hearing loss. These students will be eliminated from the study. Students will be asked at the beginning of the marching season to keep a practice card to record all individual practice times and whether or not they were wearing earplugs each time. Students from the brass and percussion sections will be tested for any kind of hearing loss due to exposure to music performed in marching practice, performance, and individual practice. For initial screening of hearing loss already present, an audiometer will be used. The existing loudness levels will be recorded for brass players playing individually, percussion players playing individually, and from both brass and percussion players playing in full marching ensemble. (These are recorded for band members who are not wearing ear plugs and are not expected to vary much between the individual and full ensemble playing.) These sound levels will be monitored once a week for the course of the study in order to determine high and low sound levels. The amount of time playing in performance will be recorded by the band director for every performance so that we can know how much exposure there is. At the end of each month of marching season, the students will be tested again with the audiometer. (They will be tested while they are at school). Results will be recorded monthly for each person participating over a course of four years (throughout high school.) The results will be calculated for exposure to music sound levels versus hearing loss over time.
A quasi-experiment will be performed with two quasi-independent variables: instrument and ear plugs. A 2 X 2 factorial ANOVA will be used in order to determine the results. Significant results are expected for the main effect for type of instrument and the main effect for ear plugs. Measures of sound level will be compared to how much hearing loss occurred. The factor of time will also be put into the experiment, by comparing the time for noise exposure for brass and percussion students. Results should show that hearing loss is greater for those who do not wear earplugs and play percussion. Not very many students are expected to use ear plugs because they do not realize that they are at risk for hearing loss and it may make then feel like a ìband nerdî. I will compare the number of students who wear earplugs and the number who do not. (Most expected to wear earplugs are percussion students.) Expected results are that 85% of the students will not use ear plugs in practice or in performance. The results expected are that all the students will experience sounds of 120 dB or even more for at least a time period of a few hours at a time. Percussion students are expected to experience higher levels for longer amounts of time because of more time spent in rehearsal and in practice. The results of this study will hopefully confirm my hypothesis that musicians do experience hearing loss, and that percussion band members will experience more of a hearing loss than brass band members.
Hearing loss is something that musicians will face in their lives. It is definitely very important that musicians protect their hearing at an early age or they will be at a greater risk of hearing loss. There are many different ways to find out what type of musicians are at more of a risk for a hearing loss. If my hypothesis is correct, it will confirm the idea that musicians are at a risk for hearing loss, and that percussion students are at a greater risk than brass students. Another study could be performed comparing the hearing loss rates of concert and marching band members. Marching band students should be at a greater risk of hearing loss than concert band members because music is played louder in marching band. Marching bands must increase their sound in order to be heard and have to practice at the same level they would normally play in a performance in order to perfect their sounds. Woodwind or string instrument players could be added into the study to see which instrument causes the most hearing loss without the use of earplugs. A longitudinal study could be performed to see how these musicians fare as they get older and continue to play. The study could be expanded to college students or even professional musicians. It is very important for musicians to know that their playing can damage their hearing. If more studies were done we may be able to prevent the hearing loss from happening.
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