Ear Protectors

As a musician, I have to deal with the risk of hearing loss every day. Very few of my colleagues, surprisingly, use any kind of ear protectors, but I use them religiously. You see, while I understand the thrill of hearing music at its loud, full volume, I know that ear protection is worth more than that in the long run. After all, I do not want to be one of those 40-year-old musicians who can't hear anything! Talk about growing old before your time!

One of the complaints that people make about earplugs is that they muffle high-frequency sound too much. Although this is not really a problem if you are using ear protectors for, say, construction, it can be a real problem for musicians. As a musician you have to hear the sound as clearly as possible, even when you want to muffle it. Any ear protector that mutes high-frequency tones will make it very difficult for you to hear what is going on around you and react to it musically.

Fortunately, I found some good musicians earplugs. They do cost a little bit more than most earplugs, but you can get a good set for less than 20 dollars. When you think about it, it is worth it! They are reusable, provide more than enough muffling to deal with most fairly loud sounds, and are pretty easy to clean. The only real problem is that they are also very easy to lose. I've already lost two pairs of them, and I have only been using them for a year. That is why, for normal practice, I use disposable earplugs. I only use the professional ear protectors when I'm having a serious gig or a studio session.

I know a lot of people who prefer a slightly more bulky solution: radio ear muffs. These are great ear protectors for a lot of different reasons. They are excellent in the studio for one thing, and they're also really useful for people who work noisy jobs. I've known some construction folks who actually wear these things pretty much every days. In many ways, the bulkiness is an advantage. They are very difficult to lose or misplace, as you can imagine. Even so, they do have some drawbacks. You can't really use them in a rock show, for example. They just looked too silly! Use plugs instead, and your fans won't even know.