Employers, music venue operators, schools and colleges,
and anyone responsible for music-related activities should
consider the following recommendations:
1. Educate musicians and those involved in the industry about the importance of using increased
distances between individuals and arrangements
of instruments to reduce overall noise exposure
during practice and performances.
2. Develop a hearing conservation program that
includes annual audiometric testing and training
about protecting musicians’ hearing.
3. Encourage participation in education and awareness campaigns of music-induced hearing loss, see
a list of resources in the “more information” section
below.
4. Since music levels fluctuate greatly from one
practice or performance to another, conduct regular sound level assessments at a reference location
and establish an average and a range of music levels during rehearsals and performances. Conduct
personal exposure monitoring of performers and
exposed staff. Assessments should be conducted,
where practicable, by a certified industrial hygienist or an occupational safety and health specialist.
5. If sound level assessments show elevated levels
(consistently exceeding the NIOSH limit of 85 dBA),
consider reducing the amount of time musicians
and staff are exposed through rotation or offering
frequent breaks in quiet areas.
6. Work with musicians and affected workers to
identify hearing protection solutions that work
best for the individual. A variety of hearing protection options are available from inexpensive foam
earplugs to potentially more costly products designed specifically for professional musicians and
other entertainers.
7. Although more studies are needed to verify the
effectiveness of general noise control solutions for
musicians’ workspaces, the following features may
be effective in reducing
the overall sound exposure levels among musicians and staff:
• Consult with architects, acousticians, and sound engineers to create the best desired and most effective musical workspace
• If the workspace for musicians or staff is very reverberant, treat certain sections of walls and ceilings with sound
absorbent material to reduce reverberation time. Higher
ceilings also help reduce reverberation for high energy instruments such as brass instruments and percussion
• For rehearsal and practice, consider using appropriate
size rooms for the number of musicians
• Placement, spacing, and use of enclosures can help reduce overall sound levels from certain instruments
• If rooms or venues have hard reflective surfaces, position instruments and speakers to direct sound away from
musicians
Musicians and workers in the music industry should consider the following recommendations:
1. When possible, play music at lower levels during
individual and group rehearsals. If using amplified
speakers in live performance, work with sound engineer to adjust the volume down to desired but
acceptable levels.
2. If you use In-Ear monitors (IEM) to listen to vocals and stage instruments, work with your sound
engineer and fitting audiologist to reduce sound
output to workable levels, especially during practice and rehearsals.
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