title: Factors influencing use of hearing protection by trumpet players.
abstract: Although a great many brass players, and trumpet players in particular, successfully use high-fidelity earplugs, others report problems with their use. This article discusses factors that may discourage a brass player from using hearing protection: These include (a) a lack of acclimatization time; (b) a loss of "fortissimo blare" from the aural distortion generated by the 110- to 120-dB SPL produced at the open ear with fortissimo playing; (c) a shallow earmold seal, leading to a large occlusion effect; (d) a poor seal combined with incorrect acoustic mass in the sound channel; and (e) hearing loss where many harmonic overtones of even moderately loud playing may become inaudible with earplugs to a lifelong trumpet player with high-frequency hearing loss. The limitations imposed by each of these can usually be overcome with modifications of the hearing protection device (HPD) or with acclimatization time, allowing a lifetime of playing without the all-too-common "musicians' hearing loss" and/or tinnitus. A review of these factors helps to delineate some of the perceptual issues that musicians may have with any change in the spectrum of their instrument-whether it is related to attenuation or amplification.
authors.affiliation: Etymotic Research, Inc., 61 Martin Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, USA. m_killion@etymotic.com
authors.forename: Mead C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Killion
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004430:Ear Protective Devices; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D009146:Music; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D010898:Pitch Perception; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology