feature
reported their duration of daily exposure to excessive sound levels to be between two and five hours. Regarding classroom acoustics, 10 participants (43 percent) described the acoustics of their classroom as poor or terrible. Fifteen participants (65 percent) taught ensembles that exceeded 60 students, and five of these participants (22 percent) taught ensembles that ex- ceeded 100 students. Despite these factors related to music-induced hearing loss, 17 participants (74 percent) reported wearing hearing protection rarely or never.
The two primary reasons stated among these music educators for not using hear- ing protection were related to musical perception and classroom management. Many of the participants expressed their dissatisfaction with using hearing protec- tion while teaching because of its negative effect on the ability to accurately perceive musical characteristics, such as pitch, balance, and intonation. One participant described the experience as “listening through a closed door.” A few participants reported that some students would “take advantage” and would “play louder, or purposefully play wrong notes.”
Support for Hearing Loss Prevention The level of support music educators receive for hearing loss prevention from school districts and health insurance com- panies is an important factor in protecting music educators’ hearing health. Many of the music educators interviewed in my study perceived an adversarial relation- ship with their school administrators and school board members when they reported concerns related to occupational hearing loss; in a few cases, their requests for ac- commodations, assistance or compensa- tion were met with hostility and ridicule.
My findings also demonstrate that almost half of the participants were either uncov- ered or unaware of the financial support available to them through their insurance or school district for hearing health-related expenses. Only five participants (22 per- cent) received financial support from their school district to purchase hearing protec- tion. Twelve participants (52 percent)
Wisconsin School Musician
stated that their current health insurance plan would cover hearing health-related medical expenses such as audiological ex- ams and hearing protection; however, four participants (17 percent) stated that their current health insurance plan would not cover these expenses, and seven partici- pants (30 percent) were unsure what would be covered under their health plan. All music educators must make themselves aware of the hearing loss protections avail- able to them through their school district and health insurance.
Alternative Curricula and Pedagogy Music educators can reduce the sound pressure levels produced in the music classroom by encouraging students to warm-up quietly (or not at all) before class, limiting the number of concert selec- tions with loud dynamics, and instructing students to play quieter during rehearsals. Other hearing loss prevention methods for teachers and students might include modifying classroom setup to include risers and protective sound shields, and requiring students to use hearing protec- tion during marching and pep band. A more progressive approach might call for music programs to reimagine their curricula by limiting the number of pep band performances, or moving toward alternative musical ensembles that place less emphasis on extremely loud dynamic levels. However, music educators must consider the realities of music program budgets, class scheduling, student enroll- ment and community expectations before considering any of these changes.
Conclusion
Music-induced hearing loss is a threat to the hearing health and career longevity of music educators. The understanding of it is clouded by its underrepresentation in undergraduate music curricula, profes- sional music organizations, and music education literature. This issue affects music educators in different ways and to different degrees. Several of the partici- pants in my study expressed the need for school districts, school board members, and administrators to understand music- induced hearing loss and how it directly affects music teachers and students. School districts have the responsibility and are indeed obligated to provide adequate and safe teaching environments for music teachers and support for those teachers who require accommodation, assistance, or compensation for hearing impairments. Rather than disabling music educators, safe working conditions must be created that enable them to thrive in their chosen profession. Ultimately, music educators must decide for themselves how they will protect their hearing health without sacrificing their musical effectiveness in the classroom.
References:
Chesky, K. (2011). “Schools of Music and Conservatories and Hearing Loss Prevention.” International Journal of Audiology 50(S1), 32–37. doi: 10.3109/14992027.2010.540583
Continued on page 64
facebook.com/ WSMAmusic
63
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
