# Classical listeners and hearing protection



## Ciel_Rouge (May 16, 2008)

I was stunned to discover that non-classical listeners appear to be totally unaware of the possibility of hearing damage resulting from sounds made by everyday objects. People protect their eyes from glare, dust etc. and this is considered "normal". However, protecting our ears and keeping them in good condition is, quite surprisingly, far less common. Complaining about potentially harmful noises is considered "weird" and the amount of ignorance is beyond me. I am just checking if it's just me... I would like to know your opinions about the following:

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
4. How do you keep your ears clean? 
5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
Yes.

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
For the most part, but sometimes a car rolls through with the bass turned way way up...

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
Screeching brakes, really loud bass on high volume... stuff like that.

4. How do you keep your ears clean? 
I don't know... I just go along with whatever happens, I s'pose.

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?
Not really, but I can generally hear quite well.


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## fox_druid (Feb 12, 2007)

As a FANATIC classical music listener, I would answer : Yes, absolutely!

For me, harmful noise means anything non-classical. Any non-classical music is just as dangerous as harmful viruses around your body and will damage your musicality. Listening to non-classical music is just as dangerous as how smoking can affect your lung. Particularly rock music and it's contemporaries, they're all driven by the satan to take over this world, and to destroy us human. 

I always try to avoid them at all cost. Putting my hands to my ear whenever they're played or come to the next store which do not play those harmful music. They will all just ruin your musicality.


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## Ciel_Rouge (May 16, 2008)

Haha, I read somewhere that ALL music contains satan and it will increase sensuality leading to indecent behaviour  

By "ugly" I actually meant weird sounds produced by everyday objects like styrofoam etc. and not other genres. Although I must admit that now that I really got into classical, some of the non-classical stuff sounds just plain funny and highly unnatural to me.

But seriously, how do you keep your ears in perfect shape? Some people use earplugs, some remove the cerumen with special solutions and they say they are surprised that certain frequencies become available again after that. Of course one can do more damage than good if there is perforation or other conditions in the ear. I was just wandering how to do it right.


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## Mark Harwood (Mar 5, 2007)

Ciel_Rouge said:


> 1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
> _Maybe, but perhaps also to the wonderful sounds that occur, and the potential that is in some mechanical sounds._
> 2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
> _We live on an island, the sounds are fine, except in shops and at work._
> ...


_Thanks for asking these interesting questions, Ciel Rouge._


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I get really angry when buses roll by and planes fly overhead. Sirens wail in the neighbor hood and all the dogs revert back to their inner wolf and start howling. I consider these distractions however, not dangerous for my ears.

I do not mow the lawn myself however. That really does damage hearing.

Pete Townsend has been on a campaign to stop people from using ear buds in iPods, claiming they damaged his hearing. Well maybe, but I saw The Who circa 1975 and I can safely say it wasn't an iPod that damaged Pete's hearing!


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## Scelsi (Jul 24, 2008)

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people?
I'm quite sure that I'm more _aware _of sounds. But I can't really think of an "ugly" sound (have a rather "Cage-ian" look on that). I only get upset with bad timing (ANY sound that disturbs my music-listening experience). And of course I protect my ears from harmfull soundlevels (wax earplugs when mowing the lawn etc).

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
Yes, very.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
No ugly sounds. But "bad timing" sounds: anything from the clock ticking to the hum of the dimmer. Let alone wind, rain, an occasional car, the cat sneeking through the cat-door.

4. How do you keep your ears clean? 
No special treatments

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?
Has been a few years indeed.


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## David C Coleman (Nov 23, 2007)

Firstly, I don't think that all pop and rock music is ugly. There are some pleasant ditties out there that are not too raucous. Secondly, I think that some classical pieces, especially written in the twentieth century, I would put in the category of ugly or raucous. 
Not all sounds from machines etc, are ugly. Ever heard the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine fitted to WWII aircraft - fantastic noise! Some cars make a great noise.
Not everybody is going to agree with each other what is an ugly sound or not...


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## shsherm (Jan 24, 2008)

One of the most frequent causes of hearing loss in middle and older aged people in the US is the discharge of firearms without wearing any sound supression mechanism. Most countries do not have as many firearms available. When I was younger I fired guns mostly when I served in the US Navy. Now as a result I have tinnitus(Ringing in the ears) which is pretty annoying. This has of course been replaced by rock music as a source of hearing damage in younger people.


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## Lang (Sep 30, 2008)

1. As a classical listener, are you more sensitive to ugly and/or harmful noises than other people? 
I don't think so. I am more sensitive to *musical* sounds than other people. Therefore if a noise has a constant frequency it's more annoying than a random sound because it demands my attention

2. Do you consider your environment "clean" in terms of noises that might be harmful and/or displeasing?
Reasonably.

3. Can you name any examples of ugly sounds that you are particularly sensitive to?
I don't think I've ever heard an ugly sound. I do remember standing about twenty or thirty feet from the Hangar Straight in Silverstone, and feeling the pain barrier being reached as the F1 cars approached and went by. A most curious sensation. However, this was only once, and I don't think this was responsible for any damage to my hearing.

4. How do you keep your ears clean?
Wash them.

5. Do you sometimes check your hearing?
I am getting on a bit now, and my hearing has deteriorated with age. I get tinnitus, and I have lost sensitivity in the upper frequencies. I have had them checked, and they confirmed what I knew anyway.


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## Cyclops (Mar 24, 2008)

Well I'll tell you something. I was recently at a steam gala and this huge magnificent steam loco went past us slowly. And because it was going slow there was all this pent up power unable to get out so the noise from this thing was spectacular. My ears were humming-like a rushing sound in my head,and I was cringing as I was filming it. Fantastic sight but good grief it was loud!


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## Yagan Kiely (Feb 6, 2008)

I can't got to popular music concerts for this reason. And I mostly can't go in cars with people who listen to it, or in houses etc. etc.

I can't sound harsh loud noises.


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