Features

Tech column: plugins for ear protection

On the hunt to find an ear damage prevention strategy for music students, Dale Wills investigates a new offering from OIKLA that can help alter the perceived volume of a sound.
Blue Ring Media / Adobe Stock

Earphones are a bit like cars: they are a necessary feature of modern life, their output is regulated by law, and they both happily exceed their legal limits without too much encouragement. Apple earbuds (as an example) will happily put out 102 decibels which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), will permanently damage hearing after only 10 minutes of exposure.

WHO predicts that nearly half of us are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from personal audio devices, at clubs, bars, and concerts. Recent cases have also highlighted the dangers from performing in bands, as DJs, and even in classical orchestras. As educators, what are we doing to prevent a whole generation growing up with hearing damage?

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