[Trombone-l] Ear Plugs

[Bill Dinwiddie]

I would urge everyone who plays music (and those who don't as well) to carry 
with them a good pair of ear plugs at all times. Even though a certain 
amount of high-end hearing loss is inevitable with age, why should we have 
to lose it any sooner than we have to. Our world is so full of damaging 
noise that many work places have started to insist that their employees wear 
hearing protection. Still, I am startled to see how many younger player go 
on gigs where the band is just way too loud, yet they are wearing no ear 
protection. I carry plugs on every gig and I use them! They do you no good 
if you have to wait for a break and go to your case to get them. Carry them 
in your pocket and use them as soon as anything approaches the levels of 
volume which you know to be too high. I know many players who say that they 
cannot play their horns with earplugs in. To them I can only say: you will 
enjoy playing your instrument much less when, in 5, 10 or 20 years, your 
hearing is shot. If am also surprised to see customers at parties stand 
right in front of the terribly loud main speakers and sometimes they are 
even carrying their 1 or 2 year old children! I throw caution to the winds 
at this point and tell them that they should move their kids away from the 
speakers. Whenever you go home with your ears ringing, remember that your 
ears are sending you an important message: Please protect me !!

Sorry for the rave, but I consider this one of the most important things 
that musicians often fail to consider.

Thanks,

Bill Dinwiddie
billdin at comcast.net