Author: Emily Myers Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders
The custom hearing protection in use at a RMB rehearsal!
Research Semester & Future Plans: Spring 2021; Emily will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas this Fall to earn her AuD in the UTD Doctor of Audiology program.
Collegiate musicians are at an elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to their increased exposure to sound levels over 85 dB. Despite the long-term exposure to elevated sound levels, many musicians choose to not wear hearing protection for a variety of reasons, including comfort and fit, sound quality, and pricing.
My research focused on musicians in the Razorback Marching Band and the practice of wearing hearing protection during rehearsals and performances. A survey was distributed electronically prior to the marching season in the Fall that served both as recruitment and data collection. The survey contained questions about average wearing time and reasons a participant may not consistently wear hearing protection. Those who indicated their interest in participating and gave informed consent were brought to the Epley Speech and Hearing Clinic for a battery of audiological assessments as well as the fitting of custom earmolds using a silicone blend in the color of their choice. Once they received their custom hearing protection, the participants were encouraged to wear them during all rehearsals and performances. After the season ended, the same survey was distributed to the participants to see if their wearing time had increased as well as analyze reasons as to why they may not have consistently worn the hearing protection. Over 70 individuals were fitted for hearing protection during this research project. However, data used in the analysis was taken from 36 participants due to issues involving post-season data collection due to Covid-19 complications. Overall, the average wearing time for the participants increased, and sound quality remained a constant concern in both the pre-season and post-season surveys.
I have been a musician playing the trumpet for the past ten years, and up until my time in the Razorback Marching Band I had never used or been exposed to the use of hearing protection in an ensemble setting. When I saw the amount of people in the ensemble that were choosing to not wear hearing protection despite the elevated sound levels, I wanted to find out why and see if there was a way I could increase the wearing time of hearing protection in these musicians. I reached out to my mentor, Dr. Margie Gilbertson, after meeting her at a faculty panel and asked if my research would be something she would be interested in pursuing. After negotiating logistics, the research was underway.
This research taught me that there is not much educational material for hearing protection directed towards musicians. There are recommendations, yes, but very few educational components that are standardized or in place at most institutions. I also learned that even after the provision of custom earmolds, the musicians still found sound quality to be a concern, which could be analyzed deeper in future studies. Covid-19 was the largest issue with my research in the past year. Social distancing, online learning, and shipping delays caused the largest issues that I had to overcome. We social distanced as much as possible with participants in the clinic, sent out more communication emails than in the past to make sure all information was received by the participants, and worked with our supplies manufacturer closely to monitor the status of our supplies. Despite these major roadblocks, Dr. Gilbertson and I were able to continue the project and the fitting of hearing protection.
Dr. Gilbertson helped me every step of the way throughout this research project. She answered any question I had, taught me how to perform every audiological assessment involved in our study, and gave me advice both in my writing and in life. Without her help, this research would not have been possible, and I am beyond grateful for everything she has done. She was a major influence into my passion for audiology and will continue to be someone I admire within the field. I also received support from Dr. Lorenzo, who is the director of the Razorback Marching Band and assisted with the distribution and promotion of my research surveys, and Dr. Fran Hagstrom, who assisted with the administrative portions of my research and helped build a foundation for how I was to conduct my research.
Because of this research, I was able to find my passion in life and establish my future career plans and dreams. I want to continue pursuing hearing conservation in musicians and continue this work on a larger scale, branching out to other types of musicians besides collegiate wind players. To further my education and bring me closer to this goal, I will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas to earn my AuD in the Doctor of Audiology program while also working under the direction of Dr. Colleen Le Prell in her lab focusing on noise injury and hearing loss prevention.