For Boyce Music and Worship Students
Protecting Your Hearing Health
An NASM – PAMA
Student Information Sheet on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Hearing health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician.
- Your hearing can be permanently damaged by loud sounds, including music. Technically, this is called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Such danger is constant.
- Noise-induced hearing loss is generally preventable. You must avoid overexposure to loud sounds, especially for long periods of time.
- The closer you are to the source of a loud sound, the greater the risk of damage to your hearing mechanisms.
- Sounds over 85 dB (your typical vacuum cleaner) in intensity pose the greatest risk to your hearing. Risk of hearing loss is based on a combination of sound or loudness intensity and duration.
- Recommended maximum daily exposure times (NIOSH) to sounds at or above 85 dB are as follows:
- 85 dB (vacuum cleaner, MP3 player at 1/3 volume) – 8 hours
- 90 dB (blender, hair dryer) – 2 hours
- 94 dB (MP3 player at 1/2 volume) – 1 hour
- 100 dB (MP3 player at full volume, lawnmower) – 15 minutes
- 110 dB (rock concert, power tools) – 2 minutes
- 120 dB (jet planes at take-off) – without ear protection, sound damage is almost immediate
- Certain behaviors (controlling volume levels in practice and rehearsal, avoiding noisy environments, turning down the volume) reduce your risk of hearing loss. Be mindful of those MP3 earbuds. See chart above.
- The use of earplugs and earmuffs helps to protect your hearing health.
- Day-to-day decisions can impact your hearing health, both now and in the future. Since sound exposure occurs in and out of school, you also need to learn more and take care of your own hearing health on a daily, even hourly basis.
- It is important to follow basic hearing health guidelines. It is also important to study this issue and learn more.
- If you are concerned about your personal hearing health, talk with a medical professional.
- If you are concerned about your hearing health in relationship to your program of study, consult the appropriate contact person at your institution.
This information is provided by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). For more information, check out the other NASM- PAMA hearing health documents, located on the NASM Web site at the URL linked below. http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp?page=NASM-PAMA_Hearing_Health
Protecting Your Hearing Health: Student Information Sheet on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss NASM/PAMA: November 2011
Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart Environmental Noise
Weakest sound heard 0 dB
Normal conversation at 3-5 ft 60-70 dB
Dial tone of telephone 80 dB
City traffic inside car 85 dB
1983 OSHA monitoring requirements begin 90 dB
Train whistle at 500 ft 90 dB
Subway train at 200 ft 95 dB
Regular sustained exposure may cause permanent damage 90-95 dB
Power mower 107 dB
Power saw 110 dB
Pain begins 125 dB
Pneumatic riveter at 4 ft 125 dB
Jet engine at 100 ft 140 dB
Loudest sound that can occur 194 dB
Musical Noise
Normal piano practice 60-70 dB
Fortissimo singer 3 ft. away 70 dB
Chamber music in small auditorium 75-85 dB
Regular sustained exposure may cause permanent damage 90-95 dB
Piano fortissimo 92-95
Cello 82-92 dB
Violin 84-103 dB
Oboe 90-94 dB
Flute 85-111 dB
Piccolo 95-112 dB
Clarinet 92-103 dB
French horn 96-106 dB
Trombone 85-114 dB
Timpani & bass drum rolls 106 dB
Average iPod on 5/10 setting 94 dB
Symphonic music peak 120-137 dB
Amplified rock music at 4-6 ft 120 dB
Rock music peak 150 dB