Friday, January 30, 2009

Ear, There And Everywhere

Deaf Before Dishonour

School music teachers are being warned to wear earmuffs or stand behind noise screens - because beginners tend to blast away much louder than professionals. The most potentially deafening instrument is the cornet, while the flute, oboe and saxophone can become risky after just 15 minutes.

FOOTNOTE: Instruments of torture.

14 comments:

Jinksy said...

Don't know about deafening, but recorders are pretty deadly...

ArneA said...

I played the Trombone and am having heavy times with Tinnitus

Carol said...

Hahaha....brilliant!!!

I used to play the flute and, I don't know about the teacher, but the sounds I made definately hurt my ears when I was first learning!!

C x

Queen-Size funny bone said...

My niece lives next door and she would practice her clarinet on the back porch. the entire neighborhood thought someone was torchering a cat.

Z said...

I would have thought the teachers would have figured this out on their own without having to be told by others. No?

Carolina said...

Huh? What? I SAY WHAT?

squawmama said...

It is hard to believe how many things hurt our ears & eyes... Wait till those kids with the loud cars are deaf and can't see... I heard that the vibration of the music can damage the retina...

(((HUGS)))
Donna

Cheffie-Mom said...

What did you say? I can't hear you. (:

San said...

We once had a trumpeter and a percussionist living under the same roof. Yup, we had to replace the roof.

Kaye Waller said...

That seems like a lot of work and expense when all the teacher has to do is teach them the meaning of pianissimo, and then demand it.

Loudness is the give away sign of the beginner. There's an old saying that goes: "Why do those who are most out of tune sing the loudest?".

ceecee said...

It is so important for people to be careful with loud music. Like ArneA I have a constant ringing in my ears and very bad hearing loss. I probably need not one, but two hearing aides. This was caused by all my freebie concert tickets during my DJ days which placed me up close to the stage and often directly in front of the speakers. I'd like to be able to say that I blew my eardrums out on YoYo Ma, but unfortunatly it was a group I would never admit to seeing!
Catherine

Maggie May said...

I reckon that the beginners violin playing is the worst sound of all.

George said...

Both my children played trumpet. It didn't take 15 minutes for their sounds to become 'risky' when they were first learning!

Shrinky said...

My sis is a music teacher, and her hubby plays Sax, guess I best place the order for her hearing aid now, then? Grin.