Dr. Heargood: Sensaphonic’s Michael Santucci
Of course, all audiologists are ear-friendly, but here is one who is musician-focused. He is Michael Santucci, founder and president of Sensaphonics – a company that designs and produces custom-made ear products designed to control the damaging effects of loud sound. These are the absolute best custom in-ear products for musicians.
His client list reads like a Who’s Who of the current music scene with Sensaphonic customers ranging from 50 Cent, Eminem and the Dave Mathews Band to the US Secret Service, NASA Astronauts and Indy Race teams.
Why do you think some people – musicians, engineers and even fans – seem so cavalier about hearing loss?
Some pretend the problem doesn’t exist. For others, it used to be a badge of honor. The fact is, people know they can’t get their hearing back, so that’s, I think, where the “I’m cool — it doesn’t matter” attitude comes from. For the mainstream musicians, it’s a problem that affects every part of their life, not just their musical careers. The people who come to me privately don’t say the same things you may hear publicly.
Are most musicians aware that they’re subjecting their ears to hearing loss?
I don’t think there’s anyone in the music industry today that doesn’t realize that there are potential risks for hearing loss.
What about younger musicians?
The same thing, in fact, even more so because there has been an outreach effort by Shure, The National Hearing Conservation Association, The House Ear Institute and others.
Is it true that classical musicians are at risk, too?
They play longer, but not as loud. So a violinist might practice six hours a day. One study reported that 70% of the violinists in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have hearing losses in their left ears.
What if I’m a guitar player and I’m starting to sense that I might have a problem?
The entry level for hearing is audiology. Go see an audiologist.
Will my doctor recommend one?
You can call your physician for a referral.
How can our readers find an audiologist who understands hearing conservation?
There’s an organization called the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) with a website. There’s a directory of audiologists who understand hearing conservation and musicians. That’s a good resource. Minimally, you’d like to get somebody that knows hearing conservation, maximally; you’d like to have somebody that understands the needs of musicians. Then, of course, there’s the Yellow Pages.
OK then, let’s say this guitar player goes to an audiologist. Maybe he doesn’t have insurance. What’s it going to cost?
There is a range of costs – maybe $25 to $100, depending on the test and where you live. A screening in a small town is probably going to cost a lot less than one on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Because we deal with so many musicians, we understand that most of them don’t have a lot of money and try to charge accordingly. The question I ask is “What is your hearing worth to you?” And for those people with insurance, it’s usually a covered expense.
Do you think that some people don’t understand the permanence of hearing loss or the inability of hearing aids to fix the problem?
That’s the other thing. I’ve had this conversation on the Internet and one guy said: “Hearing is overrated. I wear a hearing aid, and it does fine. In the future, they’re gonna be able to plant a little microchip on your eardrum.” I don’t know where this guy is coming from — my response was, “ As far as I know in medicine, nothing is as good as the original parts. Nothing. Ever.”
The ‘musician earplugs’ that your company produces require that a mold be made of the client’s ears. What’s the process?
First, we examine the ear for any debris and make sure the ear is healthy. Then, we inject silicone material in the entire ear and have the client make facial movements similar to what they would do while they are playing - while the stuff is setting. We want to make the product comfortable. We have a lab here and the earplugs are generally ready in about a week. It’s a completely painless process.
#1: Fear. They feel that wearing hearing protection compromises the sound quality - they won’t be able to perform as well.
#2: Musicians don’t know there are good tools. They don’t know how to find them or where to find them.
#3: Money. They say, “ Oh, I can’t afford monitors.” I ask them if they know what they cost. And then they find out that Shure makes a very inexpensive one and they say “Oh…” So there’s that.
#4: They don’t think they’re in danger, and I typically get that from classical musicians, or jazz musicians, “Oh, well, we don’t play amplified.”
#5. They just don’t care.
Now hear this: there is no alternative to professional advice. But you can visit the H.E.A.R. site for an online hearing test (it’s a questionnaire) and Quick-Time movies on what hearing loss and tinnitus sound like.
Here’s how it goes. One of three ways:
1. They see us in Chicago. They’re here and they decide they want the best of all services and they come to the office and that happens or I go out to the venue, which is more likely to happen.
2. We refer them to an audiologist. They call us up and say, “ I live in Los Angeles” (or wherever), “and I need an audiologist to do this for me.” And we refer them to someone that we feel is qualified.
3. They fly me to wherever they are. Some of my most successful clients insist on private service.
We talk a lot about the use of personal monitors as being a better alternative than high-volume stage monitors. We read that you suggest having an audiologist actually attend a band performance to help set levels by measuring the SPL during a performance.
That’s correct. It’s done all the time. We made a little hand-held device that can measure the SPL very effectively.
Is that mostly for large touring acts then?
It’s for anyone who can spend the money and commit the time to spend with an audiologist.
Any advice for the band or performer who can’t commit the time or money?
We tell people “ Wear two ear monitors.” Some people like to pull one out. They like to feel the room open in one ear, and the ear monitor sound in the other ear, so they think they’re getting the best of both worlds. The problem is, they end up turning the monitor up. Think about it, when you’re using a telephone, you cover your opposite ear. It’s easier to hear, right? If your ears ring after every performance and only after the performance, your monitors are up too loud. Ringing in your ears is a warning, but your hearing is still at risk if you’ve never experienced it. Keep this in mind: 70% of people who’ve ruined their hearing from loud sound never had ringing, and still don’t have it.
But the most important thing is: get regular hearing tests.
How often?
If you’re using an ear monitor, and you’re doing a lot of gigs, every six months, at least once a year. Check your hearing, and if it’s worse than last time, you’re doing something wrong. You don’t know anything until you find out where you are and where you’re going.
Let’s talk about commercially available ear protection.
I recommend the ER20. They’re less than twenty bucks a pair. We sell them and I think they’re available online and at music stores.
What about the foam kind you can get at drug stores or concerts?
If you can listen to music through them, more power to you. They surely provide some protection. But they usually take out more high frequency than low. If you want to enjoy the show and wear earplugs, go with the ER20.
Then, there’s the really cheap solution. Cotton balls.
Cotton balls kind of take the edge off, so you feel like you’re protecting yourself, but there’s not really a lot of reduction of sound in the cotton ball world. So, we don’t recommend that and besides, people tend to leave little pieces of cotton in their ears. That causes infections.
Finally … best advice you can give: Get your hearing tested, right?
That’s right. By an audiologist.
Shure thanks Michael Santucci for his time in granting this interview. We salute him for his pioneering work and advocacy in hearing conservation for musicians and those of us who love music. You can find out more about Sensaphonics and the company’s hearing protection products at www.sensaphonics.com.
Maybe you’re thinking – “So what? I’ve worn contact lenses for years and I’ve seen commercials that show how tiny hearing aids have become. If I need to, I’ll get hearing aids. What’s the big deal?”
The deal is this: hearing aids aren’t like corrective lenses. They won’t restore your hearing to normal levels. Hearing aids boost all sounds, not just those you want to hear. Especially when the source of sound is far away (such as up on a stage), environmental noise can interfere with good speech perception. And while the aid amplifies sound, it doesn't necessarily improve the clarity of the sound. A hearing aid is a machine, and can never duplicate the true sound that people with normal hearing experience. It can only help you take advantage of the hearing that remains.
For practical information on how you can be good to your ears, Shure has assembled a resource guide for you.
Straight Talk About Hearing Conservation
Dr. Heargood: Sensaphonic's Mike Santucci
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