Be Decibel Smart: Protect Your Hearing

November 1, 2026

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However joyous the music is this time of year—trumpets, drums, and bells ushering in the holidays—if you’re a musician performing in proximity to cymbals or in front of the timpani you are susceptible to a range of sound, not all of it music to your ears.

Orchestras are traditionally unamplified, but as louder acts from other genres—Broadway shows, pop, and rock bands—are added to concert programs, the decibel (dB) quotient can take a deafening neurological toll on performers. According to a study published in the journal Noise and Health, brass, woodwind, and percussion players regularly face sound in excess of 85 dB.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stresses that any sound over 90 dB is considered likely to cause some hearing loss after prolonged exposure. But most audiologists recommend taking precautions at 85 dB.

Earplugs and On-Stage Protection

High-quality musician earplugs bring down pitches equally so there is no distortion of sound. Consult with an audiologist to find the best option for your instrument and the type of music you play. But remember that some protection is always better than none.

Musicians’ earplugs are specifically designed to attenuate sound without compromising clarity. Music sounds perfectly balanced in terms of the highs and lows, just lower in volume. Different sets can be ordered with varying decibels of attenuation, depending on the reduction in volume that best suits your needs.

Making Symphonies Safe with In-Ear Monitors (IEMs)

Many professional musicians wear personal in-ear monitors (IEMs) that allow them to hear their own music, as well as other musicians on stage, at a safe level. Using these monitors and eliminating on-the-stage wedge monitors lowers the overall stage sound level.

Properly fitted IEMs offer significant isolation from unwanted ambient sound, reducing the noise floor (background and equipment noise) and allow the monitor mix to be heard with full clarity. Using IEMs puts monitoring level control in the hands of the performer.

The Colorado Symphony has equipped all 80 of its full-time musicians with state-of-the-art Sensaphonics 3DME active hearing protection, thanks to a generous donor gift. This initiative represents one of the most comprehensive efforts in the orchestral world. Other peer organizations that have made hearing protection a priority include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Philadelphia Orchestra has groundbreaking hearing protection written into its new contract (see page 10).

Managing Sound

Professional isolating earphones are another effective option. A distressingly common practice is using one earphone, leaving the other ear open. By removing one earpiece, the other one sounds 6 dB quieter, which usually results in the performer turning up the volume. In addition, the other ear is completely unprotected. Always use both earphones.

For gigging musicians, it makes sense to invest in a small battery-powered sound pressure level (SPL) meter, especially for anyone working long hours in the recording studio. With a SPL meter, you can monitor levels to keep sound safe.

Unexpected sounds—someone unplugging a phantom-powered microphone or a blast of RF noise—can cause a near-instantaneous peak in excess of 130 dB sound pressure level (SPL), the equivalent of a gunshot near your eardrum. Your personal monitor signal chain should always include a limiter at the receiver with extreme settings (referred to as brick-wall limiting) set well below the level where hearing damage can occur by setting the ratio as high as possible, with 10:1 being the lowest setting.

Listen to Your Ears

Hearing issues after rehearsal or performance are warning signs of overexposure. Common examples are temporary threshold shift (TTS)—a “stuffiness” or compressed feeling, like cotton in your ears, and tinnitus—a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears

Music industry professionals are a uniquely vulnerable population, with hearing loss having an impact on quality of life, communication, work ability, and in turn, employability. Musicians are almost four times more likely to suffer noise-induced hearing loss. To ensure your listening and playing habits are safe, get your hearing checked at least once a year. The first hearing test establishes a baseline. If hearing loss is caught early, corrections can be made to prevent further injury.

Hearing issues often start off as temporary, but become persistent over time. The good news is that changing listening habits can keep the damage from getting worse. See an audiologist—and turn it down!

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