The illusion of the invincibility of youth was never a falsity I harbored.
I’m not saying I never went out in the Colorado cold without a jacket or did my fair share of questionable hijinks, but I’ve always had an understanding that you can’t keep pulling numbers at danger’s deli counter and never expect to have yours called.
This is why I do what I can to protect my ears.
Let’s hear it for the ears.
If there’s one thing that a music listener needs and covets, it’s the gift of auditory sense.
After attending last weekend’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (above, Bob Mould playing on Sunday), which Rolling Stone estimated drew 600,000 people over three days, without my usual earplugs, protecting my hearing is at the forefront of my mind.
I started wearing earplugs regularly more than six years ago after an incredibly loud U2 show in San Jose. My friend, Mike, and I were practically shouting at each other in the car ride on the way home.
It was still difficult to hear the next day and that’s when I knew that I had done some damage and decided that it was probably a good idea to take some precaution.
I realized that I need to protect myself at a young age so I can still enjoy the music at an old age.
That’s important, considering how much I listen to music: While I’m driving, when I’m making dinner in my apartment, when I’m working, when I’m taking a shower, when I’m riding BART, when I’m in the doctor’s waiting room, etc. Between my car stereo, my iPod and my home stereo, I’m probably asleep if one of them isn’t playing something.
That’s a serious amount of musica, so I’ve taken some steps to make sure my hearing stays sharp as I advance in age.
Part of my preconcert ritual is making sure I have some sort of protection for my ears. For me, it’s as important as the ticket. I’m a fan of the wax earplugs that can be squished to the shape of a person’s ear, but foam inserts are just as effective.
After maybe hundreds of shows this way, it has become the norm. I’m never having a shouting match with friends after I leave a show. Most plugs claim to knock approximately 20 decibels off of a given volume, which is about the sound of a loud whisper in a quiet library.
That doesn’t sound like much in terms of decibel level, but it can make a big difference, especially at all-day festivals such as Hardly Strictly or one of Phish’s four-hour marathon gigs.
Another advantage to earplugs is that it knocks off a lot of the extraneous sounds and focuses a person on the show. The giggly girls talking behind me or the two bros arguing about which song it is three rows in front of me are blissfully tuned out.
About the only time I notice people even singing along is when Eddie Vedder invites 50,000 people to sing “Better Man” because his voice is waning, for example.
Still, ear plugs only covers a small percentage of my listening.
There are reports that extended use of iPod’s distinctive white earbuds may damage hearing for many listeners, according to a 2008 article in Time magazine.
Mercifully, Apple has put a volume limit control on their devices. Mine is set just above halfway because I know that I would otherwise spin the click wheel all the way to the limit.
In my car, I try to set a personal maximum on the visual gauge on the screen.
The reason I take these precautions is because I can’t imagine my life without music in it, especially considering how much of it to which I listen.
I know I’m not invincible.
Some people might laugh or think I look silly when I’m at show and I have blue pieces of foam jutting out of my ears, but it’s a worthy trade off.
They might be laughing now, but when the calendar year says 2030, I’m still going to be able to hear that laughter.
And that’s what’s most important.
I know my ears are going to get worse as I age, but I never want to be unable to hear the music.
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