Jason Harrison Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I'm in the middle of something at school related to this, and thought I'd bring the chat here. Does anyone know what the acceptable levels of sustained sound are before damage occurs over a series of time? I know it can be different depending on frequency, but obviously in this case I'm talking about instruments (which in themselves have a pretty big range). I know the DC's spend a lot of time with sectionals indoors. When does it become unsafe? Obviously we can make a lot of Dr. Beat jokes, but what does real research say? When should the DL stop and get plugs for example? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAZZER Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Check with OSHA. Studied this last year, but don't have my materials handy. There are peak db tolerances as well as sustained exposure limitations. IIRC it may have been @ 185db for 30 minutes=damage. Again, just going off top of my head-sorry. VERY easy to reach damage levels in a closed rehearsal environment. Again, do a quick google of OSHA. Also recall discovering a legal case involving a public school music instructor who requested facility improvements based upon excessive levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Most of the organizations I've been associated with (both scholastic and independent) don't have a breaking point. The general attitude is, you need to have plugs in regardless of what your'e doing. In my scholastic program, we are part of an adopt a band program that sells us pretty high quality earplugs at a discounted rate. Pretty much, if we're drumming, we have plugs in. Better safe than sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I believe every mm, staff, management, and volunteers should wear plugs whenever they spend even a minute from sectionals on up to a full corps rehearsal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I believe every mm, staff, management, and volunteers should wear plugs whenever they spend even a minute from sectionals on up to a full corps rehearsal. Agree. Especially when practices are indoors. It would be inconceivable to take precautions to utilize sun protection out of doors to protect the skin from sun damage, but not to utilize ear plugs to protect one's vital hearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peel Paint Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Foam earplugs properly inserted at a dead bare minimum for everyone involved at field or grandstand level with this activity. I am wearing hearing aids mostly because of drum corps. Hearing aids are expensive (figure $1000 per year, on average... you can go higher or lower, but that's closer to an accurate ballpark figure than not) and they do not restore normal hearing; they just make it easier to comprehend speech in a quiet environment. And I've had only about a dozen hours of experience hearing drum corps performed in indoor stadiums. I avoid the indoor events now. As this activity moves increasingly indoors for its major events, you are an audiologist's wet dream if you are going to San Antonio, Atlanta, Indy every year. Protect your hearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I believe every mm, staff, management, and volunteers should wear plugs whenever they spend even a minute from sectionals on up to a full corps rehearsal. I believe that every MM should wear plugs when being yelled and cursed at by the staff!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsubone Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I know pretty much all drummers have started wearing plugs at rehearsals, but most horn line kids aren't wearing them yet. I know myself and a few other guys did during indoor rehearsals, but it does require constantly putting them in and taking them out when instructions are being made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I know pretty much all drummers have started wearing plugs at rehearsals, but most horn line kids aren't wearing them yet. I know myself and a few other guys did during indoor rehearsals, but it does require constantly putting them in and taking them out when instructions are being made. I use a custom molded pair of musicians earplugs that pretty much eliminate that issue. Everything is pretty much crystal clear all the time. They were pretty pricey, but I've also had them for almost a decade with no change in quality. Pretty good investment if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumcorpsfever Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) I know pretty much all drummers have started wearing plugs at rehearsals, but most horn line kids aren't wearing them yet. I know myself and a few other guys did during indoor rehearsals, but it does require constantly putting them in and taking them out when instructions are being made. Hearing protection has a better applicability to drummers than do the brass players. As a (former) drummer - is there such a thing as a former drummer? - earplugs actually help to reduce the overtone and provide crisper hearing that helps to weed out the mess. However, for brass, I don't think it's as beneficial or needed - blocking out any sound for a brass player makes it much more challenging from a tuning perspective. Lastly, I think the sound dynamics are much different between drums and brass. Edited January 31, 2014 by drumcorpsfever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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