Practicing Safe Salsa - Ear Protection

Darn, my Mother was right again: too much loud music damages your ears.

Sure, I'm not the youngest guy in the clubs, but as a musician I know what loud is about... And frankly, most clubs are just TOO loud! I enjoy cranking the volume at points, and as a drummer, there are times when I push the band to maximum volume for emotional effect. But I love contrast, and great music spans from a whisper to a roar and back.

Unfortunately, the chest thumping, "sign language only" levels in most clubs are beyond reasonable. If you hear any ringing when your head hits the pillow or the next morning, you've already crossed the threshold toward damage. Too many nights in that environment and you'll experience a slow, steady march toward lip reading and hearing aids. Since the losses aren’t immediately obvious, most people don't pay much attention, assuming "if everybody else is dealing with it, it must be fine..." Hearing loss isn't obvious since it's gradual.

Most DJ's are already partially deaf, so they just didn't get it and thought I was "too old" when I used to complain. The guys running the sound board also tend to buy into the "louder is better" trap, so they crank the volume as well.

In my early salsero days, when I knew the music was too loud, I would go into the restroom and create custom earplugs from toilet paper. (It can be an exceptionally sexy look...) It worked great, but it was hard to have conversations, and one night I had to wake my wife up at 3am to remove the tissue that was too far in my ears. She had to use tweezers; fingers just wouldn't work! I really don't recommend getting paper stuck down in your ears, but it is better than nothing, and better than losing your hearing to look cool.

Over time, I found some EXCELLENT ear plugs and today I don't care if they crank the music. I do occasionally feel sorry for my dance partners and others who aren't doing something to protect their hearing. They just don't realize the long term damage from high volume music. Here's an interesting article all dancers should read on the Importance of Hearing Protection.

I started with the drug store foam cheapies, then went to my local music store and upgraded to high fidelity plugs (under $15).

When I realized how much they helped, I finally graduated to musician's custom fitted filters (~$150 to $200, shown below). You go to a specialist who makes a mold of your ear and the plugs are custom-made to fit you exclusively. They are comfortable since they are made just for you, and I often wear them for hours on end without thinking about them.

After about two years of use, I can say they are one of the best investments in dancing I ever made. Now my ears don't ring the next day, I can have conversations in the club (without removing the plugs) and they are pretty unobtrusive; few people realize I ALWAYS wear them. The high-end plugs simply lower the volume and don't change the overall sound. Cheap drug store plugs make conversations difficult and the music doesn't sound the same. That said, if you can't yet afford the high-end versions, I'd still use the high fidelity plugs referenced above. Otherwise, long before those AARP subscriptions start arriving, you’ll start paying attention to the hearing aid ads and learning to lip read.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Darned Adults: Music Too Loud (Update to this article)

Women definitely go to maintenance extremes. One of the great mysteries to me is the fact that a woman could pour hot wax on her legs, rip the hair out by the roots, and still be afraid of a spider.
-Jerry Seinfeld