subject: How To Protect Your Hearing When You Are A Pianist In Los Angeles [print this page] Although orchestras are not the first thing that come to mind when one thinks of Los Angeles, there is a thriving classical as well as contemporary music scene in the city, and many musicians flock there in order to gain exposure, inspiration and make the connections needed in order to succeed as a musician and live off of what they love to do. As a musician, like most things, practice makes perfect and if you are a pianist, chances are you are practicing hours upon hours during the week in order to really hone your craft and be the best at what you do. As such, it is important that you take care of our hearing, as you will be exposing yourself to more sounds and noise than the average person.
For starters, make sure to take a break every half hour or so if you will be practicing for a large duration of time in order to protect your hearing. Step outside if you need to, or go to a quiet place where you can just take a break, breath in, relax and listen to the sound of silence. It is imperative that you go somewhere quiet so that you can truly take a break and relieve your ears from all of the hard work that they do. Make it a habit of getting up, stretching our legs and walking to another part of the house or studio so that you can get a mental separation from your work as well.
It may seem insignificant but it is also important that when you clean your ears, you never use a q-tip as it can risk damage to your hearing by extending too far into the ear canal. Always use a cloth or tissue in order to clean your ears as it will only extend as far as your finger will go and there is no risk of damage or permanent hearing loss. Because the nature of your work requires you to listen for a living, it is imperative that you take every precaution necessary in order to make sure that your senses stay in tact. It may seem insignificant but the ears are so delicate that something could easily rupture if you extend a q-tip too far.
Make sure that in the car, or on the subway, you listen to soothing music that is conducive to relaxing as you want to be sure that you take care of yourself and that nothing affects your ears. The more that you take the necessary precautions, the more that your hearing will remain in tact and you will be able to continue doing what you love. The ears are sensitive and vital and it is important to do all that you can to ensure that no unnecessary damage or distress comes to your ears. With the proper care and vigilance, you wont have to worry about any damage.
