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Dallyn Pavey/Dish Public Relations Public Pavey/Dish Dallyn ------April 2018 Despite extensive international touring, it was not until it was touring, international extensive Despite Hooters, as well as Uosikkinen still plays and tours with The “Someone who says they have no problems is a liar,” as “Someone who says they have no problems is a liar,” before cigarettes, a parallel of cancer existing out Pointing Hampton has a dominant ear and often struggles to While the point where he wears hearing aids, which he saidhe have which aids, hearing wears he point where the improved his tinnitus and overall health. Uosikkinen was around 55 years old—when his wife noted how loudly the television volume was cranked—that the now 63-year-old was officially diagnosed with significant music- related hearing loss. drums, and is not so sure it on other projects while teaching would have been possible without seeking professional help. serted , the longtime drummer of The Hoot of The serted David Uosikkinen, the longtime drummer 40 Top includes three resume whose band a MTV-era ers, 40 albums in the mid-to-late and bat hits and two Top ting lead-off at 1985’s Live Aid in their hometown of Philadel constant That barrage of business is about power. phia. “This don’t feel yourself getting hurt. fire makes you numb to it. You even if it’s next time, First time you hear it, it’s so intense. The kind of start to it doesn’t feel as bad. You a little bit louder, worse. It and it gets compensate for what you don’t hear, takes its toll.” to find anyone think you’d be hard pressed Hampton added, “I and roll who hasn’t been af from the Golden Age of rock hearing loss fected by occupational hearing loss. Certainly, and roll, but the evolution of live perfor existed before rock mance has definitely left a mark.” identify the location of a voice in a room when he cannot see where it is coming from, Uosikkinen has sustained damage to

------classic status with a 1976 live ver live classic status with a 1976 ttained is a freelance medical writer.

The Hearing Journal The the road. n 1973, Bob Seger released a song titled “Turn the Bob“Turn a song titled Seger released n 1973, Page” that a musician’s life on lamented a rock sion. In the lyrics, he

But they are not alone. Many icons—Genesis vocalist/drummer and “In that analogy, there are long-term risks to the skin from the skin to risks are long-term there analogy, “In that Wartinger—an audiologist at the Children’s Hospital audiologist at of Wartinger—an Adding that genetic disposition can be a factor in how Adding that genetic disposition can be Offering to gather a list of other songs with similar refer Offering to gather a list of other songs with “Turn the Page” referenced the effects of road hypnosis road of effects the referenced Page” the “Turn During this uneasy period of the genre, when the rules of During this uneasy period

Gordon Glantz Gordon 18 and (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)—are the Stills, Nash and Young)—are and Stephen Stills (Crosby, most notable names to have documented hearing loss. from the time of to Live Aid to to Lolla from the time of Woodstock palooza and onward. Who) (The guitar Townshend legends like , Pete As rock and roll’s roots blossomed into an evergreen form of and As rock from the am music, the evidence is clear that those “echoes them plifiers” have affected those who have made a living with ear.” LONG-TERM EFFECTS those who sustain significant repeated damage to their skin. he said. same “The is true for the these repeated exposures,” servation, a musician’s clinic based in , and the servation, a musician’s clinic based in Philadelphia, Hearing Conser at the National of communications director vation Association (NHCA)—likened who attend con those certs to casual sunbathers and those who perform nightly to abnormalities that should be addressed and minimized.” abnormalities that should be addressed and Hearing Con Philadelphia, the owner and founder of Earmark damage is it is certainly inevitable com without caution: “While to emphasize that it shouldn’t be normal, just like want I mon, sunburn, or joint injury shouldn’t be normal after a hangover, yes—but certainlythe excesses that caused them. Common, prevention of music-related hearing loss. said Wartinger permanent hearing loss can occur, quickly firmed Nashville-based sideman Tom Hampton, whose cred whose Hampton, Tom sideman Nashville-based firmed Band and Robert Hazard. its include the Marshall Tucker AuD, has dedicated his career to the ences, Frank Wartinger, ringing in his head hours after a show. Those echoes—AKA echoes—AKA Those a show. after hours head his in ­ringing tours and left per tinnitus—were incurred on mercilessly long af what he spoke,” manent battle scars. “(Seger) knew of ards were barely considered. diners with shoulder-length truck-stop and entering 1970s still In the last verse, he referred to amplifier echoes hair. I defined, long-term job-related haz the game were not clearly

Hearing Loss Risk in Musicians Loss Risk Hearing By Gordon Glantz Rock On…with Caution: On…with Rock MUSICIANS AND HEARING LOSS HEARING AND MUSICIANS

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“I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me,” he said. “I did it Echoing the same sentiments, Hampton said: “Musicians by choice. I gave my ears for rock and roll. I’m not deaf. I can are a stubborn bunch, and have a history of insisting on mak- still play (drums) and I can still hear. But when I discovered ing their own mistakes—myself included.” they were making hearing aids smaller, it made life a lot easier. A sound technician for warned Uosikkinen what he was It’s about quality of life.” doing to himself, but he remained stubborn. Wartinger confirmed the long-term effects of hearing dam- “He pointed out the fact that my monitor was making my age—such as tinnitus, hyperacusis (abnormal sensitivity to hair blow,” he recalled. “Then I started joking about feeling the loud sounds), and diplacusis (abnormal pitch perception). wind. I hit my bass drum, and I would feel it go through my “These auditory effects can diminish one’s ability to com- body. If you can do that, I can only imagine what I was doing municate, connect musically with peers, and ultimately affect to my ears.” quality of life,” he explained. “Non-auditory effects are numer- ous as well, including but not limited to depression, guilt, so- cial isolation, sleep disturbances, and other associated SERIOUS BUSINESS chronic health conditions.” The good news, according to Wartinger, is that upgrades continue at a rapid-fire pace. “For hearing conservation, the most significant advancement is that of in-ear monitors. They FINE MOTOR ATHLETES have the potential—operative word being potential—to reduce Hampton opined that the sound system used when The Bea- stage volumes and sound exposures of musicians, crews, and tles played their famed Shea Stadium show in 1966 might not audience members alike. How they are utilized to this end is be worthy of a modern high school auditorium. arguable, and most users require significant retraining and “It’s like comparing a Texas Instruments calculator to an education to reach this goal.” iPhone,” he said. “So the entire industry spent a decade trying Hampton, whose gig schedule sees him anywhere from to catch up to the necessary sophistication to serve audi- small coffee houses to large outdoor festivals, has noted a ences that—prior to the rock and roll era—really only showed slow and steady change for the better. up for sporting events where all the venue needed were horns “Most musicians use in-ear monitors to hear themselves on poles scattered throughout a stadium.” onstage,” he noted. “Stage volumes have gotten lower be- The sports analogy was not lost on Wartinger, who was cause it’s possible to control what each performer hears to a quick to note that the athletes who compete at the highest much narrower degree. levels—­exposing themselves to the highest risk of injury—are In the meantime, Wartinger does not want the music to stop. constantly the recipients of upgrades in gear. Musicians are, “Never stop making music,” he said. “Yes, there are risks, but or should be, in the same situation. with the right tools and precautions, you can reduce your risk. “Some speak of musicians as fine motor athletes,” he said. The key is to understand, respect, and protect your hearing as “Is it inevitable that a football or soccer player will get injured? a valuable tool in the music-making process. If you’re just get- Or inevitable that a racecar driver or cyclist will get in a dan- ting into music or are a veteran musician and have hearing gerous accident? For people performing at of hu- concerns that make you question the longevity of your career, man abilities, I suppose there is increased risk, but I would not I would revert to the original advice: Never stop making music. go as far as to say there is nothing we can do to prevent the But also change any bad habits so you can continue making problem from occurring.” music safely.” Aside from his own quality of life improvement, Uosikkinen Uosikkinen, who gives drumming lessons, warns future has embraced upgrades since music has gone the more digi- generations to protect themselves in the manner outlined by tal route. He recalled wearing what was then a new-fangled Wartinger. item—in-ear monitors (IEMs)—at Live Aid, but more to hear his “It is serious business,” said Uosikkinen. “I tell my students own bandmates across the stage above the roar of the crowd that they should take care of their ears because they need to and not to protect himself. He now wears them so often, and last you an entire lifetime. I’m grateful that technology has exclusively in larger venues, that when the setup made it im- made it a little bit better, but I’m still concerned about young possible at a recent show in the Netherlands, he had an un- people today. easy feeling. “But nobody could have told me anything about my hear- “Every time I hit the symbols, it felt like I was damaging ing. I was thinking they were my ears, and I could do whatever myself,” he said. It was also a sobering reminder of what he I wanted.” did to himself when he did not know any better, back when he But the opportunity for the son of Finnish immigrants to was playing with bands called The Kooks and The Torpedoes, play Live Aid, be in regular rotation during the glory days of before hitting the big time with . MTV, and play as a warm-up act for ’s Roger “There were some guys who were smarter than I was, and Waters at the Wall have created a lifetime of memo- they thought about protecting their ears a little bit, but I was ries. into the rush of playing music and feeling it,” said Uosikkinen, “Rock and roll has been good to me, man,” he added. “At who said putting cotton in his ears was the extent of any Live Aid, I shook ’s hand before I went on form of crude protection considered. “But, again, you’re stage. He said, ‘Go get ‘em, kid.’ I was hanging out with and dumb, and making decisions based on what you McCartney and Ron Wood backstage. There were a lot of want to feel.” great memories. It’s been a heck of a run.”

20 The Hearing Journal April 2018