Composer Richard Einhorn writes about his sudden hearing loss and how, with his clever uses of existing technology, he continues to work and live well with hearing loss.

Richard Einhorn Composing and Living to the Hilt after No Compromise Hearing Loss

I love sound, all sounds—loud sounds, fairly straightforward devices, I can hear hearing loss has not been permitted to soft sounds, sad sounds, beautiful reasonably well (but not perfectly) in very seriously harm my life. sounds, funny sounds, glorious sounds. nearly every situation I encounter in Although I certainly don’t enjoy I experience the world primarily through my life, from meals with my family and having a hearing loss—and I know I’m my ears, not through my eyes. Ever since friends to rehearsals and performances not alone—I did enjoy piecing together I was 15 when I realized that I was a of orchestral concerts of my music. my hearing assistance kit and find it , I have spent nearly every day Obviously, everyone’s hearing loss invaluable both in my musical and of my life trying to find ways to hear is different, and obviously, everyone isn’t personal life. The first question that better, working hard to continue to train that comfortable with modern technol- came to my mind was: my hearing and to keep up with the ogy. That said, there is one thing I can After my hearing loss, could I still amazing audio technology of our time. say for certain: compose music? Forty-two years later, when I sud- It is vitally important that people I quickly learned that the answer denly lost most of my hearing, and after with hearing loss stop trying to hide their was yes. I recovered from the shock, I applied hearing loss. There is absolutely nothing my love of sound plus my lifetime to be gained by doing so, and so much Figuring Out My Hearing Loss involvement with pro audio to the to lose. Hearing losses are always complicated. incredibly difficult communication I have met no one, including some Before I could work to improve my problems caused by my serious hearing of the best musicians and most competi- hearing, I first had to understand what loss. True, my hearing is damaged, tive executives I’ve worked with, who I was hearing. I began by reviewing but I certainly haven’t lost the ability cared a whit that I was obviously using my history: to analyze, understand, and improve hearing assistance to listen to a rehearsal On June 15, 2010—one of the what I am still able to hear. or to participate in a meeting. Besides, worst days of my life—I woke up to I’m still learning a lot, but I’ve after my sudden hearing loss, it was so find that my right ear had gone com- come up with some techniques and obvious that I couldn’t hear properly pletely deaf, with virtually no warning devices that work extremely well for that I realized I couldn’t go stealth even at all. This is a condition called Idio- me. None of them is perfect, but I’ve if I wanted to. Because my hearing pathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing found that by keeping my expectations assistance—which I don't try to hide— Loss. It’s considered a medical emer- reasonable; by continuing to experiment makes it relatively easy for me to par- gency, doctors treat it with steroids, and and practice; and by piecing together ticipate as actively as ever at meetings, if you’re lucky, your hearing might come a hearing assistance “kit” with a few dinners, and concerts, my very serious continued on page 12

10 HearingHearing Loss Loss Magazine Magazine Richard at work at the

Peabody Conservatory Dyer © Cindy of Music with vocalists Stephen Campbell, Phoenix, AZ; Rachel Grider, Modesto, CA; and Nola Richardson, Sydney, Australia May/June 2012 11 No Compromise from page 10 It is vitally important that well as lower sounds. I could still hear people with hearing loss far below and—crucially—far above back over the course of two anxious “ every note on a piano keyboard. As I weeks. I wasn’t lucky. stop trying to hide their knew many people with hearing loss However, during those two weeks, I hearing problems. There is who couldn’t hear the top range of the started to notice tiny scratching sounds absolutely nothing to be piano at all, I counted myself extremely in my right ear whenever anyone spoke fortunate. gained by doing so, and to me in a voice louder than a whisper. Now, what would I have to do to These scratchy noises became louder so much to lose. hear better? What kind of gadgets would and louder until they were absolutely I need? From my long experience work- unbearable. When I listened to speech would dare to operate on my” only hear- ing in sound, I knew immediately that with my right ear, it sounded like I was ing ear. one solution would not fit all. I would listening to an infuriatingly-loud robot I studied my audiograms and, while need multiple techniques, multiple from a bad 1950s sci-fi film. Speech useful, I’ve found that my own ability devices. was utterly incomprehensible in my to hear is the best judge of what my ears right ear. are doing. Emotionally, it was heart- The Composer Analyzes Sound This problem—inability to hear wrenching to listen coldly and clinically Composing has always been a central speech, excessive volume, and extreme to what my damaged ears were produc- part of my life; it is the means by which distortion—is called “recruitment” or ing—I used to hear so well!— but I I orient myself to the world and express “hyperacusis” and I developed a very shoved aside my sense of being treated my deepest thoughts and feelings. I’ve severe case of it. I started wearing an terribly unfairly by life and just listened, always used whatever current technol- earplug in my right ear whenever I and then listened some more. Then I ogy I could find to help me write. Like ventured outside my apartment. tried to understand, on my own terms, many music , I rarely use a With my right ear worse than being what was going on. Here, oversimpli- piano but work instead on computers deaf, I was now dependent solely on my fied, was what I was dealing with: and digital simulations of musical instru- left ear in order to hear the world. My right ear was totally dead, ments. I then copy the music out—on Unfortunately, my left ear already worthless, there was no usable sound. my computer, of course—and give suffered from a middle ear problem My left ear was down 70 percent in the parts to musicians to perform. called otosclerosis. Everything sounded terms of volume. Without hearing as- Would all this equipment—some much too soft. In fact, my left ear was sistance, I was now functionally deaf. of the most advanced audio technology operating at just 30 percent the level of But the closer I listened to my left ear, available today—be flexible enough, and a normal ear. While surgery can correct the more I realized that its frequency powerful enough, to be able to work the problem, it was now too danger- response was still relatively flat. That is, around my hearing loss? After all, it had ous to perform. No American surgeon I could still hear high sounds equally as been designed for people with great hear- ing, not for people who needed serious hearing assistance! I used to love listening to music over loudspeakers. After numerous tests, I was disappointed to discover that I would have to use earphones instead of my beautiful-sounding (and very expen- sive) recording studio speakers in order to hear well enough to write. The room am- bience of my studio simply muddied up the sound now; also, the volume needed for listening irritated my right ear recruit- ment. I would simply have to use some kind of headphone for my left ear. My right ear, I decided, was beyond hope. Over the years, I’d purchased a fairly large collection of headphones and earphones in a variety of styles. I quickly noticed that I could easily tell the differ- © Cindy Dyer © Cindy ence between the sound of cheap phones, Richard Einhorn (right) works with students from the Peabody Conservatory of Music: like the Apple earbuds, which I just from left: Nicholas Dogas, Stephen Campbell, Rachel Grider and Nola Richardson threw away, and a more expensive pair. I

12 Hearing Loss Magazine also realized that a sealed, in-ear design invisible. There was very little truly my life was never an option, I would just delivered by far the best sound for me. detailed information about how hearing have to develop ways to hear better in Since I wanted to hear as well as I aids processed sound (but plenty of public. I chose to concentrate on restau- possibly could, I researched high-end vague assurances that hearing aid X had rants first. earphones. I raided my bank account the best sound). This seemed backwards: My long experience as a recording and bought an “in-ear monitor” for all I wanted to do was to hear well! I engineer and producer told me that in my left ear. It was manufactured by a couldn’t have cared less about the style, a noisy environment like a restaurant, company that caters to top rock stars. let alone the color. a microphone that is even just two It was not cheap and required that I go to an audiologist for a custom-fitted I raided my bank account and bought an “in-ear monitor” for my ear tip. A few weeks later, an elegant left ear. It was manufactured by a company that caters to top case arrived with a stunningly beautiful “rock stars.… I figured I’d write a short piece of music to test it earpiece. I plugged it in and was totally out.… Using my amazing earphone, it was no harder for me to amazed; even through my damaged left write with a hearing loss than it had been when my ears were ear, I knew I was listening to perhaps the single best piece of audio equipment normal. A few months later, the new piece premiered in New I ever owned. York. It was an unusual kind of string quartet, and it was a huge I figured I’d write a short piece of hit. Problem solved. Not only can I compose now, I’m composing music to test it out. Instead, I just wrote as well as ever. and wrote and wrote. Using my amaz- ing earphone, it was no harder for me Since I couldn’t easily” find much feet away from another person’s voice to write with a hearing loss than it had objective, unbiased information on might pick up so much background been when my ears were normal. A few sound quality, I shopped instead for fea- noise as to significantly blur speech. months later, the new piece premiered tures. Finally, I met with my audiologist The mic in a hearing aid may be even in New York. It was an unusual kind of and bought a hearing aid that offered farther away from a speaker’s mouth— string quartet, and it was a huge hit. Bluetooth connectivity to a variety of four feet or more, sometimes, depending Problem solved. Not only can I com- devices, including my smartphone and on the distance across a table. Therefore, pose now, I’m composing as well as ever. television. It cost nearly ten times as I simply wasn’t going to be able to hear much as that expensive earphone I use well unless I could get mics very close to Finding a Hearing Aid for composing and, of course, it wasn’t people’s mouths and then get that sound Composing is mostly an act of imagin- covered by insurance. delivered directly to my ear. I found two ing sounds, not actually listening to To get used to it, I wore my new solutions. sounds. Therefore, hearing enough hearing aid all the time for about two A great company called Etymotic sound to compose is a fairly straightfor- weeks before doing any kind of critical Research, Inc., made a listening system, ward problem—you don’t need to hear evaluation. The sound quality was only for up to four people, called the Com- that much. On the other hand, hear- fair at best but the Bluetooth connec- panion Mic. I was able to obtain a set ing well enough in daily life, given the tivity turned out to be quite useful, if and it works beautifully. extent of my hearing loss, would be a somewhat unreliable. Three of my friends each wear one far harder puzzle to tackle. Understand- Although I realized my hearing aid of the Companion Mics and I wear a ing speech, which contains meaning in enabled me to hear somewhat better receiver. We look like trendy spies, a tiny addition as sound, would be especially in many situations, I was still having golden dot of light glowing from the mic difficult. tremendous problems understanding we’re wearing around our necks. All I do I turned to the Web and started to speech in restaurants and at parties, let is take out my hearing aid, put a decent- research a hearing aid for my remain- alone movies and concerts. Hoping it quality in-ear earphone in my ear and ing, but damaged, left ear. Alas, finding would help, I bought the Bluetooth plug it into my receiver. Many times, useful descriptions, specifications and microphone accessory the company it’s as if I didn’t have a hearing loss at technical information about hearing offered. It sounded terrible, was badly all. No one’s ever objected to wearing aids was much harder than I could designed, and most of the time, didn’t one of these mics. In fact, most people have imagined! make speech any easier to hear. think wearing the Companion Mic is Most of the hearing aid websites very cool! featured large pictures of smiling grand- Technology: Innovative Unfortunately, the Companion fathers, happy grandmothers, and little Ways to Hear Mic model I have was discontinued, else. Digging into the “professional” I realized I was going to need more but hopefully, Etymotic will release areas of the sites provided me with a help than a hearing aid could provide or a new, updated version of the “Comp- lot of information on different styles, I would have to stop going out or speak- Mic” soon. all designed to make the hearing aids ing with people. Since withdrawal from continued on page 14

May/June 2012 13 No Compromise from page 13 Three of my friends each wear one of the Companion Mics and I wear a receiver. We look like trendy spies, a tiny golden dot As good as the Companion Mic “ was, I needed an alternative system of light glowing from the mic we’re wearing around our necks. for the many times I’m with more All I do is take out my hearing aid, put a decent-quality in-ear than three friends at a restaurant. earphone in my ear and plug it into my receiver. Many times, After a lot of experimenting, I finally came up with a very useful set-up it’s as if I didn’t have a hearing loss at all. No one’s ever that I use when I’m at a restaurant objected to wearing one of these mics. In fact, most people or party. It consists of: think wearing the Companion Mic is very cool! 1. an iPhone 2. a pair of high quality in-ear ear- relatively comfortable with technology years to come, it is unlikely” that any phones (from a company like and already have an iPhone. I don’t other public hearing assistance technol- Shure, Etymotic, or Sennheiser) want to carry around extra equipment ogy I know of—not FM, not Infrared, 3. a directional mic called the Blue if I don’t have to. not Bluetooth—will be as dignified Mikey which clips onto the iPhone and as flexible as loops. (You don’t need and is available at music stores What about Concerts, hearing aids to use a loop system—you and online Plays, and Movies? can use receiver/earphone combo simi- 4. a hearing assistance app like I quickly learned that the assistive listen- lar to FM/Infrared headsets.) soundAMP R ing systems that are usually available in theaters typically not only sound ter- Hearing Via a Loop System I plug the earphones into the rible, but are often dirty, very uncom- for the First Time earphone jack on the iPhone. I snap fortable to wear, leak sound that disturbs I first heard via a loop system while the Blue Mikey onto the power jack of your neighbors, and are so ugly that attending the HLAA Convention 2011 the iPhone. I open up soundAMP R, even I—who don’t embarrass easily— in Washington, D.C., a temporary the hearing assistance app. I take my wince when I put one around my neck. installation during a performance of hearing aid out and insert the earphone No wonder hardly anyone uses them. Wicked at the Kennedy Center. It was into my ear. Then, I simply point the There has to be a better solution for exactly a year after my sudden hearing Blue Mikey/iPhone at the person I public hearing assistance. And there is: loss and I despaired of ever enjoying want to listen to and raise the volume hearing loops. In a nutshell, loops have a live performance again. But when I of the mic by adjusting the fader in three extremely important advantages switched my hearing aid to the telecoil soundAMP R. When someone else talks, over every other public assistive listen- and heard the music in my ear—so I simply point the device at that person. ing technology: clear, so present that it sounded as When a lot of people are talking, I try • Loop systems are dignified, conve- good as a CD—I burst into tears. It to find a spot for the mic that includes nient, and easy for people with hearing actually was possible to enjoy live con- as many of them as possible. I move aids to use; all you need to do is to flip certs again. And all I’d done was flip the device around as needed. a switch to activate the telecoil on your a switch! I forgot I was dealing with Using my iPhone with the direc- hearing aid or cochlear implant. a hearing loss. I had simply become tional Blue Mikey, I am able to hang • Loops are flexible—they can be engrossed in Wicked’s amazing per- out with my family and friends at any used in a lot of situations that are all formances and compelling story. restaurant, and participate fully in the but impossible for every other assistive At the Convention the next day, conversation—and I often feel I am technology. I introduced myself to David Myers, hearing better than my fellow diners! • Loops provide the opportunity to a well-known psychology professor At parties, I carry the iPhone rig at hear sound in your hearing aids that is and author who is also a leading ad- about waist height and point it up at customized for your hearing loss and vocate for hearing loops in the United the people with whom I’m speaking. no one else’s. States. I told him I was a composer Is it perfect? Of course not, but it is For the life of me, I can’t under- and classical record producer who had far preferable to not understanding what stand why loops aren’t mandated at developed a serious hearing loss and I is going on, to refusing to go out, or to every concert hall, movie theater, sports wanted to do what I could to encour- living an unnecessarily reduced life. stadium and house of worship in the age the wider use of hearing loops. Note: You can buy an inexpensive . Hearing loops should He was, as he always is, warm, gra- and separate device that is custom- be in all buses and trains, planes and cious, and encouraging. He and others made for hearing assistance that does air terminals, points of sale, and in the suggested I write a letter to Kennedy a comparable job to my iPhone rig; homes of everyone diagnosed with mild Center urging they permanently install for example, a PocketTalker—but I’m to moderate/severe hearing loss. For a loop system. I did so and the letter

14 Hearing Loss Magazine went viral. I was becoming known as a loop advocate. While I spent the next few weeks learning as much as possible about loops (I would eventually take a course in the technology), an article proposal from Dr. Myers was passed on, by sheer accident, to a reporter friend of mine at The New York Times who knew I had a hearing loss. My friend e-mailed me, we met for lunch (yes, I used my iPhone rig!), and asked me what I thought about loops. I said loops were an extremely important, underused technology that could be of great ben- efit. My friend then passed Dr. Myers’ proposal plus additional material I’d given him to Times science writer John Tierney, who decided to pursue a major article. John knew me from a previous Richard Einhorn at the equator in Ecuador with his daughter Miranda and story he’d written about my music and wife Amy Singer he decided to begin the article on my epiphany at Kennedy Center. The article became the most e-mailed story of the movies, and will attend many more once called “a great masterpiece of contemporary week and the second most e-mailed there are more loop systems installed. music” and “a work of meticulous genius.” story of the month! Interest in hear- True, no single solution will work It has been performed more than 200 times ing loops—and the number of loop everywhere and nothing available at by major all over the world, installs—has surged. In addition to Dr. present will restore my hearing. But including two recent performances with Myers and John Tierney, many people since I understand that it is futile to hide Baltimore Symphony , Marin worked hard to make the article so my hearing loss, I’ve found numerous Alsop conducting. successful, including Brenda Battat, ways to deal with it. I can still live a rich, His , The Origin, recently Pat Kricos, Janice Schacter, Juliëtte productive, and fulfilling life, even after received audience and critical acclaim Sterkens and Linda Remensnyder. hearing loss. for its European premiere in Bremen, There is much that can be done to And right now? I’m composing Germany. Richard also devotes his time to improve assistive listening in theaters, full time. And in my spare time, I’m advocacy for people with hearing loss and none of it terribly hard to do or very searching for even more ways for me to has been featured in The New York Times expensive. It is my firm belief that by hear better. I will never stop trying to and elsewhere. Read The New York Times properly using hearing loops along with improve my hearing. article at http://bit.ly/EinhornNYTimes. other technologies, millions of people More information about Richard with moderate and even moderately- Composer Richard Einhorn lives in New and his music can be found at www. severe hearing loss will be able to better York City with his wife Amy Singer and richardeinhorn.com. Voices of Light enjoy films, live music and theater than their daughter Miranda. Richard’s “ and other music by Richard are available at present, and be able to hear as well as with silent film”Voices of Light has been on iTunes and www.amazon.com. their ears will allow with both dignity and comfort.

Conclusion The HLAA e-News gives you continuing updates I am fortunate that my personal back- along with breaking news and legislative actions in ground allowed me to cope with some which you can participate. There’s no cost and of the problems caused by my serious no obligation! Sign up today at hearing loss. I can compose my music without compromise. I can go out with my family and friends to restaurants and participate in their conversations. I can www.hearingloss.org attend live performances and go to the

© Cindy Dyer Cindy © May/June 2012 15