Bands Are Loud! Teen Musicians Should Protect Their Ears by Chicago Tribune, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 05.07.15 Word Count 545

Bands are loud! Teen musicians should protect their ears By Chicago Tribune, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.07.15 Word Count 545

(Right) Sophia Pellar, 16, plays the ﬂute during a varsity wind ensemble practice at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, April 9, 2015. She wears special ear plugs to help prevent the ear pain she often experiences when playing with the pep band. Photo: Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

CHICAGO, Ill. — High school music teachers are trying to get students to do something to protect their ears. They want them to wear earplugs.

Sophia Pellar is one of those students. She plays the ﬂute in the pep band at New Trier High School. The noise from the band used to hurt her ears. The pain ended after an ear doctor gave her special earplugs.

The earplugs are made to protect musicians from hearing loss. But Sophia, 16, said she does not wear the earplugs all the time.

Sophia said pep band "can be crazy loud.” She wears the earplugs then. “But the thought of wearing them every day is a little embarrassing,” she said. School Bands Are Loud!

Studies shows that about 1 in 5 teens have hearing loss. Much of that hearing loss is caused by noise damage. More doctors and school band leaders are telling kids about the problem. Some give out earplugs. Yet experts say their messages are not working as well as they can. Students think it is "uncool" to wear earplugs. People once avoided using bike helmets and sunscreen for the same reason.

School ofﬁcials say that parents often do not know kids need to protect their ears while in band.

Sophia’s mother is Chimene Pellar. She is a doctor. She became worried when she learned that Sophia is often in pain after playing her ﬂute in pep band.

“I had never thought of it at all ... and she has been playing the ﬂute since she was in fourth grade,” her mother said. “I also have concerns when I walk by my kids when they have their earbuds in and I can still hear their music.”

The World Has Gotten "Noisier"

Doctors who study teen hearing loss say loud music can harm the hair cells inside the ear. The hearing damage builds up. The damage cannot be reversed.

More teenagers have hearing loss these days, said Dr. Henry Ou. It does not surprise him. Ou said the world has gotten "noisier." Ou studies ear, nose and throat medicine for children at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The National Association for Music Education has a message for teachers and band leaders. The group wants them to talk about the dangers of hearing loss.

Music teachers and band leaders can encourage safe behavior. They can show students what to do by wearing earplugs themselves, said Michael Butera, who runs the association. But teachers cannot force students to wear earplugs, he said.

Adopt-A-Band

Randy Karon is the band leader at Barrington High School. He said he often talks to his students about the need to protect their hearing. They need to do this during practice and performances. They need to protect their hearing outside of the band program, too, Karon said.

Karon said he also protects his own hearing.

He makes his living in music, he said. “If I can’t hear, I’m in trouble.” New Trier high school joined in the Adopt-a-Band program run by Etymotic. The program matches 400 schools with ear doctors. The doctors give free earplugs to students.

Etymotic is a company that makes earplugs. The company sells a new type of earplug. The earplugs are smaller. They made them because some people did not want to be seen wearing earplugs. Quiz

1 Fill in the blank in the sentence below.

According to the article, the BEST way for band members to reduce hearing loss is to ......

(A) use headphones.

(B) play the piano.

(D) switch instruments.

2 Select the paragraph from the section "The World Has Gotten Noisier" that explains how hearing loss occurs.

3 Fill in the blank in the sentence below.

In the section "School Bands Are Loud!" the author explains why wearing earplugs is not popular with students by ......

(A) explaining that hearing loss is caused by noise damage.

(B) comparing earplugs to bicycle helmets.

(D) identifying how many teens have hearing loss.

4 Which statement identiﬁes the overall structure of the article?

(A) The article compares two different problems.

(B) The article highlights the good work of a group.

(D) The article explains the reason for a problem. Answer Key