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Musicians' Earplugs: Do They Affect Performance or Listeners' Perceptions?
Karen S Thomas1, Raychl Smith, Sandra Teglas
1School of Music, University of Utah, 1375 East Presidents Circle, 204 David P. Gardner Hall, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Tel 801-581-6762. karen.s.thomas@utah.edu.
Medical Problems of Performing Artists
|December 1, 2020
Summary
Musicians wearing earplugs did not negatively impact their pitch accuracy or listeners' perception of sound quality. These findings suggest musicians can use hearing protection without compromising performance quality.
Area of Science:
- Music Performance
- Audiology
- Acoustics
Background:
- Musicians face hearing loss risks but often avoid earplugs due to concerns about performance quality.
- Reluctance stems from fears of impaired self-monitoring and reduced sound quality for audiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of musicians' earplugs on instrumental pitch accuracy.
- To assess listener and performer perceptions of tone quality, intonation, and dynamic contrast with and without earplugs.
Main Methods:
- Faculty musicians recorded performing pitches and passages with and without earplugs.
- Music perception tests administered to faculty and students evaluating recorded audio.
Main Results:
- Pitch accuracy showed no consistent difference between earplug conditions.
- Listeners (faculty and students) frequently perceived no significant difference in tone quality, intonation, or dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Musicians can confidently use earplugs during performance without compromising pitch accuracy.
- Listener perception of timbre and dynamic control remains unaffected by musicians wearing earplugs.
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