Musicians and Hearing Health

Author:

Bauer, Lauren

Area of Honors:

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Degree:

Bachelor of Science

Document Type:

Thesis

Thesis Supervisors:

Diane L Williams, Thesis Supervisor
Carol Anne Miller, Thesis Honors Advisor

Keywords:

Musicians
Hearing Health
Audiology
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Hearing Protection

Abstract:

Musicians face a significant risk of developing noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), tinnitus, and hyperacusis, due to the environments in which they perform and practice. This pilot study focused on educating the students involved in music performance and education at Penn State University on their increased risk of developing hearing-related issues based on their exposure levels to sound. The purpose of this study was to design and test an educational model made to educate the School of Music students on relevant information regarding their hearing health and safety. Participants were asked to complete a brief preliminary survey on different topics regarding hearing health and safety. After completing this survey, students were given access through Canvas to a series of educational modules that provided information regarding hearing loss, specifically in musicians. A questionnaire was then distributed to all participants who completed the educational module. This was a tool we used to measure the effectiveness of our materials by monitoring a change in their level of understanding for each topic. The results of this pilot study show evidence of increased understanding of different areas of hearing health and safety following the completion of the educational modules. The aim of the project was to supply relevant information to music students and to provide them an opportunity to make informed decisions about their hearing health and safety. This study should serve as preliminary research to implement more specialized education for music students regarding their hearing health and safety.