Hearing Loss Anecdotes - Music, Music, Music page 2

Bob,

30 years ago I sang on stage with the swing band I was with. I played a standing bass as well a bass guitar.

I developed progressive hearing loss.

Ended doing much of any thing with the band. I couldn't even tune my basses alone. I had to have one of the guys do it.

I can't carry a tune in a bucket.

Now I can live with out playing and singing, but I resent all to hell the fact that I can't hear the music any more.

Hugs, Peggy
(Peggy11241)

Dear Bob:

I enjoy singing opera. Now that I am very HOH, my digital HA helps a lot in my comprehension of the upper notes, etc. I still sing my lungs out. Unfortunately, I cannot hear it as well, but my family says I am still on key. Maybe it is a learned thing.

Thank you, hair cells, or thanks to a special family who will not tell me I am REALLY off key! I credit the digital HA.

Debbie, Raleigh, NC
(MACELLE)

Hi Bob:

I always loved to sing and my hearing did affect this. When I was in grade school I always was a leader in singing, not a follower. When I got in high school, I discovered I was relying on the person next to me for starting out and this used to make me soooooo mad. Then I discovered I had a hearing loss. I was out of school and when I was telling this to my doctor, he told me that the first place you would notice your hearing loss was in music. I have always hated my loss because I lost music.

Not long ago my daughter joined a community choir and they had a concert and I went. I could hardly keep from crying through the concert and when intermission came, I went outside and ran into my grandson and I just started crying my heart out, couldn't stop. I hated it because my hearing was keeping me from singing. My brother also has a hearing loss but his loss is in the low tones and he can still sing. My loss was in high tones, so it makes a difference what kind of loss you have.

Barb in Michigan
( coollady64 )

I used to sing all the time, but as my hearing deteriorated I slowed down. Now I very rarely sing. I loved to sing in church, but I can't even distinguish the tune now. I've lost too many tones in music.

My husband puts on the stereo and it just sounds like a bunch of noise. If I can figure out the song, then I can hear it. I think this is common with a lot of hearing loss people. Our minds remember the tune and words, but we're not really hearing the tones.

Mary S
(swa8 )

Hi Bob,

I think many of us have discussed our frustration at not being able to sing any more. I grew up singing in the choir at church, and in school too. When my hearing loss began, there was no way for me to continue. The music is so distorted to my ear and I have so much tinnitus there's no way I can continue to sing, or hit a note. My husband plays the flute and the sax and the piano, and he does a lot of practicing at home because he is a church musician. The flute is torture to me with my aids in, I just can't bear it. I used to love it. It's tough losing something special that used to be a big part of your life.

Linda
(treasure43 )

Hi Bob,

I find singing with hearing loss important even if the person can't really hear the notes. I use music for relaxation and singing makes me feel happy about myself and my situation.

I will sing songs about anything. I wish I was really good, like to go on American or Australian Idol, but there would be no way. It calms me down and I don't care if I sing not in tune as I usually sing the higher melody. It sounds a bit like my tinnitus.... always a different melody.

To play an instrument is great as it makes me concentrate on what I am listening to. Most songs will have the tune with other instruments as well. But when I play it is bland which makes it harder to make sure that it sounds how I remember it.

I have always played the organ and I have now changed to the keyboard. I play by ear and how I remember a song I will play it like that. I can read music to some extent but I need to really practice it over and over to make it fluent and nice sounding. Some of the notes sound either higher or lower than they really are. Sometimes I ask my mum, does that sound right?? She always says yes, of course.

Hugs,
Sharlene,
Perth, Western Australia
(sharlenet )

I was born with a mild hearing loss in the best ear and a severe hearing loss in the other. When I was a kid, I really liked singing...my mom sang in the chorus at the Women's club, and my sister, who is hearing, and I liked to sing. I sang in the chorus in elementary school.

When I was 11 years old, I had sudden hearing loss, which left me with a severe to profound loss. I never sang again until about 28 years later. I have an implant now and I'm starting to sing in church occasionally, particularly if I like the song. I sing on key, or so my husband tells me.

I think that when people have more hearing, they feel more confident about singing. I think a musical background and exposure to music and singing while growing up helps.

I also played the clarinet in the band - before and after becoming deaf. I really enjoyed playing in the band, although I was never very good. It seemed that the longer I'd been deaf, the closer to last chair I got. This didn't discourage me though.

I liked the concept of joining together as a group to make music and I liked being in the high school marching band, which gave me the opportunity to travel to Disney World and play in a parade.

I think I lucked out in the choice of instrument. The pitch of a clarinet is not too high, and the fingering made hitting the notes more straightforward (unlike some instruments like the violin). I think band music is easier to play because the melody is not too complex and there are more obvious cues as to when to begin playing. In elementary, middle, and most of high school, the music is fairly easy, but as I went on, I knew that I couldn't continue because the musical cues became more subtle.

Susan Boswell
(Mushondog )

Bobeee -

I have always enjoyed music and couldn't imagine a life without music. I didn't wear a hearing aid until I was 18, still enjoyed music, and after getting my Phonak Programmables four years ago which were far superior to previous aids I had, I realized there were sounds in music I used to listen to that I never knew were there.

I think that an appreciation for music is something you either have or you don't. Certainly the degree of hearing loss affects the ability to appreciate music, but it never affected my love for music. I do enjoy singing music, but I won't sing by myself in front of a crowd. This has nothing to do with my hearing loss, but rather self-consciousness.

I think interest in playing an instrument is something that you grow up with, perhaps instinctive, perhaps environmental exposure. Again, this doesn't have to do with a hearing loss, unless it is severe enough that you can't have the ability to hear well enough. Even then I've known people who use microphones, etc., to help them to hear other instruments in an orchestra, band, etc., so that they can effectively play the instruments themselves, as well as getting hearing aids that allow them to hear and participate.

I have played the violin, and did quit because of my hearing loss, because I couldn't follow the conductor (7th grade ;-0 ) and I wasn't moving up in seats. It was also hard for me to tune my violin myself, but I see now as an adult that I could have tried harder if I really had wanted to play the violin. Instead I changed my focus to the piano, which I played a lot by ear when I was younger and took piano lessons.

Hearing Loss can affect playing an instrument, but look at Beethoven, he wrote entire symphonies after he went deaf.

I hope this helps, please feel free to write back for clarification or more input.

Thanks!
Debbie Mohney, Vistas, Boulder, Colorado
(kujayhawk84 )

Now this is my area of expertise. I have over 30 years of playing Brass instruments like Baritone, trombone, tuba, trumpet...... Since I have high frequency hearing loss, I could not "hear" sounds like flute, piccolo in a band concert environment. I focus on low sound instruments like the one I described above.

I could differentiate the pitch, tone, the notes needed to do well on low sounding instruments. I continue to play the Baritone in a church orchestra occasionally. If I play alone in a quiet room, I can play piano some and French horn, if not overwhelmed from other intrusive sounds. I even enjoy listening to Mozart and Beethoven in the right environment. I guess I could say the conditions have to be ideal for me to enjoy and maximize the music experience.

Dwayne
(Dad5039647 )