Hear The Music

Rachel Hottle is the guest contributor to this week’s blog at HearTheMusic.  Rachel is a fourth-year undergraduate at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she is studying music and biology. This summer she is volunteering as a research assistant in the SMARTlab (Science of Music, Auditory Research, and Technology) at Ryerson University. She hopes to pursue graduate study in the

We are a bag of bio-chemicals mixed in with a lot of water and some other tissues and bone that give us structure.  My waste-line may be a slim 34” at sea level, but over 35” at the top of Aspen Mountain- we are held together by atmospheric pressure, bones and other tissues- but what makes us go round are

I recall reading an article from 1983 in a then, new journal of the American Auditory Society, called Ear and Hearing. I remember showing it to my colleagues and commenting how silly it was and that they would publish anything, just to get an article to fill the pages of Ear and Hearing. Well, I was wrong!  Ear and Hearing

Glutamate is the main neurotransmitter substance in the cochlea and auditory system that make it work. Neurotransmitter substances are the chemicals that live their lives in between neurons in the synapse that allow neurological impulses- inhibitory (IPSPs) and excitatory (EPSPs)- to proceed (and feedback) along the neural chain up to the appropriate center(s) of the brain. Names such as Dopamine and Serotonin

Dr. Richard Price has probably done more than any one researcher to delineate the potentially damaging aspects of impulse noise on our auditory system.  He did most of his work in the 1980s and 1990s at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, but had continued to publish well after his military incarnation.  Of course the military is concerned about minimizing the

I am always surprised by how the various hearing aid manufacturers lump the two words “speech” and “music” together in one sentence…. “Hearing aid X can help with speech and music, and can help you jump higher and run faster….”.  Of course everyone knows that the last part is true and many of my hard of hearing clients can leap

I recently saw a music producer whose ears are her life – and unfortunately she suffered a sudden partial sensori-neural hearing loss in one ear. We were lucky enough to have her seen by an otolaryngologist within hours and after an MRI, steroid injections were started. So far, this is not an unusual situation and course of action although, with a few

I recall a time, not too long ago, when the only form of photographic evidence admissible in a court of law was a Polaroid shot.  This was a self-developing technique and as such could not be altered.  With the current form of photography and digital images, a 14 year old kid could alter it and even give me Justin Beiber’s hair.

By Natalie Wilson Natalie Wilson is an avid music lover and guitar player who has dedicated her life to sharing what she knows on her blog. You’ll find a wide range of topics on her blog, including reviews, tutorials, and tips for musicians. Feel free to contact Natalie: [email protected].   Music is a universal art form that everyone can connect with. Despite the

I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed by loud noise, my vocal sac coloration decreases and I’m just not as attractive as I can be. I have tried everything in my makeup kit to improve things, but alas, background noise can be deadly. Thankfully I am not a European Tree Frog though. An interesting experiment  was carried