Being Canadian, we tend to be more subtle in our self-promotion. It’s true that we invented penicillin, time zones, insulin, put the first person on the moon, and of course, the internet. But sometimes being subtle goes right past a person!
So please forgive me (I’m being Canadian, eh?) but HearingHealthMatters.org has just published a wonderful new e-book that I edited. It is called “Music to Your Ears: hearing aids, music, and musicians” and can be purchased through the HearingHealthMatters.org website (along with another e-book on PSAPS and one on the history of a large North American retailer). The original title was “What I did in October” but I suspect that the Music to Your Ears title is slightly better, albeit less descriptive of the amount of work that went into it.
This e-book is made up of many of the blog entries from Hear the Music over the last thousand years (as well as 10 other blog entry contributions) and to make the reading easier, I have divided the book up into 9 sections.
1. Music and hearing loss
2. The acoustics of music
3. Room acoustics and reverberation effects
4. Hearing aids and music
5. In-ear monitors
6. Musicians’ hearing protection
7. Consumer issues
8. Some notable notables
9. Encore i Finale
“Music to your ears” is an overview of those features that touch upon the acoustic care and feeding of musicians, or those, like me who are less talented and who just like to listen to music. Contributions have been made by a group of dedicated people with the goal of improving listenability and safe listening. This may be for hard of hearing children who are about to select their first musical instruments, or about a 20s something rocker who need to understand the more subtle points in choosing hearing protection or in-ear monitors.
This e-book has nine sections and can be read in any order, with as many items in each section as the reader wants to use. It can be used as a supplement in any university or college course on noise control, or even as part of a music program. Or it could be read with a cup of tea while having one’s feet propped up against the cushions in front of a roaring fire (or air conditioner in summer).
Each section of the e-book has a number of posts, all written with the reader in mind, and balancing scientific fact, humor, and clinical gems making this a very readable and smoothly flowing book.
Like most areas of study, the scientific principles can be used in other, seemingly unrelated areas. While this is a book about music, musical instrument and its effects, the acoustic principles can be applied to the human vocal tract, the acoustics of a classroom, and even the design of a concert hall. And many of the technologies can extend beyond the musician or listening to music, to populations such as the military, and those suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
