Hear The Music

Introduction: Frequency transposition, frequency shifting, and frequency compression are all terms that refer to algorithms that lower the frequency above a certain start point using either a linear or a non-linear processing. Many manufacturers have their own terminology for their algorithm and in some cases, manufacturer’s software will include in as a default setting for their first-fit algorithms. In this

This is a reprint of an article written by Nancy Williams based on an interview with me,  for Grand Piano Passion, an online magazine for musicians with hearing loss.  It blends practical articles with inspiration for its community of readers with hearing loss dedicated to making music. Founding Editor Nancy M. Williams is an ardent amateur pianist with hearing loss

This is a continuation of a previous post where the romantic nature of Musicians’ earplugs and a neat equation was introduced…. Musicians’ earplugs have been in use since 1988 when they were first introduced. An invention of Elmer Carlson (of twin tube fame), they were first commercialized and marketed by Etymotic Research (now Lucid Audio), and since then commercialized by

So… I was trying to innocently measure my noise-dose during a 2 hour trip from Buffalo, New York to Toronto, Canada with the roof down on my 2006 Toyota (bright red) convertible- it was a sunny Sunday afternoon.  All was going fine until this car came up behind me with flashing lights and a very loud siren.   To say

This may sound like a cheap romantic novel or a new soap opera but “area over love” is an important acoustic principle that rears its romantic head in a number of clinical scenarios that are encountered almost every day. Also slightly less romantic, the following equation can be helpful:   F α Area/LoVe. The frequency of interest is proportional to the

Of the many causes of permanent hearing loss, the one that is most preventable is noise and music exposure.  Although music and noise appear to be quite different; one being a good thing and the other, less good, both have a similar (but not identical) effect on our hearing. Although recent research have unveiled several parameters that can affect one’s

Recently there have been news reports about famous musicians who can no longer perform their music and choose to retire. By hook or by crook, that should not happen!  There are a multitude of strategies and technologies that can extend anyone’s playing and singing career. I recently saw a few hard of hearing clients with high frequency sensori-neural hearing losses

  Lauren Ervin is a current graduate student working towards her Master’s in Communication Disorders at Northwestern University. Her current research is focused on the phenomenon of diplacusis (or false pitch perception) and its effects on the musician population.   Her previous academic experience includes a Bachelor of Science at Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY) where Lauren studied Speech-Language

  Recently there have been news reports about famous musicians who can no longer perform their music and choose to retire. By hook or by crook, that should not happen!  There are a multitude of strategies and technologies that can extend anyone’s playing and singing career. I recently saw a few hard of hearing clients with high frequency sensori-neural hearing

I receive many questions from instrumental musicians, vocalists, and other performing artists about issues relating to how they should practice.  A particularly common question is how can I modify a room in my house so that my vocal practice doesn’t drive my dog crazy. The adage, “some is good, too much is bad” comes to mind. Assuming that one has