Hear The Music

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

I have long been concerned that perhaps the musician is not the best type of research subject when it comes to assessing how a particular hearing aid algorithm or circuit may represent amplified music.  Researchers, such as Dr. Nina Kraus, have spent their entire working careers trying to figure out what makes a musician tick.  And ultimately the strategies used,

I know that it is a great pastime for all of us to take a few moments and go through our old journals to see if we missed any important articles. Well, I ran in to this old article which I had marked for future reading and even had downloaded a pdf.  It was sitting in a file called READ THIS. Obviously

One of the larger embarrassments of the 1960s and 1970s, other than bell bottoms, was the systemic sexism in the broadcast industry. Using pseudoscience, women were told that they could not be broadcasters because the pitch of their voices was too high. Specifically, if the speaker’s fundamental frequency was high, as in a woman’s or child’s voice, then the harmonics were spaced