The Importance of Earplugs as a Musician
Musicians may be exposed to many very loud sounds depending on their lifestyle. A musician’s work depends, in part, on their ears. That is not to say one cannot be a musician if they have hearing loss (look at Beethoven), but it does present certain challenges. For that reason, it may be a good idea to protect your ears and hearing as much as possible as such you may want to invest in earplugs.
There are different types of earplugs, each with their own unique functionality. Which type you choose will depend on your needs and you may benefit from multiple types. For example, if you are prone to ear infections from say, getting water in your ears, this will greatly impact your work so you may want to invest in ear protection designed to keep out water and use them if you go swimming or when you’re in the shower. If you are exposed to a lot of high volume sounds (like you may be if you attend a lot of concerts) you may want to have noise reduction headphones. There are also special earplugs for sleeping.
It is understandable why some musicians may want to forgo earplugs when performing or practicing. To them, it may reduce the overall sound quality of the music. They do have high fidelity earplugs which will essentially make the outside world quitter, but sounds across the full spectrum are still heard equally. For a musician, ear protection with this functionality may be best. Be sure to be as discerning as possible when you are selecting the earplugs that are right for you. Are they reusable? What are the specs? Are they designed for what you intend to use them for? Knowing this information will help keep your ears safe.