Are Musicians Sensitive to Sounds?
It is important to remember that each person is different. Just because something bothers, one person does not mean that it will bother another. We don’t live in a simple black and white world where one answer is correct in every situation. This is merely a single possibility in the realm of many.
The more you learn or know about something, the more sensitive you likely are to it. Just as an artist may be aware of various techniques and styles, so too might a musician be sensitive to sound. Musicians are trained to hear sounds; their ears are calibrated to pick up on noises and notice certain things. So, a sound that may not bother a non-musician, like the television playing in a room over, may drive a musician absolutely crazy.
Most people will eventually habituate (or tune out) sounds that are not relevant at that particular moment if said sound is constant. Musicians don’t just hear a sound, they hear frequencies to an astonishing level; in some cases, which is why they may be sensitive or respond to certain sounds others may not notice. Think of it like the light spectrum. The perceived light from the sun is white; however, that light is a spectrum comprised of varying wavelengths, which we perceive as different colors. A person with trained ears is like the prism that can separate this one single light into multiple colors (except instead of light it’s sound).
Sounds exist everywhere in varying degrees of loudness. Some people may take to wearing earplugs to drown out some of the sounds (particularly if they live in a loud area like a city). When you develop a craft or skill set, you may experience heightened awareness. This is fantastic for putting towards your craft; however, it can be a little troubling in everyday life.