2008 Woodie Awards
'Hear No Evil' promotes hearing protection with music
Drew Bonifant
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: The Inside
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"Hear No Evil," was held in afterHOURS Feb. 26 and the group used the show to raise awareness of the dangers of hearing loss from loud music, and as a fund-raising opportunity. The bands Scholar, Bridget and the Squares and The Motion Sick performed. While the loud and rollicking tunes could initially appear to be counter effective, organizers said otherwise.
Michael Epstein, an assistant professor of audiology and the lead singer and guitarist for The Motion Sick, said organizing an event around music had clear advantages.
"NAFDA wanted to get involved in some sort of community outreach, and hearing conservation and protection is one of the important types of outreach," he said. "And they thought, 'what better way to reach people who are potentially exposing themselves to hazards than to put on a concert, because that's where a lot of people are going to be putting themselves in a dangerous situation.'"
Dan Goscombe, the bass player for Scholar, said it was important to preserve hearing.
"I've been working in a rehearsal studio for two years, so it's a big part of everything there," he said. "Everyone plays way too loud, but that's the rock 'n' roll way of life. You can't play rock 'n' roll for 50 years because you're going to lose your hearing, so it is a very important thing that you wear earplugs. Down the road, you could be hearing hums for the rest of your life."
Part of the event focused on the dangers of iPods' earbuds, and how users often turn the volume up to drown out outside noises, which may cause hearing loss.
At the event, NAFDA handed out fact sheets on noise-induced hearing loss, free earplugs and held a raffle, which included noise-canceling headphones as a prize.
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