General Music Chat

Hearing? Eh, what? We never thought it about it 'back in the day'. Consequently, I have pretty bad tinnitus.
Good-fitting earplugs should be mandatory on stage these days, unless you are using in-ear monitors, in which case make sure you've got the kind that block out at least 50% of the outside sound.
Studio work? If you're in the same room as loud amps, ear plugs again, but you've probably alreayd got good over-the-ear headphones on anyway.

Every channel on my live mixing board has a noise gate with hard notch peak limiter except for the Bass Drum "We are a rock dance band".
If you have a good soundman that knows what the F they are doing you can fill any room/club with awesome sound and not blow you or your venue away.
I have been doing this with the bands for 40+ years and people still tell us we sound like a CD.
Ear monitors are the best way to go.
The biggest problem is playin' the dam Casinos with their dedicated sound system and sound man.......total pain in the ass and ears! Sorry for the rant.

-When things get loud:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Vic-Firth/V ... tads-plaid^142912771461-sku^1362412925160@ADL4GC-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^57619015002

-To keep the joints free and avoid arthritis: Glucosamine

-Got rid of all our heavy-azz gear and travel light and smart to avoid injury. My heaviest piece of gear is the Mesa at 48 lbs.

Eat real food, daily exercise, drink in moderation, and stay the heck out of hospitals. So far, so good.

If you think you need to imbibe "energy drinks", you need to cut one or several of the following out of your life;

Skimping on sleep
Bad diet
Alcohol
Drugs
Tobacco

This is what I love about opinions. Everyone has them. Everyone expresses them. I say something that I feel is neither shocking nor stupid and I get two opposing viewpoints in a blink of an eye. Gotta love it!

Hearing damage occurs at 130 db in a matter of moments. But hearing damage STARTS at about 85 decibels (that's about the volume of a kitchen blender).
Those who want to say that is wrong should research the topic thoroughly before vouching an opinion. (I suggest Wickipedia; they are easy to search).
A loud volume for a short time, or a medium volume for a long time will both cause permanent damage.
Now as to how to avoid hearing damage?
I've been to places where the music is so loud that - even with ear plugs - the volume is still above the hearing damage threshold.
If my ears are ringing when I leave a place - even with ear plugs - then I NEVER go back. That place can do without my money.
I will not damage my ears just because everyone else does. Nor should you.
Anyone who spends their time around hearing damage volumes and thinks they have no hearing damage is kidding themselves. They, literally, do not know what sounds they are missing. The loss is so gradual that they don't notice, that's all.
I've protected my ears, and also avoided loud music over the years. And I'm seeing my friends losing their hearing bit by bit, until they've gotten to the stage where they say "What?" a real lot during conversations. Or they reply to the wrong thing (which they thought you said, because they missed hearing a word or two correctly).
.
Some folks think loud music is cool.
But - How cool is it to talk to someone with whom you have to constantly repeat yourself over and over, because they can't hear you? It's annoying talking to people like that!
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So they question was - "How do I sing and still protect my ears?"
1) Avoid hearing damage volumes at all costs.
2) There IS no #2, my friend! . . . unless you can learn to sing with earplugs or headphones on.
.
Sorry.
You have no choice: You will need to be in a group doing music that will not hurt your hearing.
So, you have a MAJOR decision to make.
Because if you want to avoid hearing damage, then you must NOT be around hearing damage volume levels.
Period.

Being next to the stage (on Angus's side) at my first and only AC/DC concert in 91 was what took me from pristine hearing to ringing ears, dropouts in hearing, a general lack of high frequencies. If the wall of Marshall Stacks wasn't enough, the 21 gun salute (cannon by my head) sealed the deal. The next day, everyone sounded like the Chipmunks. Yuck!