"Hear from the Audiologists" MusiCares and Tuned panel!

In celebration of National Protect Your Hearing Month, MusiCares and Tuned put together a panel of audiologists to reflect on the first year of tele-audiology service delivery and help an audience of professional musicians learn more about the ways they can receive hearing health support year-round. Heather Malyuk, the Head of Audiology at Tuned, expertly lead the panel which included audiologists Lisa Tannenbaum, Laura Sinnott, Shannon Switzer, and Frank Wartinger, all of whom have been active on the platform since the beginning.

Besides the intended audience of musicians, this discussion will be of particular value to anyone in the audiology field who may be interested in 1) what the sub-specialty of music audiology entails, and 2) how the Tuned tele-audiology platform functions.

https://youtu.be/qGHSYemp-64?si=FXnzNAPnnimrxOc8

I'm honored to work alongside this incredible group of trail-blazing audiologists. I was also overjoyed to produce this video, and excited to have this discussion available to a wide audience! Please be on the lookout for a companion piece on the Talking Ears podcast featuring Juan Vasquez's responses to all of Heather's fantastic questions.

Kicking off Season 2 of Talking Ears with a conversation with audiologist and musician Brendan Fitzgerald!

With over a dozen special conversations, taking a moment to think on the importance and the impact of those people’s voices and their music sounds like the most appropriate thing to do. This time, a reflection of someone that we had thought of having a discussion with since the beginning of Talking Ears: Brendan Fitzgerald. A friend, musician, and audiologist, he tapped us into a conversation about his creative methods and the reason why music continues to mean so much to him. 

With a strong emphasis on artistic collaboration with the people he gets to make music and embracing experimental rhythmic and harmonic complexity, the music of Brendan Fitzgerald and his bands Wooden Cities and f-f-f-f-Faulty Tower brings forth a realm of acoustic energy that can be described as unpredictable, intriguing, structured chaos, and thought-provoking. Through democratic exploration of both traditional and unconventional means in creating new sound, the tonality and substance of their art challenges the listener to search inward, focus on what the music is doing, brace for the unexpected, and take in a truly awe-inspiring aural experience. 

In a seemingly effortless way, Brendan produces a transcendental art form which, (particularly now in an era bursting with trending, capital-driven, and attention-seeking stimulation) pushes what creativity can be and the possibilities of where it can take our minds. All this makes their music one of the most refreshingly original artistic experiences that we’ve had the privilege to encounter. 

Talking Ears is beyond honored to present this conversation with Brendan; especially with a new understanding that it’s the people that he gets to play music with that makes the process unique and worth continuing; a feeling that we certainly share.

Stay tuned for the continuation of Season 2 of Talking ears! We have a very exciting batch of episodes coming out in the coming months!

2022 recap and Talking Ears featured in the NHCA "Spectrum" publication

2022 brought about many changes for Earmark Hearing Conservation, including the launch of my music audiology interview podcast, “Talking Ears”. The show provides space for guests to share their stories and views on what is arguably the most important issue in the music industry: hearing health. The formula is rather simple - long-form interviews provide nuance and breadth, while the artist’s own music provides context.

As the host, I try to stay out of the way as much as possible and let the guests’ words and music do the talking. However, this show has marked a significant shift in the way I share my own personal story as an individual who experienced hearing damage and tinnitus due to music exposures from a young age. Though it is a vulnerable feeling and not always comfortable to do so, this relates directly to the philosophy that sparked the show in the first place: dialog and transparency are the bricks that pave the path to better hearing health awareness.

View Article

Click here to download the full NHCA Spectrum article.

One of those instances where I spoke about myself was when past National Hearing Conservation Association president Merlyn Lubiens interviewed me for the recent issue of “Spectrum”, the official NHCA publication. Feel free to read the article through the above link, admire the masterwork writing, and chuckle at the endearing use of a dad-joke to wrap up an otherwise buttoned-up piece. If you listen close, you’ll likely hear me blushing through the pages.

But this isn’t about me. Along with producers Juan Vasquez, AuD, and Mary Kim, AuD, we’ve interviewed Grammy winners, touring musicians, audio engineers, researchers, psychologists, educators, and some of the most renown music audiologists in the world. Their words and music is what we are collecting. And the more personal stories we share, the greater the chance a listener will see their own experiences and attitudes reflected back. The subject remains loosely the same (it is called “Talking Ears” after all) but the views and connections are always refreshing and inspiring to our team.

This is a labor of love, and boy howdy is a labor. From top to tail, each episode takes between 10 to 16 hours for our team to produce. Luckily, the overwhelming response shows that this is a worthwhile endeavor and one we will continue with gusto into the new year.

None of this would be possible without the support of Juan and Mary. The show would be nothing without countless hours spent planning and scheduling guests, listening to interviews, and providing edit suggestions and feedback.

We have incredible things planned in 2023, exciting upcoming announcements, and sincere hopes the future of the show. Your continued listenership means the world to us, and we welcome your thoughts, feedback, criticism, and suggestions. Some would say… we’re all ears.

Best, Frank

Eric Heveron-Smith - Talking Bass, Jazz, and Acoustic Music

Bassist and producer Eric Heveron-Smith (Postmodern Jukebox, Einstein's Dreams) joins Frank to talk about his work in jazz and other acoustic music genres. We get into hearing, monitoring, and other health considerations important for professional musicians to ensure career longevity, and get philosophical about the role of music in the world.

Music heard in this episode features performances by Eric Heveron-Smith with various groups including Moonshine Rhythm Club, The Capitalist Youth, Gunsling Birds, and a sneak peek at the upcoming album "Flight Manifest" by Einstein's Dreams. For more information about Eric's many many projects, visit https://www.eric-hs.com/

Feel free to reach out talkingears@earmarkhc.com to discuss this episode and hearing wellness in general. We look forward to hearing from you!

Ben Runyan - talking habituation and identity

Ben Runyan (City Rain) joins Frank to talk about habituation, identity, and prevention through his own experience developing tinnitus and his path to recovery. This episode features music by Ben Runyan.

Michael Lawrence - talking SPL and concert safety

Michael Lawrence (co-host of the Signal To Noise Podcast), joins us to talk about SPL, loudness, and the audio engineer's responsibility when it comes to exposure risk at live sound events. Expressed through his work as a system engineer and senior instructor at Rational Acoustics, he brings humanity to the technical aspects and numbers when balancing a concert's perceived loudness and safety of all involved.

This episode features music by Audiologist and Talking Ears producer, Juan Vasquez and his band The Absolute Threshold.

Heather Malyuk - talking fiddle and music audiology

Our special guest this week is Dr. Heather Malyuk, a fiddle player, lifelong musician, and celebrated music audiology expert. She shares her musical upbringing and how she fell in love with her instrument from a young age. As a professional musician herself, she brings realism and empathy to her work as a music audiologist.

"This is one of those things we talk with patients about... wear your hearing protection... [But] sometimes you get to the gig and you can't hear right, and work comes first."

The risk of acquired hearing loss and tinnitus are known and now widely discussed in the music community, but she takes this time to share her personal story of diplacusis - a less common music-induced hearing disorder which results in distorted pitch perception. We also dive into the emotional and physical demands of a musician's life, which can strain one's overall health and wellbeing.

"Everyone hurts, so you think it's supposed to hurt..."

Heather points out that music is a language that provides a unique medium for self-expression, as well as invaluable connection to your fellow musicians. Throughout this episode we'll be hearing music featuring Heather Malyuk to give better context to the relationship between her musical career and her career as a celebrated music audiology expert.

In a special bonus episode of Talking Ears, Heather and Frank will be diving deep into the clinical side of music audiology, so keep tuned for more from Heather! If you would like to book a private virtual appointment with a music audiologist, both Dr. Heather Malyuk and Dr. Frank Wartinger are now on the Tuned platform. Simply follow the below links to view available appointment times, sign up for a consultation, or inquire further. We look forward to caring for you and your ears.

Schedule a tele-audiology consultation with Heather Malyuk

Schedule a tele-audiology consultation with Frank Wartinger

Joey Di Camillo - talking hyperacusis and tinnitus

Joey Di Camillo is perhaps best described as someone who is a natural born musician. At an early age he was around music and had dreamt about being in a rock n roll band since age 9. He discusses his musical journey from the moment he heard the guitar riff that made him realize he knew he wanted to be a rockstar, to the moment he knew being on stage performing for an audience was what he was born to do:

“The stage is my home…it’s how I express myself and tell my story”.

After years of loudness, Joey discovered a difference with his ears that put his musical journey to a halt:

“…I never wore earplugs…all the gigs I’ve played, hours of practice, never wore a shred of hearing protection…I didn’t think it would be a problem”.

Joey opens up about the development and evolution of the music-induced hearing disorders he experiences, and we discuss how isolating and disconnecting it can feel to be a musician who can no longer play music. He also shared how all of this was put into perspective when faced with other serious life events.

Feel free to reach out talkingears@earmarkhc.com to discuss this episode and hearing wellness in general. We look forward to hearing from you!

Rickie Mazzotta - talking drums, whiplash, and tinnitus

Rickie Mazzotta joins us to discuss his career as the drummer and founding member of the Philadelphia-based indie rock band mewithoutYou. As the band embarks on their farewell tour after over 20 years making music together, Rickie generously gave his time to check in about the status of his ears and offer some sage advice to concert goers and young musicians.

Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of mental health and suicide.

Rickie is, by any measure, a loud and energetic drummer, and his approach to the drum set is one of the driving forces behind mewithoutYou’s exciting albums and live shows. In 2019, Rickie experienced what he refers to as “the bomb”. This is when he was first diagnosed with whiplash, which was attributed to his stage movements and the energy he puts into his performances. Did we mention he is an energetic drummer? As it turns out, energy and loudness go hand-in-hand, and his “bomb” was also characterized by onset of debilitating chronic tinnitus, which he described most uniquely:

“Its just like a fairy screaming… a tiny fairy but with this massive weird magical power screaming.”

Coming off tour, he took a full pause on his music career and tried everything to improve his situation and resolve the spiral of tinnitus and anxiety. As it turns out, it was the strategic use of isolating in-ear monitors, awareness of exposure levels, and the careful and intentional return to the stage that did the most good.

Now, Rickie shares his general optimism, and knowledge that he can continue his music career safely while still having the capacity to continue performing with same energy:

“I got a hearing test fairly recently, and its almost line for line the test we did two years ago. So just that alone gives me incredible peace of mind - I can do this thing without further doing more damage to my ears.”

After listening, you can read more of Rickie’s thoughts in our January, 2020 Sound Profiles interview.

Feel free to reach out talkingears@earmarkhc.com to discuss this episode and hearing wellness in general. We look forward to hearing from you. And stay tuned for future episodes, with a hopeful release every couple weeks.

Thanks for listening!

- Frank

Special Thanks

Additionally, I would like to acknowledge everyone who helped with the development of Talking Ears: Scott Hallam, Mary Kim, Juan Vasquez, Brian Heveron-Smith, and Meaghan Strickland - thank you for your time, thoughtful notes, and most of all your patience with me. This wouldn’t be anything without each of you.

Introducing... Talking Ears!

I am excited to announce the start of a new project, a podcast called Talking Ears. In this show, I’ll be interviewing music creators about the often overlooked topic of auditory wellness and hearing healthcare for music industry professionals. Through guests’ stories, candid advice, and their own music, I hope to give context to the role their hearing plays in their lives and careers.

With so many musicians developing career-threatening hearing injuries, and sparse training for aspiring musicians and engineers, I feel an urgency to this discussion. The first episode will be released soon, and features in-depth discussion with Rickie Mazzotta, drummer and founding member the band mewithoutYou. In January, 2020, we featured Rickie in a Sound Profile interview, and he was kind enough to check in and give us an update on his ears and life. Now, he is embarking on mewithoutYou’s farewell tour.

Stay tuned!

- Frank

Big Milestone for the Primary Care Perspectives Podcast

Congratulations to Dr. Lockwood on reaching 100 episodes of her groundbreaking podcast, Primary Care Perspectives!

Dr. Katie Lockwood hosts an informative and approachable podcast discussing pediatric health topics from the perspective of an empathetic pediatrician. Years ago, Dr. Lockwood approached Frank Wartinger for technical audio engineering support of her yet-to-be-released podcast. As a means of time-stamping, the first episode revolved around a hot topic, a virus that had the world worried: Zika.

Taking no credit but feeling all of the duly allotted pride, I’m happy to share her 100th episode with you all! Happy listening!

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss - Podcast Episode for Pediatricians

Primary Care Perspectives: Podcast for Pediatricians

Primary Care Perspectives: Podcast for Pediatricians            

Episode 6: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Published January 2017.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Audiologist Frank Wartinger, AuD, discusses the prevalence, risk factors and prevention strategies for noise-induced hearing loss.

About Primary Care Perspectives: Listen in as Katie Lockwood, MD, a primary care pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses hot topics in primary care with experts from across the Hospital. In this podcast series for pediatricians, CHOP subject-matter-experts weigh in on issues affecting the daily practice of pediatricians. You can also download these podcasts and subscribe to the series in the iTunes Store.

https://soundcloud.com/childrensphila/primary-care-perspectives-episode-6-noise-induced-hearing-loss