Re: [Harp-L] Loud amp for loud band



Spec20,

Honestly, I think I'm angry because of my own hearing loss, and the realization I have every time I play one of the really loud gigs that my 24-7 tinnitus will be ramped up for days. So please accept my apology for the tone of my replies. The situations I've been in I wouldn't trade, and there are situations I'm in now where I accept the volume for what I consider to be a very rewarding musical experience. But the damage done in the past and being done in the present does cause me a pretty significant inner conflict, and I think that's why I came off sounding like such a/an (insert perforative phrase here). The matter discussed here goes pretty much to the heart of my own hearing damage history. The essence of it is that I've had a lot of hard choices vis a vis volume and have pretty much always taken the damaging choice. Not frivolously, though. They've been very tough choices, because the musical situations in the choices have been consistently extremely valuable ones to me. But they have caused severe damage, and may stop me from playing music before I'd otherwise have to. As it is, the gnawing feeling that I am not hearing the music as I once did, and the fact that I have to turn the treble way up to hear the ride cymbal on many of my favorite jazz recordings is very painful - and forgive me if I wax cornball here, to my soul. And I have to repress the impact of it sometimes or I would get to depressed to function. Because sometimes it doesn't matter how far I turn the treble up, I don't hear the ride on the recording. So I think all of that is why I went so over the top.

I guess that's a pretty thorough testimony to take care to not damage ones hearing. Of course, your advice is right, healthy and sane. Sorry to have been nutty in my reaction.

V

On Nov 12, 2007, at 9:05 PM, Special20 wrote:

Vince-

Geez, what are you so angry about?  If you read my first post on this
topic, you will see I wrote "I'd quit the band," as in ME!  It is what
*I* would do.  I also recommended ear plugs or in-ear montors.  I
don't understand your over-the top resentment at my post.  I may be a
very persuasive guy, but I have not forced you or anybody to do
anything.

Dave Grohl clearly regrets his hearing loss, and I'm certain he would
suggest that young players not make the mistakes he did.  That may
mean changing bands, or it may mean ear plugs.  Or it may mean making
the affirmative decision to tolerate the risk of hearing loss, as you
have done.

As I said before, life is too much fun to be crippled with hearing
loss or tintinitis.  If your bandmates won't lower the stage volume,
I'd quit the band.  You can still have a high FOH SPL, but you don't
have to ruin your own ears to sound good.

-Spec20.


On Nov 12, 2007 6:21 PM, Vince Meghrouni <Foomcorp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, since you brought it up, why don't you just glibly tell Dave
Grohl to quit what he's doing.

Do you think it is big news that people go deaf playing loud music?
The article didn't say Grohl has quit playing loud music, did it?
No, it didn't.  So your point is, what, that loud music adversely
effects hearing?  Well then, you are right.  But yes, to advise
quitting a band or changing it out or whatever automatically because
it is loud is glib and facile, regardless of your ability to find a
snippet of an interview saying that Grohl has to have his wife repeat
herself.

Coincidentally, I happened to play drums for a couple tours in a band
whose drum chair the prior tour was occupied by Grohl.  It was a very
loud couple of tours.  The drum monitors were as loud as some loud
bands I've played in.  It was after that tour that my lifetime
relationship with tinnitus first began.  But I got the chance to work
with some artists that I consider it to have been worth it to have
worked in those circumstances.

Maybe you would not work in extremely loud situations no matter what,
and I think it's wonderful if you've managed to preserve your hearing
through that policy.  I certainly would not recommend that anyone
work in an extremely loud circumstance without considering the very
real repercussions.  But for some, the particulars of the artistic
aspect of the situation are not so easy to turn down and I personally
wouldn't have had it any other way, and feel the same way about the
loud situation that I am currently playing harp/sax in.  Sometime to
do the thing itself is worth what it takes in order to do it.

And of course, there are always earplugs.


On Nov 12, 2007, at 5:00 PM, Special20 wrote:


Ask Dave Grohl if I am being facile or glib:

http://www.deafness-and-hearingaids.net/2007/09/21/dave-grohl-talks-
about-his-hearing-loss/



On Nov 12, 2007 5:38 PM, Vince Meghrouni <Foomcorp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
It's easy to say "If your bandmates won't lower the stage volume, I'd
quit the band", without hearing the band.


I play in (among others) a very loud band with extremely creative
musicians writing unique music I dig. It's not just a matter of
"remove harmonica-player unit from music machine A and place in music
machine B which features all attributes of machine A except for
volume aspect".


Sometimes you accept the negatives of a situation for the positives
inherent within it.  To say "find a new band" or "I'd quit" is
facile.  It's glib.  Easy to say if you don't know the particulars.

Hendrix played real loud.  If he'd asked you in the band, would you
have turned him down because it was too loud?  Maybe you would.

Rex "T for 'Tempest in a teapot" Tobago


On Nov 12, 2007, at 4:01 PM, Special20 wrote:


Earplugs? In-ear monitors?

Life is too much fun to be crippled with hearing loss or tintinitis.
If your bandmates won't lower the stage volume, I'd quit the band.
You can still have a high FOH SPL, but you don't have to ruin
your own
ears to sound good.


-Spec20
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Vince Meghrouni http://www.myspace.com/fiendhorn




_______________________________________________ Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

Vince Meghrouni http://www.myspace.com/fiendhorn




_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

Vince Meghrouni http://www.myspace.com/fiendhorn







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