Nutrition for Musicians

Musicians are consistently told that hearing loss is an inevitable profession related risk.  Just hearing it over and over for 100s of times might predispose some musicians to end up losing their hearing. 

This almost robotic repetition since an early age can program the subconscious that it is inevitable and at one point the body gives in to it (read the Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton). 

The medical and professional mainstream suggest that exposure for long periods of time to loud music put musicians or anyone who listens to music for that matter at the risk of becoming deaf one day. But this is just one side of the story.

Contrary to what is being promoted sometimes, hearing is not depending only on the amount of tiny hair cells of the cochlea (responsible for amplifying sound and sending it to auditory nerve), music is usually blamed for destroying those cells and leading the hearing loss.  

A study published in the online science journal PLoS One, found that among middle-aged adults, being a lifelong musician was associated with better hearing later in life. The study also found that professional musicians have better auditory memory and better distinction of speech in noisy environment.  

Hearing is not only a mechanical process of some parts of the ears. It is a collective work of multiple brain parts and cells. And the fact is, musicians have higher skills using this networking in decoding sounds.  

So maybe a musician will have less hair cells at a certain age (we all will) but the skills of interpretation of sound will be much higher than a non-musician with a higher number of cells. This will lead to a better understanding of the sound purpose by the musician. 

Still, it is important to understand that overuse of any organ will place a lot of stress on it, causing the increase of free radicals, cells oxidation (death) and eventually disease.  

Our ears are very good at giving us signals that it needs rest. Tinnitus, sound sensitivity, mesophonia, headaches and irritability from noise are all signals of high stress on ears.  If you have any of those symptoms or if you simply cannot stand playing your favorite piece for too long then your ears are under pressure and need rest. 

Ear plugs are very practical to give your ears a break without interrupting your gigs and practicing. Top it up with some adaptogens and good sleep (see previous posts) .  

Bottom line, as a creative artist you should be experiencing positive emotional and physical feelings when performing or practicing. If you are suffering in anyway, stop and think of how you can alleviate this stress holistically.  

Technically, if you are religiously using ear buds but the main engine for this is the fear of losing your hearing, your chances of actually losing your hearing are as good as a musician who irresponsibly uses his/her ears!  

Finding the balance, reducing stress and enjoying what one is doing are key to a healthy body. 

Cheers to all the golden ears of all artists out there 