Recommendations on how to Listen to Music with Hearing Aids

One thing that many people with hearing loss miss out on is enjoying the music that they grew up listening to, or enjoying their time hearing live music at venues. It’s possible to appreciate music again. 

Here are some recommendations:

     1. Understand your current hearing capabilities and                       hearing aids. This will guide you in using the hearing 
         devices to their fullest potential.     
 

• Recognize what hearing loss patterns you have (high or low-frequency loss). Ask yourself how it can impact your ability to hear different musical instruments or voices. 
• Understand how your hearing aids can help you. 

     2. Discuss solutions for listening to music with your
          hearing instrument specialist.

• What styles of music and instruments do you enjoy listening to? Where do you listen to them? Is it at live concerts, in your car, through a stereo system/record player, or headphones/earbuds using your smartphone?
• Ask your provider for a volume control setting for each hearing aid. 
• A music setting can be programmed into your hearing aids. An explanation of how to use it should be provided by your hearing instrument specialist. If there is any uncertainty or confusion, ask questions to make sure you understand how to use it. 

     3. Practice listening

• As mentioned in this blog, adapting to hearing aids takes time. Patience and acceptance are the keys to acclimating to your hearing aids. 
• Discuss environments where hearing aids are helpful or unhelpful when listening to music.  

8 Tips for Listening to Music with Hearing Aids

1. Lower the volume to your music, while allowing your hearing aids to amplify the sound. 
2. When listening to recorded music, lower the volume on your music player. 
3. In a live music setting, move away from the musicians and/or loudspeakers.
4. Adjust the hearing aid volume to lower the input level. 
5. Try using a diverse set of listening programs on your hearing aids. Your hearing instrument specialist can help you with this.
6. Try putting on noise-canceling headphones, while wearing your hearing aids.
7. If you experience mild hearing loss, you could just take your hearing aids off altogether. 
8. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss or high-frequency hearing loss, and you have two hearing aids, a more natural sound can be heard when wearing both hearing aids at the same time, rather than just one hearing aid.

   
5 Tips for Musicians 

1. Let your hearing instrument specialist know that you are a musician.
2. Talk about your musical background and regular music environments (instruments played, performance settings), along with the challenges that you face.
3. Ask your hearing instrument specialist to include volume control and a music program setting. 
4. Your hearing instrument specialist is there to work with you. You may want to use a pitch frequency chart or a glossary of relevant terminology. 
5. Be open to using an Assistive Listening Device (ALD) during performances.

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• A remote mic on an orchestral setting can help users hear the conductor and other performers. 
• A hearing aid with Bluetooth®/smartphone app can be used to automatically adjust to optimal settings, based on your environment. (i.e. automatic volume control, equalization) 

12 Tips for Hearing Aid Usage 

4 Tips for People who use Hearing Aids

1. Observe how hearing instrument specialists fit hearing aids for music. ​​

    2. Understand the impact of listening tuition and acclimation, i.e.
        listening via earbuds, headphones, loudspeakers, and at live               performances.
    3. Discuss the impact of rehabilitation resources on the act of
        listening over an extended period of time.
    4. Oversee and keep a log on the use and effectiveness of ALDs 
         in various music settings.    

3 Tips for Musicians who use Hearing Aids

1. Improve your communication with your hearing instrument specialists. Discuss managing expectations, making sure you’re on the same page (use the same terminology), monitor the progress of aural rehabilitation.  
2. Join a support group (online or in-person) with people who have similar experiences. If you live in the U.S., try the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss in the US.  
3. Emphasize the importance of individualized support from specific concerns regarding your hearing aids, to concerns about their work environment and rehabilitation resources.   

5 Tips for Hearing Instrument Specialists 

1. Understand the patient’s expectations when listening to music with their hearing loss. Discuss how listening outcomes are formed through:
2. Psychological characteristics (i.e. one’s personality)
3. External factors (i.e. listening practices)
4. A series of experiments to test different factors and customized programming that may result in various listening outcomes. (e.g. Personal listening preferences and satisfaction, perceived impact on quality of life, levels of fatigue, variation of levels in music training.)
5. Observe a hearing aid user’s music perception, if they have a specific disorder. (e.g. Meniere’s Disease or tinnitus)

If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss and tinnitus, or any other hearing issues, please contact us at Pure Sound for a complimentary hearing test and consultation. 

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