Broadway community & hearing problems

[binau]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 5:19pm

Is it common/does anyone talk about preventing and/or coping with hearing loss, tinnitus or other hearing issues in the Broadway community? With a high level of amplification it's hard not to believe that this could be an ever growing epidemic...

[HogansHero]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 5:33pm

Although some people complain that music in theatre is "too loud," in reality it isn't from an ear health standpoint. That's true anywhere in the auditorium but levels on stage typically are lower decibels still.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 5:46pm

It's true that I have debated bringing earplugs to a couple of shows I have seen, for reasons of either potentially strong audience response or super-loud sound design (which isn't usually the case for most shows). In the end, though, shows are not meant to be like those MSG scream-athons. I don't think B'way's sound is becoming "too loud"... yet.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 6:27pm

Shows are decidedly more quiet onstage and backstage.

The audience's experience is wildly different as that sound is designed for THAT space.

To be fair, it will be interesting to see where sound design goes as time passes.. one of the chief reasons for a show's volume is that the design must overcome the venue HVAC white noise and white noise created by any machinery used in the production... beyond that, it is reflective of audience expectation.. most audience members are tuned to cineplex sound and louder headphones - they expect the sound to be DELIVERED to them rather them having to lean into the sound..

[Tag]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 6:30pm

Many crew and stage managers have later life hearing issues from wearing headsets for their whole career.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 2/3/21 at 7:16pm

Alex Lacamoire has had hearing loss since he was a child and uses hearing aids.