The Last Thing Musicians Think About: Save Your Hearing
by Mitchell Estrin
Date Posted: January 10, 2017
Hearing is a precious gift and one that must be protected. Once hearing has been damaged through long-term exposure to high-decibel music and/or sound, the loss cannot be restored. Thus, prevention and protection are essential.
As musicians, we often take our hearing for granted, especially when we are young. The first step to protecting and preserving one's hearing is to realize just how delicate and fragile the membranes of the inner ear are. With this in mind, the next step is to get proper hearing protection to be used in situations that are potentially dangerous to hearing. For musicians, this means wearing ear plugs. These should be small and inconspicuous. It would be impractical for musicians to wear the "headset" ear muffs like the ones worn by airport personnel and construction workers.
Mitch's Performance Background
My first professional job as a musician was at age 20, playing in a symphony orchestra that backed up the rock band, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. At the time, ELP was noted in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the loudest rock bands in history. (Guinness has since stopped measuring this statistic, in an effort to discourage bands from going for a new record, while deafening their audiences.) This extreme volume is measured in decibels, and was comparable to having your ears next to a jet engine. Fortunately for me, 3M had recently developed disposable sets of foam earplugs called EAR, which saved the day for me. I bought a couple of dozen pairs, and wore them in every rehearsal and performance. At first, my perceptions of my sound and how it related to the ensemble was a bit askew. But, I adjusted quickly and learned to play very well with the plugs in. This may have saved my hearing!
It is worth noting here that wearing hearing protection as a musician was something that was not common and likely frowned upon, in the 1970s. I stood my ground, however, and have never wavered from that day forward. Since that time, I have always carried ear plugs in my clarinet case and used them when appropriate.
"I played for over 20 years with the New York Philharmonic, where I also utilized hearing protection when necessary." - Mitchell Estrin
Deciding When to Use Hearing Protection
I played for over 20 years with the New York Philharmonic, where I also utilized hearing protection when necessary. I was always discreet when putting in or removing the ear plugs. During rehearsals for a particular work, I would make decisions as to when to insert and when to remove the ear plugs, and would notate this in my music. This was necessary in works with extremely loud volume (Mahler symphonies, contemporary scores, etc.). My decisions as to when to use hearing protection also depended on the physical setup of the orchestra on the stage. Sometimes, I would be directly in front of the brass section, or the percussion section. This sent up the red flag. I always removed my ear plugs before playing softer sections, and anytime the music required sensitive entrances and tuning.
I remember one instance when I was playing a long run of The Nutcracker ballet. My chair in the orchestra pit was literally two feet in front of the principal trumpet. I insisted to the orchestra manager that they place a Plexiglas shield between the back of my head and the trumpet bell. The trumpet player resented this and wouldn't speak to me, but I never regretted asking for and using the shield. For additional protection, I also wore ear plugs during several loud trumpet parts during the ballet.
Marching Band Application
In my current position as a university music professor, I sometimes work with the University of Florida "Pride of the Sunshine" Marching Band. This ensemble has more than 350 players and the sound is powerful with lots of brass and percussion. At football games, the band staff sits directly in front of the band, and we wear earplugs at all times. I also wear earplugs on airplanes and in any extreme noise situation.
What Hearing Protection to Use?
There are many varieties of ear plugs you can wear. The inexpensive, but effective, EAR foam plugs (or similar), can be purchased at any CVS or Walgreens. These plugs effectively reduce the decibel level on all sound. More sophisticated ear plugs that allow better musical perceptions when playing can also be purchased rather inexpensively.
The ETYMŌTIC ER20 is an excellent choice, and I carry a set of these in my clarinet case.
For maximum musical perception and protection, custom ear plugs can be made for you by an audiologist. With a little research, you can determine safe levels of sound exposure and for how long. You can also evaluate each product to see what each one will offer you in terms of decibel reduction and musical perception.
After a 40-year career as a musician who was exposed to dangerous decibel level volume for many years, I am happy to report that I recently had my hearing evaluated at the Mayo Clinic, and tested age appropriate without any damage! Wear hearing protection and you will preserve one of the most delicate and important components of your overall health.
About the Author
Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida where he was founder and music director of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Prof. Estrin was the 20th President of the International Clarinet Association (ICA). He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer and Writing the Vandoren WAVE published by CAMco. His critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 26 is published by Jeanné.
Prof. Estrin is a 2023 recipient of Honorary Membership in the International Clarinet Association. This accolade, marking the highest honor in the clarinet world, is said to acknowledge individuals with a distinguished background in the areas of professional service, teaching, performance, and lifetime achievements.
Mitchell Estrin studied clarinet with Stanley Drucker at The Juilliard School where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His other influential teachers include Jerome Stowell, Walter Wollwage, Leon Russianoff, Larry Combs, Robert Bloom, and John Moses.
Prior to his academic appointments, he had a 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic. He performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours with the Philharmonic as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under music directors Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and many distinguished guest conductors including Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Sir Colin Davis, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the Philharmonic and on numerous occasions performed with the orchestra on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.
As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in over 40 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen with the Janacek Philharmonic.
“This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
The Clarinet
As a chamber musician, he has performed with such notable ensembles as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, American Chamber Winds, at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble.
Prof. Estrin has an extensive discography of solo and chamber music and recorded hundreds of television commercials and Hollywood motion-picture soundtracks. He has performed and recorded with many leading popular artists including Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Natalie Merchant. His motion picture soundtrack credits include recordings for Columbia, Walt Disney, Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Brothers on feature films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Alamo, Intolerable Cruelty, The Score, You’ve Got Mail, Primary Colors, Fargo, Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire, Home Alone 2, Pocahontas, Doc Hollywood, Regarding Henry, The Untouchables, Reds, and Dressed to Kill. His television credits include recordings for ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, HBO, TBS, and ESPN. Prof. Estrin was principal clarinetist for the NBC 75th Anniversary Special; broadcast from the famed NBC Studio 8H in New York City. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Phil Donahue Show, the television series Nurse, and in Kramer vs. Kramer, the 1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. His clarinet playing has also been heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized him as a Most Valuable Player nominee for his outstanding performances in the recording studio.
Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at many prestigious educational conferences and institutions. This list includes the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Midwest Clinic, New York State School Music Association, Connecticut School Music Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. In 2019, he was a guest clinician in Australia at the University of Melbourne. He has performed in recital with clarinetists Stanley Drucker, Karl Leister, and Mark Nuccio.
Widely acclaimed as a conductor and proponent of the clarinet choir, Prof. Estrin has served as director of the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® College, Festival, and Professors Clarinet Choirs, Texas State Clarinet Fiesta Clarinet Choir, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He held a Guinness World Record for conducting the world’s largest clarinet choir (367 members) in 2019. He has conducted the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble throughout the United States and Europe, including three feature recitals at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest®. The ensemble has produced four critically acclaimed CD’s for Mark Masters, Christmas Clarinets (2016), Clarinet Choir Classics (2012), Clarinet Thunder (2009), and Wind in the Reeds (2006). Each of these recordings was selected for the Grammy Nomination eligibility list. Prof. Estrin has authored multiple articles on the history, development, repertoire, and logistics of the clarinet choir.
As a music producer and annotator, he has worked on projects with such renowned artists as trombonist Joseph Alessi, jazz pianist Lynne Arriale, and saxophonist Mike Smith. He has produced five clarinet choir CDs for Mark Recording.
Prof. Estrin’s students have performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, New York Pops, United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, United States Army Field Band, and West Point Band. His students hold educational positions at several major universities including Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of South Alabama.
Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Legacy Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds (V.12) and mouthpieces (BD2). Prof. Estrin’s educational articles are published regularly in the Vandoren WAVE and his biography is listed in Who’s Who in Classical Music, Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in International Music.