My hearing issues and subsequent retirement

[Jim Cohen]

Hey Herb,

I'm so sorry to hear you're experiencing this. I must say, I have had a similar thing happen to me, where I find myself in the middle of a song wondering "Is the bass player playing in the right key??" "Am I in the right key??". For me it happens intermittently, I think maybe for about 20-30 seconds on one song in each show I play. When it first started happening, I was taken aback, panicking, like WTF is happening?? Now, I've come to expect it to pop up now and then and when it does, like you, I lean on muscle memory and my sight to be sure that I'm playing in the right key even though something (hopefully not me!) sounds amiss. And then it goes away,.

I've been participating in a Facebook group for musicians with hearing problems because I'm about to get hearing aids for the first time and I wanted to source advice on the best makes/models for musicians. In asking around, I became aware of something called Diplacusis, which perhaps your ENT told you about (mine didn't; well their audiologist didn't). It comes in a few different forms (as you'll read below from an AI summary) but it seems to commonly lead to pitch distortion, especially in one ear (which perceives the pitch differently from the other ear). I'm not sure, but I think I was hearing it from my left ear (but maybe that's just cuz the bass player was on the left side of me). In any case, some people have had success with a certain kind of ear (brain?) training to alleviate this.

BTW, I've only noticed it when wearing my IEMs and never (at least not yet) when just listening to music at home or someone else's live playing. I'm curious if you experience it with IEMs (if you use them) or even just with your hearing aids? And does it happen when you listen to radio or someone else's live performance, or only when you're the one playing? If it's with your hearing aids in, perhaps tweaking the program EQ might help? I, too, found it to be more common in the lower (bass) frequencies.

Anyway, as you say, you have many reasons to want to move on in life but I know you love music and if this problem rears its ugly head (ears?) even when you're just listening to recordings or other people's live music, then the info below might be of some interest.

You're probably in Europe right now and might not see this till your return but I wish you all the very best and hope to see you again someday soon, brother. (Oh, speaking of which, have you heard yet about a new steel guitar show that Ted Smouse is hosting in Austin in October? Jane and I will be down there for that so hopefully we can catch up then.)


Diplacusis (AI Summary):

Diplacusis, or "double hearing," is an auditory condition where one sound is perceived as two different, often mismatched, tones or as an echo. Caused by inner ear damage (sensorineural hearing loss), infections, or noise exposure, it results in pitch discrepancies, echo-like, or out-of-tune hearing. Treatment often involves addressing underlying causes, including using hearing aids. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Key Aspects of Diplacusis:

• Symptoms: Sounds are perceived as out of tune, mismatched in pitch between ears, or accompanied by echoes. It can make communication difficult and cause frustration, particularly in noisy environments.
• Types:

• Diplacusis Binauralis: The same sound is heard differently by each ear (e.g., pitch mismatch).
• Diplacusis Monauralis: A single sound is heard as two different sounds in one ear.
• Diplacusis Echoica: The brain receives the sound at different times from each ear, creating an echo effect.

• Causes & Risk Factors: Primarily caused by damage to hair cells in the cochlea, often from sensorineural hearing loss. Other causes include loud noise exposure, Meniere's disease, head trauma, ear infections, and fluid or wax buildup. Musicians are at higher risk due to potential noise-induced hearing loss and higher sensitivity to pitch.
• Treatments:

• Treating underlying causes: Removing earwax, treating infections, or adjusting medications.
• Hearing Aids: These can help balance sound input between ears.
• Sound Therapy/Auditory Training: Used to help the brain adapt to the altered pitch.
• Cochlear Implants: Sometimes recommended for severe hearing loss. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

The condition can be temporary or permanent depending on the cause. [6]

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

[1] https://www.thehearcarecenterinc.com/he ... in-stereo/
[2] https://americanhearing.us/sounds-stran ... explained/
[3] https://www.audibel.com/hearing-loss-tr ... -overview/
[4] https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/5 ... diplacusis
[5] https://tohear.com/what-to-know-about-diplacusis/
[6] https://www.miracle-ear.com/blog-news/d ... le-hearing
[7] https://www.salusuhealth.com/news/2023/ ... cusis.html
[8] https://hearbetterevansville.com/what-t ... iplacusis/
[9] https://www.dentmd.com/hearing-loss-art ... in-stereo/
[10] https://audioandhearing.com/diplacusis- ... e-hearing/