Hearing conservation and music education

Because musicians have a critical dependence on hearing, and because exposure levels of music are known to be potentially hazardous to hearing, one might assume that hearing conservation is a critical and valued core educational component to any and all music instruction. However, in most music educational settings, there has been little or no mention of any health risks associated with music. Organizations such as the National Association of Music Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, the Texas Center for Music & Medicine, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association are now working together to establish priorities and guidelines concerning the hearing, physical, and psychological health of musicians and music students. Every music educator in the United States should be aware of the need for teaching hearing-loss prevention principles and should be willing to provide instructional time for this agenda. Such actions will make a significant contribution to hearing-conservation efforts on behalf of all children.