Good Hearing Protection

[Drummer4Him]

Hey all, I have never used any, and it it a no no, but I feel since I am getting more and more in tune with playing more often, I am looking for those form fitted ear plugs, not the HUGE headphones that people usually use. I think that that I have seen some of the form fitted ear plugs with the ability to plug into a monitor, does this sound right?

Let me know yall. Thanks, I just don't want to go deaf before I am an old man...LOL!!!

[Utopia]

i've nvr used any protection...not even with my wife...lol....sorry...that was bad of me...but no really i've nvr used earplugs at all...so i can't help u there...i prolly should...but oh well...i figr once i get old i don't need to hear anymore anyway...

[Drummer4Him]

i've nvr used any protection...not even with my wife...lol....sorry...that was bad of me...but no really i've nvr used earplugs at all...so i can't help u there...i prolly should...but oh well...i figr once i get old i don't need to hear anymore anyway...

Geez, are you nutz!! LOL!! I have been noticing a slight difference in my hearing lately. But it also could just mean a trip to an ENT to get my ears cleaned or something. I recently went to a class at church for people who wanted to learn sign language, and I was hanging out with people who really are deaf and have been that way their entire lives.

It made me realize that I have a choice to keep my hearing, to where as they desire to hear and I am taking advantage of that and destroying it at the same time. So, I guess you can say I had a wake up call. I am going to take the sign language class anyway because I think we should know it, because you never know when you might need it. There are quite a few in my church who are hearing impaired, so I would like to not only be able to communicate with them, but also be able to make them feel at home.

But I will appreciate anyone's input on good plugs, I found a pair online, and they are almost $300.00. Too rich for my pockets right now.

[Utopia]

i think that's really awesome that ur learning sign language. I've always been interested in learning it too.

[Drummer4Him]

i think that's really awesome that ur learning sign language. I've always been interested in learning it too.

Thanks, I hope that I can use it to help others some day. Just because they can't hear the beat, they still can feel the beat....just a thought.

[Utopia]

i agree...i wonder if u could teach a deff person to play drums...i bet u could...they could prolly even play along with others if u rigged up some kinda visual for them to stick with then tell them how to read music and they could just fallow along at the beat of the visual

[CrzyBangUp]

WOW. I should have figured you'd need earplugs...but then, I can't play that loud anyways since my surrounding neighbors here would come murder me for it lol.

[Markis441]

Well Drummer4him i use a pair of Doc's Proplugs (www.brdistribution.co.uk) You'll find them on this website. There great and only cost £12.99. You can choose from all different sizes, whether there vented or or not and whether you want a leash from one ear to the other or not. I called them up and they sent me all the diiferent sizes i could choose from( they didn't actually send me the earplugs just a chart with all the sizes), then i sent them it back with the one i chose and that was that. There not exactly top quality but they do the job just fine.
Good Luck with it.

[Markis441]

i agree...i wonder if u could teach a deff person to play drums...i bet u could...they could prolly even play along with others if u rigged up some kinda visual for them to stick with then tell them how to read music and they could just fallow along at the beat of the visual

Actually about deaf drummers, there is a top percussionist in the uk called Evelyn Glenny who is absolutly amazing on all percussion and has been totally deaf from the age of 5! She Plays bearfooted when playing so she can feel the vibrations for her cues on stage, fascinating stuff!

[Utopia]

Swweeeeeeet!!!11

[Lezzledrummer]

wasnt there someone that was deaf who played piano? oh no wait im thinking of stevie wonder... he wasnt deaf he was blind.. right?

[Markis441]

Thats correct he's one amazing musician

[bongobro]

Beethoven composed some of his most famous music when he was deaf...like Evelyn Glenny, he relied on vibrations from his piano.

Some of you might remember Heather Whitestone, the former Miss Alabama who was Miss America some years ago who was also profoundly deaf and blew everyone away with her ballet performance.

Regarding the topic: I must have the worst combination of career choices for potential deafness! Besides being a drummer, I also work in broadcasting, which naturally requires 'phones when you're on the air or recording. I used to wonder why one of my radio buddies used to have the monitors cranked up to 11 when he was on the air...now I know.

Drummer4Him, I remember when Mars Music opened up a store in the St. Louis area and their percussion room had noise-cancelling headphones that you put on when you wanted to play the drum kits or hand drums. You could hear the drums without wrecking your hearing, but to me they seemed a bit too clunky.

I would consider using those foam-type industrial strength earplugs--the ones you roll up and stick in your ears, where they expand to fill the ear canal...I should have done that years ago, man...

[Markis441]

I don't like them that much, i find with them that u cnt hear enough

[Utopia]

klenex my man.....klenex

[1DrumBum]

All you have to do is never wash your ears!!! Earwax is a natural and biodegradeable plug.

Just kidding! The Proplugs that Markis441 was talking about work great. You can still hear everything, but they take the initial cymbal attack away which is probably what does the most damage.