The widespread use of MP3s and other music players has led to a jump in hearing loss among teenagers, says a new survey. Researchers in Boston, Massachusetts report that a growing number of 12-19 year olds have suffered slight hearing loss. Between 1988-94 and 2005-06, the percentage of teenagers with hearing loss jumped by around a third, from 15% of 12-to-19-year-olds to 19.5%, say the authors of a study led by Dr Josef Shargorodsky, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
One of several BBC Inspire Workshops around the country was held at the BBC Maida Vale studios on February 13th 2010. This was the first lab of its kind that I had attended, and so I was not entirely sure what to expect.
The group came to around 30 ‘young composers’ between the ages of 11 and 18, and 8 adults who worked for the BBC in one way or another, either running the studios, in charge of the workshop, or members of the BBC Orchestra.
Being unable to enjoy music must be many Bachtrack.com readers’ worst nightmare.
However, experts agree that over time, loud music damages hearing. So how can music fans ensure they can enjoy what they love for many years to come?
RNID is the charity working to change the world for the UK’s 9 million people who are deaf or hard of hearing. RNID’s Don’t Lose the Music campaign aims to tell music lovers how and why to protect their ears.
The nice thing about most “classical” music is that it was written long before any kind of recording technology was available. Unlike today, when you can listen to almost any piece of music whenever, and as often as you like, composers knew that you might only get one chance to hear their music. So most good classical music is written to be understood and enjoyed the first time you hear it.
That’s not to say that it doesn’t benefit from careful listening, from repeated listening, and maybe even doing the odd bit of homework in advance. Lots of traditions have grown up around classical concerts, and they’re all there to help you enjoy a piece of music the first time you hear it. A century ago, that might have been the only chance you ever got to hear it the way the composer intended! So concert programmes include programme notes, giving the background on a piece; concerts are listened to in silence (so everyone has the chance to hear the music); and sometimes there are pre-concert talks explaining the music (check the venue’s website to find out). These are all, still, great ways to help you get the most out of a live performance.
Opera – the good, the bad and the really wicked!
Chances are, even if you’ve never even stepped inside a theatre, you know some opera already! How about that World Cup song that Paul Potts sang when he won “Britain’s Got Talent”? Opera.
Or the British Airways advert music?
Opera.
Or the music to the Stella Artois beer adverts?
Opera!
I’m a young composer and recently I’ve been trying to find my way around the most used notation software on the planet: Sibelius. Even the student version, which I’m using, has a huge number of features. Of course, the more money you pay, the more features you get, but at £99 for a student copy I think it’s pretty good, and definitely worth getting if you’re a keen GCSE student, even if it does have a few glitches here and there.
Rachel Barton Pine held the audience transfixed with her extraordinary rendition of Brahms’ violin concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This American violin virtuosa’s long awaited London debut far exceeded the expectations of those lucky enough to attend the concert on 11th November.
