Audiologists and musicians plan to join forces on May 30 in Washington state for the Turn it Down concert, to bring hearing awareness to an audience that may not be aware of the damage they are inflicting on their ears.

Musicians, Daphne Loves Derby, Bad Timing, and 4th Avenue will perform at the third annual event, scheduled at the Kirkland Teen Union Building at 8 pm.

With more than 650,000 people in the state of Washington affected by a hearing loss, Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic has partnered with Oticon, Westone Music, and HEAR, to influence a generation that is constantly exposing themselves to loud sounds. “An average concert can reach or maintain sound levels of 130dB or higher,” says Terrence Limb, AuD. “At this rate, concert attendees listening for over 30 seconds without ear protection face hearing damage. This is an alarming figure, however, the even more alarming fact is that concert venues are not regulated like every other occupational or environmental situation.”

Tickets for the event are $8, and all attendees will receive free earplugs with admission. Raffle tickets for sound-reducing prizes will be sold throughout the venue to help raise money for the Kirkland Teen Union Building, to help ensure that it is a safe listening area, along with long-time patient and Deafalympian Tom Guidon.

Musicians who attend the event can enter the raffle for custom-fit musician earplugs, and a set of UM1 musician in-ear monitors donated by Westone Music, which are valued at approximately $150. “With over 30% of pop/rock musicians suffering from noise-induced hearing loss, we want to give them the tools necessary to create their works of art, and perform to crowds without hurting the tool that benefits their art the most, their ears”  Limb says. Audiologists from Evergreen will take impressions and create custom molded earplugs. The clinic will be selling them at cost to allow musicians and concertgoers access to these tools.

Click here for more event info and to learn more about Better Hearing and Speech Month.

Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic is a full-service private practice with locations in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond.

[Source: Evergreen Speech & Hearing Clinic]