Companies & Organizations devoted to hearing conservation and high quality hearing products.
National Hearing Conservation Association
An incredibly diverse membership, including researchers and students in the hearing sciences, audiologists, government research and regulatory agencies, the military, NASA, manufacturers of testing equipment, hearing protection and communications systems, and audio companies with connections to hearing protection. This organization welcomes anyone interested in studying hearing loss and promoting hearing conservation.
www.hearingconservation.org
Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation
HearTomorrow Sponsor
Audiology clinic and also developer and manufacturer of custom-molded, calibrated ear plugs and in-ear monitor systems for touring musicians.
NOTE: They have a links page providing a list of audiologists across the country, who can do ear impressions for calibrated ear plugs. Check out their client list pages . . . see just who is concerned about and protecting their hearing.
www.sensaphonics.com
Soundcheck Audiology
HearTomorrow Partner
My good friend and hearing colleague, Heather Malyuk, former clinic director at Sensaphonics, has returned home to the Cleveland area and started her own practice. She is also primarily dedicated to serving musicians all over the country. I'm always seeing Facebook posts about her "residencies" with different symphony orchestras.
Why seek her out? She's also a practicing, professional musician . . . The meanest folk fiddle player with her own group Glass Mountain.
https://www.soundcheckaudiology.com/
Project Decibel
HearTomorrow Partner
One of the two best Workshops I ever conducted, was produced by Jenna Paley when she was an AuD student at Indiana University. She's a total firecracker and has put together a "hearing service" for not just musicians, but everyone . . . Her goal is to make audiological services easy to access.
I'm still learning the scope of her work, but she, like Heather, is passionate, smart and caring . . . Nuff said!
https://www.project-decibel.com
Howard Leight / A division of Honeywell
HearTomorrow Sponsor
Howard Leight is a manufacturer of a wide range of hearing protection products for both industry and consumers, including hearing protection measurement systems to insure effective use of their plugs and muffs. They also have an educational site "HearForever" with on-line information on noise-induced hearing loss, seminars and tools for educators.
http://www.howardleight.com/
Etymotic Research, Inc.
HearTomorrow Sponsor
Specializing in musicians earplugs, both generic and inserts for custom-molded plugs. Etymotic also produces a generic in-ear phone, using the same drivers as those used by Sensaphonics.
www.etymotic.com
EARLOVE
HearTomorrow Sponsor
Earlove is the brainchild of my good friend and hearing awareness colleague, Carolynn Travis.
Brilliantly packaged in an aluminum can/key fob, the Earlove plugs come from Etymotic Research, including their new low-profile plug, called the "Earlove XO".
www.earlove.net
Advanced Communication Solutions Ltd.
A hearing conservation company, based in the United Kingdom, which serves both music and industrial clients. They specialize in custom molded ear plugs, in-ear monitors, as well as mobile hearing testing services. This site is run by Andy Shiach, a hearing specialist in London, who was gracious enough to share his original "HearTomorrow" logo with me . . . Brothers in arms across the big pond! Thanks Andy!
http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/
Musician’ Clinics of Canada
Site developed by Drs. Marshall Chasin and John Chong specifically to help musicians develop healthy hearing practices as well as understand and cope with hearing loss. Both have done extensive research in both loss, prevention, and assessment of hearing aid systems. Many hearing aid manufacturers are listed as sponsors of this site.
www.musiciansclinics.com
Ear Inc.
A resource for both industrial hearing protection systems, as well as individuals with hearing loss.
Includes a good hearing loss simulation.
www.earinc.com
Aearo Technologies
Manufacturers of many types of hearing protection systems; well known for their “EAR” yellow foam plugs. This site has lots of information on hearing loss and protection.
www.e-a-r.com
HEAROS
Producer of "Hearos" brand ear plugs, available at many national drug store chains. This is a company dedicated strictly to the consumer market. A wonderfully friendly site . . .
www.hearos.com
H.E.A.R.
California-based site dedicated to building awareness of hearing and hearing loss issues for musicians. Run almost solely by Kathy Peck, a former rock bass player who has suffered hearing loss.
It’s a great site with a huge links page, to both hearing as well as general music and musicians’ resources.
http://www.hearnet.com/
Great Home Audio Outlets
One of my fondest memories growing up was my father’s “hi-fi” system. It was mono, sporting a Garrard turntable, Fisher amplifier, and Altec 604 speaker and cabinet. I learned early on that it’s about fidelity, not volume. The stores listed below all promote quality systems, allowing the customer to develop his or her own opinions of what constitutes a pleasing music listening experience. Music Direct aside, if you’re in Chicago, or visiting town, you’ll enjoy spending a couple hours at one of these audio haunts!
Pro Musica
One of Chicago’s finest high-fidelity stores. Also home of “True-Stereo” recordings. Proprietor Ken Christiansen specializes in the most basic and realistic 2-microphone recordings, direct to a high-resolution Nagra digital recorder. Many of his recordings are available through the Naime record label.
http://www.promusicaaudio.com/
Audio Consultants
In business since the late 60’s, this might be the first and longest standing home audio store in Chicago, dedicated to the highest quality audio components in any price range. The staff takes the greatest pleasure in insuring that a system absolutely fits all aspects of a customer’s needs. They have one of the most wonderful used departments I’ve ever come across . . . next to Saturday Audio Exchange.
http://audioconsultants.com
Saturday Audio Exchange
Originally a used-only outlet, Saturday Audio now sells new equipment as well. Limited hours and a devoted sales staff makes this a favorite of many audiophiles and audio lovers in the Chicago area.
http://www.saturdayaudio.com
Music Direct
One of the most wonderful outlets (mail order and web) for the most esoteric of audio systems and accessories. But one of their fortes is a wonderful selection of audiofile records; both analog and digital. Rumor has it that they are starting a record label to boot. Great catalogue!
University Sites for Images and the Latest Research
McGill University’s “Audilab”
Homepage for the university’s hearing physiology research center. Here is a combination of wonderful 3-D models of the ear, plus links to more web sites dedicated to research and hearing loss and prevention.
http://audilab.bmed.mcgill.ca/AudiLab/
University of Washington
Excellent tutorial pages on all systems from bony structures to the auditory nerve pathways. Includes interactive identification applet.
http://www9.biostr.washington.edu:80/cgi-bin/DA/PageMaster?atlas:NeuroSyllabus+ffpathIndex/Syllabus^Chapters/SUBJECTS/Auditory+2
University of Illinois, Champaign
Atlas of Histology
Click on “slides”, then “sense organs”. There you will find incredible electron-microscope photos of many structures, including hair cells, magnified 10,000 times.
http://www.med.uiuc.edu/histo/large/atlas/index.htm
University of Delaware
Gorgeous electron microscope shots of inner ear structures
http://www.udel.edu/biology/Wags/histopage/empage/ee/ee.htm
Coming Soon:
HearTomorrow - Recommended
Hearing Conservation/Awareness Products