# Thanks a lot, 'Drum Line.' **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 27, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325 "2011-08-27T22:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/1 "2011-08-27T22:39:19Z")
There was a time when I could hear. I could sit in my normal spot in the high school auditorium and know that one daughter was playing her clarinet well or that another had so completely perfected not actually playing her violin, down to the bowing and fingering, that she might as well have played it. Then the movie “Drum Line” came out and every school need one of their own. Fine, out on the field. Not so fine in an auditorium, where the audio is perfected to get it out to the cheap seats, where I sat. If I have some warning just how loud something can be I can prepare for it, but that CRASH surprised me and deafened my left ear for weeks. Years later it’s “just” tinnitus and a constant hiss. So thanks, inspirational movie and a high school band it inspired. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/2 "2011-08-27T22:51:25Z")
I feel ya, bro. I had my hearing damaged by Hank Williams, Jr, of all people, in 1987. I later found out that he’s known for being ridiculously loud, but I really wasn’t expecting it at the time. Now twenty-some years later I have to watch tv with the closed captioning, and I can’t understand speech without wearing my glasses…so I can read lips. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/3 "2011-08-27T22:59:09Z")
How long does it take to injure your hearing? There were Rock and Roll bars in the old days ,that when I went in and it was too loud ,i left. Was I there long enough to do damage? ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/4 "2011-08-27T23:01:24Z")
Wah wah wah. I was in a drum line, before the movie, and we played as loud as possible and it was awesome. Every one of us flunked our school mandated hearing tests, but it was worth it because we had a shitload of fun. And we played every day in a fucking closet for 6 years; I can still hear pretty well ( a lot of background noise makes it difficult, but that’s about it), so I call bull shit on you hothouse flowers who say one fucking performance made you deaf. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/5 "2011-08-27T23:14:35Z")
> **[Noise-induced hearing loss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-induced_hearing_loss)** > > Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of frequencies or impaired perception of sound including sensitivity to sound or ringing in the ears. When exposure to hazards such as noise occur at work and is associated with hearing loss, it is referred to as occupational hearing loss. > Hearing may deteriorate gradually from chronic and repeated noise exposure (such as loud music or backgro... > [@Wikipedia](#): > > NIHL caused by acoustic trauma refers to permanent cochlear damage from a one-time exposure to excessive sound pressure. This form of NIHL commonly results from exposure to high-intensity sounds such as explosions, gunfire, a large drum hit loudly and firecrackers. Also, [http://www.betterhearing.org/hearing\_loss\_prevention/noise\_thermometer/index.cfm](http://www.betterhearing.org/hearing_loss_prevention/noise_thermometer/index.cfm) (Summary: Loud rock concert is listed at a level causing hearing damage in 7.5 minutes or so.) So I’d call bullshit on your claim of bullshit, but you probably wouldn’t be able to hear me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/6 "2011-08-27T23:23:50Z")
Not to mention that older ears are less resistant to noise damage than younger ears. My husband sustained hearing loss from exposure to shrieking children in marble-halled museums in DC during Memorial Day week. I have noticed the effects of this on a near daily basis since this happened a couple years ago; his hearing is obviously worse and he finds it very difficult to hear clearly in situations where he was fine before. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/7 "2011-08-28T06:32:10Z")
It’s “fun\*,” as a parent, to say, “So, you didn’t play a single note tonight, did you? And the church choirmaster expects you to play at a funeral the day after tomorrow?” - - Nothing like fun. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/8 "2011-08-28T06:53:00Z")
Forget drumline. The regular high school brass band is too effin loud. I hated pep rallies, much less actual games. When people would pester me to go to homecoming, I’d say only if you stick mutes in all the tubas and trombones. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/9 "2011-08-28T12:44:34Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Forget drumline. The regular high school brass band is too effin loud. I hated pep rallies, much less actual games. When people would pester me to go to homecoming, I’d say only if you stick mutes in all the tubas and trombones. Then they’d be deaf-mutes… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/10 "2011-08-28T14:24:07Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Then they’d be deaf-mutes… And if it was a pep rally for the 4-H Club, then they could be cattle mutes! My understanding is that if your ears are ringing, you’ve done permanent damage. My husband and I each have a pair of [high fidelity ear plugs](http://www.digital501.com/2006022248/ear-plugs-that-sound-great-hearos-high-fidelity-series/) that we use when we go to concerts, and they work great - you still hear the concert, but it takes the edge off the loudness. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/11 "2011-08-28T15:00:56Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Forget drumline. The regular high school brass band is too effin loud. I hated pep rallies, much less actual games. When people would pester me to go to homecoming, I’d say only if you stick mutes in all the tubas and trombones. ☹ (former trombone-playing band geek) ETA: Though I admit, in retrospect, the marching band always did play too loud, not at all focusing on the quality of the music. It was really frustrating because we had a damn good symphonic band. But somehow aesthetics went out the window as soon as we were in marching formation. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/12 "2011-08-28T15:24:47Z")
I wear those 32-db reducing earplugs every time I go to the movies, at every theatre chain. I never miss a single word of dialogue. This suggests that either a substantial portion of the public is hard of hearing, or is trying to be. I long ago concluded that some people _like_ loud noises, and like **miss elizabeth** , are perfectly willing to cause permanent irreversible damage to their bodies and the bodies of those around them. Loud music is like any other antisocial behaviour: if _I’m_ having fun, why should I consider the effects on _other people_? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/13 "2011-08-28T16:14:36Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I long ago concluded that some people _like_ loud noises, and like **miss elizabeth** , are perfectly willing to cause permanent irreversible damage to their bodies and the bodies of those around them. Loud music is like any other antisocial behaviour: if _I’m_ having fun, why should I consider the effects on _other people_? What exactly are you suggesting here? That rock bands play softly and quietly and that marching bands only have one snare drum per band? Or what? Yes, some forms of entertainment are very, very loud. If you want to enjoy these forms of entertainment without hearing damage, you probably need to bring ear protection of some sort. I have some sympathy for the OP, but seriously, a marching band indoors? Gonna be loud. I’m not sure why this is so surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/14 "2011-08-28T16:21:16Z")
The drum line is the best part. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/15 "2011-08-28T16:23:03Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > What exactly are you suggesting here? That rock bands play softly and quietly and that marching bands only have one snare drum per band? Or what? > > Yes, some forms of entertainment are very, very loud. If you want to enjoy these forms of entertainment without hearing damage, you probably need to bring ear protection of some sort. > > I have some sympathy for the OP, but seriously, a marching band indoors? Gonna be loud. I’m not sure why this is so surprising. There is middle ground, you know. I’m not suggesting that rock bands play “softly and quietly.” I am suggesting that if the form of entertainment is so loud that one performance will damage your hearing, then that’s a problem. Why can’t it be loud enough to hear the music clearly and to give you that sense of being surrounded by the sound, but not so loud that your ears are ringing for the next 24 hours? And since marching bands weren’t developed to play indoors, yes, I am suggesting they be modified for the indoor environment. When you go to see a play outdoors, the actors are usually amplified to take the changed environment into account; why wouldn’t the same thing apply in reverse? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/16 "2011-08-28T16:41:25Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > There is middle ground, you know. I’m not suggesting that rock bands play “softly and quietly.” Yeah, really. Isn’t there a lot of territory between “softly and quietly” and “will cause permanent damage”? I use to play in rock bands, small-potatoes stuff–local bars, that kind of thing. But standing in front of amplifiers for a lot of years affected my hearing. And it always seems to be a constant battle to get everybody to dial it down. The bias is to creep toward 11. We’d yell at rehearsal, everyone would agree that the sound was better and no real “power” was lost at lower decibel levels. But when we played, it ALWAYS creeped louder and louder. I did it, too, even without realizing it. You want to hear yourself, and when you raise the volume, you create a Spinal Tap domino effect, because everyone else wants to hear himself too. I don’t go to many concerts, but when I do, I wear earplugs. I lose some of the sound that way. I wish I could hear every nuance in the mix, but I lose some with earplugs. I’m sure that is to some extent because I’ve already damaged my hearing. Whatever the reason, I have no more hearing to spare. I absolutely HATE being taken surprise by a performance that I had no expectation would be earsplitting (happened to me most recently at a casino performance). If it’s not practical to leave, I literally stick my fingers in my ears. Anyway, I don’t think hoping for something south of “permanent hearing damage” makes one a hothouse flower. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/17 "2011-08-28T16:47:37Z")
something that may help are shooter’s earplugs, they are an open channel that has a piston that closes under a high pressure sound, they allow hearing quiet sounds and will muffle loud sounds like a gun shot. small and fit in the ear canal and cost a few dollars can be found in sports stores or sporting departments. they look like the ones linked to by Cat Whisperer. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/18 "2011-08-28T23:47:47Z")
How does one complaining about loud noise make one akin to an [Irish folk-rock band?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hothouse_Flowers) ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/19 "2011-08-29T00:49:06Z")
I find that I can often hear music _better_ with earplugs, especially since most live music is poorly mixed and pushed well past optimal volume. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325/20 "2011-08-29T01:06:53Z")
The thing was, campers, I wasn’t expecting to be deafened that night. It was supposed to be a simple high school band concert with them on-stage and not some moron (he was a drummer; I assume “moron” is given ;)) eight feet away. If I knew what could happen I’d’ve brought earplugs since I always have some. And what the hell are they making drum heads out of these days? When they were real skin they were more mellow. Now its like dynamite in sheet form. ETA: And it happened with a single beat. It hurt so much I covered my ears, but the damage was done. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-lot-drum-line/594325.md?page=2)