While the clang of cymbals and the blare of the trombone may startle, orchestra musicians at the <<>> needn't worry about hearing loss, say <<>> researchers.
A study in the February online version of Applied Acoustics settles a long-standing debate as to whether playing in the pit causes hearing loss. While most studies have tested noise level in concert halls, little has been known about that in an orchestra pit. "The orchestra musicians are part of a union and they were concerned about the noise level in the pit when it came to renewing their contract," says the study's lead author, research associate Alberto Behar of U of T's Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). "We were requested by the union to study if there is a risk to their hearing."