Melbourne artist Dom Dolla learned “a hard lesson” recently, after being diagnosed with noise-inducing hearing loss and tinnitus. Now, he’s calling on concert-goers to protect their ears, in a PSA he’s shared on social media.
Posting to Facebook, Dom Dolla says, “Whether you are a musician, tradie, producer, punter, or just go out to loud bars with your mates occasionally; get yourself some quality earplugs and wear those things religiously.”
The producer says he first noticed his tinnitus (which he describes as “temporary deafness and [hearing a] loud ringing”) in the middle of the night, “with no warning or exposure to loud noise that day”.
“I perceived my hearing to be totally fine up until that moment. I also thought I looked after my ears well enough. I’ve used fitted musicians plugs for years. I’d keep them in all night at gigs and parties, but I made the mistake of taking them out for some sets when I was performing, as I believed I couldn’t do a ‘good enough job’ with them in – a very, very hard lesson learnt.
“Tinnitus is no rarity, particularly amongst people like me who work with sound, and I’m by no means the first in my industry to suffer from it. But it can so easily happen to anyone who spends any time around loud noise, in any context. There’s no known cure, only prevention to stop it becoming worse. For this reason I have to give my ears a rest, and on doctor’s orders cancel all upcoming shows for the next month or so.”
Dom Dolla wants his experience to remind punters to look out for themselves and their mates. He also wants them to just “get some damn plugs”.
As he says, “You’ve only got one set of ears.”
Read Dom Dolla’s full PSA, below.
Watch: Dom Dolla – ‘You’
Dom Dolla Statement (Via Facebook)
PSA for all my mates out there:
Whether you are a musician, tradie, producer, punter, or just go out to loud bars with your mates occasionally; get yourself some quality earplugs and wear those things religiously.
I’ve recently learnt a hard lesson and have been diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. That temporary deafness and loud ringing you hear when you wake up after a night out? Now permanent. And yes, it’s enough to drive you round the bend and then some.
Strangely mine began in the middle of the night quite recently, with no warning or exposure to loud noise that day. I perceived my hearing to be totally fine up until that moment. I also thought I looked after my ears well enough. I’ve used fitted musicians plugs for years. I’d keep them in all night at gigs and parties, but I made the mistake of taking them out for some sets when I was performing, as I believed I couldn’t do a “good enough job” with them in – a very, very hard lesson learnt.
A rule of thumb: if you’re in an environment that requires you to raise your voice above speaking level, you’re probably damaging your hearing.
Tinnitus is no rarity, particularly amongst people like me who work with sound, and I’m by no means the first in my industry to suffer from it. But it can so easily happen to anyone who spends any time around loud noise, in any context. There’s no known cure, only prevention to stop it becoming worse. For this reason I have to give my ears a rest, and on doctor’s orders cancel all upcoming shows for the next month or so.
My only request is that my lesson be yours, before you pick up that power tool, hit your mates birthday or head out to that gig tonight, look out for yourself and your mates and get some damn plugs.
If you’re overly fashion conscious, you can get them in some pretty dope colours, or even ones you can’t see at all.
…You’ve only got one set of ears.
Dom
Xx
