Thank you for joining us for another edition of The Podium. A regular concern for orchestras around the world is the potential for hearing loss and how best to protect musicians’ hearing. Symphony Services International’s Goodear Acoustic Shield is an important tool in any orchestra’s suite of WHS equipment, and we are always trying to connect with orchestras to bring Goodear to their attention. In this edition you will find a plethora of links to articles, websites, research and commentary on hearing protection for musicians. I trust you’ll find it useful and interesting – and of course you can always contact us for more information about the Goodear range and you can follow us on Facebook to keep up to date. Gordon Williams is a frequent concert-goer in the United States, and in this edition he shares his thoughts on some of the offerings for the 2019/20 seasons in that part of the world. Along the way he has changed some of his assumptions about concert programming – read the article and let us know if you agree! Our colleagues at the Sydney Symphony are featured in this issue, celebrating their upcoming partnership with a new venue in western Sydney. And our Speed Read will keep you up to date on orchestral news around the world. Until next time… Kate Lidbetter A broader spread: Repertoire in US orchestral seasons next yearGordon Williams browses the US orchestral brochures and discovers that next season has a wealth of exciting music on offer. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra shares more experiences with music-lovers in regional communitiesLaunching a three-year residency, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will share the best of live orchestral music with the Greater Western Sydney community. Goodear on Facebook – a Community of Musicians Who Care About Hearing ProtectionIn the last edition of The Podium we announced the new Goodear products website and Facebook pages featuring the Goodear Acoustic Shield. Since then we’ve been busy gathering and sharing the latest news, research and resources about hearing loss and hearing protection on Facebook. Goodear for Orchestras is our hub for professional and amateur orchestras and bands around the world while Goodear for Schools is dedicated to young musicians who play in school and youth ensembles. Here’s a quick rundown of the diverse content we’ve been posting, sometimes sobering, other times inspiring, since we launched on Facebook. On our Orchestras page, we get all technical with a look at the Apple Watch’s new Noise app which conveniently notifies you when you are at risk of hearing damage, and we offer our own free guide to noise risk assessment for orchestras. What’s the difference between tinnitus and hyperacusis? Look no further than our handy list which gives definitions of common terms associated with hearing loss. Workplace injury claims for hearing loss are on the rise and, in case you missed it, we share an article about Christopher Goldscheider, the viola player who successfully sued the Royal Opera House when his hearing was damaged during rehearsals of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. We also note a similar report about a former Royal Marine being awarded more than ₤500,000 damages for hearing loss suffered during his service. Happily our spotlight orchestras (seven to date), including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, are all shown using the Goodear Acoustic Shield to protect their own players as well as young and amateur musicians joining them in workshops and concerts. What a great way to set an example to the local community! And we had more feel-good moments of this kind with Australian Army Band's visit to Harrison School and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra's tour to Gladstone where they performed with school students. We’re pleased to admit that there are plenty of online resources available to parents and teachers to educate young musicians about the importance of preserving their hearing and the dangers of hearing loss. Over on our Schools page, we’ve shared links to a number of these resources including:
It’s encouraging to see how much research is now being done to investigate hearing loss in children by organisations such as New Zealand’s National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing and that young musicians and celebrities such as Josh Island and Osher Günsberg (The Bachelor Australia) are speaking out as ambassadors for hearing awareness. Of course we only need to be inspired by the brilliant music-making of youth ensembles we’ve spotlighted such as Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Symphony and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain who amaze us continually with their wonderful playing under the protection of the Goodear Acoustic Shield. As hearing awareness grows, more and more musicians are seeking information about how hearing loss occurs and what can be done to prevent it. We at Symphony Services International recognise this growing need and, in addition to offering the Goodear Acoustic Shield as part of a suite of hearing protection measures, we’re helping musicians, orchestra managers, audiologists, parents and teachers to connect and share information on our Facebook pages. We hope you’ll follow us on Facebook as we continue to deliver content that will keep you on top of hearing loss!
Speed ReadFirstly, an interesting selection from The Guardian’s critics nominating the best classical works so far in the 21st century ; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poses some interesting thoughts on the ticketing-model for classical music ; and, a step in the right direction? New Jersey becomes the first state in the US to provide arts education for all students .
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