This is the proverbial 600 pound gorilla in the room. It seems that everyone is aware of it, but everyone is afraid to talk about it.
Quick background here: I'm 52 years old and have been playing since I was 11. I played as a full-time job until my mid-thirties, and still gig for cash about 50-60 times a year.
Like so many of us, I ignored hearing protection for most of my career. With ear plugs in, I just never felt as "connected" to my kit, and the attacks on the cymbals in particular. Now I find myself with a constant ring in both ears (different pitches!), and I often have trouble following conversations in a crowded room or noisy environment. My spouse is constantly huffing and rolling her eyes because I have to ask her to repeat what she just said, because I just can't hear her well. Maybe that's not such a bad thing....DOH!...didn't say that, did I?
I now use in-ear-monitors whenever I can on stage. I take a snake from the main board into a small mixer that sits next to me on stage, and I can mix whatever I need, at whatever volume feels good. When I pull them out, I am always shocked at the difference in loudness. No wonder I have hearing damage! These things are bloody loud up close.
To those who have not yet suffered hearing damage (and don't worry, if you haven't yet, you most likely will...sorry to be a downer, just sayin'...) take the sage advice of the Ol' Rocker: Just as you wouldn't enter a certain other activity without wrapping that rascal, don't put your hearing at risk by playing a loud gig or practicing without some sort of hearing protection. Musicians' earplugs that aren't bad at all can be had for under $15 shipped from places like
Custom ear plugs, hearing protection & in ear monitors :: Westone, or at home you can use shooters muffs or industrial hearing protectors or even the cheap little foam plugs that you buy at the pharmacy.
Guys, I may be full of crap on some other topics, but trust me on this one: tinnitus and hearing loss are no fun.
No, I'm not your mom.
RT55