Have you ever been to an extremely loud live musical performance? How about a shooting range without ear protection, or to a small dance club with a blaring sound system in dire need of equalization?
If you are familiar with the experiences above, you know about that ringing feeling in your ears that seems to take a long time to dissipate. Imagine having to endure that sensation all your life, with the ringing only pausing when you are dutifully asleep or when other sounds cancel it. Such is the life of people who suffer from tinnitus, a condition that is often related to hearing loss.
Understanding Tinnitus in History
Tinnitus is not technically a disease; it is a condition that may accompany other ailments such as Ménière’s disease, a type of vertigo, chronic hearing loss, depression, recurring infections, and others.
Famous tinnitus sufferers throughout history include Charles Darwin, who methodically recorded what he thought would be approximate frequency range of the ringing in his ears. There was also Michelangelo, who used to get upset but eventually ignored the ringing. Interestingly, many musicians who learned to deal with this condition would become famous tinnitus composers.
How a Tinnitus Composer Works With Music
Ludwig van Beethoven is a classic case of tinnitus associated with depression and chronic hearing loss. Some historians believe that Beethoven may have rushed to create his most magnificent symphonies and other musical pieces before going completely deaf.
Another famous tinnitus composer is Ignaz Holzbauer who composed a magnificent opera while on the verge of total hearing loss. A young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was impressed with that particular opera. Neil Young is a tinnitus composer who famously experimented with very loud rock creations and paid the price with diminished hearing.
Daniel Fishkin is a contemporary tinnitus composer who created the Tinnitus Suites as he succumbed to the condition in 2008. Fishkin approaches music and hearing damage in a manner that recalls Aristotle’s pondering of tinnitus: he notices how some notes and sounds can actually cut through the ringing, albeit temporarily.
In 2016, the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage supported “Composing the Tinnitus Suites: 2016,” an intriguing concert and sound installation that actually borrows elements of tinnitus to create a sound experience. The idea is to use sound and its ensuing vibrations to cut through the isolation that tinnitus and hearing loss creates.
Neuroscience researchers believe that there is a social element that can alleviate the plight of tinnitus sufferers, and Fishkin’s sound installation is living proof of this theory.
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