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I Suffer From Sensorineural Hearing Loss

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During my lifetime I developed a condition known as sensorineural hearing loss which resulted in permanent loss of high frequency hearing. My right ear is affected a little more than the left, albeit due to a congenital auditory canal that is somewhat narrowed. This condition makes it difficult for me to hear certain frequencies like human speech, especially in noisy environments.

A prominent example of someone having the same problem is Phil Collins.

This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner ear, specifically to the hair cells in the cochlea, and are — in my case — the result of many years of exposure to loud music both as a performer and as a producer. Today I want to be open about my hearing loss and speak about the challenges I’m facing as a result.

Living with sensorineural hearing loss is a reality that I never thought I would face when I was younger, but it’s something that I have learned to live with over the years. Looking back today, I couldn’t hear certain frequencies too well very early on when I began playing music, especially when I was surrounded by background noise or chatting people. It’s a condition that has affected my (social) life significantly, and it’s something quite serious. I’m sharing my story in the hope that it will inspire others to take steps to protect their hearing, and to avoid the same fate that I’m enduring.

Diagnosis

I was officially diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss in 2011, after I noticed that I was having more and more trouble hearing in even only lightly noisy environments, like a dish washer in a kitchen that was affecting my ability to follow a conversation with someone. As my hearing continued to deteriorate, I knew that something was seriously wrong. After several tests and consultations with my doctor, I learned that I had developed sensorineural hearing loss as a result of exposure to loud noises over the many years as a musician.

The news was pretty devastating, because it’s something you can’t just fix. Music is a massive part of my life, and I love to have deep conversations, but now I was struggling to understand what people were saying in their normal conversation style and environments.

Challenges

Sensorineural hearing loss can be emotionally challenging, especially when it comes to trying to have conversations with others. Sometimes I felt frustrated, embarrassed, or even angry when I struggled to hear what others were saying, especially in noisy environments. These feelings could be compounded by the fear of appearing rude or dismissive, or of being misunderstood.

Today I very often need subtitles when I want to watch a film or a TV show, because otherwise I don’t understand what is being said.

In addition to these emotional challenges, sensorineural hearing loss caused physical symptoms such as fatigue, stress, and headaches. The strain of trying to hear and understand what others are saying, especially in noisy environments, was exhausting and took a toll on my overall well-being.

Finding Solutions

Despite these factors, I have found ways to overcome a big portion of those obstacles. I’ve learned to communicate more effectively with others and to find support and understanding from others by simply mentioning my hearing problem. This would usually go like this when I would be in a with people in a room:

“Sorry, can we please close the window? I have a hearing problem when there is background noise.”

It only takes that small sentence. Nobody has a problem with it, and nobody asks what your hearing problem is about. Topic closed.

Living with this can be very difficult, but it does not have to be an insurmountable obstacle. With the right strategies, resources, and support, people with this condition can learn to overcome their feelings of frustration and isolation and to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Over the years, I have learned to adapt to my hearing loss by avoiding noisy environments, asking people to speak more clearly (not louder, that doesn’t help) and wearing earbuds with a transparency mode that amplifies human speech as often as possible to help me hear better. I have also had to learn to communicate in different ways, and to be patient and understanding with others who may not understand the challenges that I face on a daily basis.

Phenomena

You might wonder if my hearing problem affects composing, producing or just listening to music. Oh, and mixing and mastering! Funny enough: not at all. Read on:

One of the ways the brain compensates for hearing loss is by enhancing its ability to process speech in noisy environments. This process, known as “auditory scene analysis,” allows people with hearing loss to better distinguish speech from background noise. Over time, the brain becomes more efficient at this process, allowing people with hearing loss to understand speech more easily in noisy environments.

Another way the brain works is by using visual cues to supplement auditory input. People with hearing loss may rely more on lip-reading, facial expressions, and body language to understand what others are saying. This can be especially helpful in noisy environments, where it may be difficult to hear speech clearly.

The brain can enhance its ability to process sound in the frequencies that are still audible. This process, known as “frequency compensation,” allows people to maximize their ability to hear and understand speech. I sometimes hear things that others don’t hear well or at all, as strange as that sounds.

You can also become more sensitive to sound; our brain can make even soft sounds appear louder. If I have very little or no background noise, then I mostly hear excellent. This process, known as “recruitment,” can be both a blessing and a curse, as it can make sounds more audible, but it can also make loud sounds seem uncomfortably loud.

And then there is this other problem…

I can no longer tolerate the noise of everyday life, such as street noise, a shopping mall or too many people talking. It stresses me so much that it’s affecting my mental health.

aerial photo of city buildings during nighttime
Photo by sergio souza on Pexels.com

Research has shown that exposure to too much noise can lead to a range of negative effects, including stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. These effects can be particularly pronounced for people who are already struggling with mental health issues, like I do, or who are sensitive to environmental stimuli.

Be Careful!

I have exposed my ears to far too high sound pressure levels far too often. I had a massive hearing loss in 2013 when I didn’t hear anything for 3 months after playing a very loud gig where I couldn’t control the monitors. I should have been much more careful with my hearing throughout my life. That was my fault.

What I want to share with others is the importance of taking steps to protect your hearing, and to avoid exposing yourself to loud noises that can cause hearing damage. I know that it can be tempting to ignore the warning signs, but the consequences can be devastating, and the impact on your quality of life can be long-lasting.

So, if you are reading this, I urge you to take action to protect your hearing. Wear earplugs or other hearing protection in noisy environments, limit your exposure to loud noises, and take steps to protect your hearing from further damage. By doing so, you can help to ensure that you do not suffer the same fate as I have, and that you can continue to enjoy all of the sounds and experiences that life has to offer.

Living with sensorineural hearing loss has been a difficult journey, but it has also taught me valuable lessons about the importance of taking care of my health and well-being, alongside a few other things, but that’s a topic for another day.

I hope that my story will inspire you to take steps to protect your hearing, and to avoid exposing yourself to loud noises that can cause permanent hearing damage.

Spotify vs. Apple Music — Distribution — How to Pursue a Musical Career — From an Artist’s Perspective

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In this article, I’ll look at the two biggest music streaming providers, we’ll look at a good distribution service, and we’ll look at if and how you can or should pursue a music career.

The two big boys in the music streaming business

As an artist, it is important to choose the right streaming platform to showcase and distribute your music. There are many options available, but two of the most popular are Spotify and Apple Music. While both platforms have their pros and cons, it is important to weigh the options and consider which one is the best fit for your needs as an artist.

First, let’s take a look at Spotify. With over 345 million monthly active users, Spotify is the largest streaming platform in the world. It offers a wide range of features for both artists and listeners, including personalized playlists, podcasts, and live audio. For artists, Spotify provides a variety of tools to help promote and monetize their music, including the ability to create artist profiles, upload music, and track streams and listeners.

One of the biggest benefits of Spotify for artists is the potential to reach a large audience. With millions of users, there is a good chance that your music will be discovered by new listeners. Additionally, Spotify offers a program called Spotify for Artists, which provides resources and insights for artists to help them grow their careers.

However, there are some downsides to consider as well. For one, the royalty rates on Spotify can be relatively low, with artists earning around $0.004 to $0.0084 per stream. This can make it difficult for independent artists to earn a significant amount of money from their music on the platform. Additionally, Spotify’s algorithm can make it difficult for new artists to get their music in front of listeners, as the platform tends to prioritize established artists.

Now let’s take a look at Apple Music. With over 60 million paid subscribers, Apple Music is the second largest streaming platform behind Spotify. Like Spotify, it offers a wide range of features for both artists and listeners, including personalized playlists, podcasts, and live radio. For artists, Apple Music provides tools to help promote and monetize their music, including the ability to upload music and track streams and listeners.

One of the biggest benefits of Apple Music for artists is the higher royalty rates. Apple Music pays artists a slightly higher rate than Spotify, with artists earning around $0.0064 to $0.0125 per stream. This can be a significant advantage for independent artists looking to earn more from their music. Additionally, Apple Music’s algorithm tends to be more favorable to new artists, making it easier for them to get their music in front of listeners.

However, there are also some downsides to consider with Apple Music. One of the main drawbacks is the smaller user base compared to Spotify. With fewer users, it can be harder for artists to reach a large audience on the platform. Additionally, Apple Music does not offer as many resources and insights for artists as Spotify’s Spotify for Artists program.

Both Spotify and Apple Music have their pros and cons for artists. It is important to consider the size of the audience, royalty rates, and available resources when deciding which platform is the best fit for your needs. While Spotify may offer a larger audience and a variety of resources, Apple Music may be a better option for artists looking to earn more from their music. Ultimately, the decision will depend on your specific goals and needs as an artist.

What about distribution?

DistroKid is a popular digital distribution service that allows artists to upload and distribute their music to a variety of streaming platforms and music stores. It is a convenient and cost-effective option for independent artists who want to get their music out to a wider audience. However, like any service, there are both pros and cons to consider when deciding whether or not to use DistroKid.

One of the main pros of DistroKid is its affordability. DistroKid charges a flat fee of $19.99 per year for unlimited music uploads and distribution to a variety of platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. This is significantly cheaper than many other digital distribution services, which often charge a percentage of sales or a per-track fee.

Another pro of DistroKid is the convenience it offers. With a simple online interface, it is easy for artists to upload and distribute their music to multiple platforms with just a few clicks. Additionally, DistroKid offers a variety of tools and resources to help artists promote and monetize their music, including customizable artist profiles, track and album pre-order options, and tools to track streams and sales.

However, there are also some cons to consider when using DistroKid. One potential downside is the lack of human curation. Unlike some other distribution services that offer playlist curation and other personalized recommendations, DistroKid relies solely on algorithms to decide which tracks to feature. This can make it harder for new artists to get their music in front of listeners.

Another potential con is the lack of support for physical releases. While DistroKid does allow artists to distribute digital music, it does not offer distribution for physical CDs or vinyl. This may be a drawback for artists who want to release physical copies of their music.

DistroKid is a convenient and cost-effective option for independent artists looking to distribute their music to a variety of streaming platforms. While there are some potential downsides to consider, its affordability and convenience make it a good choice for many artists.

With those tips at hand, do I become a successful music artist now?

The short answer is: No, it’s not that simple.

shallow focus photography of man wearing red polo shirt
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

Becoming a popular music artist is a challenging and competitive process that requires a lot of hard work, talent, and dedication. There are many factors that can contribute to an artist’s success, and the path to fame and recognition is often unpredictable. Here are a few of the main challenges that artists may face on their journey to becoming popular:

  1. Competition: There are a lot of aspiring musicians out there, and it can be difficult to stand out in such a crowded field. It takes a unique sound, strong talent, and a lot of hard work to rise above the competition and get noticed by industry professionals and fans.
  2. Marketing and promotion: Even if an artist has great talent and a unique sound, it can be difficult to get their music heard without proper marketing and promotion. This requires a lot of time, energy, and often a budget to promote the artist and their music through social media, live performances, and other channels.
  3. Funding: The music industry can be expensive, and it takes money to produce, distribute, and promote music. Many aspiring artists struggle to find the funding they need to take their careers to the next level, and may have to rely on crowdfunding, grants, or other sources of financial support.
  4. Industry gatekeepers: The music industry is often controlled by a small group of industry professionals, such as record labels, managers, and agents. It can be difficult for artists to get noticed by these gatekeepers, who often have their own agendas and may not be interested in supporting new or unknown artists.
  5. Rejections and setbacks: Becoming a popular artist requires resilience and determination. Artists will likely face many rejections and setbacks along the way, and it can be tough to stay motivated and keep going when things don’t go as planned.

Overall, becoming a popular music artist is a challenging and competitive process that requires a lot of hard work, talent, and dedication. While it is not easy, the rewards of a successful music career can be well worth the effort.

Would I recommend you to walk this rocky and hard path? Neither nor. It all depends on how much you want to achieve that goal, how much you are willing to work and sacrifice for it and last but not least: how much talent you have, and by that I don’t just mean musical talent.

Are you ready for that? What’s your goal, and what are you willing to to put in?

Why I Abandoned Social Media

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When social media became “the new thing” and every artist was recommended to join the hype, I was very skeptical at first. I came late to the party of the two top dogs, Twitter in 2007, Facebook only in 2009, after the pressure on me from all sides grew too great. At least that’s how it felt to me at the time, or what I told myself… but there’s a good chance I just had the same need for recognition as everyone else and was afraid of missing out and not being recognized appropriately. As you grow older, fortunately that disappears.

Instagram was about photography once

I thought Instagram was pretty good at first… the filters looked cool and it was more about the photos than anything else. Until Facebook took over and turned it into a drug for people with an inferiority complex.

Anti-Social Media

I’ve never really felt comfortable with anti-social media, and I’ve also struggled to generate huge followings. There were decent numbers lately, but not enormous. That may have something to do with the fact that my audience has a rather limited affinity for social media. Something like that always has a direct connection with the kind of music you make.

In all these years, I have experienced everything on social media that internet experts and psychologists are now warning of: abuse, hate, completely pointless and unnecessary discussions, exposing the private to the public (something I don’t like at all) and a very stupid thing: living out conflicts in public, in front of people you don’t really know.

Necessary for artists?

For a long time, I myself succumbed to the belief that as an artist you have to be present on social media in order to be and remain relevant. A few years ago, I severely restricted my activity there. And what happened? You guess it:

Nothing. People consumed my music the same as before. All of a sudden, I had more time for what really mattered and less headaches from some poor souls annoying me online.

At the time, people were already asking me to post more and “stick with it”. I shouldn’t leave the field to “them”. I stopped believing early in life that I could make the world a better place by trying to convert people, so I didn’t comply with those requests. People tend to believe what makes them feel good, not what is closest to the truth. That’s why public discussion is really not my world. I’m too much of a realist, and I don’t like having a lot of people around me either in real life or virtually.

When blogging was a thing

Before I jumped on the social media bandwagon, I was a relatively avid blogger. I’ve always been a political person and liked to write about social criticism, of course music-related and generally about my random thoughts. Because of social media, actual blogging made no sense to me anymore, so I stopped.

It wasn’t always about the public discussion; I felt the need to share my thoughts. Today I only have this need very slightly, and if I have to get rid of my thoughts, then in my private environment or of course in and with my music.

What now?

But there are things I want to tell you every now and then. I definitely still have thoughts for which music is not the right means of communication. I would like to use this website exclusively for this purpose in the future. If you’re interested, you can stop by here, subscribe to the feed, or have posts delivered to your inbox.

I’ll be 50 years old in a few weeks. The time for bullshit is long gone. When you’re young, it’s totally okay, understandable, and normal to engage in bullshit. I did that extensively and learned a lot from it. I don’t blame anyone for hanging out and being active on social media. Everyone does what they think they have to do.

My time has come to only take care of myself, my loved ones, my music and my affairs. I live a meaningful life with a lot of things in it that deserve and need my attention. And none of this has anything to do with social media or networks of this kind.

Good-bye bullshit

I turned my back on social media because it brings out the worst in people. It’s antisocial media. And now an egomaniac who poses as if he wants to save the world or humanity has bought Twitter. The hand puppet Zuckerberg was enough, now that?

I had more than enough reasons to delete my profiles altogether. No more “social” networks. Anyone who is interested in me is welcome here on this website.

I've stripped my entire digital life down to the bare essentials. No unnecessary apps on my smartphone or computer. I'm no longer afraid of missing out. I experienced and saw most of what I wanted to experience and see. And for everything that is still there, I still have enough time.

I may have gotten a bit older and gray, maybe gained some weight, lost hair, but I’m still fit and have a never-ending bucket list. I spend most of my free time outdoors in nature, with my partner and the dogs, hiking, adventures, enjoying the beauty of nature, shooting photos and videos. My artistic soul still pours itself into music as well. I’ll let you know here on this website if there’s anything new.

I have many good reasons to be happy. I’m not always that, but there are still good reasons for it. I have everything I need and more. You too.

I don’t need social media. Neither do you. But it’s up to you to determine that. I will be here waiting for you. 😉

UPDATE from 2 February 2023 by Zizi Papacharissi

Source: www.niemanlab.org/2022/12/platforms-are-over/

Platforms are on life support. Alternative AI interfaces are on the rise. Meta is shifting emphasis away from Facebook to AR- and VR-enabled portals for interaction. Mastodon is emerging as a friendlier, smaller-scale (for now) antidote to the mass interaction most platforms foster. Twitter has transitioned from serving as the PR instrument of President Trump to the pet project of a billionaire. People have begun to exit platforms en masse, leaving behind zombie accounts with many followers and no activity. They download content and lock up accounts. It almost feels like they’re locking up house and leaving hostile territory, hoping possibly to return when things are normal again, whatever that may mean. The people are leaving; the bots keep gaining ground.