Health & Safety

Protecting Your Hearing Health

An NASM – PAMA
Student Information Sheet on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

 

  • Hearing health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician.
  • Your hearing can be permanently damaged by loud sounds, including music. Technically, this is called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Such risk is constant.
  • Noise-induced hearing loss is generally preventable. You must avoid close proximity and overexposure to loud sounds, especially for long periods of time.
  • Sounds over 85 dB (your typical vacuum cleaner) in intensity pose the greatest risk to your hearing. Recommended maximum daily exposure times (NIOSH) to sounds at or above 85 dB are as follows: 
    • 85 dB (vacuum cleaner, MP3 player at 1/3 volume) – 8 hours
    • 90 dB (blender, hair dryer, NYC subway) – 2 hours
    • 94 dB (MP3 player at 1/2 volume) – 1 hour 
    • 100 dB (MP3 player at full volume, lawnmower, power tools) – 15 minutes
    • 110 dB (rock concert) – 2 minutes
    • 120 dB (jet planes at take-off from 500 ft.) – without ear protection, sound damage is almost immediate
    • 130 dB (threshold of pain)
  • Certain behaviors (controlling volume levels in practice and rehearsal, avoiding noisy environments, turning down the volume) reduce your risk of hearing loss. Be mindful of those MP3 earbuds. See chart above.
  • The use of earplugs and earmuffs helps to protect your hearing health.
  • Day-to-day decisions can impact your hearing health, both now and in the future. Since sound exposure occurs in and out of school, you also need to learn more and take care of your own hearing health on a daily basis.
  • It is important to follow basic hearing health guidelines and maintain knowledge and understanding on this issue.
  • If you are concerned about your personal hearing health in relationship to your program of study, consult with the Student Health Services. You can call them to schedule an appointment at (661) 654-3453 or you can find out more information about the Health Services at their website: https://www.csub.edu/healthcenter/
  • This information is provided by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). For more information, check out the other NASM- PAMA hearing health documents, located on the NASM Web site: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/publications/brochures-advisories/nasm-pama-hearing-health/ 

Protecting Your Neuromusculoskeletal Health

An NASM – PAMA Student Information Sheet

 

  • Neuromusculoskeletal health is essential to your lifelong success as a musician. 
  • As practicing and performing music is physically demanding, musicians are susceptible to numerous neuromusculoskeletal disorders. 
  • Some musculoskeletal disorders are related to behavior; others are genetic; still others are the result of trauma or injury. Some genetic conditions can increase a person’s risk of developing certain behavior-related neuromusculoskeletal disorders. 
  • Many neuromusculoskeletal disorders and conditions are preventable and/or treatable.
  • Sufficient physical and musical warm-up time is important.
  • Proper body alignment and correct physical technique are essential.
  • Regular breaks during practice and rehearsal are vital in order to prevent undue physical stress and strain.
  • It is important to set a reasonable limit on the amount of time that you will practice in a day and avoid sudden increases in practice times.
  • Know your body and its limits, and avoid “overdoing it.”
  • Maintain healthy habits. Safeguard your physical and mental health.
  • Day-to-day decisions can impact your neuromusculoskeletal health, both now and in the future. Since muscle and joint strains and a myriad of other injuries can occur in and out of school, you also need to learn more and take care of your own neuromusculoskeletal health on a daily basis, particularly with regard to your performing medium and area of specialization.
  • If you are concerned about your personal neuromusculoskeletal health, consult with the Student Health Services. You can call them to schedule an appointment at (661) 654-3453 or you can find out more information about the Health Services at their website: https://www.csub.edu/healthcenter/
  • This information is provided by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). For more information, check out the other NASM-PAMA neuromusculoskeletal health documents, located on the NASM Web site: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/publications/brochures-advisories/nasm-pama-nms-vocal-health/ 


Protecting Your Vocal Health

An NASM – PAMA Student Information Sheet

 

  • Vocal health is important for all musicians and essential to lifelong success for singers. 
    Understanding basic care of the voice is essential for musicians who speak, sing, and rehearse or teach others. 
    As practicing, rehearsing, and performing music is physically demanding, singers are susceptible to numerous vocal disorders.
  • Many vocal disorders and conditions are preventable and/or treatable.
  • Several contributing factors make Bakersfield, CA a city with one of the poorest air qualities in America. Vocalists in particular should be aware of the fluctuating air quality index and take proper precautions as necessary.
  • Sufficient warm-up time is important.
  • Begin warming up mid-range, and then slowly work outward to vocal pitch extremes.
  • Proper alignment, adequate breath support, and correct physical technique are essential.
  • Regular breaks during practice and rehearsal are vital in order to prevent undue physical or vocal stress and strain.
  • It is important to set a reasonable limit on the amount of time that you will practice in a day and avoid sudden increases in practice times.
  • Know your voice and its limits, and avoid overdoing it or misusing it.
  • Maintain healthy habits. Safeguard your physical and mental health.
  • Drink plenty of water in order to keep your vocal folds adequately lubricated. Limit your use of alcohol, and avoid smoking.
  • Day-to-day decisions can impact your vocal health, both now and in the future. Since vocal strain and a myriad of other injuries can occur in and out of school, you also need to learn more and take care of your own vocal health on a daily basis. Avoid shouting, screaming, or other strenuous vocal use.
  • If you are concerned about your personal vocal health, consult with the Student Health Services. You can call them to schedule an appointment at (661) 654-3453 or you can find out more information about the Health Services at their website: https://www.csub.edu/healthcenter/  
  • This information is provided by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). For more information, check out the other NASM-PAMA neuromusculoskeletal health documents, located on the NASM Web site: https://nasm.arts-accredit.org/publications/brochures-advisories/nasm-pama-nms-vocal-health/ 

Department-Owned Instruments

The Department of Music and Theatre maintains a collection of musical instruments for checkout and use by members of the music faculty and students enrolled in our courses and performing ensembles.

As inspecting, cleaning, adjusting, and returning instruments to full playing condition is a resource intensive process, it is incumbent on everyone using department-owned musical instruments to properly care for and regularly clean their instrument. 

 

Antiseptically Clean

  • Musical instruments are considered antiseptically clean until they are used.
  • Certain groups of viruses and other harmful bacteria are quite hardy and capable of living in the nooks and crannies of a musical instrument. Therefore, musicians must be concerned with instrument hygiene.
  • Users of school owned and rented musical equipment might be more susceptible to infections from instruments that are not cleaned and maintained properly.
  • Musical instruments can be made antiseptically clean again through proper and thorough cleaning

 

Instrument Hygiene

  • All musicians or students should have their own instrument if possible.

  • All musicians or students should have their own mouthpiece if possible.

  • All students and faculty sharing reed instruments MUST have their own individual reeds. Reeds should NEVER be shared.

  • If instruments must be shared in class, alcohol wipes or Sterisol germicide solution (both available from the Department of Music) should be used between individuals’ use of the instrument.

  • When renting or using a Department-owned musical instrument, each user must understand that regular cleaning of these musical instruments is required in order to practice proper hygiene.

 

Mouthpieces

  • The mouthpiece—the flute headjoint, English Horn and bassoon bocal, and saxophone neck crook—is an essential part of a wind instrument. In addition to reeds, these parts harbor the greatest quantities of bacteria.
  • Adhering to the following procedures will ensure that these instrumental parts will remain antiseptically clean for the healthy and safe use of our students and faculty:
    • Cleaning the Flute Head Joint
      • Using a cotton swab saturated with denatured, isopropyl alcohol, carefully clean around the embouchure hole.
      • Alcohol wipes can be used on the flute’s lip plate to kill germs if the flute shared by several players.
      • Using a soft, lint-free silk cloth inserted into the cleaning rod, clean the inside of the headjoint.
    • Cleaning Bocals
      • Bocals should be cleaned every month with a bocal brush, mild soap solution, and running water.
      • English Horn bocals can be cleaned with a pipe cleaner, mild soap solution, and running water. Be careful not to scratch the inside of the bocal with the exposed wire ends of the pipe cleaner.
    • Cleaning Hard Rubber (Ebony) Mouthpieces
      • Mouthpieces should be swabbed after each playing and cleaned weekly.  
      • Select a small (to use less liquid) container that will accommodate the mouthpiece and place the mouthpiece tip down in the container.
      • Fill the container to where the ligature would begin with a solution of half water and half white vinegar (50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide works too). Protect clarinet mouthpiece corked tenons from moisture.
      • After a short time, use an appropriately sized mouthpiece brush to remove any calcium deposits or other residue from inside and outside surfaces. This step may need to be repeated if the mouthpiece is excessively dirty.
      • Rinse the mouthpiece thoroughly and then saturate with Sterisol germicide solution. Place on paper towel and wait one minute.
      • Wipe dry with paper towel.
      • N.B.: Metal saxophone mouthpieces clean up well with hot water, mild dish soap (not dishwasher detergent), and a mouthpiece brush. Sterisol germicide solution is also safe for metal mouthpieces.
    • Cleaning Saxophone Necks (Crooks)
      • Swabs and pad-savers are available to clean the inside of the saxophone neck. However, most saxophonists use a flexible bottlebrush and toothbrush to accomplish the same results.
      • If the instrument is played daily, the saxophone neck should be cleaned weekly (and swabbed out each day after playing).
      • Use the bottlebrush and mild, soapy water to clean the inside of the neck.
      • Rinse under running water.
      • Spray sterisol germicide solution inside the neck at this time, if desired (not necessary). Place neck on paper towel to rest for one minute.
      • Rinse again under running water, dry, and place in the case.
      • If using pad-savers, do not leave the pad-saver inside the neck when packed away.
    • Cleaning Brass Mouthpieces
      • Mouthpieces should be cleaned monthly.
      • Using a cloth soaked in warm, soapy water, clean the outside of the mouthpiece.
      • Use a mouthpiece brush and warm, soapy water to clean the inside.
      • Rinse the mouthpiece and dry thoroughly.
      • Spray Sterisol germicide solution on the mouthpiece at this time. Place mouthpiece on paper towel to rest for one minute.
      • Wipe dry with paper towel.
    • Other Instruments
      • Virtually all hygienic issues presented by string, percussion, and keyboard instruments can be solved simply by the musician washing their hands before and after use.

The Department of Music and Theatre at California State University, Bakersfield wishes to thank the National Association of Schools of Music, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, and the Department of Music at CSU, Stanislaus for providing information and resources that have been incorporated into the contents of this document.