Follow Me Here linked to an article which I can’t access anymore about how orchestras are getting louder and louder. A portion of the article discussed musicians’ hearing loss, which some orchestra members combat with special earplugs. An online article I found claims that “As many as 52 percent of professional orchestral performers have been diagnosed with hearing problems. 26 percent of high school seniors who participated in band had measurable hearing loss.” Orchestras have gotten louder over time in order to fill huge halls. Sitting in front of the brass section or even sometimes the winds can be an ear-ringing experience, and that ringing can stay with you permanently. You’d think that rock musicians would have worse hearing loss, but their amplifiers are typically pointed towards the audience, and they aren’t playing directly into each other’s ears. Orchestras can reach 120-137 decibels.