Newby

[defmuso]

Hi everyone.

I'm new on here and have suffered with my hearing for 30 years now. I wear aids in both ears and have a profound loss in my right ear and severe in the left. Also suffer from tinnitus like many of you on here. Still struggle with it every single day. What makes it worse is the fact that I was a professional musician when I started to go deaf around age 30 - career ended ! However, after giving up playing guitar for about 12 years, I decided to pick one up and try to play again. Very very difficult at first but I stuck with it and have been playing for about 20 years again now. I can no longer play in a band or play live, but I just enjoy playing through headphones for my own enjoyment. It's the only thing that keeps me sane. I'd be particularly interested to hear from any other deaf musicians out there. My dream now is to teach guitar privately but I don't know if that will ever happen. I am based in Sheffield in the UK.

All the best to everyone on here

Mel

[Valorrian]

Hi Defmuso,

I have profound bilateral SNHL with T. I lost my hearing due to meningitis. I am not a musician however, I did enjoy music before I became deaf. I use to play the piano, and keyboard for fun. Since my hearing loss I lost interest in playing.

What inspired you to pick up guitar again? I am happy you are finding happiness in something you enjoy doing. Perhaps you could teach HOH and Deaf kids to play guitar. That would be cool.

[defmuso in reply to Valorrian]

Hi Valorrian

I am sorry to learn of your hearing problems. My own T has recently gotten much worse in my right ear and I find it very difficult to mask it now. I have a constant tone and over the top of that a pulsing sound, (it 's like the sound a lorry makes when reversing) - very frustrating.

It was shortly after my mum died I just had the feeling that I should go out and buy a guitar and start playing again. Soon after that I saw the deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie on tv and was blown away at her skill. It was difficult at first, but one good thing was that it forced me to become a better musician, for example I had to learn ALL of the notes on the fretboard and learn more music theory, things that I had neglected before when I just played 'by ear'.

Teaching is something I love doing and I do the odd lesson on YouTube. I have thought about teaching deaf pupils but don't really know where to start, it's something I will explore further though.

I hope that you can somehow find a way back to playing music if it's something you enjoy.

Warm regards

Mel

[BAHA2]

I Defmuso I am not a musician but I used to enjoy listening to music, and my late wife attempted to teach me the guitar but I could not tell high or low notes, despite having NHS digital hearing aids, However in 2012 I was fitted with a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) and I was reintroduced to the key of music. You should check with your audiologist to see if you meet the criteria for alternative hearing devices as the legislation has change in the last few years. All the best wishes and keep safe.