MUSIC NEWS:The launch of Tinnitus Awareness Week took place in the UK this week, a campaign that hopes to increase the general public's knowledge of the risk of hearing damage posed to music lovers. Tinnitus is a condition that can occur through excessive exposure to loud noises, such as music heard through headphones or at live events.
Many music fans are unaware of the damage that can occur, and experts are now warning that listening to music at a volume higher than 60 per cent for more than one hour per day of may cause problems for a generation of people who use headphones.
Former MTV presenter and current XFM DJ Eddy Temple-Morris launched the campaign in London with an event dubbed “One Tune: One Cause”, which saw 23 DJs take part in a continuous two-hour set. Temple-
Morris is an ambassador for the British Tinnitus Association, and said that club, bar and venue owners have a responsibility to their staff and patrons to provide them with the information needed to make an informed decision about their aural health.
Last week, the Irish Deaf Society also launched Hearing Awareness Week, also aimed to promote tinnitus awareness. Musician Julie Feeney took part in the campaign, performing a “silent gig” in the front window of a shop on Dawson St which onlookers could only hear on their (comfortably adjusted) headsets. www. hearingawarenessweek.ie
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