Filling in for Dr. Kris Chesky, who was blessed with a baby girl on Tuesday, James Ford and Staci Smith presented a lecture entitled “Health Factors Related to Trumpet Playing.” Both are research assistants for the Texas Center for Music and Medicine (TCMM) at the University of North Texas. Ford is completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts (ABD), and Smith is working towards her Doctorate of Audiology. Both are also trumpet players.

Ford began the lecture by citing a few well-known examples of trumpet players with performance related medical problems including Louis Armstrong (Satchmo’s Syndrome). It was pointed out that similar problems are still affecting today’s trumpeters. Because of the frequency of such performance related medical problems, several national organizations have taken steps to understand the etiology of these medical problems. One goal and/or possible outcome of such an understanding of the etiology is suggested methods or ways to prevent or rehabilitate such problems.

Two prevalence studies, the International Conference of Symphony and Orchestral Musicians (ICSOM) and the University of North Texas Musician Health Survey (UNT-MHS), were mentioned to highlight the medical problems that affected brass instrumentalists and more specifically trumpet players. In addition, several experimental and clinical studies were cited that suggested that brass playing contributed to medical problems including intraocular pressure and glaucomatous damage, respiratory damage, cardiac arrhthmias, orofacial dysfunction, injury to the obicularis oris muscle, lip pain, tooth displacement, overuse syndromes, and focal dystonia etc.

Smith discussed the effects playing trumpet and performing in an ensemble may have on one's hearing mechanism. She explained how excessive sound exposure may cause hearing loss; she also described the differences in temporary and permanent hearing losses. She noted how hearing loss due to sound exposure begins in the high frequency region and will first affect the ability to hear conversation, especially with background noise present. She stated that with continual sound exposure hearing would worsen and more frequencies would be lost. Smith gave reference numbers for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's allowable daily sound levels. She also shared sound levels of common sounds such as normal conversation, telephone dial tones, lawn mowers, and the peak level during a symphonic music performance. After citing these references, Smith had Ford play a note on his trumpet and asked the attendees to guess at his sound level; most of them guessed much too low. Ford then demonstrated several different sound levels trumpeters typically create, some of them at potentially damaging levels for hearing. The importance of not playing directly at the heads of the persons in front of the trumpeter was discussed as this may cause hearing damage for others. Musician's earplugs (ER-15s) were recommended for use during rehearsals and performances. Smith gave information on cost and where musician's earplugs can be fitted and purchased. It was also noted that there is a period of adjustment when playing with the earplugs.

This lecture was aimed at helping young trumpet players understand the potential health risks associated with playing trumpet and what they can do to prevent the occurrence of these problems.