| Sensaphonics conducts training seminar on music-related audiology
Golden Circle seminar by Michael Santucci and staff focuses on musicians' hearing issues and product needs.
CHICAGO, IL (September 27, 2007) Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation, Inc., the market leader in providing customized products and services to musicians, recently conducted its Golden Circle audiology seminar at company headquarters in Chicago. The seminar is a two-day training event that provides audiology professionals with the specialized knowledge and hands-on training required to serve the unique needs of musicians and audio engineers.
"Working with musicians is different," explained Michael Santucci, Sensaphonics president and founder. "Their listening environment and product needs are very different from other clients, but it's not part of the curriculum that audiologists learn in school. We try to bridge that knowledge gap." Along with Santucci, instructors for the event included staff audiologist Heather Bentley and sound engineering consultant Thom Fiegle of Sensaphonics.
Attendees included: Vicki Anderson of Anderson Audiology Consulting, Minneapolis; Andrea Nova of Estes Audiology, Austin, TX; Marci Lund of Albuquerque Hearing Associates in New Mexico; and Marisa Thylstrup of White Plains, New York. All are certified audiologists and have earned the Golden Circle designation in their referral listing on the Sensaphonics website.
Seminar topics covered include a customer profile of musicians and sound engineers, the only audiology clients who are more interested in their product purchase (typically custom earphones for personal monitor systems) than in their hearing health. Attendees learned how in-ear monitoring works, including system design and stage setup, and the importance of regular hearing tests, personal fittings, and education on exposure times and safe system operation.
Because touring musicians often require "house calls" at performance venues, there was a special emphasis on backstage etiquette. One highlight of the seminar was a hands-on training session with a live band at Mutiny, a Chicago live music club. There, seminar attendees experienced both typical stage wedges and in-ear monitoring personally, learned to take in-the-ear sound level measurements, and had the opportunity to interact with sound engineers and musicians in a real-world setting.
Sensaphonics is the only manufacturer of custom earphones to offer the training needed to serve this specialized market. "We think it's important that audiologists take a more active role when working with musicians," notes Santucci. "As hearing professionals, it's important to do more than just take ear impressions for these customers. Our audiology referral network is a group specially trained to meet the unique needs of musicians and sound engineers."
For a listing of Sensaphonics audiologists, please visit www.sensaphonics.com. Audiologists interested in joining the Sensaphonics referral network or attending future Golden Circle seminars should contact the company toll-free at 877-848-1714.
Participants in the recent Sensaphonics Golden Circle seminar on hearing services for musicians included (L to R): audiologist Marisa Thylstrup; instructors Thom "The Sound Guy" Fiegle and Dr. Heather Bentley of Sensaphonics; audiologist Andrea Nava, Sensaphonics president Michael Santucci; and audiologists Marci Lund and Vicki Anderson. |
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