Apparently I'm NOT Musically Inclined

Megan of Hearing Sparks recently wrote about some interesting music tests she found online. Ever the optimist, I thought I would try it out and discover that maybe, just maybe, my hearing loss isn't as bad as I think it is. Well, that didn't happen. I flunked the tests royally. Actually, it shouldn't have been a surprise to me. I've noticed a big difference lately in my ability to listen to music. Honestly, it's something I no longer enjoy. Music just doesn't sound "right" anymore. I've even stopped singing in church because I'm no longer confident I can stay on key.

If you'd like to take the tests for yourself, you can find them at Jake Mandell MD's website. Dr. Mandell is a radiology resident, music and neuroimaging researcher, and electronic musician.

Like Megan, I thought it would be interesting to have someone with normal hearing take the tests so we could compare our results. My coworker John was happy to oblige. After the first test, he commented "This was harder than I expected." Dr. Mandell designed these tests to be challenging.


Tone Deaf
My score: 69.4% Rating: Low-normal performance
John's score: 86.1% Rating: Very good performance



Adaptive pitch
My score: At 500 HZ I can differentiate 2 tones 18 HZ apart. Rating: Possible Pitch Perception Deficit Ranking: 0 percentile. Yikes!

John's score: At 500 HZ he can differentiate 2 tones 7.8 HZ apart. Rating: Normal.


Rhythm
My score 56%. Rating: Below normal performance. Score of 60% indicates normal performance and 55% and below indicates possible rhythm perception or memory deficit.

John's score 64%. Rating: Normal performance..

AMVI [Musical intelligence]
My score: 35%. Rating: Below normal performance.

John's score: 76%. Rating: Very good performance.

I'm glad I had John take the tests with me. Otherwise I might be tempted to dismiss them as faulty. I guess I'm making the right decision to refrain from singing in church after all.

The "Turn it to the Left" Song and Lyrics

This is a must watch video! I couldn't have said it any better!

"Turn it to the Left"
Rap song written and performed by Ben Jackson

Chorus:
Turn it to the left
Turn, turn it to the left! Repeated three times

Now what kind of sounds can attack your ears?
Well it's all kinds of noise you've been hearing for years.
We got traffic, airplanes, power tools, and lawn mowers.
Anything ya have to yell to be heard over.
But the number one risk around
Is when the volume goes up when it should go down.
So be aware of the sounds that you're listening to
and when it gets too loud you know what to do!

Chorus

So tell me what does it sound like when ya can't hear?
I mean how can ya tell when you're losing your ears?
Well do ya have to lean close to hear the words?
Do ya have to read lips, just pretend ya heard?
Do your ears hurt? Do they buzz or ring?
Are ya turning up the volume on everything?
Ya know ten million people in the U.S.A.
are saying yes to those questions everyday!

It ain't no fun, man, it ain't no fun
When you're twenty years old but your ears are eighty-one!
Imagine what it's like to be hearing this trash.
'Cuz the words are all muffled and the beat is whacked.
So if ya love music, turn it down, don't wait.
Because your hearing can't return to its original state.
That's right once the damage is done, it's forever.
Your ears can get worse but they can never get better!

Chorus

Now tell me what can I do to protect myself
And make sure I'm maintaining good aural health.
Ya got one set of ears to last your whole life.
So listen up close and follow my advice.
Protect your ears when ya hear a loud sound.
When you're listening to music, turn the volume down.
Use good headphones, don't listen too long.
Get your hearing checked and memorize this song!

Chorus

Find out more about "Turn it to the Left!".