So I've been on a long journey (still very much in progress) to get better at playing the flute. I've made some good progress over the past year or so, in one specific area that needed help: playing up through the 3rd octave. The low and middle octaves have been relatively easy for me, but third has been a real challenge. With some effort and practice, I've now become a lot more fluid and have developed an almost-passable tone in the 3rd octave. It's satisfying to be able to play things now that a year ago were just beyond my abilities. That was the good news.
Then I noticed a constant hissing in my ears. It hasn't gone away. For a long time. I went to a hearing specialist today. It's not going to go away. Permanent hearing damage. That's the bad news.
My doctor (a highly respected hearing specialist in a large city, affiliated with a major university hospital, not some yokel) suggested I start wearing ear plugs when playing. But not just any ear plugs. He says there are special earplugs for musicians, adjustable for your needs. This is the first I've heard of that.
Anyone here have experience with such things? Ear plug recommendations? Sigh...
