Brenda the Lyric Lady is back with her latest video for October!

It can be so easy to forget something when we’re getting ready in the morning – especially if we’re in a rush! Luckily Brenda doesn’t have to worry about forgetting her hearing aids since her Lyric devices stay in her ears 24/7!

Once a Lyric device is fitted it can be left in position for months at a time – you can shower, exercise and sleep with the device fitted with no problems at all!

If you’d like to find out more visit the Lyric page or give us a call on 01224 647652, alternatively you can send us a message.

Brenda has recently been abroad on her holidays and was glad that she could rely on her Lyric devices to work perfectly while she was away. However, there is always the chance that a device will need to be changed or re-positioned – thankfully Phonak have Lyric providers around the world who will be able to replace the devices.

Lyric is currently available in the following countries:

• Switzerland
• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• UK
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• and the USA.

If you would like to find out more about Lyric you can give us a call on 01224 647652 or send us a message!

Remember subtitles are available!

Do you notice these symptoms in yourself or a significant other?

• Difficulty with hearing speech with background noise
• Difficulty hearing across a large/long table
• Turning up the TV louder than normally needed
• Asking others to repeat themselves frequently
• Withdrawal from conversations
• Avoiding some social settings

If you recognise some of these symptoms we would recommend having a hearing test performed – this will determine if your hearing levels are within normal limits.

If you have experienced sudden hearing loss in one or both of your ears you should seek an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to determine the cause.

To book an appointment for a full hearing test or if you would like some more information please give us a call on 01224 647652 or email us at [email protected]

If not, after reading this you will certainly want to start!

As a motorcyclist you may already be aware of the noise levels you are exposed to while riding – but do you know what effect this exposure can have on your ears?

If you would like to book an appointment or just want some more information about noise protection please give us a call on 01224 647652 or contact us by email – [email protected]

Here’s 5 reasons why Custom-fit Squidgy ear plugs by Ultimate Hearing Protection are superior to disposable plugs!

1. They are specifically made to fit the unique shape of your ear – this means that they can be worn for hours at a time without causing discomfort.
2. They are much more durable.
3. Over time they are much more cost effective over time
4. They’re more hygienic
5. Excellent noise reducing properties of 30dB

Here is another great vlog from our very own Brenda the Lyric Lady!

This time she is at the Belladrum Festival in Inverness enjoying the fantastic music! Brenda knows how important it is to protect our ears when listening to loud music – especially while at a concert, and luckily for her she is able to use her Lyric devices as ear plugs by turning them to ‘sleep mode’ using her programming wand! It only takes a few seconds and will help protect her from any further damage to her hearing.

At Bryce Hearing Services we can’t stress enough how vital it is that concert goers, musicians, stage crew and DJs wear suitable ear plugs that will protect them from hearing loss and tinnitus. We offer a range of ear plugs from Ultimate Ear which are custom-fit and specially designed for music listeners – they’re comfortable, hygienic and won’t effect your musical experience! Check out our Hearing Protection page to see the range of ear plugs we can provide or give us a call to find out what would be most suitable for you.

We’re almost half way through July already and we have another vlog from Brenda the Lyric Lady! For those of you who don’t know Brenda’s story, you can read it here – Brenda the Lyric Lady

It’s true that we often over the look importance of our ear health. We’re much more likely to schedule an appointment for an eye test or a check up at the dentist, however we encourage our clients to have their ears checked and hearing tested at least every 2 years. During a check up appointment your ears will be examined by our Audiologist – Jayne Bryce – and a hearing test will be performed to detect if there have been any changes since the last test was performed.

As Brenda says, one of the many benefits of Lyric is that she has the opportunity to have her ears checked every 3 months or so when she pops in to have her Lyric devices replaced. However, even if you don’t wear Lyric you are welcome to see Jayne for a check up whenever you feel it is necessary!

If you would like to learn more about Lyric just follow this link – Lyric

Why not like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with our latest videos from Brenda!

Remember subtitles are available if you need them!

We have another great video for you from Brenda the Lyric Lady!

Brenda is an avid motorcyclist and knows just how important it is to protect her ears from the excessive noise that she will be exposed to while on the road. The noise of the motorcycle’s engine, traffic and also the wind can reach 110 decibels which can damage your hearing and also cause tinnitus if you are exposed for more than 15 minutes. It is vital that motorcyclists and their passengers wear some form of noise protection – Brenda is able to use her Lyric devices to block out up to 20 dB of noise by taking her Lyric Wand and turning them off for the duration of her journey!

 

Here’s the latest Lyric vlog post from Brenda, plus a bonus video!

In this video Brenda demonstrates just how easy it is to remove Lyric devices from your ear. One of the best things about Lyric is that you will rarely need to remove it yourself – they can be worn 24/7 for months at a time there’s no need to remove it before bed or before you jump in the shower. But there will be the odd occasion when it is necessary for the device(s) to be removed before a scheduled appointment. Lyric should always be removed before an MRI scan or if they go dead while in your ears – this should be done by your audiologist but if this isn’t possible you can remove the devices yourself.  They should always be replaced by your audiologist.

 

A viola player who suffered a life-changing hearing injury at a rehearsal of Wagner’s Die Walkure in 2012 has won a landmark High Court judgment against the Royal Opera House (ROH).

The case won by Chris Goldscheider has huge implications for the industry and the health and safety of musicians.

It is the first time a judge has scrutinised the music industry’s legal obligations towards musicians’ hearing.

The ROH said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the judgment.

It is also the first time ‘acoustic shock’ has been recognised as a condition which can be compensated by a court.

On 1 September 2012, Mr Goldscheider was seated directly in front of the brass section of the orchestra for a rehearsal of Wagner’s thunderous opera Die Walkure in the famous orchestra pit at the Royal Opera House.

During that rehearsal, the noise levels exceeded 130 decibels, roughly equivalent to that of a jet engine. His hearing was irreversibly damaged.

Mr Goldscheider claimed damages for acoustic shock, a condition with symptoms including tinnitus, hyperacusis and dizziness.

He told the BBC: “With this condition if you are exposed to normal sounds, unfortunately they become incredibly painful.

“I suppose the nearest analogy is if you imagine for a normal person to walk on normal ground and then you imagine walking barefoot on glass.”

Mr Goldscheider, from Bedfordshire, has to wear ear defenders to carry out everyday household tasks such as preparing food.

Especially upsetting is that he had been unable to listen to his 18-year-old son Ben – one of the country’s outstanding young French horn players.

The Royal Opera House argued that acoustic shock does not exist, and that if it did, Mr Goldscheider did not have it.

Their case was that he had developed an entirely natural hearing condition, known as Meniere’s disease, at exactly the same time as the super-loud, high intensity noise burst behind his right ear.

However, Mrs Justice Nicola Davies took a different view, stating: “I regard the defendant’s contention that Meniere’s disease developed at the rehearsal as stretching the concept of coincidence too far.”

The ROH also argued a balance had to be struck between preserving the artistic integrity of the music while doing everything possible to reduce the risk of damage to musicians’ hearing, that was an inevitable feature of playing long-term in an orchestra.

Mrs Justice Davies disagreed, ruling that “the reliance upon artistic value implies that statutory health and safety requirements must cede to the needs and wishes of the artistic output of the Opera company, its managers and conductors.

“Such a stance is unacceptable. Musicians are entitled to the protection of the law, as is any other worker.”

Reacting to the ruling, Mr Goldscheider said: “As you can imagine a law suit of this magnitude takes its strain on everyone. Not just on me but my family, my children.

“Here we are today and I’m just so overjoyed at the judge’s decision and I hope it will prevent any more musicians being injured from today onwards.”

Speaking of the impact of the decision, Mr Goldscheider’s solicitor, Chris Fry of Fry Law, said: “This case has huge significance and will send shockwaves across the music business.

“It has considered itself exempt from the same regulatory requirements as all other sectors because of the artistic nature of its output.

“This, in our view, has always been a dismissive view from an industry which creates and sells ‘noise’ as a product.”

The Royal Opera House and other orchestras will now need to re-assess policies and procedures and the design of orchestra spaces and could face claims against them by other musicians.

Sound ‘not a by-product’

In a statement, the ROH said the expert medical advice it had consistently received was that long-term hearing damage could not be caused by an isolated incident of exposure to live music.

“We have been at the forefront of industry-wide attempts to protect musicians from the dangers of exposure to significant levels of performance sound, in collaboration with our staff, the Musicians’ Union, acoustic engineers and the Health and Safety Executive,” it continued.

“Although this judgment is restricted to our obligations as an employer under the Noise Regulations, it has potentially far-reaching implications for the Royal Opera House and the wider music industry.

“We do not believe that the Noise Regulations can be applied in an artistic institution in the same manner as in a factory, not least because in the case of the Royal Opera House, sound is not a by-product of an industrial process but is an essential part of the product itself.

“This has been a complex case and we will consider carefully whether to appeal the judgment.”

According to Help Musicians UK, the leading UK charity for professional musicians: “The unfortunate circumstances surrounding Chris’s tragic hearing loss reflect a growing number of hearing related issues, as highlighted in our 2015 hearing survey, where 59.5% of musicians said they had suffered hearing loss and 78% said working as a musician was a contributor to their hearing loss.”

Mr Goldscheider began playing the violin at the age of five and the viola from about 21. He studied in Prague and the UK and played with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Symphony orchestras.

In 2002 he joined the viola section of the ROH orchestra as number eleven viola and was promoted to number six. Career highlights included playing on stage with Kylie Minogue and with the Three Tenors to 100,000 people in Barcelona.

“Following my injury I spent 18 months trying to recover, recuperate and get back to playing, and unfortunately I couldn’t do it,” he said.

Mr Goldscheider left the ROH in July 2014 as a result of his injuries.

Damages will be assessed at a later date.

Article by  Clive Coleman – Legal correspondent, BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43571144?SThisFB