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Outdoor festivals are a summertime favorite for many people. Smaller towns and cities offer an array of festivals for every interest imaginable. Food takes top billing with snacks and meals to be shared with loved ones while walking around and taking it all in. Shopping stalls also offer goods that can’t be found anywhere else, often by local artisans and craft makers. What better way to spend a summer day than roaming around a street festival and chatting with your friends, family, and neighbors?
Although festivals are a summer favorite, they do come with an unexpected challenge for some: hearing. Live music tends to be the main feature of music festivals, and amplification in outdoor spaces requires high volumes to project far and wide. Though some festivals might cater to acoustic music at quieter volumes, many street festivals include loud rock music or dance music, especially as the event moves from day to night. And, of course, weekend-long music festivals are designed to give attendees the most exposure to music possible within the time of the event, often with multiple performers at once.
A few helpful tips can make summer festival season enjoyable for everyone, including those with hearing loss.
Planning Ahead
Before the festival, be sure to plan ahead for the event. A top priority for someone with hearing loss will be hearing aids or other assistive technology. Be sure that your batteries are charged and ready for the trip. It may be best to insert your hearing aids before arriving, so that you can become accustomed to the change from quiet to loud as you enter the space. Today’s hearing aids have become excellently equipped for isolating quiet sounds, such as voices, within loud environments, such as summer festivals. With your hearing aids in place, you shouldn’t have any trouble enjoying the event to the fullest.
Taking Breaks
The inundation of loud sound in a festival can become overwhelming to those with hearing loss. A particular struggle is to carry on conversations while also being surrounded by loud sound. The din of crowds can often become as loud as the music at a festival, and noise carrying across groups can make it difficult to discern the voices of those closest to us.
One way to avoid the taxing load of noise in a festival is to locate a place away from crowds to have a quiet time with friends. Locate a place within the street festival or festival grounds far away from live music and where there are fewer people congregating. This location might be a perfect place to bring some festival food and take a break from the noise. Sitting in the grass or at a table in a quiet place can give welcome relief from overwhelming sounds.
Protect the “Future You”
The loud noise levels at summer festivals are not only a concern for those who already have hearing loss; they are a risk for all people with loud volumes of sometimes-harsh sounds. Hearing protection is essential for any kind of concert, and the particular type of amplification at an outdoor festival can be damaging, as well.
Come prepared with your earplugs, and be sure to wear them. If the type of hearing protection you have limits your ability to have a conversation, you can insert the plugs only when you approach the concert area. Yet, new hearing protection technology does a better job with allowing conversation alongside limiting the damaging frequencies of live music. If you are a lover of summer music festivals, it might be worth the investment in hearing protection that will allow you to have fun with your friends and family while saving your hearing for future festivals, as well.
With these simple tips in mind, summer festivals do not need to be a source of anxiety or distress. On the contrary, they can be exciting and enjoyable events and a highlight of the summer. With hearing protection, assistance, and regular breaks from the noise, you do not need to be concerned that a festival with live music isn’t for you. Have fun at any summer music festival that tickles your fancy while hearing just what you want to!
Visit Us at New Leaf
Are you concerned about your hearing abilities? Contact us at New Leaf Hearing Clinic to schedule a consultation and hearing exam today.