News

Launch of a pilot project assessing noise exposure experienced by Schulich School of Music students

Published: 3 March 2018

On the occasion of the World Hearing Day, the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, in collaboration with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT), announces the launch of a pilot project assessing noise exposure experienced by Schulich School of Music students.

As part of the School’s continued efforts to provide a healthy work environment, this project aims at raising awareness of, and promoting, hearing care. The study includes noise exposure assessments of McGill orchestra members during both music and non-music activities together with the use of portable music players. The assessment will be conducted using a custom mobile app (for both iOS and Android-based phones), the development of which will be undertaken by CIRMMT over the next 6 months. In order to ensure measurements accuracy, training will be provided and each student phone will be calibrated in one of CIRMMT’s acoustic laboratories.

Hearing protection awareness is crucial for our musicians. We are pleased to collaborate with CIRMMT who will provide the scientific and technological expertise to undertake the study and develop the measurement tools that will impact our students' lives”, said Brenda Ravenscroft, Dean of the Schulich School of Music.

The project's originality lies in the assessment method that calls upon the students' active involvement by using their own devices. Following the noise exposure assessments and the students’ feedback, the app will be refined and made available to all the students of the Schulich School of Music. Anonymous datasets, generated by the study, will be also made available for research purposes.

More information about this project and the upcoming results will come in the following weeks and be available at cirmmt.org

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