Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss

We are a diverse group. A few of of us are born with very little hearing. Some of us lost our hearing as children, and took up playing a musical instrument after the onset of the hearing loss. Others had normal hearing, played our instruments for a long time, then experienced hearing loss. In any case, the degree of hearing loss is of such significance it now impacts on how we play (or no longer play) music. The purpose of this group is to exchange information on how to continue making music with a hearing loss, both in solo or ensemble situations, how hearing instruments such as hearing aids/cochlear implants/assistive listening devices help or hinder us in our musical endeavors, and how to cope with the angst some of us feel when playing for an audience who most likely has better hearing than we do. Although most of us are amateur musicians, we cheer those of us who have succeeded in becoming professional musicians. This group is also open to music educators and audiologists who are interested in knowing how to work with, and teach adults with hearing loss.

AAMHL’s mission is to: 1) create opportunities for adult musicians with hearing loss to discuss the challenges they face in making and listening to music. 2) create opportunities for public performance either individually or in groups by adult musicians with hearing loss who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities 3) provide ongoing feedback to hearing health professionals, hearing researchers, manufacturers of hearing assistive technology, music educators and others to improve hearing device technology relative to music performance and enjoyment 4) provide educational opportunities to enable hard of hearing and deaf adults to appreciate and make music in ways not previously available Our initiatives include: * print and mail informational brochures about AAMHL * create hearing-accessible conferences and workshops on making music with a hearing loss * produce hearing accessible concerts by both hearing and hearing impaired musicians * produce recordings of performances by hearing-impaired musicians * produce informational materials on listening to music with a hearing loss and listings of hearing-accessible performance venues