Talking Ears

Michael Santucci and Shannon Switzer - Safe Use of In Ear Monitors

Welcome to the third installment of the Updates in Music Audiology workshop recap from the NHCA 2025 conference. This week we will help Sensaphonics celebrate their 40 year anniversary by featuring the voices of founder Michael Santucci and hearing clinic director Shannon Switzer. Together, they shared a brief history of in ear monitors, common fit and use issues, and recommendations for their safe and effective use. Their presentations have been edited slightly for the audio-only format. 
Michael Santucci is a Doctor of Audiology and president of Sensaphonics, Inc., Chicago, IL. In 1985 he founded Sensaphonics which designs, develops and manufactures custom in‐ear products for the music industry as well as a variety of other hearing conservation applications. For over 40 years he has provided Audiological consultation and customized hearing protection strategies to both Chicago area musicians and many of today’s most prolific music performers from all genres of music. Today, Dr. Santucci continues his hearing conservation efforts, spearheading the development of innovative new products and technologies that have 3 patents for the 3DME IEM system and the dB Check Pro sound level analyzer. Both products are NAMM tech award finalists. Dr. Santucci is the Chair of the Music Induced Hearing Loss Task Force for the National Hearing Conservation Association. Dr. Santucci is also a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), where he is Chair of the Technical Committee on Hearing and Hearing Loss Prevention. In 2015 through this year, Dr. Santucci was invited by the World Health Organization to participate as an expert consultant as part of the WHO’s Listen Safe Initiative in Geneva SZ and is a core member and coordinator for MLS. Sensaphonics is the first winner of the Safe in Sound award presented by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the NHCA for achievements in technology, was the first winner of the prestigious Larry Mauldin award for pioneering new ideas for hearing loss prevention and was twice presented the Governor’s Award and once presented a Fellowship Award from the Audio Engineering Association and has been awarded Honors of the Academy with the 2023 Samuel Lybarger award from the American Academy of Audiology.
Shannon Switzer, Au.D. is the Director of the Sensaphonics Musicians’ Hearing Clinic in Chicago and is a featured audiologist in the MusiCares x Tuned teleaudiology partnership. As a lifelong clarinetist herself, she became fascinated with hearing conservation for musicians while earning her Doctorate of Audiology at Northwestern University. She primarily provides direct patient care to over 1000 music industry professionals annually through a variety of channels; the Sensaphonics clinic, mobile visits at music venues in Chicago, onsite clinical residencies with orchestras around the country, and teleaudiology visits with musicians around the world. Dr. Switzer is passionate about promoting hearing health through public education. She lectures at conferences, gives interviews to various music media, and trains audiologists in music audiology best practices. She has recently joined the WHO’s Make Listening Safe committee for safe listening in music venues and organizes high-profile musicians to promote World Hearing Day on their social media. She is an avid concert-goer and can’t help but chat about hearing protection in the crowd, even when she’s “off the clock”.

Colleen Le Prell - Factors Influencing Perceived Sound Quality During Hearing Protection Device Use

In this, the second installment of the series recapping the NHCA 2025 Conference, we have an incredible presentation from Colleen Le Prell, PHD. This is an edit version of her contribution to the Updates in Music Audiology workshop. The NHCA audience knows her as a recent past present of the organization, and a frequent presenter at the conferences. We know her as a dear friend who continually inspires us to a reach the highest possible academic rigor in our work.
Dr. Le Prell is the Emilie and Phil Schepps Professor of Hearing Science, Head of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, and Co-Director for the Clinical and Translational Research Center at UT Dallas. She has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DoD), philanthropic foundations, and industry, for research on prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. She is the academic leader for the DoD Hearing Center of Excellence Pharmaceutical Interventions for Hearing Loss work group and an invited member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Meaningful Outcome Measures in Adult Hearing Health Care.  She is the Chair of the NIH Center for Scientific Review Auditory System Study Section, and serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Occupational Research Agenda Hearing Loss Prevention Cross Sector Council and the World Health Organization Make Listening Safe working group.
Brief music clips heard in this episode are from a live performance of Osler Circle, a Beatles cover band based in Philadelphia. This is used for educational purposes and while the recording is ours to use, we do not own the rights to the original song, "Day Tripper", and that all rights belong to the respective copyright holders.

Laura Sinnott - Global Initiatives for Hearing Loss Prevention

This is the first of a series of shorter episodes featuring presentations and interviews held at the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) annual conference in Charleston, SC in February, 2025. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring Brian Fligor, Michael Santucci, Colleen Le Prell, Benj Kanters, Heather Malyuk, Juan Vasquez, Shannon Switzer, as well as two student award recipients, Hannah Miller and Blake Voss. Wow, what a line up!
But first, we have undeniable audio genius and friend-of-the-show, Laura Sinnot. Laura is a long time audio engineer for film whose career expanded into hearing health as an audiologist after over-exposing her ears to her work and the bustling metropolis of NYC. She ran the Sensaphonics Musician's Hearing Clinic, a Chicago-based institution for three years. Now based in Central New York, Laura provides traveling and concierge audiology services for musicians, media professionals, and music lovers, as well as teleaudiology consultations through Tuned. In addition to her doctorate degree from the City University of New York, she has a Music Technology master's and bachelor's degree from New York University and the University of Colorado at Denver, respectively.
Please note that this is an edited version of the presentation and is not eligible for CEUs. If you want the full experience (and the continuing education credits) you need to plan to come to NHCA webinars and conferences in the future. They are the best.

Jesus Florido - talking fiddle, hearing loss, and changing the music industry

Talking Ears wishes everyone a healthy and wonderful new year! To kickoff 2025, we are honored to present the latest and very special episode featuring Jesus Florido. Known as the Latin Fiddler, he is a Los Angeles-based violinist with a unique story to share. At a vital time in his life, he needed to undergo a risky ear surgery that left him with tinnitus and a permanent loss of hearing in his right ear. He discusses how this different way of hearing led to a new approach to performing music, and also shares his passion for supporting musicians with his hope of improving the music industry.
For context, Jesus first met Talking Ears co-host Juan Vasquez through the MusiCares X Tuned program, which has been discussed at length on the show. Throughout the episode, you'll hear mention of a mysterious Nancy who is none other than the inimitable audiologist Nancy Gould, the tinnitus and hearing disorders expert who also works with the Tuned program.
Music heard in this episode is from Jesus's album "Heading North" as well as various compositions and film scores. 

ATA Panel Discussion - Tinnitus Today Article

Talking Ears co-host Juan Vasquez, AuD, wrote an article for the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) publication, Tinnitus Today, titled "Hitting the Right Note at the Kentucky State Fair: ATA and Texas Roadhouse Team Up to Advance Hearing Conservation Among Music Professionals" which was published this week.
To help us unpack the title, the origin story, the experience at the Kentucky State Fair, and the plans for the future of this exciting program, Juan is joined by a world class panel of guests: Joy Onozuka (ATA Communications Director), Marc Fagelson, PhD (Professor of Audiology at East Tennessee State University), and Brynne Stevens (AuD Student at Washington University). Representing the "I wasn't there" contingency, Frank Wartinger serves as the moderator of this panel discussion.
Many other individuals contributed to this program and didn't get the verbal recognition they deserve in the episode. Thank you to Travis Doster (Texas Roadhouse Chief Communications Officer) and Bryce Onozuka (ATA staff member) for making the weekend happen!
Music heard in this episode is by Frank Wartinger.

Caleb Kronen - NHCA Part 5

Happy National Protect Your Hearing Month! October is a great time for us to celebrate all things eerie (get it? ear-ie?) and to conclude our five-part series on the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA). Our guest, Caleb Kronen is an audiologist and director of Hearing Conservation at the Marion Downs Center in Denver, Colorado. This episode we'll talk about his relationship with NHCA, his work as a music audiologist and hearing conservationist, and his musical life.
Music in this episode is by Caleb's band, Kronen.

Cory Portnuff - NHCA part 4

Cory Portnuff is a one-person institution within the National Hearing Conservation Association: he is a regular presenter at NHCA meetings, frequent council member, unofficial conference audio/visual expert, and co-author of the NHCA Position Statement on Recreational Music Exposure. In his day job, he is a clinical audiologist at the University of Colorado Hospital Hearing and Balance Center where he oversees the tinnitus and musicians hearing programs.
We sat down with Cory to discuss our experience at the 2024 NHCA conference, consumer audio safety, verification of hearing protection devices, and why preventative care should be a cornerstone of every clinical audiology encounter.
Music in this episode is from two recent releases by past Talking Ears guest and friend of the show, Eric Heveron-Smith: Tiny Previous Things and Free, featuring Daisy Castro and Isabel Castellvi.

Don Finan - NHCA part 3

Don Finan needs no introduction to the NHCA listeners, nor those hailing from the University of North Colorado where he serves as the chair of the Communication Sciences & Disorders department. He is a favorite presenter at conferences, a talented photographer, a skilled guitarist, and a creative professor. To open a small window into his world and peer through, Don teaches a class titled "Musical Acoustics and Health Issues", during which he challenges his students to build their own cigar box guitars and didgeridoos. Nothing else has made me want to go back to grad school as much as hearing about that course.
We cover a wide range of topics including speech science, guitars, hearing loss prevention, blues jams, guitars, firearm noise research, guitars, and even guitars. In a remarkable display of self-restraint, we have reduced the amount of guitar talk by at least two fold. Sorry, and also, you're welcome.
Music in this episode is from Don's band "The Rhythm Allstars".