Hearing Dose and Perceptions of Hearing and Singing Effort Among University Choir Singers in Varied Rehearsal and Performance Settings

This collective case study documented university choral students’ (N = 4) hearing doses, acquired through Etymotic Personal Noise Dosimeters (ER200D), as they rehearsed and performed a program of opera choruses during five time periods in three venues. Acquisition periods included one choir only rehearsal, two choir-orchestra-soloist rehearsals, and two public performances with choirorchestra-soloists. Participants also responded to a brief survey that solicited their perceptions of hearing and singing voice status immediately following each acquisition period. Among primary results: (a) three of four participants acquired sound doses in one or more of these approximately one-hour time periods that exceeded National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendations for eight hours; (b) the soprano participant acquired the highest Leq dB(A) readings; (c) acquired sound doses varied according to context; and (d) participant surveys indicated that although these singers perceived slightly more than desired hearing and singing effort in one or more of the acquisition periods, they may not have been fully aware of the cumulative sound doses they acquired. Results were discussed in terms of recommendations for future research and hearing conservation awareness among choral conductors and teachers.