The risk of noise-induced hearing loss from routine instrumental practice in school wind bands

This study evaluated whether routine instrumental practice among student and amateur musicians poses noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) risk. An online survey of 72 players captured practice habits, symptoms, and protective behaviors. Complementary measurements logged sound pressure near instruments, collected personal exposure doses for high-risk instruments, examined acoustic and playing-position effects, and repeatedly tested musician earplugs. Participants reported roughly 3–7 daily practice hours by training level. About half perceived NIHL risk, yet only 16% took specific protective steps, revealing an awareness–action gap. Recorded exposures sometimes exceeded guidelines; one 3-h piccolo session reached 204% of the daily limit. Moving a player within one rehearsal room changed exposure by up to 4 dB and cut allowable time by as much as 47 min. Earplug uptake was generally low; woodwind and percussion players accepted protection better than brass, suggesting instrument-tailored solutions. Findings support routine exposure assessment, optimized ensemble layouts, and individualized hearing protection for intensive practice in small reverberant spaces. Future work should track long-term exposure and hearing thresholds, compare filtered earplugs and acoustic shields, and build feedback tools that integrate with ensemble pedagogy to improve protective behavior. Broader adoption could reduce preventable hearing damage in lifelong music participation for students worldwide.