Sensaphonics Gold Circle Seminar Certifies Four Audiologists Sensaphonics, the music industry champion for hearing health, recently held a Gold Circle Seminar to train audiologists in meeting the specialized needs of artists, sound engineers, and other music professionals. The two-day seminar features personal instruction from Sensaphonics president, Dr. Michael Santucci, and audio engineering consultant Joe "Sound Guy" Tessone. Four audiologists gained Gold Circle certification through a series of classroom modules and a hands-on demo session with a live band using in-ear monitors for the first time. Topics included advanced hearing loss prevention techniques, concert sound system basics, monitoring technology overview, product information, and backstage etiquette, all with a focus on how the music industry differs from other work environments. Classroom instruction is held at Sensaphonics headquarters in downtown Chicago, and includes a tour of the company's IEM manufacturing facility and Musicians' Hearing Clinic. Hands-on instruction included proper ear impression technique, plus a live band rehearsal session, where seminar participants interacted with musicians using in-ear monitors for the first time. Earning their Gold Circle Certification were audiologists Shahrzad Cohen of Hearing Loss Solutions in Sherman Oaks, California; Rebecca Grome of Ears 4 U Hearing Services in Nashville, Tennessee; London Gleghorn of Sound Access, LLC in St. Louis, Missouri; and Rachel Bringewatt of ENT Consultants in Omaha, Nebraska. Also attending was Sensaphonics artist relations consultant Richard Sandrok. "This was an exceptional group of qualified audiologists, and we're proud to welcome them to the Sensaphonics Gold Circle," says Santucci. "With the knowledge and hands-on training they have gained here, they are ready to take their practice to the next level, as experts in meeting the hearing health and monitoring needs of music industry professionals." The seminar's concluding highlight was a live rehearsal with the group Psychedethics at Mystery Street Recording Company, Chicago, where both audiologists and band were outfitted with Sensaphonics 3D-U AARO Active Ambient IEM systems. This enabled studio owner Tessone to demonstrate the basics of live sound monitoring, highlighting the difficulty of monitoring at safe levels while contrasting IEMs from floor wedges. The audiologists used dB Check in-ear sound level analyzers to track actual volume levels while the band played, interacting directly with the musicians between songs to gain insight on how in-ear monitors can reduce risk levels while actually improving sound quality. "Most musicians just want ear impressions so they can buy IEMs, but that should be the beginning, not the end, of the audiologist's role," says Santucci. "That's why we developed the Gold Circle seminar: to build a network of audiologists trained to help musicians maintain their hearing health for long, productive careers." For more information or to find a Sensaphonics Gold Circle audiologist in your area, visit the URL below. 
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