Re: listening to music

[Guest guest]

My Phonaks have a music program. It's not perfect, but I can hear music

better than I used to with the aids in using earphones. The aids are, of

course, set up to hear speech. Therefore, they emphasize speech sounds and

cut out other sounds. For music, you need it all. And the Phonaks can be

programmed to increase the sounds you normally just miss, not just speech

sounds, so you can hear music better.

Generally I am pleased with them. Which is one reason I am reluctant to go

with the C.I. Like most here who have been posting, music has been a large

part of my life, and I miss it more than anything else.

I remember the first time I realized that I couldn't hear music well

anymore. I woke up to the clock radio playing, lying on my " good "

ear--back then the left was better than the right. And the music sounded

awful! Well, it sounded like I remember " modern " music used to sound which

I was first introduced to that. I was amazed. When I took my head off the

pillow, the music still sounded okay. But not anymore. <sigh> (I began

losing my hearing in my early 40s.)

I understand that C.I. technology is now trying to combine hearing aid

technology with the C.I. Why they didn't do this in the beginning is

beyond me. Anyway, I hope that soon there will be as many programs on

C.I.'s as there are on my Phonaks. Then we will really have something!

Jan

>It's too bad hearing aid manufacturers couldn't design a hearing aid model

>specifically designed for those who want to listen to music. Maybe sometime

>in the near future. That sure would be great...

[Guest guest]

Jan,

I currently wear Oticon DigiFocus II super power BTEs. I also have a pair of

older, analog Oticon 380Ps. My experience has been similar to yours in that

they are primarily designed to enhance speech -- not music.

When I saw my hearing aid audi earlier this year (before I considered

getting a CI), she recommended that I try the Phonak Supero 412s.

Unfortunately, my health insurance wouldn't cover the cost so I was left

with my Oticons. I was really disappointed because I had heard so many good

things about them from people I knew.

I'm curious to know how your hearing aids change the way music sounds. The

reason I ask is because my Oticons (both the analogs and the digitals) have

only a single program which doesn't make music sound any different than

speech.

[Guest guest]

Jan,

Thanks for your response!

Insurance restrictions re: hearing aids make me feel extremely saddened and

angered for those who cannot enjoy the best possible hearing. I'll *never*

understand why insurance doesn't consider hearing aids to be a medically

necessary device. Grrr!!!!

[Guest guest]

To my knowlege only signa helps with aids so, ihad to get mine on my own

doesn't make sense to me either

Re: Listening to Music

> , all I can tell you, really, is that I can now hear notes that I

> couldn't hear before. These would be the high notes. It's not a huge

> difference, but it sure makes a difference to me--between being able to

> recognize a tune and not. Like so many on this list, I grew up learning

to

> play instruments (violin, piano, clarinet) and in both a chorus and

> choir. I could hear fine until my early 40s, and even music until around

> 50. So, I really, really miss music.

>

> I am sorry your insurance won't pay for the more expensive aids. One of

> the great tragedies of health care in the U.S. is lack of insurance or

poor

> insurance for hearing aids.

>

> Jan

>

>

> >Jan,

> >

> >I currently wear Oticon DigiFocus II super power BTEs. I also have a pair

of

> >older, analog Oticon 380Ps. My experience has been similar to yours in

that

> >they are primarily designed to enhance speech -- not music.

> >

> >When I saw my hearing aid audi earlier this year (before I considered

> >getting a CI), she recommended that I try the Phonak Supero 412s.

> >Unfortunately, my health insurance wouldn't cover the cost so I was left

> >with my Oticons. I was really disappointed because I had heard so many

good

> >things about them from people I knew.

> >

> >I'm curious to know how your hearing aids change the way music sounds.

The

> >reason I ask is because my Oticons (both the analogs and the digitals)

have

> >only a single program which doesn't make music sound any different than

> >speech.

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

dear

how are you been? how old are?l wondered

you are very merry!! it is vay baetiful. l like listen to music. music is the

food of the soul.. l love visiting. l like visiting to see differnce places..

but anymore be tired.l was be graduated. l work. my firends very good. and l am

engaged. he is an soldier turkye is very good country. istanbul is

wonderful. cmt is bad. there isnt other problem. cmt is rendering difficult

the life.

meanwhile, how are you cmt i on the hands?? there is tremlbling in the midwife

the desease. good bye. greets.

have good night

Emine

[Guest guest]

Hi dear Emine!!

I like so much you have enjoyed my story. I´m 28 years old, I live at Bogotá, a

city that is 2600 meters near to the stars, for that reason sometimes is very

cool. I have lived all life with CMT, and you are right CMT is not good, but my

life has many many good things, I have a family that loves me, I´m psychologist

and at this moment I´m finishing my master, I had a very good job and a I have a

wonderful man who believe in every one of my dreams... Is the first time that I

participated in a group like that, the same that you..

My hands are not very good, they are weak and not very skillful, sometimes I

have pain in them, no trembling. but I think my hands are a mean for compesate

the tasks that I cann´t do with my legs. My hands move me for the world and

thanks to them I can to work, to write, to love (you know!!!) and in the future

I will have to talk with my hands because I have a very important hearing loss

and every day is worse, then I have to learn signal language.

Kisses, !!!

[Guest guest]

Auggie, Emine and others,

I like soothing music, music that inspires me to dream and think.

While touring Australia, I met Goldsworthy and heard him " make

love " to his piano. It was estatic. Being a former and sometimes now

erratic player, I just love piano solos. Go to this site, you can

download 2 of 's songs for free

http://www.richardgoldsworthy.net/cd.htm

~ Gretchen

[Guest guest]

Thanks ..I'm going to go to that site too.

Geri

[Guest guest]

Gretchen, Nice music! He's not bad to look at either! ~ Dawn

It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got.

[Guest guest]

thank you Gretchen

with one pig pleasure. I listen to this music.from new developments nofity us.

good by

Emine

[Guest guest]

On Wed, Nov 5, 2008 at 7:00 AM, Shari <skedi1@...> wrote:

> Hello all,

>

> I recently plugged in to the computer to listen to CDs.

>

> I couldn't believe how clear some of the music was. I was able to

> distinctly hear individual musical instruments. Before, with HAs, I heard

> the music, but they kind of meshed together. I'd hear an instrument if they

> only played one, but I never could single out an instrument when multiple

> instruments were being played. It was an exciting moment.

>

> I even picked up some of the lyrics by myself, even though I've heard the

> song often enough without really knowing the words.

>

> I don't remember if I'm repeating myself here, but another thing I have

> noticed is that my CI ear is my better ear now. I still wear a hearing aid

> in the other ear. When I quickly put it on before putting the CI on in the

> other ear one morning because one of my kids wanted to talk to me, the

> hearing aid just didn't seem to do what it could before I got my CI. It

> actually seemed " quieter, " even though it was my better ear for years. It's

> amazing.

>

> The implanted ear went from 100-120 dB to 20-25 dBs with the CI. My hearing

> aid ear has about 90 dBs, though I can pick up some speech with the hearing

> aid.

>

> I get my three-month mapping on Nov. 18.

>

> Take care,

>

> Shari in WI

As a very new implantee, struggling to make sense of this new bionic ear, it

is very motivating to hear your story.

Thanks!!

~Stuart