Talking Ears

To kick off Season 5 of Talking Ears, we are taking a deep dive into a technical topic. This episode has a companion article available through this link . Stage monitoring is complicated and difficult even in the best circumstances, but when the performer has hearing loss the barriers can compound and confound the situation. Herein, Juan and Frank will provide practical guidance for performers wit...

Talking Ears Season 5 is just around the corner, and we are excited! Please continue to send in your questions and suggestions for topics, and as always, thanks for listening!

Darin Atwater is a composer, conductor, and pianist best known as the founder and leader of Baltimore's groundbreaking ensemble Soulful Symphony. As an educator, he now serves as Distinguished Visiting Faculty at The Peabody Conservatory . In this conversation, we'll discuss how a severe hand injury he experienced last year which forced him to reassess the relationship with his music, audiences, a...

Welcome back to the office hours with Juan and Frank! We just put on a fresh pot of coffee, so come on in, pour yourself a cup, and grab a seat. In this brief episode we'll discuss a workshop we co-hosted at the American Academy of Audiology 2025 conference in New Orleans. We focused on the value of continuing education for audiologists on the topic of music audiology, and how musicians and audiol...

After a brief fall hiatus, we return with Tom May of the Philadelphia-based punk rock institution The Menzingers ! They've been touring and putting out critically-acclaimed records since 2006, so the obvious first question is how four high school friends from Scranton can keep the same line up and energy going strong for almost 20 years. Retrospectively, it seems obvious that the answer was "democ...

Welcome back to our office hours! Here in Juan and Frank open the proverbial mailbag with the intent of getting through loads of listener questions. We get through only 2 this time, but it was a good start to an exciting new segment for the show. In this episode, we selected a common listener question which dovetailed with Cyrille Aimee's episode which we recently released. Additionally, we tackle...

Cyrille Aimée has become a household name for jazz lovers, and for good reason. She is a vocalist who captivates listeners with her original compositions, reinterpretations of standards (including Move On , a whole album of invigorating versions of Stephen Sondheim songbook's), and refreshingly playful approach to improvisation . In this episode, we talk about and listen to music from her two most...

Welcome to our first Talking Ears Office Hours. In these bonus episodes, hosts Frank and Juan will dive into waters deemed too clinical, technical, or otherwise ear-geeky to be featured in the main episodes. We will be opening listener questions, speaking with other clinicians, discussing the nuance of management techniques and hearing wellness gear, and/or - as in the case of this episode - addin...

Vincent Karamanov is a freelance bassoonist playing with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, and Joffrey Ballet. In this episode, Vincent reflects on how the onset of dysacusis (auditory distortions) and hyperacusis (decreased sound tolerance) forced him to make significant life changes in his employment, outlook, and relationships. The conversation follows t...

While we're waiting for Season 4 of Talking Ears, here is a little treat! Phil Yale, the host of Phil's Tracks, asked me (Frank) to join him on an episode of his show. I had a great time chatting with him about musician's hearing health and tinnitus, and was impressed with his interview chops, organizational skills, and general likability. I hope you have as much fun listening as I had being his g...

Welcome to the last episode of Season 3 of Talking Ears! This also happens to be the final installment of the eight part NHCA 2025 Conference spotlight series. What a ride we've had this year and we are excited to share what we've been working on for Season 4! This episode features a round table conversation captured at the NHCA 2025 Conference with two audiology graduate Student Scholarship Award...

This is the sixth and final installment of the 2025 NHCA  Updates in Music Audiology Workshop recap. In this episode, we'll listen to Benj Kanters' lecture "Tools For Teaching Awareness From the Intersection of Music, Audio and Audiology". Whether you call it the caboose, anchor, closer, wrap-up, coda, or ultimate, Benj's talk was the last of a long day of lectures and panel discussions circling t...

We assembled the largest gathering of Teleaudiology experts on the planet (world record eligible?) as part of the NHCA 2025 conference "Updates in Music Audiology" workshop. This episode is that panel discussion, lightly edited for the audio-only format. Of course, Teleaudiology is not a new topic for Talking Ears listeners, as we have had all the panelists as guests in the past, and discussed Tun...

This is a feed-drop episode where we get to share an episode of the Sound Discussion podcast . Juan Vasquez and Frank Wartinger had a great time as guests on their show, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the banter and conversation. If you like what you're hearing, make sure you subscribe to their show for more in-depth and light-hearted discussions of audio and recording topics. Here is the (overly flatt...

The 5th installment of the NHCA Updates in Music Audiology Workshop recap is actually a double feature! Here we have friend of the show Heather Malyuk speaking about diplacusis and co-host Juan Vasquez speaking about clinical management of musician patients. Both lectures are informative, concise, and expertly delivered, so this is a real treat for those who want to learn some practical knowledge...

In the fourth installment of the NHCA Updates in Music Audiology Workshop recap, we have music audiology expert and dear friend Dr. Brian Fligor . In this episode we'll listen in to his lecture on Tinnitus Evaluation and Management. The content has been edited slightly for the audio-only format. Note that these lecture recordings are not eligible for CEUs. If you want the full educational experien...

In this episode, we flip the table and Juan interviews Frank about an article he co-authored for Seminars in Hearing Volume 45, Number 3 (2025). First, a thank you to guest series editor Marc Fagelson, PhD , for the invitation to write this article for Seminars in Hearing. Marc, Frank, and Juan have been collaborating for the last year on an exciting Music Audiology project with the American Tinni...

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 sa...

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 in...

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,...

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...

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...

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 NHC...

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 wher...

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 "Mu...