limits— based on length, loud-
ness, and frequency— on what
sound levels are allowed and
the situations in which pro-
tection is required. But those
guidelines are based on what
causes hair-cell loss. Kujawa
and Liberman say we don’t
know enough yet to determine
exactly which levels are safe for
synapses. There’s no public-
awareness campaign urging
people to wear earplugs when
they cut the grass, which Liber-
man does, or stick their fingers
in their ears when an ambu-
lance drives by, as Schoof does.
But maybe there should be,
even though there aren’t yet
hard-and-fast delineations for
what “too loud” means. As re-
searchers learn more about the
ear’s hidden frailties, every-
one else should too, so we stop
thinking that hearing loss is a
thing that just happens when
you’re old, and no matter what.
Sidetone-type accidents are
going to occur, sure, but much
of hidden hearing loss might
be within our control. We can
decide to wear earplugs to the
runway, the factory floor, or
jam-band practice, and then
maybe, at the dinner parties of
the future, we’ll do more than
just nod and smile.NOW HEAR THIS
(CONTINUED FROM P. 49)
All of this might be beside the
point. Strads’ unique voice and
historical importance alone make
them worthy of preservation.
Around the world, institutions
and archivists conserve paintings,
sculptures, and documents like
the Magna Carta and US Con-
stitution. Those behind the
recording project say sound de-
serves similar consideration.
“When you look at museums all
over the world, digitizing their
content is standard,” Koritke
says. “Why not do that withinstruments? It is a bit of a depar-
ture from traditional thinking to
preserve the sound of something.
This could open the door to that.”
He envisions museums allow-
ing patrons to use a tool like the
Stradivarius Sound Bank to hear
what these masterpieces sound
like. He believes that the pipe or-
gans of Europe’s great cathedrals
are likewise worthy of saving.
You could make a case for digitiz-
ing icons like, say, Trigger, Willie
Nelson’s battered acoustic guitar.
Tedeschi favors recording the off-
beat, even outlandish, musical
creations of avant-garde musi-
cians like Björk or Martin Molin.
“There are,” Koritke says, “so
many other famous instruments
in the world that would benefit
from being digitized.”IMMORTAL VIOLIN
(CONTINUED FROM P. 63)