Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515063
C I N E M A AU D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 73 Can we truly strengthen our ears as we age? At 6' 3", I used to dunk fairly easily in my late teens and throughout my 20's. In my 30's, I required ample stretch and warm-up time to maybe pull off one or two. Now in my mid- 40's, the idea of attempting a dunk is frightening. Needless to say, like a classic vehicle, proper maintenance of my body in that regard has fallen by the wayside. However, I've made peace with my limitations, allowing myself to relive the glory days of temporary flight within the safety of my mental construct. I'm well into my 25th year as a professional audio engineer for post and I find it really difficult to approach my mixing routines from any vantage point besides that of the athlete. Aural Calisthenics b y C A S A s s o c i a t e G r e g o r y C . V i l f r a n c It's no wonder I'd become fascinated with my former audio school professor-turned-mentor Mike White, recording and mix engineer for the likes of Whitney Houston and Three Doors Down. He shared horror stories of partial hearing loss due to extensive listening at unsafe levels, only to circle back and share how he's improved his hearing over time. Mike is still very active as an audio engineer, but it begs the question: How the heck is he pulling this off? EAR ANATOMY 101: CLIFFS NOTES VERSION If you're anything like me, you've probably wondered whether or not our money makers are muscles and, if so, whether they can be trained to more accurately identify frequencies (outer and middle ear) that then translate perceived information to the brain (inner ear) for analysis, allowing us to make better decisions? It should be noted that science doesn't consider the ear a muscle but rather a complex organ responsible for our hearing sense and for helping us maintain physical balance. Going back to audio school, you may have been taught to think of the outer ear as a microphone (collects sound waves), the middle ear as an amp, audio interface, or both (amplifies sound waves), and the inner ear as the computer that blah, blah, blah. I doubt anyone reading wants a refresher on the malleus, incus, and stapes, as the point we're looking to explore isn't in the details of how the engine works in a teardown, but rather can I enhance the performance of the engine without blowing it up? In like fashion, what parts of the ear can we target with exercises or supplements that would enhance our innate abilities to hear beyond the average human or audiophile? But if the ear isn't a muscle, why is aural calisthenics even a term, especially since the term "calisthenics" is defined roughly as a form of exercise(s) where one primarily uses their own body weight for resistance? How was Mike White able to heal, improve, and enhance his hearing health to remain relevant and working? The term "aural calisthenics" can be vague and go right over some heads, but for those of us trained in the ways of the sonic arts, there was one definition I found that may tie it all together: "Aural calisthenics" typically refers to exercises or activities that involve the training and improvement of one's listening and auditory skills, especially in the context of music. This can include activities such as ear training, where individuals practice identifying and recognizing musical elements like pitches, intervals, chords, and rhythms by ear. "Aural calisthenics" typically refers to exercises or activities that involve the training and improvement of one's listening and auditory skills, especially in the context of music.