Photo © Olaf Heine

“We all give too little thought to our hearing. It is only when we lose our ability to hear, which we accept as so normal, that we wake up.

I am a musician and without my ears I would be nothing. 2 years ago I got tinnitus, which will never disappear completely, but thank God does not hinder me professionally. Others were less fortunate. Many of my colleagues share my fate.

With a little discipline and even more education, we can help young people in particular avoid damaging their hearing before it happens. That’s what the German Tinnitus and Hearing Foundation Charité has written on its banner, and I’m happy to help hold that flag high.”

Kai Wingenfelder
Musician, Singer & Songwriter
www.wingenfelderwingenfelder.de

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Kai Wingenfelder told us more about why he supports the foundation as an ambassador in summer 2014. Click here for his interview.

Photo © Felix Krüger

“I think education about tinnitus and protecting hearing is extremely important. We live in a time when stress and noise are constantly increasing. Especially in my industry, there is hardly any separation between professional and private life and more and more people suffer from tinnitus. Many people are absolutely careless about the constant background noise around them, and I am seeing more and more children who have never heard of hearing protection and damage from noise. This is precisely why education and prevention in this direction is very important and worthy of support.”

Johannes Strate
Singer & frontman of Revolverheld
revolverheld.net

Photo © Rankin

“We think tinnitus research is important because for us as musicians, hearing is simply the most important sense. We support education about tinnitus and protecting hearing because it’s very easy to irreparably damage this precious asset!”

Alina Süggeler
Singer from Frida Gold
www.fridagold.com

Photo © Max Crace

“I believe education about tinnitus and protecting our hearing is important, after all, we want to protect and preserve our hearing. The condition can strike overnight without warning. You have to listen to your own intuition about unsafe volumes. Research has shown that higher volume levels that make us feel comfortable are less harmful than those that disturb us. The latter should be avoided at all costs and we should be mindful and careful with the pleasant sounds.

People who are exposed to high volumes for numerous hours a day for work-related reasons should make sure they also spend many hours in quiet so their ears can recover.”

Eric Johnson
Rock guitarist and singer
www.ericjohnson.com

Photo © Jerris Madison

“As a singer, I depend on my hearing – I have to be able to hear well. It’s as simple as that. Listening not only enriches my life, but also my ability to make music.

I myself have also had hearing problems and can very well understand how difficult to bear and frustrating life must be for people who are affected by tinnitus and constantly perceive these noises. I support and am so grateful for the commitment of the German Foundation Tinnitus and Hearing Charité.”

Dianne Reeves
Jazz singer
diannereeves.com

Photo © Samuel Lang Budin

“I have tinnitus and compose music as a direct response to my hearing loss. Countless doctors have told me, ‘Just get used to it,’ but for anyone suffering from tinnitus, this habituation takes “getting used to” at best, and is completely impossible at worst. In the absence of a medical cure, I have dedicated my life’s work to creating a creative solution in the hope that art can point science in the right direction. I support the German Foundation Tinnitus and Hearing Charité with unbridled enthusiasm. It is critical that we create widespread awareness of this mysterious disease. We don’t have earlobes, and the first step in getting even with the ‘New Noises’ surrounding us is to critically reevaluate our acoustic world and its habits.”

Daniel Fishkin
Composer
dfiction.com

Photo © Tina Winkhaus

“I think tinnitus research is important because I feel that too little is still known today about the causes and control/cure of this condition, which is also common, especially in my professional environment. I consider education about tinnitus and hearing protection important because, as a DJ and music producer, I am extremely dependent on properly functioning technology. And my most important TOOL is my hearing.”

Clemens Kahlcke
DJ Clé, musician & band member with Märtini Brös
www.maertinibroes.de

Photo © Iskandar/ander/Jarkko

“For us as professional musicians, hearing is like a second instrument. However, tinnitus and hearing disorders also affect people who have nothing to do with music professionally. You should be wise and careful with your hearing – what you lose, you don’t get back. The most important thing is education, especially of young people, and that’s where the German Tinnitus and Hearing Foundation Charité plays an extremely important role.”

CAYAO

Photo © Serverin Schweiger

“As a musician, I rely on my ears and think it’s great when people advocate for protection and education for such a delicate organ!”

Don Caramelo
Musician & band member with Raggabund
www.raggabund.de

Photo © Stefan Heilemann/heilemania

“I think tinnitus research is important because more and more people are suffering from tinnitus and are significantly affected by it. To be able to help these people, but also to find out more about the causes and effects of this suffering is an important task.

I think education about tinnitus and hearing protection is important because our hearing is one of the most important sensory organs. Young people in particular are often too careless with their physical resources, without thinking about what consequences this may have for them in the future. Tinnitus often means a massive impairment of hearing and thus of the ability to communicate. It also stresses entire nervous systems, which all too often has a negative impact on overall quality of life. I think many people don’t realize the scope of this suffering. This is where education needs to be done.”

Birgit Muggenthaler
Instrumentalist with Schandmaul and others
www.schandmaul.de