Songs for Sound & MusiCares(R) Unite to Help You Hear the Music at SXSW

    AUSTIN, TX, March 14, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- What do Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Young, Phil Collins, Chris Martin and Will.i.am all have in common? Aside from making hit music, each is part of the growing list of musicians who struggle with hearing problems. Professional musicians are nearly four times more likely to suffer noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus - constant ringing in the ears - due to regular exposure to high volume in close quarters. Estes Audiology joins nonprofits MusiCares(R) and Songs for Sound to help artists prevent this from happening to them, providing free hearing health services at the SXSW Festival March 14-18.

Songs for Sound is a Nashville-based charity that has been helping people with hearing loss access sound since 2010. Jaime Vernon founded the organization after her daughter, Lexi, was born deaf and given the life-changing ability to hear through cochlear implants at 19-months old. Vernon's brother-in-law is Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts and music is like a member of their family. The Hear the Music Project pays homage to the power of music as it tours the nation with a free hearing health clinic that gives hearing tests and links people with audiologists and hearing solutions. The project makes several stops in Texas this month - check the tour calendar at http://songsforsound.com/hear-the-music-project/.

The Hear the Music Project clinic will be open to all musicians and SXSW attendees March 14-18 at the Austin Convention Center, Mezzanine Room 7. Visitors can get a free hearing exam, standard hearing protection, and information on hearing loss prevention and solutions. Industry leaders Phonak, Captel and Cochlear Americas sponsor the project.

"Phonak supports the Hear the Music Project because we believe music is one of life's great joys. We want musicians never to lose the gift of giving and listening to music. We encourage musicians to wear hearing protection and offer hearing technology to give back a quality music experience for musicians with hearing loss. In fact, Phonak has the top rated hearing aid for music sound quality. The hearing aid provides a natural music experience through its operating system AutoSense OS allowing for enjoyment to be found in music again."

MusiCares(R) is a nonprofit charity of The Recording Academy(R) and assists members of the music community in times of need. They partner with audiologists at music festivals throughout the nation to help musicians and stagehands combat hearing loss with custom hearing protection. At SXSW, Estes Audiologists will make impressions for the ear protection while MusiCares will cover the cost of the product that will later ship to the recipient. This service will be available to eligible musicians on March 17 from 2pm-6pm and March 18 from 12pm-4pm at the Austin Convention Center, Mezzanine Room 7.

The goal is to get musicians and music lovers to protect their ears before it is too late. Chris Martin of Coldplay has advocated for this for years. "Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don't think about until there's a problem. I've had tinnitus for about ten years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn't got any worse - touch wood. But I wish I'd thought about it earlier."

About Songs for Sound:
Songs for Sound is a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that believes all people have the right to choose how they hear and communicate. The organization serves as a voice for veterans, senior citizens, and children with hearing loss, provides education on hearing loss solutions, raises funds for individuals with hearing loss, and lobbies for legislation that makes solutions more affordable and accessible. For more information, visit www.songsforsound.com.

About MusiCares(R) :
Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy(R), MusiCares(R) provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical, and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please "like" MusiCares on Facebook and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.

# # #