News > Singer's passion saved by hearing aids
Singer's passion saved by hearing aids
1 August 2009
Hearing aids help David hit the right notes
A solo singer was almost forced to quit his local male voice choir after he lost his hearing. Grandfather of two David Llewellyn was a regular member of Tenby Male Voice Choir and singing was a hobby he loved.
But after noticing signs of hearing loss over a number of years, David suddenly completely lost his hearing in one ear making it impossible to join in with the rest of the choir, let alone sing solos.
After taking advice from Wales’ largest independent hearing specialist Hearing Aid Solutions, 64-year-old David is encouraging other people who are ignoring their hearing problems to do the same. It was 10 years ago when David started to notice his hearing deteriorating. He said: “It had been coming on gradually for a number of years but it became much worse five years ago when I suddenly lost the hearing in my left ear overnight.
“I answered the telephone one morning and couldn’t hear anything, so I hung up. It rang again and I still couldn’t hear anyone there, so I put the phone down again. When my wife picked it up, it was her sister who said she was talking and I wasn’t answering her. It had become fairly drastic, so I decided it was time to seek some help.”
Martyn Scott, managing director, said: “A staggering 41 per cent of the population aged between 50 and 70 suffer some form of hearing loss, rising to 71 per cent of over 70s. “We are now fitting people with hearing aids in their 50s rather than people waiting until they are in their 60s and 70s. People are realising they have got to do something about it and we want to increase that awareness.”
David took a hearing test with Hearing Aid Solutions in Carmarthen, who fitted him with a hearing aid. The change was so good that David returned a year later to have a second hearing aid.
“I used to sing solo with Tenby Male Voice Choir, but when I couldn’t hear, I just lost my confidence, standing in the middle of the choir was too much for me. I was almost in the process of packing it all in.
“Once I had my two hearing aids, it was strange being able to hear so much all at once again as my brain wasn’t used to it. Then when I sang, I could only hear my own voice and not everyone else’s, so I ended up singing too loudly. Now I have a remote control in my pocket for both ears, which means I can hear others more than myself and I can gauge what volume to pitch my voice. It’s helped me tremendously. I’m so happy to be able to stay with the choir, I’m even thinking of doing a solo again.”
