 | James McBrien, Sketches"I have had tinnitus since the age of 15 and wish I had worn earplugs before it was too late. I cannot hear certain frequencies in my left ear and have had a constant ringing for nine years now. I have managed to learn how to cope, but if I started using my earplugs earlier it could have been avoided. Don't Lose the Music is an excellent way to encourage people to think more about their ears and hopefully not make the mistakes I made." |
 | Maxi Jazz, Faithless"The sound of the waves on the shore. Children laughing. The breeze rustling through the trees. Simple pleasures brought to you by your hearing – look after your ears." |
 | Judge Jules "I expose myself to a lot of loud noises and enjoy myself all the time, the problem with loud noise is that it can cause irreversible ear damage, there’s absolutely no way back when it’s happened. It is, however, entirely preventable. Music is such a fundamental part of everyone’s lives that if you lose the ability to enjoy it, it’s everything." |
 | Above&Beyond“Whenever you see us in a club, whether DJing or not, we’ll always have earplugs in. We have long been aware of the real dangers of continued exposure to loud music, both in clubs and in the studio. Once your hearing goes, you won’t get it back, which is a risk we aren’t willing to take.” |
 | Bloc PartyBloc Party's Kele says: "There's such potential to music; it can cross all boundaries and has this incredible power to really matter to people. If it's important to you, and you want to continue to be touched by others’, or even your own, music for years to come, you must safeguard that future enjoyment." |
 | Danny McNamara - Embrace"The first six months I had tinnitus were awful. Every night I'd go to bed with the radio on just to drown out the constant and awful high pitched 'test card tone' in my head. I went onto the internet to find a solution only to discover there is no real cure, among all the coping strategies and group workshops. I went to a specialist who told me the years of loud music had done irreparable damage to my ears, all I could do was see that it didn't get worse. Five years on and I've learned to live with it, pretty much. I have days when it gets me down but not many. All I want to say is if you've just disovered you've got tinnitus don't despair. Although it never goes away it does stop bringing you down after a while. If you haven't got tinnitus for God's sake take care of your ears before it's too late." |
 | DJ Miss Behavin'"Music is my life. I cannot imagine life without music." |
 | Eddie Halliwell“DJing in clubs leaves me at the mercy of very loud sound systems, which in time would inevitably seriously damage my hearing. I would never even enter a club, let alone DJ without my custom-fit ACS ER15 earplugs. They are essential - which is why I give my full support to the RNID’s Don’t Lose the Music campaign.” |
 | Eddy Temple Morris"What Don’t Lose the Music are doing is REALLY important, please listen to them and be careful. My colleague Erol Alkan lost 40% of the hearing in one ear, and I have tinnitus now, so I will never hear silence again." |
 | Jamelia“Music is my life; it's my career and my passion. The idea that I would lose it is inconceivable, so I make sure I protect my ears in any way I can. I always wear earplugs when I listen to loud music so I can carry on listening to my favourite tunes for a long time to come.” |
 | KT Tunstall"Festivals are a huge highlight of my year and I love a good rock out or a boogie in the dance tent, but I've become aware of the danger of damaging your hearing through standing too close to the speakers... |
 | Rob RoarI've always been ok up until 2 years ago when I finished playing in a club, and for 3-4 days after I had ringing in my ears. You tend not to notice it until it is really quiet, like when you go to bed or turn off you TV. Then you hear tinnitus, like whistling. It is almost like an electrical sound you get from a TV. I've had it ever since. It is really important that you practise safe decks. |
 | Allister WhiteheadPeople do get tinnitus and take it from me I know a lot of people who've got it. It is the last thing you need in your life and you never get rid of it. It's really important that you look after your hearing. The question is... do you want to be able hear in 5 years time? |