Headphones and Hearing Loss in Teens

Blaring music is a standard teenage behavior, but chances are, your son or daughter doesn’t realize the potential damage they’re doing to their hearing. 81% of teens listen to music with earphones, but only 8% of adolescents believe that hearing loss is a major health concern.

And in fact, rates of hearing loss among teens today are about 30% higher than in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, 46% of teens show potential signs of hearing loss with occasional ringing, roaring, buzzing, or pain in their ears, and one in six teens report that they experience hearing loss symptoms some or all of the time.

Often, teens don’t realize the dangers of hearing loss because they fail to realize we only have a set number of hair cells in our ears. When sound travels into our ear and vibrates through various passageways, it ripples hair-like cells in our inner ear. Excessive noise kills the hair cells, and when enough of these hair cells die, we experience hearing loss.

Remind your teen that at full volume, digital music devices can make as much noise as a live rock concert, and it only takes eight minutes of listening to music at a very high volume to cause hearing loss. You should be able to hear someone speak to you at a conversational level from about three feet away; if you can’t, your headphones are too loud. You can also recommend the 60/60 rule to your teenager: listen to music for no more than 60 minutes at a time and at no more than 60% volume. Finally, caution your teenager against buying ear buds, which are closer to the ear drum and can cause more hearing loss when used.

As a parent, it’s your job to make sure that your teenager isn’t hurting himself. Make sure that your teenager is well-aware of the dangers of headphones so that they don’t run the risk of hearing loss, and who knows? Maybe hearing loss is the reason they haven’t been listening to you!

Music about Cars

You can find songs about any topic or thing. You can think of anything and I am sure there is probably at least one song about it. That includes love, heartache, animals and even cars. There are so many songs about cars. Songs you sing in the car, songs about cars, songs dedicated to their cars and even songs that are metaphors using a car. You can also find songs about tragic car crashes and death. Really if you think about it, being in a car is a big part of everyday life. All kinds of things happen while riding in the car. Noah has lost a couple teeth in the car, which ended up lost. Thankfully, the tooth fairy is really understanding. One of my friends recently delivered her great niece in the front of her truck less than a mile from the hospital. I can definitely see why cars are often the topic of songs. I now wonder how many hours of our lives are spent in the car. My mom has spent the last month driving all over the place visiting. I know that she has spent many hours driving her car just traveling. You may have had your first kiss in a car after a date when you were younger. My first kiss was when I was seven, but I don't count that as a real kiss. Everyone has car memories, just some put them in artwork and some put them in songs and share it with the world for us to enjoy.

I compiled a list of some songs about cars that I really like, be sure to go read it.

I Wish I had Satellite Radio Growing Up

When I was young, we had a whole bunch of tapes that we listened to. I remember searching for tapes in the glove box so we could sing our favorite songs. If our tapes broke it was definitely a tragedy. My sister had a habit of taping over things too. It would make me so sad.  She even would tape over home movies and my concerts, but that's another story. Days of our Lives was not more important than our childhood memories.

Sometimes we listened to talk radio like Dr. Laura or Dick Crum. We would be in the middle of listening and it would start to fade out. We wouldn't be able to listen if the next area didn't carry that show. We couldn't Google it on our phones. We were SOL. Now there's satellite radio. Everything is done by satellite and it doesn't matter where you are, you can get the stations. You don't have to play guessing games where the stations are. You can find whatever you want to listen to. You don't have to worry about your sister taping over your music. Satellite radio is something I think everyone needs.

Check out my post about all the benefits of satellite radio. 

I Need New Speakers ASAP!

As a blogger, I spend a lot of time on my laptop to work. I also love to listen to music to help motivate me.  I love all kinds of music so what I will be in the mood for will be a huge variety. When I am listening to music on my computer there is a drawback.  I can’t really hear it very well.  I always have to wear headphones.  Headphones are great when you don’t want to disturb other people but sometimes I would like to just listen to music without something stuck in or on my ears.  I like to lay down and listen to music to relax and that doesn’t work well when you have to make sure you aren’t going to lay on your head phones.  I would love to get speakers to plug in to my laptop. I am not sure why laptop speakers have gone down in quality over the years. I also like to sometimes watch Netflix in bed but it is always hard to hear the movie.  I would love to have wireless speakers around my house so it gives more of a surround sound effect.  I think you miss some things while watching a movie at home than you do in a theater because you can pick up on those little sounds that may be very important to the plot line.

I also love hanging out by the pool or outside with friends. It is fun to have music playing in the background, but unless you have wireless outdoor speakers it is pretty much pointless because you will have to strain to hear the music.  Forget trying to dance because you can’t hear the beat.  I have a friend who talks to her plants every day to help them grow. I think if I had a garden it would be really cool to play classical music through some garden speakers to see if it makes a difference. That would be a really cool science experiment to do with Noah.  We could see which types of music they prefer.  I think that would be so much fun.

Summer Concert Memories

One of the things I used to enjoy was going to concerts. I don't really go to them anymore because I am a mom and well it is hard to get away to go to one. I remember my first concert, it was The Cranberries when I was in the seventh grade. My sister's first concert was New Kids on the Block, I think. I could be wrong. I was never in to New Kids on the Block so I am not so excited as everyone else is about the reunion concert. When I was in high school, every summer my dad would take my sister and I to see Steve Miller at Deer Creek. I looked forward to it each summer because it was something special my dad shared with us, the love of music. We also went to other concerts at fairs, but Steve Miller was always my favorite. I was pretty naive when I was younger and I didn't realize what the other people at the concert were doing. I thought that they all just had really bad body odor. I remember asking later why it smelled so bad, and I was told why.

The last concert I went to was Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was a long time ago. It was literally spur of the moment as things often were before I was a mom. We hadn't gone through a big ticket shop to get our tickets. We fought through traffic which was completely backed up. We got to the concert not even knowing if we would get tickets. There were a ton of people who wanted to see Lynyrd Skynyrd too. After standing there for what seemed like hours, a friend was able to get us tickets. The concert was awesome. Everyone was singing a long and having a great time. When you go to a concert lawn seats are the way to go, but they only had pavilion so it was kind of crunched. I remember bawling at the first notes of Tuesday's Gone.  I felt like a total weirdo but it made me remember my miscarriage.

I would love to take Noah to concerts when he gets older. He loves music, especially Rock n Roll. I think it would be fun to make those memories with my son, just as my dad did with me.

My Top 30 Break up Songs

I thought I would share my top 30 breakup songs with you, since I am single and not too in to Valentine’s Day besides spending it with my little handsome man Noah.  These really aren’t in any order. Just songs that make me feel better…… eventually.

30. Good Person Inside by Jill Sobule.

29. Once Upon A Dream from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. My favorite line is Once upon a dream you were heaven sent to me, but it wasn’t meant to be, now you’re just a dream.

28.  Please Remember Me by Tim McGraw.

27.  How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith.

26.  Wait and Bleed by Slipknot, the band I formally thought was called Skipnot.

25.  Desperately by George Strait.

24. Right Through You by Alanis Morrisette.

23.   Cry For You by Ashe.

22.   I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams

21.  Have You Seen Me Lately (Acoustic Version) by Counting Crows. This is my FAVORITE song.

20. Could’ve Been by Tiffany. I have always loved this song. I remember dancing in my basement to this song in elementary school. It was one of my favorites.

19. Insensitive by Jan Arden. This song is pretty self explanatory.  I thought you might have some advice how to be insensitive.

18. Get Over Yourself by SHE-daisy. I love any song by SHE-daisy.

17.  Cryin’ by Aerosmith. I remember listening to this song, and dedicating this song on the radio to a guy named Seth Johnson when I was in Jr. High. He was a jerk!

16.   Sometimes Love is Just Not Enough by Rod Stewart.

15.  Another Dumb Blonde by Hoku. Yes, I love this song,  don’t judge me.

14.  Unbreakable Hearts by Jessica Andrews.  Love it!

13. Blame it on Your Heart by Patty Loveless.

12. Don’t Cry Joni by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. This song is about a girl who has fallen in love with an older boy who says she is too young for him and then moves away and realizes he loves her and she marries his best friend.

11. Bye Bye by JoDee Messina.

10.  One of These Days by Tim McGraw

9.  Why They Call it Fallin’ by Leann Womack

8. Ten Thousand Angels by Mindy McCready

7.  Some Fools Never Learn by Steve Wariner

6.  Stay by Sugarland.

5.  Two Teardrops by Steve Wariner

4.  Where are You Now by Janet Jackson

3.  Every Rose Has its Thorns by Poison

2.  Ocean Front Property by George Strait

1. After the Rain by Nelson.   None of the other songs are in order except this one. This is my favorite break up song, because it always makes me feel better…..eventually. My favorite line in the song is:  He never really loved you from the start, the only thing he ever gave you was a broken heart, don’t be afraid to lose what was never meant to be.

 
What are some of your favorite breakup songs?

The Camping Music Fans

There are a few campgrounds in my area, not because I live by a national park or even a state park but because there is a music center close by. In the summer I see many camping tents at the local camp ground, which really is someone’s yard with port-o-potties. There are probably three trees not what you think of when you think of people camping out. I assume they make great money by charging people to camp there. They have tried to sell it many times but I am sure the insurance is really expensive on the campground. Most of the time I only know who is playing by what is written on the welcome sign.

I often wonder what goes on at night after the concert is over, and there are all those people with their camping gear. I am assuming it would be kind of scary because you have no idea how drunk these strangers are what kind of drugs they are on, and what kind of life they lead. I am sure it is one big party but, I don’t think you could pay me enough to spend one night there during a Phish concert which seems to be one of their busiest weekends.

I am curious what the owners must be like. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate the immoral activity taking place on my property if I owned it. I am pretty sure there is illegal drug use at the campground too. I wouldn’t be able to turn the other cheek; I would feel like I had an obligation to not allow that kind of behavior and I probably wouldn’t be very successful in the campground rental business.

Have you ever camped out after a concert? What did you think of your experience? If you haven’t would you put yourself in the situation?

Celtic Women- Songs From the Heart Review

I first heard about the music group,Celtic Women, from my old best friend. Her dad really enjoys their music and decided to buy him tickets for a present a few years ago. I had become familiar with their music since then. I really enjoy listening to Celtic Women so when I had the opportunity to receive a CD from my relationship with Music Moms I was really excited. I am Irish so I think liking Celtic music is in my blood. My dad used to play it when I was little so I have always been familiar with the style of music.

Celtic Women is an interesting group with their own unique sound. The group is made up of the vocalists Lisa Kelly, Chole Agnew, Lynn Hillary and Alex Sharpe, with violinist Mairead Nesbitt. The Group is all over the Billboard charts, selling more than 3.8 million records in the U.S. alone, and has had 7 sold-out U.S. tours. They have also performed on Dancing With the Stars and have an upcoming PBS special that will be airing on St. Patrick’s Day. Celtic Women is currently on tour now including dates at Radio City Music Hall.

Celtic Women’s newest release is called Songs from the Heart. It features such songs as Amazing Grace and The Lost Rose Fantasia. My favorite song on the CD is Good Night My Angel which is a Billy Joel song. I happened to sing this song in choir when I was in 7th grade. It is such a great song. My favorite lyric from the song is; someday we’ll all be gone but lullabies go on and on they never die that’s how you and I will be. Celtic Women did a beautiful cover of the song. The group continues to delight fans moving seamlessly between Irish classics, contemporary covers and original compositions. Songs from the Heart includes contemporary hits like Stings “Fields of Gold” and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe.”

This CD is great. It would be great for any music lover. I really enjoy this CD, my son enjoyed listening to it with me as well. Look for Songs From the Heart by Celtic Women in stores now from EMI Music/Manhattan Records. For more information about Celtic Women please visit Celtic Women

I received this CD from EMI Music as a member of Music Moms for myself to review.

Some day I'll be grown up too...and if I can I'll grow up Just like you.

When I was a little girl I used to listen to the Disney favorites tapes. They were red cassettes and I loved listening to them in the car on long car trips. I knew all of the songs by heart. My favorite song was called Just For You. It was based on Mercer Mayer’s little critter books. I love Little Critter and have since I was a small child. I have two big Little Critter story collection books. I loved the song and the message that it had.

I used to search for that song. I still have the tapes but they were taped over. I was really sad about that. Who really has a tape recorder anymore anyways? I have one I don’t really know where it came from, but I have it. When I found out that the “Hot 9 at 9” from like 15 years ago was recorded over it I went on a mission. I was going to find the song again. I wanted to hear those songs again. I wanted to hear Just For You again.


After years of searching I came up empty handed. Until I randomly found out that they had put my beloved red tapes on CD! I was pregnant with Noah at that time. I instantly decided that Just For You would be our song. So, I went to Borders and bought the CD. He started listening to it from four months old when he was in his own room. Every night that CD would play. I sang Just For you to him since he was born. I remembered all of the words.

For a while now he will sing it with me. He first would sing the last word of each sentence but now he sings the whole thing. It is the sweetest song. I will type out the words but they are not my own and I am not trying to infringe any copy rights dear Disney or Mercer Mayer. I don’t know if the lyrics are anywhere on the web that I can find. So here they are

I picked the reddest apple from the tree
It was the finest one that I could see
I saved it all except a bite or two
Just for you

I carried home the groceries from the store
I wanted to be helpful with a chore
I put them all away except a few
Just for you

Some day I’ll be grown up too
And if I can I’ll grow up
Just like you

I ate up all my lunch Just like you said
But I think there was a little too much bread
So I left the crusts when I was through
Just for you

Some day I’ll be grown up too
And if I can I’ll grow up
Just like you

Just one more thing before I go to bed
Then everything I have to said is said
There is something special that I wanna do
Here’s a kiss just for you.

There is our special song. It means a lot to me. Tonight when we were singing it Noah sang the part about wanting to be just like me. I got a little teary eyed. My mom and I’s special song is Too rah loo rah loo rah. That is what she used to sing to me. I remember her singing me to sleep when I had my Kevin dream or couldn’t sleep.

Do you and your children have a special song? If you don’t its time you should. Songs are a great way to bond and it can become a priceless family heirloom that gets passed down from generation to generation.

When I hear that song....I think of you

So I am sitting here listening to 90’s music, trying to reclaim my champion title on MahJong and I can’t focus. I am thinking about the songs that are playing and I am singing along. I keep thinking about the memories each song has given me. I know it’s probably dorky that I like 90’s music. Honestly, I have so many memories that has to do with music. I am sure everyone does. When I hear those certain songs I start thinking about the people I was with or what was going on. It made me really want to blog.

The first song that came on was Blues Traveler. Now when I hear certain Blues Traveler songs I think of my old friend Michelle. I think about how we used to do karaoke late night after daiquiris. It was dorky but it was fun. Her and I have so many songs since we were best friends for a very long time. Which would totally make sense. Another song I heard was Runaway Train by Soul Asylum. I thought of someone I hadn’t talked to in quite a while. His name was Reggie. We were online friends. We used to talk on the phone some. He lived in Utah. That was a song that we both listened to. After some years, we lost contact. It had been years since we talked. I decided to finally look him up on myspace. I found him and I saw that he is married now and has adorable kids. I sent him a message just to say hi, but I never heard back. He probably forgot who I was. I don’t blame him. LOL.

It’s crazy to think how just one song can bring back memories. You can go years without thinking about someone or something and you happen to hear a song and bam, like lightening. There it is again. Other songs can bring on a flood of emotions too. They don’t have to be sad either. If I told you songs that I have cried while listening to you would seriously think I was nuts. Music has such an underlying influence if we realize it or not. It’s just kind of something that we hear and either file in our brains for a rainy day or it gets stuck in your head for days. Yes Toilet Paper, Light bulbs, socks for Rosie, crayons is still stuck in my head incase you were wondering. Music is something that can help you remember or forget and even make you feel better.

I remember when I was in elementary school I really liked this boy and he didn’t like me back so I would listen to After the Rain by Nelson to feel better. It always worked. I’m not sure why, probably because it was encouraging to a little broken hearted me. I saw that guy a year ago. I wasn’t impressed. I wondered why I liked him. He was and is a jerk! Lol. I totally acted like I had no clue who he was. I’m bad. A bad experience can totally ruin a song too. I will never be able to listen to some songs again because if the bad memories they hold.

Whenever I hear a song I sang in choir it makes me think of being in school and the good times we had in that class. If it was a Christmas song, it makes me thing of the hoopla known as Holiday Spectacular. Holiday Spectacular was our holiday program in high school. It was unlike any other concert. It was unique. It was very nerve wracking but it was so much fun. It was a huge bonding experience. It was full of laughter and tears and the occasional blood shed. It was definitely the experience that I will never forget and I am happy to have the chance to be a part of it. Even if you had to work really hard and stand at the top of the bleachers and pray you don’t fall off the back from fainting. I have lots of funny and strange stories about that whole thing for another day.

I really like all kinds of music. I am not huge on rap and R&B but there are a handful of songs I like because of the memories. I recently had a conversation with a guy on facebook who shall remain anonymous about music. He is a singer. His voice is ah-mazing. He’s really hot too. Tee-hee. I hope he doesn’t come read my blog cause I would be embarrassed. He told me about how passionate he is about his music and I thought it was a really cool thing to talk about because I could totally get what he was saying and in his words he was expressing his passion. I really hope he achieves his dream. He is really talented.

I think it is crazy how much I can relate to certain songs. Some times I think that a singer is singing about me or about my life. The song Photograph by Nickelback is one of those songs. I have altered the name in the song to Chris though. Chris was my old best friend’s husband who was killed in Iraq and some how on New Years eve one year we convinced him to put a tiara that said Happy New Year on his head and took pictures of him. I suspect alcohol was the culprit in that one. At Chris’s viewing I was watching the dvd she made and that picture was in there and I started laughing so hard. I felt really stupid. After all it was a sad event. It was my favorite memory with him. I told her she should of warned me. Thankfully I didn’t laugh at the funeral when they showed the video again. The other lyrics of Photograph were pretty much verbatim of high school for me.

I know that most people can relate to different songs. That is what gives them the magic and I am sure that is what the singer or the band is really going for besides the sound. It’s all about the connection and the feelings between the musicians and the listener.

I would love to hear about some songs that give you reminders of things and why they do. I look forward to reading more about you.