Centennial pitcher Lexi Vernon never needed sign language. She can read lips, if she has to, but only uses that skill if necessary.

In essence, Vernon suffers no ill affects from the congenital hearing loss she's had to navigate through since she was born.

But that doesn't mean the Lady Cougars sophomore, who has Power 5 college interest from schools like Iowa and Indiana, hasn't had a difficult path to walk. While a Cochlear implant allowed Vernon to hear, she and her family, had to play catch-up from a condition that should have been caught days after she was born in December of 2007.

“I WANT TO HELP ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO HEAR AND LIVE TRANSFORMED LIVES full of learning, literacy, employment and CONNECTION to the world around them.”

In a study that tracked 639 adults for nearly 12 years, Johns Hopkins expert Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia.

The study identifies excess zinc in the inner ear following loud noise exposure as a key factor in noise-induced hearing loss.

Everyday we’re touring the U.S. with our mobile outreach hearing clinic, or I’m having casual conversations with people at restaurants, stores or church, I hear “I’ve been told there’s nothing that can be done for my (my child’s/my spouse’s/my parent’s) hearing loss. I’m just stuck.”

Finding affordable car insurance as a driver with disabilities can be difficult. According to a survey conducted by The Zebra, approximately 35% of the population believes a driver's abilities (vision/mobility) are factored into their auto insurance premium.

“Beyond the nuisance of having persistent ringing or other sounds in the ears, tinnitus symptoms are debilitating in many patients, causing sleep deprivation, social isolation, anxiety and depression, adversely affecting work performance, and reducing significantly their quality of life,” says senior author Stéphane F. Maison, PhD, CCC-A, a principal investigator at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of Mass General Brigham, and clinical director of the Mass Eye and Ear Tinnitus Clinic. “We won’t be able to cure tinnitus until we fully understand the mechanisms underlying its genesis. This work is a first step toward our ultimate goal of silencing tinnitus.”

It’s important to know the different types of hearing loss and when to seek medical care for hearing.

Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound is hitting the road for its 8th annual tour, headed across the United States, serving VA clinics in Bennington, Burlington and White River Junction, Vermont. This tour is made possible due to the support from Cochlear Americas, a leader in hearing device implants that help to restore hearing and connect people to a world of sound, The Academy of Country Music (ACM) Lifting Lives Foundation, The Boedecker Foundation and The Sertoma Club of Nashville.

Nashville, TN (October 20, 2023) - Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound Hear the Music Tour is hitting the road for its 8th annual tour, headed across the United States, making a stop at the Taste of Technology event at Brentwood Baptist Church, hosted by Tennessee Relay on Saturday, October 21st, from 9 am - 3 pm.

To date, the Songs for Sound charity has helped over 31,000 people nationwide hear again through state-of-the-art DIY hearing screenings aboard its mobile hearing experience. Songs for Sound also offers a Care Team of guides who provide support with next steps for untreated hearing loss. The beauty of this mission is it is rooted in a heartwarming story and a passion to help people living with untreated hearing loss.

Calling All Advocates and Endorsers!
* Please help us advocate for Ally's Act, H.R. 2439/S. 1135 by making calls to specific Representatives on the attached document next week during June 20th-23rd, including your local Congressmen and Senators.

Many people enjoy shooting because it is both challenging and thrilling. But it can also be dangerously loud and cause permanent hearing loss. Purchasing high-quality shooting earplugs is crucial for preventing damage to your hearing.

Shooting ear protection consists of earplugs or earmuffs. Plugs made of foam or silicone are commonly used as earplugs. Earmuffs, larger than earplugs, cover the entire ear canal to muffle noise. The best ear protection for you depends on your preferences and shooting circumstances.

This is the first edition of our Hear the Music Magazine. It's an inspiring look at stories of those overcoming hearing loss to have a hearing life and live it to the fullest. It's also a glimpse into our programs and provides insights and updates.

n October, the Food and Drug Administration’s ruling on over-the-counter hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss went into effect. For the first time, hearing aids can now be purchased directly by consumers online and at retail stores without a prescription.

The goal is to lower cost and improve access to the devices, but with several different options available at various price points, it can be difficult for consumers to make a choice. Sterling Sheffield, Au.D., Ph.D., an audiologist and assistant professor in the department of speech, language, and hearing sciences at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, has conducted research comparing the performance of over-the-counter hearing aids to prescription devices and on the economic burden of hearing aids on patients. He offers advice on navigating the new market.

This year, GivingTuesday falls on Tuesday, November 29th, and November is right around the corner! Whether you’re wanting to donate or volunteer, we need your support! Consider SONGS FOR SOUND in your giving plans!

So what does that have to do with OTC hearing aids? EVERYTHING. We believe people should have awareness, access and be empowered to take action. We also believe in affordability. 

Nashville, TN (October 11, 2022) – ACM Lifting Lives®, the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music, announced the 2022-2023 grant cycle beneficiaries today: Abilities First, Inc.; the Dee Dee Jackson Foundation; Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee; Lawrence Hall; Melodic Caring Project; Musicians On Call; Operation Song; Resounding Joy, Inc.; and Songs for Sound, Inc.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has found that most clubs in the UK have their music at around 92db rising to 110db on the dancefloor. The World Health Organization (WHO) has presented statistics that one in 10 people will have disabling hearing loss by 2050.

“ It is known that any exposure above 80db causes damage in just two hours. That time frame shortens to fifty minutes when we go up to 96db and for levels above 100db, the damage happens in just 15 minutes.”

It’s so important to HEAR during activities for safety and optimal performance. Being a deaf athlete with cochlear implants or hearing aids comes with enough challenges, much less trying to keep your hearing aids or cochlear implants on your head while participating in sports. Here’s one way girls can keep their “ears” on at all times!

Watch this video by our very own Lexi and founder/mom, Jaime Vernon, on braiding in your “ears”!

You foot the bill. The average Medicare beneficiary who used hearing care services paid $914 out of pocket in 2018, the most recent information available, and 10 percent of those who used hearing services spent $3,600 or more of their own money for the services, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Traditional hearing aids ordered through an audiologist can often cost $1,000 to $6,000 a pair.

Hearing aids whistle sometimes, just like your phone sometimes does when it’s too close to the radio. If you wear hearing aids, you’re going to experience whistling at some point. It can happen through something as simple as putting on a scarf. The whistling is called hearing aid feedback. Here’s what causes it and what you can do about it.

Cochlear implant recipient and Cal Baptist commit ran away with the voting, garnering nearly 1,600 votes.

Loud noise can be very damaging to your hearing, whether it’s a loud burst or years of prolonged exposure. Sounds are measured in decibels, and those exceeding 85 decibels can hurt your ears — permanently. Common sources of loud noise include lawn mowers (106 decibels), fireworks (150 decibels) and rock concerts (120 decibels).
Consider taking the following steps TO PROTECT YOUR HEARING!

I could try to sum up into words the video of Tatum Kentli hearing for the first time, but I won’t. I will simply share it and allow you to see how this wonderful story, doesn’t end, but is just beginning….Tatum Kentli can hear and we here at Songs for Sound are so grateful we could be a small part of her sweet little story. 

Summer is the perfect time to show your kids that giving back can be fun. Choose an organization that has a shared interest among your family and ask about volunteer opportunities.

Although earbuds are popular now, I'd caution against using them too excessively, for a few reasons.

First, because they deliver sound directly into the ear canal, there's a much greater risk of damaging your ears if the volume gets too loud. There's nothing between your ears and the sound to protect you. Earbuds can also push earwax deeper into the ears, causing blockages that affect your hearing, making you raise the volume even more.

Over-the-ear headphones are a much better choice. Not only do you not have to worry about funneling sound directly into your eardrums, but most over-the-ear headphones are also, as a general rule, more comfortable to wear than earbuds. Better yet, higher-end headphones often have noise-canceling functionality, further reducing your need to crank up the volume.

You can be born with single-sided deafness (aka unilateral hearing loss), or develop it at any point in your life.

Losing hearing in one—not both—ears affects more than just your ability to hear. You also may have difficulty knowing where sounds are coming from and how loud they are, and have trouble holding a conversation in a noisy environment.

There are several treatment options for hearing loss in one ear, and most people start out with a CROS or BiCROS hearing aid system. Both these options require wearing a device on both ears (not just the one with hearing loss).

Adulting with hearing loss is not for the weary! Students and children get a lot of support, but being an adult with hearing loss can also be challenging. Lack of awareness, understanding and not being able to relate (because hearing loss is invisible) can cause for difficult work or college life situations. 

There are no IEPs at a private school. When we started at Brentwood Academy, I remember sitting down with the principal and she said "we know Lexi is deaf. We will do whatever we can to help her learn and reach her greatest potentials. I can't promise perfection, but we will work with you to adjust and learn along with you and Lexi."

I have realized that it is so great to recognize that each teacher is helping my child learn to be more resilient, a better learner and sometimes, to work around obstacles of an imperfect system. Even those who I think aren't "cutting it" compared to others, are teaching my child to advocate for herself, become more independent and organized and prepare for future challenges.

This test gave us an understanding of where Lexi's intelligence ranks OUTSIDE OF HER HEARING AND SPEECH DELAY. 

Headed through Fort Myers, Florida, Songs for Sound is a hearing health charity partner of the fantastic, long-running Fort Myers RV Show. Locals will receive free hearing screenings via a state-of-the-art DIY Otokiosk software which is taken aboard its mobile experience. A Care Team hearing health advocate will also be available to guide anyone needing support with next steps, including identifying coverage in health insurance and making a match with a local hearing care professional. 

But the quiet, it reminded me that when we stop, even if just for a few minutes, we give ourselves time and space to experience the beauty of our own stillness, the beauty of something we might have missed. 

After being off the road for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound in partnership with Phonak, a leading global provider of life-changing hearing solutions, launches their Hear the Music Project tour this month offering full-service hearing health services, education and access to care for all. The Hear the Music Project is a national outreach program that provides free hearing tests, assistance with audiology referrals through their unmatched Care Team, and teaches ways to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.

After being off the road for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound in partnership with Phonak, a leading global provider of life-changing hearing solutions, launches their Hear the Music Project tour this month offering full-service hearing health services, education and access to care for all. The Hear the Music Project is a national outreach program that provides free hearing tests, assistance with audiology referrals through their unmatched Care Team, and teaches ways to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. 

Kicking off in Nashville, Songs for Sound has teamed up with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Charter Schools and will offer local students and staff free hearing screenings via a state-of-the-art DIY software which is taken aboard its mobile experience. A Care Team family advocate will also be available to guide anyone needing support with next steps, including identifying coverage in health insurance and making a match with a local hearing care professional. Finally, the team offers programs for support for a lifetime through its Hardaway’s Hope Program. 

To qualify, superfecta hearing aids have four key characteristics: They’re rechargeable, cosmetically appealing, come with built-in Bluetooth, and have the ability to enable telecoil.

After being off the road for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Songs for Sound is teaming up with Amplifon Hearing Health Care to offer communities across the U.S.

She said she hears music so clearly again!

Here are some tips to NURTURE AND STEWARD those amazing attributes that come with children who have faced silence and WON...those who have lived in SILENCE with no language, only to become those who SPEAK with CONFIDENCE. You are a part of their journey and story. Here's how you can help them this school year.

We all have a song to sing. Whether we’re healing through life’s hurts or dancing to our wedding song, music is often present in the biggest moments of our lives. However, one can only experience sounds such as music, laughter, conversation and more … if they can HEAR.

Your years, days, hours, every minute of hard work helping your child hear & mainstream will not be in vain. Go above and beyond, ask every question, advocate advocate advocate.... trust your instincts & when God nudges, you act/listen/ask.

Trust the process and get your child into the best, no matter the cost. 

Songs for Sound, a Nashville-based outreach and service charity working to protect and restore hearing for the 400 million people worldwide that suffer from hearing loss, is thrilled to announce two new hires to its growing team. To date, Songs for Sound has given over 26,000 people free hearing tests and support nationwide.

Songs for Sound, along with generous donors, partnered with another nonprofit, Backfield in Motion, & sponsor FitHearing to bless Joseph with brand new Phonak Sky Marvel hearing aids.
 

I made it my life's mission to close that gap for people all over the world. Even writing this, I'm inspired yet again to do something to help at least one person today. 

Please take time to review our website and resources. We add resources constantly. We are HEAR to help anyone and everyone either hear again or keep their hearing healthy. 

83 percent of the 30 patients diagnosed with senile dementia also suffered from a significant hearing loss, higher than normally expected for that age group. However, there was some promising news that came out of that research: 33 percent of those with memory and hearing loss were reclassified to a less severe category of dementia once the hearing loss was treated with hearing aids.

We get so many emails and phone calls asking for help with a child's hearing aids. Insurance often does not cover devices that help a child hear to learn speech, learn to read and communicate with the world around them. This is unacceptable. Many states are inching closer with mandatory "reimbursements". This reimbursement is a stipend to help pay for hearing aids. This article from our friends at ASHA (American Speech and Hearing Association) breaks it down state-by-state.

As one of Songs for Sound's new board members, Chris is challenging the traditional role. He uses his humor and intelligence to win a room over, while also being deeply passionate about the military and services provided.

Patients were 20–50 years old and had no prior medical history of hearing problems. “The results of the current study showed that Covid-19 infection had deleterious effects on the hair cells in the cochlea,” the Egypt study concluded.

This back-to-school season, do more than simply prepare for a new school year—prepare teachers and staff for a student with hearing loss.