ABSTRACT
References 729
Performing artists are frequently sensitive, somewhat “high-strung” people who depend
upon physical perfection in order to practice their crafts and earn their livelihoods. Any
physical impairment that threatens their ability to continue as musicians may be greeted
with dread, denial, panic, depression, or similar responses that may be perceived as exag-
gerated, especially by physicians who do not specialize in caring for performers. In the
case of hearing loss, such reactions are common even in the general public. Consequently,
it is not surprising that psychological concomitants of hearing loss in musicians are seen in
nearly all cases.
