The Steel Guitar Forum

Am I just getting old? I'm in my mid 30's and in the past several years I have noticed that ugly or unpleasant noises are really starting to get on my nerves! Much moreso than when I was in my twenties. These noises don't even have to be particularly loud, just ugly, like for example a distant jackhammer can drive the bejeesus out of me!

Am I just becoming a curmudgeon? Or is there
a sharp decrease in noise tolerance as we approach middle age?

-GV

As Red Green would say, "Welcome to GeezerVille".

I'm 10 years ahead of you. I notice I used to be able to tolerarte a "not-so-good" band.
Now I leave in a hurry.

Next you'll be saving old twine and rolling it up into large balls. Then you'll start saving old bent screws in jars.

<I>"We're all in this together" - Red Green"

When I was 30 the noises didn't bother me, when I was 40 they did, now that I'm in my 50's I can't hear them anymore.

Thats nice dear, what did you say ?

tp
TPriorSteelGuitar

I don't know. At 60, some of those noises go well with the ringing in my ears. I just have to find the racket thats in the same key.

Tony, Very humorous! I'm a fan of Red Green too. Is he still on? I'm 40 and for the past six and a half years I've lived two blocks from railroad tracks. In the past six months the train traffic has increased ten fold, and planes are no longer flying over the house at 20,000 feet but at 3,000 feet! It's driving me crazy! Tomorrow I'm moving.
I found a place to rent- out in the country, not by the woods but IN the woods. No neighbors, no room-mates, no traffic noise. I'm even a quarter of a mile from the mailbox on the road! I can't wait! Getting out of the city is going to be medicine for my soul!

It's funny how when you were 18 it felt like it took a lifetime to get to the city, and then after that wears off you spend the rest of your life trying to get out!

No punchline, but I sure can relate. Thanks guys.
Be Blessed,
Loren

Greg, you're young. What're you talking about? (well, at least compared to me)

<SMALL> Or is there a sharp decrease in noise tolerance as we approach middle age?</SMALL>

If mid 30's is middle age, then I must be almost dead. Maybe your intolerance is because you aren't as distracted with other things or you are just more aware of your surroundings and the quality of your life.

You guys are all funny!

(Hi Chas Hi Rich --my So. Cal. steel homies!)

Well I guess I just feel like I'm getting old and cranky sometimes.

But I was actually wondering if there's a physiological (as opposed to psychological) change in the way we perceive and interpret different sounds as we age. -GV

It's called "Hyperacusis".
(the pronunciation is similar to "acoustic" as in "acous-tic guitar", "hyper-acus-is"

Here is a link: http://www.hyperacusis.net/whatis.htm

Pete --very interesting link! -GV

4 different houses within a block of my house,all have Harleys,try to get used to that at 5:00 a.m. I used to live so far out in the desert,the sun set beteween my house and town.Now I'm surronded with noise.
Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

Huh?....What's that ya say?...huh...huh...I didn't hear ya....what's that?...say what?...huh...huh..dagnabit, I can't hear a darned thing!

Dave

Loren,
Here's some Red Green info.

Red Green is a character played and developed by Steve Smith. He is NOT the Canadian Steeler by the same name, who played the 1999 ISGC.

The show is still on air, produced at CBC in Toronto. It is seen on many PBS stations in the US.

A FEATURE Film called "Duct Tape Forever" is just being realeased, no kidding. It's about Red Green and all the Possum Lodge characters.

AND here's a STEEL connection. In the late 70s, before Red Green, Steve Smith (who is a decent guitarist) had a show band. Al Brisco played Steel.

Sorry to stray off topic. Then again, NOISE TOLERANCE and Red Green seem to be related.

What I've begun to notice is that if there's a lot of backround or ambient noise, I have a hard time discerning between it and the person I'm talking to. This has caused a lot of 'would you repeat that please' and brought up the hearing aid issue, which I don't want. I plan on sawing off a couple trombones and wearing them in my ears.

Joey, I haven't seen the Red Green Show in 7 years! I don't think our PBS affiliate carries it anymore. I will look for the movie. Thanks. (Are they airing re-runs on PBS or have they still been making episodes through the past 7 years?)

Q: What do you call an armidillo in Tennessee?

A: Possum on the half-shell!


Loren

I've got hyperacusis (and tinnitus) to some degree. I'm also middle aged and I've found that environmental noise bugs me not just because it's physically unpleasant to my remaining hearing but because of my preference for tranquility. When I was younger, change and commotion in life seemed just fine. I'm less fond of it now. And noise is part of that commotion I'm not participating in so much anymore. And it just plain distracts. Frankly, I think that a propensity to be distracted is a liability. The more sensitive I am to noise, the more vulnerable I am to normal surroundings bugging me. I am, however, NOT looking forward to fading hearing as a possible solution!

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<font size=-1>Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?</font>

My next one is a biggie at 60 next year and even my chickens and ducks drive me nuts when they all start squabling at the same time!!!!!!!!!

One of the local weekend Country Bars have gone over the top for me as I just can't stand "much louder than needed" music anymore...............I guess we all mellow out at different rates:O

Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs. and other weird things.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR><SMALL>...not by the woods but IN
the woods. No neighbors, no room-mates, no traffic noise.</SMALL><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hallelujah. And no irresponsible neighbor's dogs. Those are the bane of my existence.

Some necessary noises are unpleasant, yet tolerable, since there is a purpose. The buzz of a lawnmower might fall into that category.

A bulldog standing outside a neighbor's sliding glass door roaring away for 29 minutes...well, that's pointless and completely unnecessary. I see it as the product of ignorant, irresponsible, and/or lazy people unwilling to give the dogs the training and discipline they need to coexist with humans in an urban setting.

So, at 35, I'm very sympathetic to your noise sensitivity; I could use some help coping with mine.

BTW, I've tried the nice route with an in-person visit. (The response was denial of responsibility: "With the wind from that direction, how could you hear our dogs?") I even took them catalogs with training aids such as no-bark collars. Hell, I'd pay for them if they'd use them.

The dogs need some sort of aversive stimulus to discourage them from their nuisance behavior; unfortunately, the owners clearly aren't going to deliver it. The law and a fence hinder me from delivering one consistently.

If anyone has ideas for me, please e-mail; I'd be much obliged.

--Jeff

Jeff, my next door neighbor has 14 Dalmations. Sometimes when I'm recording during the day and I need to quiet them down, I'll blow on a silent dog whistle. These can be set up with a small fan, like an impellor (sp) that blows into plastic or rubber tubing that is clamped on the dog whistle. The trick is getting the flow of air from the output of the impellor to the smaller diameter tube. A possibility is using a rubber glove, fan on big end, and then with the end of the middle finger cut and clamped over tube. I find this to be an aesthetically pleasing visual image. If you find that instead of quieting the dog down, it makes him crazy, you might leave it on while you go on a vacation.

Chas:

Only 14? What happened to the other 87?

At least here, folks are limited by ordinance to three barkers. (Of course, one is plenty adequate to destroy the ambiance of a meal and disrupt sleep.) You'd think Encino would be even more restrictive.

I appreciate your ingenuity and creativity. I'm skeptical about getting enough of that very high frequency sound through the bushes and over the fence and into the dense bulldog's ear canal, though. But I'll try; I'm game for about anything by now.

Thank you.

My wife is getting louder!!!!!
Joe

[quote[You'd think Encino would be even more restrictive.[/quote] Actually it is, but since I have a welding/machine shop in my garage and the neighbor on the other side has a car repair business, it's best to just get along with each other, not to mention, that I think cars make great lawn ornaments. We also happen to be on the "wrong side of the freeway", Michael Milken, you remember, the guy who wrote the $800,000,000 check that didn't bounce, lives on the other side.

<SMALL>My wife is getting louder!!!!!</SMALL>

My last ex used to chase cars in her sleep. She got real loud as the end of the relationship got closer.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by chas smith on 06 April 2002 at 11:05 AM.]</p></FONT>

You guys crack me up!

Here's my pet peave. Though I live in a "quiet" rural area , it also includes a large percentage of teenage males who are obsessed with seeing how big and loud the bass can get in their truck stereos. These speakers are huge ! You can't go inside to escape because sound penetrates the thickess of walls. A kid admitted to me that its purely a ego thing. You want to be heard coming two miles away.
If thats true then it has nothing to do with music , its strictly sound bombardment.
And if I was eighteen I would probably be doing the same thing !

Loren,
Your email doesn't work for me.
The show's alive.
Check http://www.redgreen.com
-j0ey-