Disappointed, but Perhaps Expectations Were High
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Topic: Disappointed, but Perhaps Expectations Were High
Posted By: Ridgeback
Subject: Disappointed, but Perhaps Expectations Were High
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 11:36
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Here is an unusual tale even by PA standards. Kinda how I got into prog as well. On the night of the Mayan prophecy when the world was to end, I woke up the next morning deaf. Yes, deaf. Deaf as a bloody door nail. No rhyme or reason was ever found. After a half year of being deaf and going all over world to find a cure (unsuccessfully), I relented to get a cochlear implant. I was unaware that an implant itself is only half the battle. One must train their brain to learn how to interpret the impulses into the cochlear since they don’t follow the normal auditory pathway. That is a momentous process. Most people with implants don’t listen to music. I however had my ex-girl friend and great overall friend. She is a classically trained singer with an advanced knowledge of musical theory. She scripted a program that used stages and concepts of musical theory to accelerate the development of neuro programming which by proxy would allow for my brain to better understand normal sounds voices speech etc. it was brilliant I started out the first month with basic music AC/DC. To learn and identify the instruments then the beat, the melody, the tones, the ranges etc. 5+ hours a day. Exhausting. Then to Phish using same concepts. Then to Pink Floyd where it all came together. That’s when I discovered Airbag and my brain and adaption turbo charged. My audiological scores were phenomenal and way ahead of most Cochlear patients. 3 months of Airbag and Bjorn Riis and I was close to normal (full hearing) for speech recognition and sound association. My hearing for music is precisely where it was prior to being deaf and that’s unheard of. So I wrote an email to Airbag and to Bjørn telling them the story. It’s unique, cool, and presumably interesting. The response? None. Zero. I’m disappointed a bit. Shrug. Life goes on. Anyways being deaf lead me to PA too, so it ain’t all bad. |
Replies:
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 12:54
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Wow that's quite a story. Good on you for using music as a way to appreciate things you would otherwise not, and Happy Thanksgiving. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 13:11
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It's a very interesting story. Hopefully that program can be used also by others. ------------- Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half. My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 15:35
| What a story!!! I'm glad that you can hear and appreciate music again. After all that work, it is certainly a gift of incomparable value to you. I'm really happy for you. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 15:44
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man that is quite the story.. I could do without a lot.. but going deaf... I'd likely eat a bullet. Between music and Raff's voice.. along with other sounds .. like the wind through the trees.. the sound of wind chimes. I'd find it hard to enjoy life without hearing.. that said.. it was close I suppose for me. I mentioned earlier in another thread my first date with the Spawn of Satan (aka the ex-wife). Almost as memorable was our 3rd date.. she was an audiologist and it took her all of two dates to realize i had a problem and wanted to check me out. you haven't lived until you have had candlelit dinner in a doctors office and being poked and prodded in ways that wouldn't seem erotic.. but man oh man... anyhow.. found out I had nerve damage in my ear likely going back to my time in the miitary where I had a close run and was left temporarily deaf after an explosion. Guess it did nerve damage. Seems my hearing is perfect but due to the nerve damage my brain doesn't process what I hear or some educated mumbo jumbo but afterwards (ignorance really is bliss) I became more aware I favored my left ear when trying to hear someone and am very prone to asking people to repeat what they had just told me. the body really is a funny thing isn't it. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 16:26
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Well that’s something. As a musician, I’d rather die than go deaf. ------------- The sun has left the sky... ...Now you can close your eyes |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 16:47
Yeah... I fall in love with a woman's voice first, not with her look or even... "inner values"...
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micky wrote:Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 16:48
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Anyway, you didn't get an answer but you still have your great story and achievement! Which is far more important. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 18:43
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Man, I can’t understand how a band wouldn’t reply to a story like that. You sure it went through the right channels? Might have gotten lost in the cracks. Maybe try again, I’m sure they’d be really interested in your story. I mean, unless they’re dicks, but I have no reason to suppose that. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 18:51
^ obtw Steve.. you are my new hero. Gobble gobble   ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 18:55
amen brother.. it wasn't the smoking hot red dress she wore when we first met.. much less her considerable inner beauty it was her voice http://progmistress.com/2012/07/06/interview-gosta-berlings-saga/" rel="nofollow - http://progmistress.com/2012/07/06/interview-gosta-berlings-saga/ classic Raff there with an assist by me.. in my Mr. Raff guise... lurking in the background...I provided the beer and smokes and think I did get a word in edgewise.. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Ridgeback
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 19:02
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Thanks Guys. It was a strange experience to say the least. Especially on the night I lost it. The day the world was supposed to end according to the Mayan calendar. In a previous life I must have been pretty mean to them! But I learnt to lip read really well in a very short period of time. You learn to be hyper alert. You learn to adapt. I hate have a device with a wire out of my head, but honestly, it’s a nothing compared to so many other issues that happen to people. Once I learned to hear music properly again, well honestly you never take it for granted. Now I appreciate all music even elevator music. Now for the first time I HEAR music. I listen. There is no background music anymore. It’s hard to explain. It really does take on a new meeting. The truth is without going deaf, I would not be able to appreciate music as I do now. Yeah, I emailed both Airbag booking, Bjorn booking, and Bjørn directly. I’m mystified myself. But perhaps they think it’s bullsh*t (if they ever read the emails). I didn’t ask for anything at all, I just wanted them to know the story and realize how powerfully therapeutic their music is. Totally disappointing but that’s my perception. They perhaps have a different viewpoint. Shrug. Gotta laugh though... it took going deaf to appreciate prog :-) |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 19:08
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yeah.. take our responses in context.. as I'm sure you do. Perhaps it got lost in the mail otherwise ...f**k that band.. you have a helluva to be thankful for and really is quite the story. With a happy ending which doesn't happen more often than it does unfortunately I'd lose a limb.. several.. hell up to 4 (as long as kept the 5th) before I'd live (happily at least) without losing one's hearing.
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: November 28 2019 at 19:20
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Man, being deaf would sure be a hard thing to deal with, I admire your story! What I have is permanent tinnitus (ringing in the ears) in both ears (kind of sounds like a conch shell) but somehow I have got used to it. I can't go to loud concerts anymore, but still love to listen to music in my home.
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Posted By: friso
Date Posted: November 30 2019 at 03:25
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Great story! Would give the advice to take in consideration that some emails get filtered and end up in the spam folder. Perhaps some of the medical terms used in your story are on the 'filter' list. ------------- I'm guitarist and songwriter for the prog-related band Mother Bass. Find us at http://www.motherbass.com. I also enter stages throughout the Netherlands performing my poetry. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: November 30 2019 at 04:58
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Don't despair. Correspondences usually go through artist's websites that are handled by their agents/management people. I emailed Renaissance and Yardbirds founder Jim McCarty and he replied personally the next day. I recently emailed former Midnight Oil front man Peter Garrett and his management company responded for him about two weeks later, so it might take awhile to get a response. There may also be delays due to language problems. So, we can't tar everyone with the same brush. Be happy with your good fortune and enjoy their music. I'm sure that's what they really want you to do.
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: November 30 2019 at 07:00
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I neglected to mention that active touring artists are quite busy and may not have the time to respond, at least not right at that moment.
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: judahbenkenobi
Date Posted: December 02 2019 at 09:12
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Incredibly touching story! And yes, along with a happy thing, there's always a sad thing. But I guess in your story the happiness of being able to hear again (and hear better) outweighs the bands' lack of response, because you don't really owe it to them... They were channels toward your recovery, but it could've been any other bands. I am happy for you and I admire your patience and perseverance.
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Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: December 02 2019 at 14:19
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Nice story. Would have been nicer with a response. I like artists who respond to their fans. On the internet. It's a thing.
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: December 02 2019 at 14:43
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Welcome to PA, Ridgeback! This is quite a collection of personalities and minds, you fit in nicely! Cheers, Charles. ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: December 04 2019 at 05:13
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I wouldn't rather die than lose my sense of hearing. I guess smell would be the first one I would sacrifice. But even if I were to lose hearing or to have it severely impaired at least I would still have the music in my head. If you wanted to make me wish to be dead you'd have to take that away from me. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Ridgeback
Date Posted: December 05 2019 at 06:06
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I have an update of sorts. Following the advice of my compadres here, I decided to try emailing again. This time I emailed the recording company for Bjorn Riis, Karisma Records. I reached a cool dude named Martin that responded back to me immediately, thought the story was amazing and said he’d forward it to Bjorn. This was a few days ago. Nothing yet. We’ll see if it pans out. There are some interesting prog bands at Karisma it seems. Martin had some good recommendations for me as well. They are worth a check out. Anyway If anyone here knows any members of Airbag let me know and I’ll forward the email over. Relative to people mentioning they have tinnitus, I did come across a long article and treatment for tinnitus and hearing loss with some studies to support it. It’s compound aldosterone, the hormone that regulates our electrolytes balance (and more). I know people that have had tinnitus for years and compound aldosterone has resolved the issue. Google compound aldosterone for tinnitus and hearing loss by Dr Jonathan Wright. Anyways the fat lady hasn’t sung yet but she might be warming up. |
Posted By: Alex_C
Date Posted: December 07 2019 at 17:49
| Inspirational story! |
Posted By: Ridgeback
Date Posted: December 18 2019 at 18:04
| Latest update and probably final note to this saga. Well, Bjorn Riis did respond. Thanking me for sending the email and he was thrilled to be part of it. Fairly short and sweet. So I wrote back and said my wife and I will fly out to Oslo (from Boston) to see one of your concerts (if you will be having one) and would you like to meet for beer/coffee and like to hear the whole story. I received back an email stating “We’re busy preparing our new album and our Facebook page lists our upcoming gigs”. Uh thanks? So I wrote back and said I think you misunderstood. My wife and I will spend thousands of dollars to fly to Oslo and see you in concert. Can we grab a beer afterwards? No response. Shrug. Clearly perspectives differ. Perhaps he’s inundated by fan emails. Idk. Frankly I wished I never bothered. Seems to be a bit of an empty run up a long hill. I am a pretty private guy and I kind of threw this to him and expected too much. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: December 18 2019 at 18:45
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You never know, it will be worth going anyway and seeing how things pan out, sometimes in-person circumstances change. Persistence can be a painful but rewarding virtue. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: December 18 2019 at 20:15
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Very inspiring story. Who knows. Maybe one day they will get back to you. I once sent a message to Rick Wakeman(who I heard gets back to his fans)but never got a response. I also was set to do an online interview with a very well known modern US prog band(who shall remain nameless of course) but they never got back to me. I never bought any music by them again. All that success must have gone to their heads. Oh well. I think some musicians need to remind themselves that they put their pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else.
Regarding your story though I've never heard of anyone losing their hearing for no reason. I have tinnitis in my left ear but apparently no hearing loss(knock on wood). I only really notice it when it's really quiet which typically is only right before I go to bed which is slightly annoying at times. There's no known cure for it though and I think there's even a youtube video where Mike Portnoy who has it talks about it. That would really suck to have no hearing though. Glad you were able to get it back.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: December 18 2019 at 20:25
I retired from festivals because of my tinnitis(the correct pronunciation is "tin it is" for those wondering). I plan on getting musicians earplugs at some point(when I can afford it).
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