Waterloo Audiology is making waves in Austin’s music scene by ensuring musicians have access to essential hearing healthcare.
Waterloo Audiology champions hearing health for Austin musicians. Photos Courtesy Waterloo Audiology
Dr. Arianna Garcia from Waterloo Audiology and Melissa Davis from the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians joined Trevor Scott in the studio to highlight “The Waterloo Way,” emphasizing a personal touch and local focus in their approach.
“So the Waterloo Way is our team’s mission to provide personalized, expert-level care to all hearing needs,” said Garcia, “So if you need a baseline hearing test, because the last time you remember a hearing test was raising your hand at the elementary school library. Then it’s time for a baseline. So just having that entry-level check is always good. If you need to come and talk about your hearing protection needs, we can help with that. If you want to talk about tinnitus, we’re here for you. So, all the different areas of hearing health care, we can provide support, resources, solutions, and treatment options for what you might need. So that is the Waterloo Way.”
Dr. Arianna Garcia from Waterloo Audiology and Melissa Davis from the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians joined Trevor Scott in the studio to highlight “The Waterloo Way,” emphasizing a personal touch and local focus in their approach.
The clinic partners with HAAM to offer comprehensive hearing services, including screenings, education, and custom protection, for a $25 copay for members.
“We do love our partnership with HAAM. We have been doing the HAAM clinics for almost 20 years. It’s incredible. And so we see about 100 musicians at every HAAM clinic. The mission of that clinic itself is to educate, screen, and protect. So we see, every musician gets a hearing screen, has a counseling session where they can talk about what they’re experiencing, if they’re already experiencing some tinnitus or hearing loss. We review the hearing test results, and then we provide customized hearing protection.”
Their next clinic is set for Feb. 20, just before SXSW.
Davis shared how HAAM focuses on a healthy Austin music scene. “We’re so grateful for this partnership with Waterloo Audiology. Musicians protecting their hearing is so important to their craft and what they do. And being able to do it for a long time. And so we’re super grateful to be able to offer this to our musicians. Our membership is open to musicians, music, sorry, music teachers and DJs in the greater Austin area. So we serve Travis County in the surrounding counties. As long as you’re earning income as a musician, music teacher, or DJ, and your, income falls below 400% of the federal poverty level. So that’s about 62,000 for a single person. And that increases if you have a spouse or dependendt”
Waterloo Audiology champions hearing health for Austin musicians. Photos Courtesy Waterloo Audiology
Dr. Garcia stressed the importance of hearing protection for everyone, not just at loud rock concerts.
“So we should be aware of these decibel levels. Your watch might tell you when levels are too loud. You can also download sound-level meters on your phone, so there are apps for that. But as a general rule of thumb, if a place is loud, just put in some hearing protection or give your ears a break. Move away from the speakers. If you’re standing right next to a speaker that is very loud. So step away from that and just take these measures to keep your hearing at its best.”
Dr. Garcia stressed the importance of hearing protection for everyone, not just at loud rock concerts.
For more information, visit Waterloo Audiology’s website.
Waterloo Audiology champions hearing health for Austin musicians