HearingLikeMe

Actor, DJ and accidental entrepreneur Maclain Drake grew up with reverse slope hearing loss and a love of music, which he could enjoy only up to a point. One night, a friend introduced him to electronic dance music (EDM) – and the heavy, pulsating basslines pulled him close and never let go. Maclain has since been making EDM and working to help others, in the hearing loss community and beyond, find new ways of experiencing music.

When Team Phonak caught up with Tiffany Walker of Lubbock, Texas, she was in the final stages of preparing for the New York City Half Marathon in support of the Lupus Research Alliance. She spoke about the value of starting small and surprising herself – and the ways she encourages others to do the same. The first time Tiffany put on running shoes for a reason, her daughter was still in a baby stroller.

Written by Jenny Carrick, Marketing and Communications Director at UC Davis, Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Education. We’re thrilled to feature this insightful article on World Hearing Day (March 3), originally published on the UC Davis Health Blog. Jenny Carrick, a valued member of our community and brand advocate, brings her expertise to this important topic. Special thanks to UC Davis for their collaboration in sharing this piece on the HLM blog.

Right now, the odds are that somewhere along England’s South Coast, a feisty 14-year-old (her words) is thinking about the next post on one of her three Instagram accounts. Maybe it will be a clip of her flying over the waves in her WASZP, a high-tech hydrofoiling sailboat, as a member of the National Under 18 WASZP Squad.

Heartfelt Thanks: A Cherished Letter of Appreciation “It’s the sound of the classical guitar that I love. And its history and repertoire. And the wide range of music you can play. And also, the uniqueness of the way the instrument can be played…” Oliver Howes could happily go on about the guitar – and does. At 21 years old, the friendly New Zealander can talk about J.S. Bach’s lute suites and metal guitarist Devin Townsend with the same ease.

One of the finest things to ever occur in this business are the relationships we create with our hearing aid users and the HoH community. Together, we play a sizable role, and we appreciate each and every one of them for walking this path with us. What a joy it was to receive Dr. Kofi Agyeman’s beautiful letter of appreciation, a letter we are humbled to share with our readers. But it is us that needs to extend our thanks for his kind words and for sharing his remarkable story.

Athlete, Student, Coach. This is how Aaron Small describes himself on his LinkedIn profile, as unassuming as it is true. Aaron does kayak, ski and hike. He’s in his final year of college, set to graduate in the spring. He has spent many afternoons and summers training kids at the canoe and kayak club, minutes from where he grew up. But at just 22 years old, Aaron has already won a gold medal in the men’s double 500-meter kayak sprint at the Pan American Games.

At 4:30 a.m., about an hour before dawn, Brooklynn tries not to wake her father and three teenage brothers as she and her mother, Charlett, head to the car. The drive, estimated at three and a half hours, will be followed by a whole day on set and then the sleepy return home. But the 11-year-old is not complaining when she tucks into breakfast in the backseat, watching a video as the Ontario sky grows light. For Brooklynn, summertime is high season for auditions, modeling, and film and TV shoots.

Ian Golding, otherwise known as Gold, was a semi-finalist on the Gordon Ramsay show Next Level Chef. He also has tinnitus in both ears and a corresponding high frequency hearing loss, which is getting progressively worse. On the heels of World Alzheimer’s Month, Hearing Like Me talked to the communication skills expert, trainer, motivational speaker, and private chef about his many roles and his hearing health advocacy after his mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Advocating for the best learning environment for children with hearing loss can be tricky. Students learn in a variety of ways other than direct instruction. Classroom lessons include partner work, group discussions, multimedia elements, and guest speakers. Creating a setting that provides access to clear sound in those learning settings is essential to me as a parent.