Sensaphonics Celebrates Safe Listening in 2025 with Education and EngagementNow in its fourth decade as the only custom in-ear monitor manufacturer founded and operated by a practicing audiologist, Sensaphonics says it is continuing to promote safe listening through a combination of the right equipment paired with proper education on implementation and best practices for maintaining maximum hearing health with maximum performance safety and enjoyment. Sensaphonics kicked off its 40th anniversary year with an expanded presence at the 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, hosting a crew of certified Sensaphonics Gold Circle Audiologists at their booth who provided complimentary one-on-one hearing health consultations with booth attendees. Visitors also had the chance to demo some of Sensaphonics' latest technologies, including the 3DME active ambient IEM system and the newly updated, TEC Award-finalist dB Check Pro sound level analyzer. Dr. Michael Santucci, Au.D., founder and president of Sensaphonics, also participated in the NAMM Oral History series expounding on his passion for hearing conservation and his pioneering work in music audiology. Sensaphonics IEMs were further featured in performances at high-profile live and broadcast events including the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, Coachella, the Chicago Electronic Music Conference, and on tour with top-selling artists including Mary J. Blige, Leon Bridges, Bunbury, Dave Matthews Band, Extreme, Neal Francis, Good Charlotte, Glen Hansard, Wiz Khalifa, Lorde, Sean Paul, The Revivalists, Lana Del Rey, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Sturgill Simpson. In February, Dr. Santucci and Dr. Shannon Switzer, Au.D., director of the Musicians' Hearing Clinic at Sensaphonics, participated in the National Hearing Conservation Association's (NHCA) annual conference, presenting as part of a day-long workshop on Updates in Music Audiology with other leaders in this specialty. Dr. Santucci was also presented with the NHCA's coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the conference for his contributions to hearing conservation and music audiology -- one of only five individuals honored with this prestigious award since its inception over 25 years ago. Additionally, Dr. Switzer made a special guest appearance on the Bending Brains podcast, offering a three-hour deep dive into her passion for promoting hearing health through public education and advocating for a collective effort to prevent sound-induced hearing injuries. On March 3, Sensaphonics participated in the World Health Organization's (WHO) 10th annual World Hearing Day by coordinating their industry connections to participate in a social media campaign to raise awareness for hearing health in the music industry. Dozens of individual artists, bands, music venues, and pro audio organizations posted safe listening tips on their social media accounts for an estimated 1 million impressions. Further activities in April included Dr. Switzer offering hearing health education and ear impressions for DJs and concert goers at the Chicago Electronic Music Conference, as well as providing in-house hearing clinic services onsite at the Kalamazoo Symphony. Dr. Santucci joined live sound legend and 2024 Parnelli Audio Innovator awardee Buford Jones and Vice President Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing/former studio engineer Maureen Droney for the Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance's (PAMA) inaugural Hearing Rocks initiative event on May 28. The webinar, Mind the Mix: Hearing Preservation Strategies for Audio Engineers, took an intimate look at real-world examples of hearing loss and its effects while also pinpointing some of the myths and shortcomings of hearing loss prevention outreach in the music industry. Further, Sensaphonics conducted an onsite visit to Ravinia, home of the Ravinia Festival, to fit staff with custom hearing protection and also held an online webinar for the Utah Symphony Orchestra, providing hearing wellness education for orchestral musicians. June activities included a lecture by Dr. Switzer at the Vocal Blueprint Bootcamp event in Chicago, educating vocalists on how hearing health can impact their performance, as well as an onsite visit with Dr. Santucci to check-in with the Dave Matthews Band, who have been Sensaphonics clients since 1996, where both were invited to listen to Dave's personal monitor mix using Sensaphonics 2MAX IEM's during the show. Additionally, Drs. Santucci and Switzer continue to serve as in-demand music audiology experts, precepting students at the Sensaphonics in-house Musicians Hearing Clinic for institutions such as Northwestern University, Rush University and the University of Illinois Chicago, as well as remotely mentoring audiology students from all over the country and making featured appearances on Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle podcast and the Talking Ears podcast. Dr. Santucci most recently spoke at the World Health Organization's 78th World Health Assembly event in Geneva, Switzerland, on the topics of hearing health awareness and the current dangers threatening the hearing safety of millions around the world. Further work in this area continues with ongoing training and support for Sensaphonics certified Gold Circle Audiologists with best practices for music industry hearing conservation. 
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