MED-EL Supports 2nd International Music Festival for Hearing Implant Users
‘Beats of Cochlea’ music event helps people with hearing loss to fulfil their musical dreams
Warsaw, Poland, 14 July 2016 – Hearing loss is no longer an obstacle to developing a musical talent or appreciating music, as highlighted once again at this year’s ‘Beats of Cochlea’ Festival – the 2nd International Music Festival for Children, Youths and Adults with Hearing Disorders. Sponsored by MED-EL, a leading provider of hearing implant solutions, the festival celebrated music enthusiasts in a unique event which took place from 11-14 July, in Warsaw, Poland.
‘Beats of Cochlea’ – an international competition specifically for people with musical talents who use an auditory implant/s for their hearing loss – was created by Polish surgeon Professor Henryk Skarżyński. In 1992 Professor Skarżyński was the first surgeon in Poland to perform cochlear implantation surgery in a totally deaf patient. Following the success of the inaugural festival in 2015, this year’s event continues to demonstrate that, with today’s achievements in modern science and medicine, even those with severe hearing loss can have a passion for music which fulfils their lives.
One hundred and fifty hearing implant recipients from countries such as Canada, Ecuador, Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine and United States applied to participate. Thirty two qualified to attend auditions in Warsaw, including Nikita Milutin aged seven from Russia who performed a piece on the piano and Josephine Seifert aged 19 from Germany who played the cello. Ten were then selected to perform at a gala concert on13 July.
Johanna Pätzold MED-EL’s in house musicologist said “Beats of Cochlea helps children, youths and adults to fulfil their musical dreams. As a leading provider of hearing implant solutions, we are delighted to support an event that celebrates the joy that music brings to the lives of people living with hearing loss. We hope the festival motivates the participants to continue to pursue their passion for music.”
In addition to the winners’ gala performance, special guests, Spanish band Mayor Tom, were invited to perform a poignant song written by lead singer Diego Castaño for his daughter Julieta, who was born deaf in 2012. The song reflects Diego’s fears and concerns for his daughter about whether she would be able to live a normal life. Since receiving a cochlear implant aged just one year old, Julieta is now able to live the life that her father dreamed for her; singing, dancing and even playing musical instruments herself.
Superior hearing with MED-EL Triformance
Continuous technological advances in the hearing implants field ensure that users are provided with every possibility to fulfil their hearing dreams. MED-EL plays a key role in enabling hearing implant users to enjoy listening to music.
The company’s cochlear implant systems entail the unique Triformance concept made up of three key elements that allow music to be perceived in a more natural way. Delicate nerve cells of the inner ear are protected, while extremely soft and flexible electrodes are inserted deep into the cochlea. Thus, the entire length of the cochlea is stimulated and the user has access to a broad range of pitches, from high to low. The third element is FineHearing, a sound coding strategy which delivers the outline of sound information, the envelope, as well as the fine structure. The fine structure is the part of sound information that is vital for music perception. This combination allows users to enjoy the intricate notes of their favourite songs more clearly and accurately.
For more information about ‘Beats of Cochlea’ visit www.festiwal.ifps.org.pl. To find out more about MED-EL please visit www.medel.com.
About MED-EL
Austria-based MED-EL Medical Electronics is a leading provider of hearing implant systems with 29 subsidiaries worldwide. The family-owned business is one of the pioneers in the industry. The two Austrian scientists Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair developed the world’s first microelectronic-multichannel cochlear implant in 1977. The cochlear implant was and remains the first replacement of a human sense, the sense of hearing. In 1990 they laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company when they hired their first employees. To date, the company has grown to more than 1,700 employees around the world.
Today MED-EL offers the widest range of implantable solutions worldwide to treat various degrees of hearing loss: cochlear and middle ear implant systems, EAS (combined Electric Acoustic Stimulation) hearing implant system and auditory brainstem implants as well as the world´s first active bone conduction implant. People in over 100 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a product from MED-EL. www.medel.com
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