From the BBC website

Interesting...

I noticed this on the BBC too - amazing that they can film it.

"Musicians sitting in front of the trombone or trumpet have suffered from these shock waves."

Anyone experienced this? Thought it was a bit of vague statement really.

In a similar vein, here is an article showing pictures of how the sound board of stringed instruments vibrates when the instrument is played. I thought it was fascinating.
stringed instruments vibrating

In a school concert, the oboists, of which I was one, had the misfortune to be sitting directly in front of the rank of trombones pfarping their stuff at volume. It made me feel sick, and given the usual noise emanating from learner oboists' instruments, that's quite something.

No wonder I now prefer recorders...

Yes, I have. I play viola and my worse experience was when I sat directly in front of the trombones in a performance of Haydn's Creation with a large orchestra. I used earplugs (special musicians earplugs) for most of the performance, which helped my ears but not my playing. During the performance my ears hurt a lot when the trombones were playing, and the pain continued for a couple of days afterwards, during which time I couldn't hear as well as usual. As my hearing is valuable to me, I now don't play in orchestras where the trombones or trumpets are put close to the viola section.

I've heard that longterm woodwind players who sit in front of the brass section can suffer hearing loss. Hardly surprising is it?

reminds me of this news story (BBC)[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11428833"]
[/url]

I do try to leave a decent amount of space in orchestra between the brass and (in my case) the violas and 'cellos for this very reason...

I did realise there could be a problem with the the volume of the brass, but it's interesting that the shock wave can give other physical effects. Doesn't sound very pleasant, and not something I'd ever thought about before.

We have screens for the brass.

They just take those things as a challenge!

Pleased that I don't sit in front of the trumpet section any more.

I do

but then I'm an ex-cornet player

I'm an ex cornet player too.

My first concert as a violist was on Friday night with our normally small chamber orchestra. For the performance we had 'drafted in' some additional instruments including two trombones. We were set up in a very small space so my head was about 2 feet away from the trombone NOISE

At first it wasn't too bad because my (relatively bad) playing was masked by the noise but in one or two places I felt my ears ring and my head ache. They didn't seem to care or even notice they were in a SMALL orchestra in a SMALL hall and they were playing as if we were in the Albert Hall! I found that plain ignorant.

It they became permanent members of the orchestra I would have to bring the subject up with the conductor because, like you, my hearing is far more important!!!

I went from back row cornet in a brass band to 2nd baritone - right in front of the bass trombone! I nearly jumped out of my seat when the first ff chord came from the troms.

I have nearly fallen off my seat too, when the brass have come in very loudly right behind me.

What was that Richard Strauss quotation again? "Never look at the brass - it only encourages them!"

Love that.

Last week I attended a concert of the NZSO and the bassoonists had padded screens - looked like giant headrests - I've seen more modest screens but not such sophisticated affairs. The "tico" bassoonists over here just have to put up with the din behind.

I read somewhere that quite a high proportion of classical orchestral musicians end up with hearing damage.