Music

Upon talking to many people that have the cochlear implant, and reading information about what to expect after it, many people don't like music with the CI. Although I suspect which type of CI you get plays a major, obvious, role in how music will sound, it just overall won't sound the same anymore. Partially, I assume, because of how the CI's will not process sounds at the same rate as normal hearing. The implant will process sounds in a more specific order than a normal ear is capable, and often, it won't be all the sounds that are existing. I found this blog with sound samples in it... it is pretty shocking and made me sad. Click here and go down to Music1, and listen to it. you'll hear 5 separate areas, based on channels/spectral bands of a CI, with the last area playing the song normally. To me, the first 3 are awful.... it was screeching and giving me a headache; in the 4th part, I can hear the voice clearer, and the music quite distant, and the last part, somehow, everything sounds perfectly clear, even the voice. Yet, in reality, voices in music are not that clear to me with my level of hearing loss right now. However, that sample goes to 32 channels, the Harmony, will reach 'up to' 120 channels (if channels IS the same thing as spectral bands). I can't find any samples of what 100 channels would sound like, but hopefully, just, way better than that 32 channels.

Either way, I'm worried I won't hear/like Michael Jackson's music after the implantation the way I've heard it the past 15 years. I'd be pretty sad if Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal won't sound good to me anymore. Dirty Diana is hands down my favorite MJ song ever, and it doesn't have much to do with the lyrics or vocals as it does with the overall sound of it. I guess I'll find out in time though.