Ordinarily, when DePaul University Music Professor Tom Miller produces a musical recording, his goal isn’t to have listeners call it “awful.” But this description was actually a compliment for a recent sound recording he made for a good cause.

Miller, chair of the DePaul’s School of Music Sound Recording Program, has partnered with Sidney C. Kleinman, a Chicago attorney and member of the school’s advisory board, to produce a compact disc, “The Sounds of Tinnitus,” that recreates the ringing and buzzing sounds that people with tinnitus hear in their heads. Kleinman, a tinnitus sufferer for 35 years and chair of the national American Tinnitus Association (ATA), a not-for-profit organization, conceived the recording as a new tool to raise public awareness about the noises experienced by people with tinnitus. The ATA has pressed 1,000 of the CDs to distribute to audiologists, ear-nose-and-throat doctors and instructors in their training programs, legislators concerned about hearing issues as well as those affected by tinnitus.

“The CD is a very significant contribution to our efforts to educate the public about tinnitus,” Kleinman said. “It demonstrates what tinnitus sounds like for people who have no other way of sharing what they hear.”

An estimated 40 million people suffer from tinnitus, which is characterized by the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Often accompanied by hearing loss, the condition may be caused by excessive exposure to high-decibel noise, including loud music, whirring leaf blowers, thunderous industrial equipment or explosive guns and firecrackers. In some cases, it is caused by toxic side effects to medications. Reactions can range from distraction and sleep loss to an inability to work. Some sufferers even have committed suicide.

Kleinman said people with tinnitus can become socially withdrawn, particularly if the tinnitus is associated with hearing loss. “Furthermore, there is great frustration when those with tinnitus attempt to share, in words, with doctors and loved ones the impact on their lives of these aggravating sounds – which only they can hear,” he said.

“Because there isn’t a cure, heath care personnel tend to say, ‘go live with it,’” he explained. “The CD helps all understand how disturbing these perceived sounds can be and outlines possible causes of and remedies and treatments for tinnitus. It also helps people with tinnitus communicate to their family members and friends about the stress and impact of having tinnitus.”

Narrated by “Mission Impossible” actor Peter Graves, the CD contains a series of sounds that simulate the noises experienced by many tinnitus sufferers. Donna Wayner, president of Hear Again, Inc. and the former head of a hearing clinic, provides commentary about tinnitus causes and remedies. Remedies include cognitive, masking, and tinnitus retraining therapies that help tinnitus patients stop concentrating on the aggravating internalized sounds.

Miller recreated the tinnitus sounds for the CD by performing on a synthesizer as Kleinman, at his side, let him know when the sounds matched what he heard. “It was so good people had to put their fingers in their ears when we played it. That’s unusual for projects I’ve worked on!” said Miller, whose highly respected program prepares music students for careers in the recording industry.

Kleinman said his wife, Mary, seconded the success of the recording as an educational tool. “She said, ‘Gee, that’s awful!’.”

School of Music Dean Donald Casey said the project exemplifies DePaul’s community outreach mission. “What Sid and Tom have achieved is remarkable and promises to give tinnitus sufferers new leverage in medical policy discussions and new understanding from their friends and family.”

Editor’s Note: The media contact for the American Tinnitus Association is Cheryl McGinnis, executive director: (503) 248-9985, x214. To view the foundation’s press release on the “Sounds of Tinnitus” CD, go to: http://www.ata.org/