Evaluate
Hearing evaluations are painless, fascinating procedures that comprise a full case history, otoscopy, and your baseline pure tone audiogram. They may also include an eardrum movement test (tympanometry), tinnitus pitch-matching, ear wax removal, and validated questionnaires. It’s crucial to conduct regular hearing evaluations in order to identify gradual changes.
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Diagnose hearing disorders
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Baseline hearing thresholds profile
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Realistic recommendations
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Appropriate referrals (ENT, psychotherapist, dermatologists, vestibular specialists)
Care
Ahhh, the part many people want to skip straight to: “How do I fix it?” Audiology is a challenging field because there aren't any magic pills that will make your hearing concerns vanish. Thus, like with mental health, find a partner (audiologist) that you trust for support with your hearing health journey.
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Tailored, personalized treatment plan
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Hearing enhancement devices including hearing aid alternatives
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Audio device walk-throughs
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Transparent pricing
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Auditory rehabilitation (like physical therapy for listening skills)
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Sound therapy for tinnitus and hyperacusis
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Counseling
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Mindfulness meditation techniques
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Earplug ear training guidance for musicians
Protect
Hearing loss is not the only auditory issue we face. Tinnitus is actually more prevalent, and then there's sound intolerance, distortion, fear of loud sound and more. Some causes of hearing disorders, like genetics, cannot be prevented, but others, like loud sound exposure, can be mitigated if we are armed with the right tools.
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Hearing preservation programs for all budgets
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Custom hearing protection (earplugs)
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Earplug verification
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Custom in-ear monitors
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On-site loud sound assessments
Educate
Hearing is subjective. Our ears detect vibration (sound), but our brains interpret and make meaning of sound. Sure, it sounds obvious, but when we understand our auditory system, it becomes impossible not to treat it with respect. Once we know when we’re at risk for a hearing disorder, we can better decide what to do about it.
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Lectures and workshops for small and large groups, all ages
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Topics: the auditory system, sound measurements, hearing disorder prevention, more
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Online or in-person
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Visiting lecturer
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Articles for trade, industry, university or union publications
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Interviews, podcasts, content production
EVALUATE. CARE. PROTECT. EDUCATE.
We help our patients optimize the soundtracks of their lives. Dr. Laura Sinnott, Audiologist, founded Sound Culture for the purpose of promoting the sense of hearing. It is time for sound to take center stage. It starts with realizing that your ears are delicate, and they take a beating when they're exposed to loud sound, even if it’s sound we love. If cared for properly, however, they may perform exquisitely for years on end.
Listening is everything.
About Dr. Laura Sinnott
A long time audio engineer for film, Laura career-expanded into hearing health as an audiologist. She ran the hearing clinic at Sensaphonics, a Chicago-based institution that has served musicians for over 30 years. Now based in Central New York, she sees patients in her Utica, NY office, through telehealth via the Tuned platform, and provides traveling, concierge audiology services for musicians, media professionals, and music lovers. Laura holds a Doctorate of Audiology degree from CUNY, a Master’s in Music Technology from NYU and a Bachelor’s in Music Industry Studies from CU Denver.
Laura’s fascination with the auditory system began in childhood after being totally transfixed by a presentation about the ear and the stark beauty of its structures. Not knowing about the field of audiology until later, Laura was also drawn towards the physics and art of sound and worked for many years as a sound recordist and sound designer for film.
Her lens on sound eventually became more holistic. For Laura, the nuances of sound are the heart of communication. When we speak to each other, it’s more than the words — it’s the intonation, the pauses, the listening — it’s the full orchestra supporting the communications dance.
When Laura discovered that audiology included counseling, becoming an audiologist became a no-brainer as it would call upon mindfulness, empathy, and relationship-building skills. She embarked on her doctorate degree (CUNY) and is now a licensed audiologist. When she is not helping patients protect and preserve their hearing, she can be found eating croissants or pondering the technical brilliance of how a laser can read grooves on a CD and convert them to music.
GET IN TOUCH
Send a message, request an appointment.