Musician-turned-audiologist takes on full-time role at Sensaphonics
Shannon Switzer, AuD, joins Sensaphonics as the Director of the Musicians’ Hearing Clinic, serving as the primary audiologist, and overseeing clinic operations. Sensaphonics, located in Chicago, designs and manufactures custom-fitted earphones and electronics, serving a primary customer base of musicians and sound engineers.
“We are thrilled to announce that Shannon Switzer has agreed to take on a full-time role as our clinic director,” commented Michael Santucci, President of Sensaphonics. “As the only custom IEM manufacturer to also operate a dedicated music audiology practice in its headquarters, Sensaphonics is committed to hearing health, and Shannon brings expertise and passion for both music and audiology, making this a perfect fit.”
Switzer, a musician herself, reportedly became familiar with Sensaphonics while studying for her doctoral degree at Northwestern University. “Since I’m also a musician, the idea of an audiology clinic focusing on musicians completely changed my perspective on how audiologists approach hearing health as a whole,” she relates. “I was lucky enough to do a clinical rotation at Sensaphonics in my second year of grad school, which was an amazing experience. I’ve been working towards specializing in music audiology ever since.”
After earning her Doctor of Audiology in 2017, Switzer remained in Chicago, occasionally working with Sensaphonics at music festivals, doing venue visits for touring bands, and serving clients at the Musicians’ Hearing Clinic.
Switzer shared that the key element of her attraction to audiology is her love of music. She began playing clarinet at age eight, and was principal clarinetist in the symphonic band for non-music majors at University of Vermont. Currently, Shannon plays in Chicago’s Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band.
“It’s so great to be playing clarinet again,” Switzer commented. “I’m really grateful for how well everything has worked out. My first love was always music, and I wanted a career that involved helping people. So really, there could not be a better path for me than practicing at Sensaphonics, where our clinic focuses on preventing hearing loss in musicians, sound engineers, and their crew; all people who use their ears to enrich our lives in such a beautiful way. It’s a dream job for me, and I’m excited to be here.”
Source: Sensaphonics
Images: Sensaphonics
