Archivist Bruce has been volunteering at RNID Near You in the Scottish Borders since January 2025, supporting his local community with hearing aid maintenance and hearing checks at weekly drop-in sessions.
But while helping others, he made a discovery about his own hearing aids – one that transformed his confidence and brought music back into his life. For the first time in years, Bruce is now playing publicly with other musicians again.
Living with hearing loss
My hearing loss developed in the mid-1980s after a viral infection. I was in my early thirties, but like many people, my hearing loss took a long time to be diagnosed. Medical practitioners seemed convinced my ears were blocked due to narrow ear channels, and no one suggested an audiology assessment.
After noticing I was missing important elements in business meetings, I booked a private appointment. My audiologist asked if I worked with jet engines because my hearing loss was so significant. That was around 2011 to 2012, and as a result I got hearing aids.
How hearing loss changed my relationship with music
I’d been playing and listening to music since my teens, and this shaped my social life until my hearing deteriorated. Afterwards, I rarely went to live music events or listened to music at home. I did continue to play at home – guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki – but since the viral infection, I had not played with other musicians.
Technology that transformed my hearing experience
Volunteering with RNID meant I learned more about hearing loss and hearing aids, and I discovered that my NHS hearings aids were Bluetooth-enabled (I was never told!).
I started to use the BeMore app – an app that connects with your hearing aids from your phone, allowing you to make sound adjustments – and this increased my confidence when playing. I now enjoy playing informal and unamplified sessions with other local guitarists.
Why I volunteer at RNID Near You
I was referred by the NHS for replacement tubes and domes for my hearing aids. I felt that the session was really useful, and I wanted to get involved. RNID Near You is free and has a pretty good chance of resolving your problem.
Ours is well-organised, welcoming, and enormously valued by those who use it. I see first-hand that small interventions make a big difference to the people we support.
