Most people think of tuning forks as a tool for tuning instruments. Matt Hensler, an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) surgeon specializing in hearing, uses this tuning fork a little bit differently. While Hensler used his tuning fork in high school to tune his baritone and numerous instruments that he owns, he now uses it in his practice to diagnose hearing loss. Matt had always been interested in making music at a very young age when his mother would buy him numerous Christmas gifts consisting of mainly musical instruments. In college at the Ohio State University, he used his tuning fork for Glee Club, which is a group consisting of male singers singing in a choir. Matt’s childhood and high school band experience in music translated directly to his interests in hobbies in the future and his career in the medical field.
Listen to Matt’s story in his own words:
This object is part of the “Personal Growth” section of the Artifacts of Experience exhibition designed by University of Cincinnati students in the “Introduction to Public History” course in 2023.
We encourage you to explore the other objects in our collection.
Transcript
Nick Frazier [NF]: Oh, here we go. Hello. So, this is Matt Hensler is my interviewees, would you like to show your item?
Matt Hensler [MH]: Sure. This little guy here, tuning fork?
[NF]: Why did you choose this item?
[MH]: Yeah, in thinking about a personal item that had kind of just value to me, or that meant something with regards to my education, I thought this kind of had a couple of different, it was applicable in a couple of different ways. So tuning forks, you know, they, when you strike them, they create a tone, you know, it’s like, this is 128 hertz, it’s a key, you know, letter C, so it makes that tone and growing up, you know, did a lot with music. And whether that was, you know, elementary, middle and high school, it’s still a hobby of mine. And so tuning forks you commonly used, you know, to help you tune instruments, but then, as I went through college, and then I went to med school, and then from that I’m an ENT, which is an ear, nose and throat surgeon, we use tuning forks, actually at work, it’s a way that you can grossly check someone’s hearing, not only with like, the volume on a particular ear, but helping determine if someone has hearing loss what kind of hearing loss they could have.
[NF]: Interesting. Um, and so what, what period of your life did you obtain this item?
[MH]: Yeah. And I don’t know if I need to keep it in view for you. But looking at it, I think about I definitely think about in terms of music, I think mainly of like high school. Just band and orchestra stuff, good memories, thinking about friends from school growing up. And then again, I use this every day at work. So, it’s the bigger thing that it makes me think about like reflexively is just work to check in someone’s hearing. Diagnosing hearing loss. Yeah.
[NF]: What does this object mean to you?
[MH]: I don’t you know, this particular one isn’t particular sentimental kind of thing, like I said, because I’m using many of them is just a tool every day. But I think like I said, I thought I thought it was kind of a neat item, it kind of came right to my mind when you messaged me about what I what item would kind of be involved with my education in my life, and it kind of blend into the things that matter most to me, my favorite hobby is music. And what I do for a living is, you know, that’s a tool for that so.
[NF]: And then what is your favorite story about this item?
[MH]: A favorite story? Man, I’m trying to think as I kind of monitor for a second if there’s a particular, I just remember. Okay, I remember when I first got it, you know, back in 06 didn’t know what to do with it. And then you go through med school and in these early years, you’re kind of learning like, hey, put this tuning fork, you know, in someone’s head. And if they hear it louder on one side, then you go from there and these different tests. And so I remember, you know, as you go through med school, my family would come up and visit. And whether I was using an otoscope to look in someone’s ear, it was kind of it was always fun to like, do these little tests and understand what they meant. And then your family kind of sees you as a person that’s learning these things. And you know, you’re transitioning from not being a doctor to being a doctor. So it was kind of any of those little scenarios where I think fun to under look back on. But I don’t have like a specific I can’t think of a good life.
[NF]: Alright that’s basically it.
[MH]: Okay cool man.