Dr Raymond Goldsworthy, head of the Bionic Ear Lab in the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, understands the importance of music listening. He lost his hearing at the age of thirteen, just as he was beginning to learn the drums. Like every teenager, he was just beginning his journey into the seemingly limitless world of music, when a bout with spinal meningitis and the ensuing treatment damaged his hearing.