PMAD

Re: Massimo Tonson Latour. 

Born in Rome in 1950. 

At the age of 13 he received his first guitar and started his music journey. 

Because he showed so much passion for the guitar, his father applied to enroll him to the “Conservatorium of Santa Cecilia” as Massimo was dreaming to study the classical guitar. Unfortunately, he was told that he was too old, as entry level was at age 11 and by then needed to have done initial exams on classical guitar and theory of music, in order to begin at the required standard. The year was 1964 and at that time, only the sons or daughters of professional musicians were able to get that opportunity. 

The year after, Massimo enrolled to the Enrico Fermi Institute of Technology, to study Industrial Electronic Engineering and Telecommunication and at the same time, he continued to play the guitar and with his best friend Luigi Massari formed a band called the “Visconti”. 

The Visconti become pretty popular around the clubs in Rome and under the creative direction of Maestro Giuliano Sorgini, recorded an LP of his compositions titled “Under Pompelmo” released in 1971. 

Over the years, the LP has become a collectable record by the many lovers of Psychedelic music. 

Unfortunately, Massimo’s father died prematurely and with his mother and young sister, decided to move to Australia, were most of his relatives were living. 

Once in Melbourne, he joined a young English band called “Abbey Road” and started to play around the Pub scene, but the loudness of the music was far too much and soon realized that his ears could not stand loud music anymore, as he felt a strong ring in the ears known as tinnitus, after every single performance. 

He gave up the loud bands work and started to play around the 5 stars restaurants where volumes were very acceptable, but the musical complexities of Latin American music, Jazz and other genre of music, made him realize he had to study the guitar and music properly as he was self-thought and he knew that without proper musical education, it would have been impossible for him to move forward with the guitar and succeed in playing the kind of music he truly loved. 

He played 7 nights a week for over 2 years, but decided that it was not the life he wanted for his family as he was now married and had 2 very young boys. 

In 1980, after a very severe left ear middle ear infection, he was diagnosed with possible Meniere’s Disease. 

He began a career in sale and marketing and decided to play only on weekends doing big functions and corporate jobs and commenced to study the guitar. 

After studying with several well-known teachers, Massimo was very fortuned to meet a very well-known guitar teacher by the name of Ray Smith and this marked the beginning of several years of professional guitar studies and most rewarding tuition. 

He spent over 3 years with Mr. Ray Smith and while learning the guitar he also studied with Mr. Frank Strangio “Jazz Harmony” and “Composition”. 

Mr. Frank Strangio was a teacher at the Berkeley College of music that just relocated to Melbourne and whilst starting his huge career as a composer and arranger, offered to teach the Berklee Jazz Harmony study to Massimo that was so passionate about learning it, as he truly felt it was going to be possible to reach his goal of becoming a good and accomplished musician. 

He completed the level 3 of the Berkeley Jazz Harmony Study. 

The teaching of Mr. Ray Smith and Mr. Frank Strangio changed Massimo’s music life and career and helped him to continue working at corporate level, performing at big functions and backing up popular local Melbourne floor shows Artists. 

At age 35 his career in Sale & Marketing was also going very strong and he became a State Manager of a multi-national paper and tissue company. 

However, his heart was still beating strong for the guitar and in 1985 decided to adventure in the study he could not do as a young man: “The Classical Guitar”. 

He was considered too old to learn the classical guitar that is well known to be one of the most difficult instruments to learn. 

Massimo felt he had to do it and take it as far as he could, knowing the study involved many practical exams, as well as the theory study of “Classical Harmony”. 

After initial studies with different teachers, he was extremely fortuned to begin his studies with Mrs. Susan Ellis, well known to be the most prominent Classical Guitar teacher and Examiner of the AMEB “Australian Music Examination Board” in Melbourne. 

This was for Massimo the study of a life time having learnt so much and after 7 years of hard work and exams, he reached the 9th grade level and continue later on with studies up to Licentiate Standard, as well as to grade 6 in Classical Harmony. 

Susan Ellis was a student of the great Venezuelan guitarist/composer Alirio Diaz and also of Sadie Bishop of Melbourne that were both students of the great Andres Segovia and her teaching was fundamental, as Massimo learnt not only the technique of the classical guitar but also about using proper dynamics, correct music presentation and true diligence towards classical guitar music, whilst building an enormous respect for the great composers of Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Contemporary Classical Guitar Music. 

The above-mentioned teachers and others in the study of Classical Harmony, represent the foundation of Massimo’s musical education that allowed him to have a wonderful life of performances that lasted many years. 

In 1997 Massimo’s health declined and was forced to leave the regular weekend band work, that kept him busy performing at large corporate functions and backing up local Artists, due to suffering several vertigo attacks from Meniere’s Disease early diagnosed in 1980 and also because he was struggling to recover from his 1996 first cervical spine surgery, necessary to remove a disc that was dangerously herniated. 

He continued to play the classical guitar knowing that his life of a band member as a gigging musician was over, but at the same time feeling blessed he could still play the classical guitar, that was a huge part of his life as a musician and all he really ever wanted to play. 

After moving to the State of Queensland, due to his new role and title of National Sales & Marketing Manager, in 2005 Massimo unfortunately became severely ill with Meniere Disease in his left ear[ that caused him several vertigo attacks in the 1990’s]: he was forced to have a left ear Mastoid surgery necessary to cure one of the many acute middle ear infections, that unfortunately resulted adversely, aggravating his condition with the Meniere Disease. 

At the same time, he also experienced serious problems with his cervical spine that was already surgically operated few years before with the removal of a disc in 1996. 

Late in 2006 Massimo had to have his second cervical spine surgery and given its severity, in 2007 he was forced to retire from work, as he could no longer endure the pressures imposed by the demanding National Manager position, which also involved flying around the Country as part of the responsibility of managing the National Sales and Marketing Team. 

In 2009 he had his left ear destroyed in order to stop the very dangerous vertigo attacks due to the final stage of Meniere Disease called “High Drops”, that induced constant blackouts: for this reason, his balance mechanism in the left ear was also destroyed and he had to learn how to walk again and how to regain his overall balance, by achieving total body balance with his right ear balance only. 

With strong determination, he was able to recover with great results.     

However, his 2 cervical spine surgeries also compounded seriously on his general health that had already been stressed by the Meniere Disease. 

He continued playing the classical guitar but with difficulty and under severe stress. 

In 2010 there was an improvement to his general health condition and Massimo managed to study the Classical Guitar to Licentiate standard but unable to give exams due to the demanding high standard level of performance that did require many daily hours of strict practice, as he could not withstand the neck pain created by his neck surgeries, constantly aggravated by the rigorous posture/position of the classical guitar, that was and is totally necessary to perform correctly.    

However, Massimo’s health problems were not over and in January 2015, during a morning walk, Massimo lost his hearing to his right ear and was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease in a bilateral form. 

Needless to say, he felt his music days were completely over: his hearing in the right ear was constantly fluctuating due to the Meniere Disease and diminishing with every small return, having now lost the ability to pitch a note correctly and be only capable to hear distorted music sound and with the speech comprehension of 1 word in 10 and at a very close range. 

At the same time, he was given a hearing aid to help with the deafness but unfortunately it was useless most of the time due the constant hearing fluctuation caused by the Meniere’s disease. 

In April 2016 he received a Cochlear Implant to his left ear but in July 2016 he was also told by the Australia Cochlear Company and his Audiologist, that due to its level of deafness, he had reached the criteria to receive a second implant to the right ear: however, since he had a very small amount of hearing left in this ear, he was told to use the hearing aid he was initially given in 2015. 

His ENT Specialist told him of the possible but small risk, that a Cochlear Implant can damage the balance mechanism in the ear and since he had already lost the one in the left ear, the option of receiving the second implant, was left to a later date and only when strictly necessary. 

Later in 2016, the hearing in his right ear had gently stabilized, but there was and still is a small fluctuation at times, reminding him that the Meniere Disease is still present, but not as aggressive. 

Massimo’s ENT Specialist, explained to him that using 2 ears for hearing is termed “Binaural Hearing”. 

This meant that the combination of the electrical hearing provided by the cochlear implant and the acoustic amplification from the hearing aid to the ear that is not implanted, even though this ear had less than 10% speech appreciation, would have allowed him to have enhanced speech and sound recognition.  

He never lost hope, even dough he was told that music was part of his past due to his hearing conditions and that he would have found impossible to pitch a note correctly. 

Armed with courage and hope he went home, tried all of his classical guitars made by famous Australian and Spanish Luthiers but they sounded horrible and with no possible recognition of a single note. 

He knew his classical guitar days were truly over and after reflecting on his conditions and without hesitation, he decided to return to the electric guitar and went through his large collection of custom handmade guitars: sadly they also sounded terrible with or without amplification. 

Among so many, there was one guitar left and that was the Gibson L4 CES, one of the most famous and iconic jazz archtop guitars ever made and he decided to play it acoustically and without amplification as any small amount of volume resulted in more distortion. 

Slowly, by applying specific techniques, he learnt how to use the memory in his brain to perceive correctly the music frequencies generated by his cochlear implant and by the damaged natural hearing of his right ear, that was struggling to work with a hearing aid. 

Both the Cochlear Implant and the Hearing Aid were not specifically designed to cope with the complexities of music sound frequencies, being mainly designed for the purpose of hearing speech frequencies that do present little complexities in comparison to the huge varieties of frequencies created by a musical instrument. 

After the initial rehabilitation period, he was able to tackle his first solo pieces and slowly he created a considerable repertoire and capable to perform it  with a proper polyphonic harmony construction, that totally supported his performance regardless his hearing limits, that were however often confronted, by the difficulties created by sound compression, realizing at the same time the importance of having the proper guitar and electronic equipment, designed to help him to overcame these adverse sound conditions, that were created by deep bass tones and high treble ones, as well as middle tones that generated distortions, that were most difficult to confront during a performance.   

He knew he had achieved something pretty unique, as around the world there was only videos of a few children, nothing short of angels, that had accomplished to learn a small number of pieces of music but were facing an incredible number of difficulties in trying to create a proper repertoire, as they were unfortunately born deaf or become deaf before they actually had the fortune and opportunity to discover music sounds and of course without any musical education. 

This meant they could not and cannot be helped by their brain/memory and stored music sounds information to correct the incoming frequencies that do affect their capacity of pitching correctly a note, making the task of playing full chords, melodies, bass lines and improvising an enormous task and nearly impossible, as they unfortunately need to learn how to pitch a note, without having the opportunity and the benefit of having heard the sound of a musical note before in their lives. 

However, he often said, that the amazing efforts, courage and tenacity shown by these young children, was the major influence in his own personal music rehabilitation, as he became totally inspired by them.  

Since the beginning of his personal music rehabilitation, he kept writing everything he was using during his regular daily practice and without knowing it, he was writing down the PMAD Rehabilitation Music Program for Guitarists & Musicians that have lost their hearing. 

He truly felt, that all these years of studies and the many performances he did as a working musician, were responsible for what he was achieving, that ultimately was regarded as impossible, given the level of his near complete deafness. 

He felt he could not keep this work for himself and had to share it with others that suffer with deafness and so he embarked in a long research and development project regarding guitars, guitars components, amplification and everything that was necessary for him to perform and finally to be able to record himself, therefore showing what he had achieved and what he was offering to others, that sadly believed their music days were over. 

He received an enormous amount of information and support from the many Luthiers he had meet  and work with over the years, as well as from major organizations like the D’Angelico, Quilter, Neumann and many others, that provided him with so much valuable information, allowing him to choose the most useful gear, in order to facilitate his sound and hearing perception, so that he could perform without being over burden by the many music frequencies totally unfriendly, created by the use of gear that is not designed for musicians that are hearing impaired.  

Massimo regards the PMAD rehabilitation program, as the biggest achievement of his life as a musician and often feels that he became deaf in his later years for this purpose, as it is possible to find good in bad and now looking positively at his own hearing disability as a gift, without which he would have never been able to write the PMAD Program. 

He wanted to release the PMAD Program in 2019 but unfortunately, he had more health problems and received a pacemaker. 

Later in 2019, Massimo also relocated from the Gold Coast to Melbourne for family reasons. 

Life seemed to be returning to a level of calm and then in January 2020 the World was taken by Covid 19 and by all of the problems and suffering it created around the Globe. 

It was a difficult time to release the PMAD Program and waited until late in 2022 after completing a number of video recordings that he was able to create being supported by its best friend and musician Paolo Taliana, that initially guided him through easier recording solutions that were necessary to begin this task, but he later continued to develop by doing many online studies on how to learn the recording process and how to video record the performances: after a final lesson with Paolo Taliana and lots of applications Massimo was able to produce proper MP4 Video Music Files, that were necessary for the release of the PMAD Program in June 2022. 

He continues to work and improve his playing skills because he believes his musical journey is not over and helping others has become his vocation and main goal in life.    

In an interview, he said that being amble and accepting life with its good and bad, is the only way of living and looking back at his own life, he feels blessed the guitar continues to be his closest companion, whilst being appreciated from his much-loved family and close friends that have encouraged and supported him during such an incredible journey. 

His personal goal is now to help musicians that have lost their hearing and wish to return to their music and to a true level of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment, whilst being capable to look at their own hearing disability, as a true ability, that can be passed onto others. 

Medical scientists continue their research to improve the technology of Cochlear Implants, Hearing Aids and more, but it is equally important that musicians do their own research and study to discover all that is possible with the help of available technology, whilst helping and supporting their hearing limits, constantly working towards developing new skills, that are strongly required to overcome their hearing impairment, as they continue their own musical life and journey.   

Massimo believes that life presents itself with its joys and sorrows but he also strongly believes that it is up to us to work with our individual limits, as limits are part of life and a life without limits is not humanly possible, knowing that dedication and hard work are always rewarded by greater achievements.