Yvonne Doll on Pursuing Her Passion for Music Despite having Ménière’s Disease

Passion motivates us with a burning desire to express ourselves and move out of our comfort zones. Clear goals help us define our dreams and stay on track despite distractions, while hope and a tenacious spirit keep us afloat in the face of defeat and despair. Multi-talented fine artist Yvonne Doll has it all!

Yvonne is a fine artist and musician originally from Cincinnati, OH, who made her way to Chicago to attend the School of The Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) She is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founder of the indie rock band ‘The Locals’.The Locals have been a part of the Chicago music scene for over a decade. With their heavy 90’s influence (think Smashing Pumpkins meets The Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the band has released seven albums and toured all around the US.

Eight years ago, Yvonne was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, and her life changed forever. Ménière’s disease is a chronic inner ear disorder that causes episodes of vertigo and fluctuating hearing loss. Ménière’s is currently incurable and progressive. Typically, it only affects one ear and is more likely to occur in adults between 40 and 60 years of age. Ryan Adams, Huey Lewis, and Christine Chenoweth are some well-known musicians with Meniere’s disease.

Due to her complex chronic ear disease, she has lost about 40% of her low-frequency hearing and experienced intermittent vertigo spells along with vestibular migraines. Yvonne recently underwent treatment with a new biologic (CTM) designed to knock out inflammatory cytokines. She is hopeful about the treatment, as it seems to have calmed a particularly nasty spell of Meniere’s attacks following a bout with COVID-19 in May 2022.

There is no doubt that Meniere’s disease is a devastating illness, especially for a musician. But Yvonne does not let it stop her from doing what she loves. The disease has dramatically affected how she approaches music, but she tries not to let it dampen her spirit. Yvonne has skillfully reoriented herself, balancing the illness with her touring schedule.

Yvonne has acquired a hearing aid for her day-to-day dealings; however, on stage, she uses a unique in-ear monitor system developed by Sensaphonics (Chicago) that uses “Cros” technology to send the signal from her bad ear to the good one. Through this system, her brain gets “tricked” into thinking that she hears binaurally with her good ear. It has been a real game-changer.

In a recent interview, Yvonne was asked if having fluctuating hearing loss, vertigo, and being a performing musician were incompatible. She replied no, further explaining that “I have good days and bad days, and I’ve learned tricks to manage the Meniere’s attacks. To be honest, sometimes I win, and sometimes Meniere’s does. But writing and performing music refill the well for me. It makes me whole. I refuse to give up.”

Click here to discover more about this brave artist’s musical journey and how she overcomes trauma to excel in everything she undertakes.