GR Symphony & The Eagles

We attended the GR Symphony Friday evening and had dinner with some wonderful friends. The Symphony was featuring "A Night with The Eagles" or something along those lines for a title! I have seen the symphony do other types of music, including playing music to a large screen showing cartoons - I expected them to play Eagles tunes. Actually, the three guys pictured above (well one looked very gender-challenged in person and I'm still not convinced it's a man) sang - did a concert and the Symphony played. They both were very, very good. The only problem for me was the deafening noise level. I would never have imagined the Symphony would crank the amps like that.

I am (and always have been) very sensitive to loud noise. I don't like it and it physically bothers me. I went to a concert as a teen and said I'd never do it again - it makes me feel like I'm going to die. Well, this was that loud. It was tough to sit there. I don't understand why concerts are loud. If you enjoy someone's company and conversation, don't you want to talk with them? I doubt you want them SCREAMING YELLING in your face. I want to listen to music I enjoy - NOT be ASSAULTED by it.

I know that for some time, scientists have connected loud noise (all loud noise, not just loud music) to increased risk of heart attack and increased blood pressure. Excessive exposure to loud noise also increases the risk of psychological disorders, especially depression. I have just been reading it can also cause heart arrhythmias and lung collapse. I couldn't find anything about how I feel - I get chest pains (but pulse OK), breathe with more difficulty, my head hurts enough to make me teary-eyed, body tension off the charts and this feeling - I don't know how to describe it - like I'm in serious danger of dying. I have to use self-hypnosis to talk myself down and stay calm when I'm around such horribly loud music or other noise. At the symphony I just focused at a point on the wall and concentrated on breathing slowly and chanted internally. Even though it lasted just 1.5 hours, it felt like 10 to me. Such a shame because really and truly the Symphony played beautifully and the singers were great - sounded just like the Eagles (when I could hear them/distinguish it from just loud loud nothing coming at me).

So someone please tell me why other people (other than me I mean!) like to be physically asaulted by music. I realize I'm more sensitive to it than others, but honestly - my question is do you like to be talked to or screamed at? Isn't music the same? Listen to it or assaulted by it?

On the upside, dinner was GREAT, walking downtown with friends was AWESOME, conversations were FANTASTIC and it was also fun to see everyone ice-skating at Rosa Parks Circle! Advice to the GR Symphony: turn down the amps.