It is so refreshing to hear Sacred Silence at the Papal Liturgy this morning in St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington. It is an excellent example of the importance of the absence of sound as beauty, accompanying the Sacred sound of liturgical music. Not every liturgical action needs the cacophony of a loud blasting hymn, although suitable in its own place.
This can be easily used as a teaching tool; not only silence itself, but the use of a similar reverential peace within Sacred chant, polyphony, and congregational music.
Amen! I went to a Teen Mass last weekend, and it was so loud I couldn't hear myself or my wife question. After the band ceased, my ears were ringing for a few moments. It's not just this Mass or parish, but just about every parish around me. The music is so loud that one can't focus or pray because they are preparing for the next wave of sound to come crashing down on them.
Unfortunately this is the style of worship we have nowadays, a real "Spirit of Vatican II" event, which has decimated the faithful.