Neighbours

[chopinspride]

 

 

I live in a semi-detached house and I want to be a concert pianist.

I (with a little help from the bank of parents) bought a grand piano for a very considerable amount of money and placed it in the best place for us. Prior to it's purchased I asked the neighbours and they said "There's always been music in the [my] house." and they said "we never use our lounge" which is where the piano's sound would have carried to the most.

A year later: "we can hear the piano." (Why wait a year???) So we moved it to the opposite end of our house. The move cost us £200.

Another year later: Our window was attacked by a broom as they said my practising was a "bit much." They said it was "unfair." They also said "i'm going to do something about it."

Wait....was that a theat?



Ok... i do practise 8 hours a-day, but half of that time in spend in school. I get up at 4.30 to go into school and practice and please them. I don't play at all on saturdays because i travel to a music school 400 miles away to get my lessons. I don't play after 9 or before 8. I always close the doors when i'm practising. The piano is on the opposite end of the house from them. I am miffed.

As for the "I'm going to do something about it." What does that mean? Will the break into my house and destroy the piano?

They are not going to negotiate at all. I cannot buy an electronic piano to pracitice because then my piano would be a giant waste of money. I'm 14. This is my future. I want to be playing in concert halls all over the world in 10 years. They are over 70. They could be dead in 10 years! I've comprimised enough. They want no noise, how can they have that in a semi-detached house? They could have a teenager who invites 100s of people round to have wild parties. Music blaring. I am so angry.

 

 

[fleetfingers]

As for the "I'm going to do something about it." What does that mean? Will the break into my house and destroy the piano?

They probably mean legally, but I doubt there is anything they can do. Otherwise, I'd think they would have done it already. They're just trying to scare you, so you'll stop.

You're 14 and you spent a considerable amount of money on a grand piano and spent money to move the piano? With all that practicing, how do you find time to work???

[chopinspride]

They probably mean legally, but I doubt there is anything they can do. Otherwise, I'd think they would have done it already. They're just trying to scare you, so you'll stop.

You're 14 and you spent a considerable amount of money on a grand piano and spent money to move the piano? With all that practicing, how do you find time to work???

I know. I'll change it . I did technically spend all my birthday money on the deposit for the piano. The bank of parents helped me out with the rest

[fleetfingers]

That's what I figured. How do your parents feel about it?

70-year-olds shouldn't be picking on 14-year-old kids. Let your parents deal with the neighbor situation, and you keep practicing until they tell you otherwise. At least that's how I see it. If I found out my grouchy neighbors were spewing threats at my kids and coming after them with brooms, I'd beat the crap out of them - well, I'd get my husband to do it. No, not really, but I'd be upset. It's really something the adults who are involved need to discuss. Perhaps, it is not fair that you play so much. They are elderly people who probably take naps during the day and would like a little peace. On the other hand, you are a teenager who has a dream and is willing to work hard at it - like you said, you're not some drug-dealing, garage band, partying kid. And you are not making noise too late or too early. It seems that something can be worked out. Good luck with your situation.

[i_am_joey_jo]

Yes, as long as it's during daylight hours I do not see the big problem.  I think maybe they had it in mind you would do an hour of practice a day and not 8!!

How do you concentrate on your school's homework if you practice for that long? 

Another thing that confuses me and don't take this the wrong way:  You only live in a semi-detached but can afford a grand piano?  That's like buying a Ferrari and living out of a dumpster is it not?

[countrymath]

I think you should practice louder.

[chopinspride]

Yes, as long as it's during daylight hours I do not see the big problem.  I think maybe they had it in mind you would do an hour of practice a day and not 8!!

How do you concentrate on your school's homework if you practice for that long? 

Another thing that confuses me and don't take this the wrong way:  You only live in a semi-detached but can afford a grand piano?  That's like buying a Ferrari and living out of a dumpster is it not?

I do my homework on the train to my music school!

Well it is a really complicated situation. To cut a long story short, when my grandparents died, my dad had an affair. My mum and I moved into my grandparent's old semi. They had money tied up in shares and my mum decided to sell them to buy the piano.

[nataliethepianist]

Hey, they first said it was fine, and to not bring up the point that you wanted to be a concert pianist and why on earth you bought it in the first place it what confuses me! Tell them to pay for sound-proof walls if it is that obnoxious (and I highly doubt it is).

As for the threat, I wouldn't take it as a threat. They probably meant that if they get "too annoyed" by it that they will call the police or something like that.

Countrymath is right, you should practice louder...

Anyway, to conclude, I would politely tell them of your wish of becoming a concert pianist, and that 8 hours a day is how long you should play. Good luck with your studies, as well.

- Natalie

[fleetfingers]

Well it is a really complicated situation. To cut a long story short, when my grandparents died, my dad had an affair. My mum and I moved into my grandparent's old semi. They had money tied up in shares and my mum decided to sell them to buy the piano.

Yeah, that's a bit complicated. I'm sorry about your grandparents and your dad. You have a great mom for sacrificing to get you a nice piano for your studies.

[ramseytheii]

If we are convinced of what we must do, we must ignore all obstacles in our path.  That means obnoxious neighbors.

If your neighbors are bothering you, in the sense that their comments sting, perhaps you should consider the possibility that you don't sound good while practicing and they have a point.

If they don't have a point, stop complaining.

Walter Ramsey

[iainhol]

Fighting with neighbors can be awful - we had a problem with a lady at our weekend house who walked her wolf hybrid by our house, and as our dogs barked she struggled controlling hers. She did all sort of things, called animal controls complaining that our dogs were at large, etc. I went over to her and said we are neighbors, we should be friends - we made a plan on how it should work.

I would go over there, be humble, express your passion for music, your goals, your hard work they could very well turn around and be friendly - I would not worry about the threat, most are empty - I would much rather a 14 year old playing his piano then getting smashed on Stella and breaking windows.

If that does not work out - let me know and I will give you plan B.

[chopinspride]

I just want to thank you all for your support. Things have settled down a bit, it will maybe be another year until we hear from them again. My neighbours aren't willing to negoatiate at all and anyone that comes to visit us gets glowers and stares from them. Gee wizz. They like to bully and intimidate people, they did so to my grandparents. Hopefully I can just get on with my life. Ok, I admit my practising can get a bit boring, but apparantly, if you close all the doors the sound is actually very faint in our own house.

Iainhol - plan B sounds illegal. Tell me more...

[djealnla]

Perhaps this explains your problems?

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46147467851

[oxy60]

Punks, rebels, tweekers are everywhere. Their goal in life is to make other people miserable. The seniors next door could fall into that category.

When we get to a certain level the pieces take longer to learn. Sometimes a thousand repetitions is not enough.

Even a fully detached house may not be far enough away to loose the sound. In a quiet area I've heard piano playing 1km away.

I would love to sit behind an 8 foot grand but I would disturb 50 families within earshot.

[floydcramerfan]

When I was in college and I was trying to learn a piece, I would practice on my keyboard either very low or with headphones on because I suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked and didn't want anyone, not even my bears, to hear me butchering Bach.  I waited till I could actually play the piece coherently before I played it where anybody could hear me.

[brogers70]

Perhaps this explains your problems?

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46147467851

I really liked that. It's good to remember that the things that we think are wonderful, profound and beautiful, and give life meaning, may drive other people absolutely crazy. And vice versa.

[iainhol]

Not really illegal just slightly dishonest - but the idea of mine came from a friend who was an AVID radio controlled helicopter pilot who used to annoy his neighbors by flying his gas powered helicopters in the street. The neighbors called the police on him a couple times, so he turned around and wrote a letter from Lockheed Martin stating that they had been aware that one of their senior UAV researchers had the police called on them during a flight test in the neighborhood. He went on to state that the micro technology had to be tested on such a large platform for all the performance and data analysis but was the actual software and equipment was the test bed for the next wave of military spy aircraft that will be operating in dangerous theaters by the end of the year.  He bought a track phone, gave a phone number and thanked him for his understanding and sent it to the entire neighborhood. My friend flew his helicopter everyday with no more complaints, angry neighbors or police calls.

So basically you have to lie - if they like emerdale farm send a letter from the producer stating that they became aware that the young man next door was disturbing them with their piano, however he has recently been put in charge of the music for the series and you appreciate their understanding. You could do this from anyone - the church (you are playing inspirational music to the sick) to the Queen (who has a direct feed into your house to listen to you play piano). Sometimes the more outrages the lie, the better -

[nataliethepianist]

I don't know why, but the neighbors of yours are really starting to remind of the 3 monster old ladies from the Percy Jackson books, so be careful if they use their knitting needles to try and kill you...