Neighbour Complaints ! Options

[cellophan]

Goodness, that is a lot of instruments in one house, cellophan!!!

Lots of children, that is why!!

[sarah-flute]

Ahhh that figures!

[carys]

I think I'm far too considerate.

Me too, unfortunately. I got so paranoid about disturbing my neighbours when I lived in a flat that I all but stopped playing at all.

I moved out of my flat a month ago and am now living temporarily at my parents's detached house until my new (semi detached) little house is ready. It's brilliant to be able to 'let rip' with the flute again.

[sarah-flute]

I moved out of my flat a month ago and am now living temporarily at my parents's detached house until my new (semi detached) little house is ready. It's brilliant to be able to 'let rip' with the flute again.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hurrah.gif)

[ad_libitum]

I said to my neighbour over the fence "I hope my playing doesn't disturb you" and she said

"Was that you playing? I though it was the radio!"

I took it as a compliment, though she didn't actually say whether she thought it was any good or not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Robodoc]

Goodness, that is a lot of instruments in one house, cellophan!!!

Lots of children, that is why!!

The dining room contains a piano, 2 guitars, a bass guitar a clarinet a violin and several harmonicas and they're all mine!

I don't get complaints from the neighbours (the advantages of a detached house built by Vicotrians) but I do get complaints from the family if I play the piano before 7 am or after 11 pm (the guitar seems ok, if I play quietly!)

That's why I'm planning to buy a digital keyboard and headphones.

[deviless]

I live in a semi-detached house and my neighbour (who's house mine is attached to) can hear everything I play. I always feel obliged to practice every day, because I teach her piano, and if she doesn't hear me practice, how can I moan at her when she doesn't? I hear her practice too, that makes me smile, especailly if I hear it the best she's ever played it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Unfortunately they're moving very soon, so I don't know how the new couple will find it... *scared*

[livmaestro]

Well i have never had any complaints from a neighbour, even when i lived in a house last year with 2 piano players so at times there were 2 pianos playing seperate pieces and me on my clarinet/trombone/guitar! Unfortunately this year i have non musical housemates who don't get up until 2pm every day so sometimes i do get complaints about waking them up, but i don't care and they know it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Ayshah]

Nobody has ever complained to our faces and we have a piano, clavinova, 2 cellos, 2 violins, 2 clarinets and a bassoon in regular use. Fortunately the girl across the road also plays the bassoon because that can be loud!

We have never had any complaints. In 25 years we have accumulated & regularly use:
1 piano
2 keyboards
8 djembe drums
1 french horn
4 trumpets
1 pocket trumpet
1 fugelhorn
2 Euphoniums
1 trombone
1 clarinet
1 Alto Sax
1 'cello
3 violins
1 viola
2 flutes & a piccolo
2 thumb piano
4 guitars
8 harmonicas
Various Recorders
(1 vocal soprano)
loads of strange foreign percussion
General percussion, claves, tambourines, bones etc

I insisted that the Drum Kit had to go! And go it did!
We are now in a semi-detached victorian house & generally all are played regularly. The neighbours and passers-by often compliment the kids & husband on their practising. Friends are welcomed to practise here. This is a house of music. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

[Rosemary7391]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) You lucky person!!

It seems to me we are mostly in the grip of our neighbours...

[anacrusis]

My kids are more likely to complain than the neighbours are - though the neighbours' kids do occasionally put on cringey kiddie stuff at top volume when the baroque recorder music has got too much for them. I did have a surprise the other day though - my younger sprog came through and said "I've never heard you play that before" - it was one of the pieces I'd played in my diploma exam, but being modern and avant-garde, with horribly high notes, spiky runs of harsh double-tonguing and weird flutter-tonguing of low notes, I'd only dared to practise it when I could be sure that everyone from my family and the neighbours' was out...and she'd really not heard it before!
....even more strangely, she liked the wretched piece - "mummy, it's cool" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) .

[salrec]

Our neighbours have only complained once, and that was when we were playing in the room which has their living room on the other side of the wall. They aren't very sociable, and we hardly ever see them. Our music room isn't attached to their house at all, and so they can't hear our music unless all the windows are open in the summer. I do try to keep doors and windows closed unless it's really hot.

A recorder playing friend of mine lives on a farm about a mile and a half from their nearest neighbours. Her husband jokes that she made him buy that particular farm so that she could practice at all hours with only 300 sheep, two goats and a donkey to worry about. It's quite a liberating feeling though, playing there until late at night.

[blaNX...piano_newbie]

I've haven't recieve any complaints yet although sometimes I do start playing pretty late sometimes at 12 or 1 at night. They talk pretty loud though and plus our music room is connected to their conservatory so i guess they probably just don't mind as they're in their all the time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Glass Mountain]

Im lucky i have a vicar on one side and a priest on the other side (do you think someone is trying to tell me something?) and they seem to love it, especially in the summer when I sit and practice in the garden. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The Vicar seems to apprciate it more though.
But its all good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

x

Bring back the Vicar! I used to live next to one and he never complained about my teaching or the dog. Have only been at this house for 3 months and already we've had complaints about the dog barking (he does sometimes bark when my pupils arrive, but only 4 woofs about 5 times a day), and our son has been threatened by skateboarding at 7 pm on a Saturday night. He told him he's picked the wrong man to P*** off! Charming! He has also now put up a camera which is facing our gate, and thus, watching all the pupils coming in the gate - most being children. Does anyone know the law on this, as I'm worried that the children are on camera? I asked him not to threaten my child please and all I got was a load of abuse, punctuated by the 'F' word, which I might add we hear a lot of through our wall, yet have never complained. Any suggestions out there would be appreciated? We've had 5 houses in 24 years and have never before had a dispute with a neighbour It's very unnerving! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[Ayshah]

He has also now put up a camera which is facing our gate, and thus, watching all the pupils coming in the gate - most being children. Does anyone know the law on this, as I'm worried that the children are on camera?

Contact your solicitor and/or local police and local council immediately! I am sure there are laws against this in relation to children. I have children, young people coming to my house for individual tuition and no way would I allow this. There has to some legislation some where about this. Some parents may strongly object and refuse to let thier children come for tuition if they knew. What is his purpose? I mean what does he do about storing the film? I know as a parent I would not want my child filmed by the neighbour or in a similiar situation. Its bad enough with CCTV on the streets, but at least I have some redress and knowledge about the storage of public footage.