Ok, this is my 500th post. it was supposed to be special, but gmm1 already started that warm and fuzzy thread, so i am doing the OPPOSITE!!!

i hereby make a public statement that i hereby declare war on my wonderful neighbors. see they had a baby a while ago(2nd child), and i keep asking them if my piano is bothering them at night. the answer is no, we can only hear it in the bathroom. well we got a notice on our door that if i continue to play we will be evicted. ok fine, time for war!!! that was so uncalled for(what are they sleeping in the bathroom now!!!), i have asked them all the time, the answer always no. well, the dang women left the guy for a while, and when she came back she complained about everyone!!! including the neighbors across from us!!! i spoke with the manager where we live as we were dumfounded always polite to everyone. and the manager said that at 6am till 10pm i can play till my hearts desire. so i get it out of my system by 10. NOW everytime i play the dang women jumps on the floor where my piano is---talk about a distraction---i cant help it but laugh!!! i laugh all day long at how this woman is acting. now i must say i am not sure how to get back at her except to practice more!!! its actually very funny to hear her stomping around and am getting my kicks out of this, and practicing more!!! am i sick or what??? also should i get up at 6am to practice or would that be just wrong??? i havent yet, but tempting!!!! anyhow that is my vent for today......i just wanted to declare war, and if anyone has any ideas on how to deal with someone like this....


i would love to hear your stories of piano playing and neighbors!!!! please do share!!!

Funburger -

I empathize with your position as a new parent.

I don't understand why your neighbors didn't speak to you first. Many years ago, I went to grad school at Hopkins and lived in a building that included A LOT of Peabody students. I heard A LOT of beautiful music I (and some, well... interesting selections). The rather unspoken rule was that from 8 or 9 in the morning until 8 or 10 at night, well anything goes...but after that a knock on the door or wall meant, well stop.

The general deal was not to complain but if you had that occasional migraine, and asked sweetly, the music would cease.

How bout just showing up on the door step of the complainers, baby in tow, and asking what the problem is?

I used to live in an apt. where I could hear my neighbors going....ummm....potty....ugh!!! I'd much rather have heard a piano playing.

Did you bang on their door and ask them to 'keep the noise down'?

i would let her know you have the right to play till 10 pm..

since you have to live with each other, i would also play softly in the evenings. it's great for your technique anyway and you'd be amazed how softly one can play... and you learn just as fast.

-apple who still has 3 small children and respects their sleeping time.

LOL ...what's even worse the older lady that lived above me was always overflowing her toilet...yikes!!! I'm so glad I have a house now!

I once lived in a similar flat - my bathroom shared a ventilation shaft with all the other bathrooms in the building.

Luckily I wasn't treated to too many shocking serenades, but the one thing that really bugged me - there was a guy that ... I won't go into gory details. Let's just say he coughed a lot.

Yes, music is MUCH better to hear.

Funburger - oh my.... That is just wild. Thank goodness you can play to your hearts content till 10:00 pm at least.... oh wow... what a story. grrrrr.... makes you angry.... It's good you laughed - good attitude.


BTW: Congratulations on your 500th post! Right on! You've added a lot to this forum, Emily. Keep rockin, girl.

apple, i actually did that tonight, wow, the softness brought about a calm!!!SWEET!! thank-you:)

ok, you know the irony of it all, is every since she complained, it was 3 days ago---it has been storming every night loud thunders hahahahahahaha--and another one brewing now!!! ahahahahahahahahaha!!! this is much much too funny!!! but i have been quiet....on my digital with headphones, argh. but at least i can still play. but she started the stomping thing yesterday and today. it is quite funny!!!!! the woman has landed off her rocker!!!i started playing in feb. you would think she would have complained then as i was trying to find the keys bling blonk ping clank....just couldnt get the dang thing to start. i guess now revving to high......geeze why cant i keep this short.....

i thought the couging guy in the bathroom was rather groody, and the other one you could hear them go....YUCKO!!!!

dorrie, oh no not me with baby, not now anyways:)

sharon, always so sweet:) thank-you:)

ok so much for keeping this short.......

anyone have any neighbor stories to add???

I had nasty neighbours in a house I used to rent. I had my piano in the dining room and probably played for a couple of hours during the day, never at night or early morning. The first sign of trouble was when my neighbours started to play loud music on their stereo in the early hours of the morning (around 3-4am). This went on for a week or so until I decided to confront them about it. They told me that I can play my piano when I like and they will play their music when they like. Their aggresive attitude came as a shock because they had never mentioned my piano playing. If only they had said that it bothered them I would have stopped. Fortunately I moved out shortly after. Now, as a full time piano teacher, I am very careful with my neighbours. My piano room is isolated and so the noise doesn't bother anyone. I have had some trouble with my students using the road to park outside other peoples houses. Luckily this is not from my immediate neighbours who are all very nice.

I do feel sorry for your situation. Even though you make light of it all I know it can be very upsetting. Perhaps you could work out certain times of day when it is OK to practice on the acoustic. I hadn't realised that my old neighbour worked nights. I thought I was OK to play during the day but that was when they were sleeping. Maybe this woman could let you know what times are good or bad and you could use the digital at other times. War with your neighbour is not a good idea and will end up getting you down if it isn't resolved.

ROFFLMAO

This was strange because I live in a fairly large town of around 300,000. I was at Wal-Mart last Friday and I went over to check out and the lady looked familiar.

She said "Are you my neihbor?" I told her yes and she went on about how they were having a birthday party for their 4 year old and all the stuff they were going to be doing. She wanted to know if this was going to bother me and I stated no.

The reason she asked is because they are hispanic and they go all out. Loud music, toy rentals, those little things to hit with a stick and this will go on and on (I know this because I live next to many hispanics and I was with a hispanic girl for 5 years). They really celebrate life. The otherb reason is we live in townhomes that are connected.

I told her that I am sure I am more of a bother than they could ever be so have fun. She kind of made a scrunched up face and was like, I am not sure about that.

At this point she asked if I played the piano . I told her yes I am obsessive about it. She told me she knows because she can hear it and it sounds so beautifull. That was her exact words. I do not know if she was telling me the truth or fibbing because I was so nice about their noise or what but I now use the headphones when I play past nine.

I know I have never been turned in yet but out of respect for people that pay rent and have 5 people living with them I try to keep it down. I only turn it up loud now when I am making a recording so I can feel the music.

Well, I am sure I will not get much practice time in tomorrow because that is the day of the party. There will be a crowd of 30 to 50 and music blasting and it will turn into a block party befor you know it. I think I might just stay over at my mothers as I am heading over to see her today, she was wondering if I was going to stay over. It is a 2 hour drive so I do not make it out to see her that often being that gas is 2.93 a gallon.

I guess that is not a bad story. I have never had a complaint about my noise; that is to my knowledge anyways.

how did i miss this one?????

that was hilarious!!!!

I have lived in many places where the neighbor issues were awful.

Years ago I lived in an apartment where I was on the 2nd floor and I had people living below me that got home from work at around 1AM and started drinking and partying. The always played loud music...Eagles was their favorite...I still can't listen to Hotel California anymore. To make matter worse, these "all-nighters" included one guy practicing his Bass guitar..and you know how bass frequencies are...they go right through structure of a building. This happened 5 out of 7 nights a week. Then all day they slept and when I played my piano they pounded on their ceilings and shouted for me to stop! Confronting them was useless, they were rude mutant piglets (no offense to piglets). When I decided to move out I did a really spiteful thing. I took my stereo speakers and laid them flat on the floor speakers down. I put on Bob Marley and turned up the bass loud. Then I left for a few hours. I'm sure they loved that.

Living in apartments and sharing walls/floors and ceiling can be really hard. Good luck Funburger!

Hobie

back to back bedrooms are the worst.

I once declared war.

When I was in art school I lived in a flat on Exchange street in Portland Maine. It had been an old paper warehouse and we were the first ones to move in. We had to build the walls, put in the plumbing etc. As usual the owners first move the poor artists in to get things started then eventually raise the rents and start to move the higher paying renters in as the poor artists can no longer afford to stay. Over my flat was a slat ceiling that also served as the floor of the 4th floor. I had warned the owners that if they ever did move anyone in they would have to put in a drop ceiling as you can look right down through the cracks in the floor to my space. Sure nough they moved some rich lady in, did all sorts of fancy work on the pad but never put a drop ceiling in my space. Every time I would play the piano (which was most of the time) she would call down through the floor and ask me to stop. Being young and arrogant I started doing things like cutting my firewood with a chainsaw there in the flat. I would not only play my piano but sing as loudly as I could. I would play King Crimson records at top volumn and have rousing all night parties.

The owners eventually threw me out and moved some rich lawyer in. But I had fun while it lasted!

chris h., i dont know about finding out when its a good time for her. since she had her baby she told me my toilet flushing is bothering her.....needless to say i still flush!!! dont even get me started on the shower now!!! i am glad it all worked out in your case though especially being a teacher!!!

psychopianoman, hahahahahaha!!!! i love those block parties!!! i know exactly what they are......and yes loud isnt the word!!!!
i am sure she thinks your piano playing is amazing!!! i think it is:)

OH MY GOSH!!! that is just hilarious!!!!!

not sure what was funnier the lady calling down through the floors or the chainsaw!!!

yes!!! we had lived somewhere like that once......never again, i could have sworn that guy had a dog....but no it was his girlfriend.....

Hi funburger, I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Conflicts with neighbors are no fun, and the eviction notice was cruel and uncalled for. Even if she did go to the manager rather than do you the courtesy of trying to work things out face to face, the manager should have just come and talked to you first.

I don't have any annoying neighbor stories involving my piano, but I had a neighbor in an apartment complex come to my door and threaten to kill my cat if he ever saw her outside again. Apparently some cat had walked on his black sports car shortly after it was washed and left pawprints. My cat never got on top of cars, including mine, so I doubt she was the culprit (there were other cats roaming around that complex), but I didn't have much recourse because my lease specified not letting pets outside.

So I moved out at the end of the month and bought a tiny house instead. I may be one of the few people on the planet who spoiled their cat so much they bought a house for it.

I suspect there is more than meets the eye with your neighbor, funburger. You mentioned that she had left her husband/significant other? But then came back to him? And there is a newborn involved? I'm guessing this woman is seriously stressed out, and I suspect that is contributing to her pettiness and lack of patience with the piano. Don't take it personally. But I guess you'll need to abide by the your manager's rules, and just play the digital after 10 pm. Ignore the floor stomping as best as you can during the rest of the time. It will be good practice for performing in public despite distractions.

Yes, I have to agree...one apt. I lived in the walls might as well have been made of paper....yikes, the things I heard

Is renting a small house out of the question ? It would give you so much more freedom than you have now.

Yeah, the party has started outside. The kids are going nuts and the music is on. This will last all night now.

Time to throw my headphones on and hit the keys. This ought to drown them out.

Monica, that was so sweet to buy a house just for your cat:) you must really love him/her

Mr.joshua, houses in this area are WAY to expensive, the average house is 600k-1m,YIKES!!! way out of our range!!! maybe i can afford the tents in their backyards---haha maybe!!!

psychopianoman, how did the party go--did you get alot of practicing done?? :p

the stomping has been pretty consistent when i play right above my head....so i busted out my trumpet and played very loud,( ) and terribly. sure enough the stomping stopped. and they left all day yesterday. i had a wonderful piano day, learning a new piece!!! it was bliss!!!

My cat lets me live in her house.

I put in four hours of practice yesterday. It was not to bad but I also have a digital that I can crank up to drown out the noise.

It went on untill close to midnight. I survived, I hope they survived my noise as well.

cool avatar psychopianoman---i doubt they even heard a peep out of you!!! i am sure they were rockin the neighborhood:) they probably think your as quiet as a mouse:)

I had to change the avatar due to someone else using my chicken head. It was confusing because I would read a new thread and think "surely I did not say that".

I have a bad habit of seeing the pictures instead of names. Rocky changed and it through me off. I then started seeing everyone change so I thought I might as well go a little crazy with mine.

psycho....i like the avatar!