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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
A bit absurd? Although I'd be pretty pissed if I can clearly hear my neighbor practice 8 hours a day and would not try to compromise. That's why I play on my digital piano most of the time and move over to the grand when the piece is somewhat tolerable to listen to...
Playing the piano eight hours a day five days a week can lead to a prison sentence. That has happened to a pianist of Girona, for whom The prosecution has asked seven and a half in jail for disturbing the sound to a neighbor.
The trial Puigcerdà pianist Laia M., accused of crimes against the environment by noise and mental injuries, for molesting a neighbor with the sound of the instrument, will begin on November 11 in the Court of Girona, has informed Europa Press your lawyer.
According to the tax qualification, pianist and performer who was then 26 years-and that officials were studying music-playing the instrument in 2003 at his home five days a week, from 9.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00 hours, without the soundproof room where he was rehearsing.
Girona's Procuratorate held that exceeded the instrument sound "maximum immission" permitted by law, and therefore requested a sentence of seven years and a half in prison for piano, four more of ineligibility to play the instrument to Laia M . and their parents, a fine of 10,000 euros and 9,900 compensation.
The neighbor complained in March 2006 to the pianist and his family before the City Council because he resented the constant sound of the piano, after which the council four times visited the family to insonorizaran within 15 days of the instrument room , some requirements which were rejected.
A consequence of the "noise" of the piano, the neighbor asked off work for mental injuries such as anxiety, sleep disorders and panic episodes, plus gestation problems in the last months of pregnancy.
According to the lawyer of Laia M. Europa Press, it is "a mistake" because you can not consider the sound of a piano as a source of noise pollution damaging the environment, as would be the noise of a nightclub or airport.
Previously: Kawai MP-10, 1980 Yamaha C7, 2012 Young Chang Y175
Yes, I'd agree that is disgusting. We need to practice!! Sound blankets could help, and probably fit the bill, but the charges against the pianist are shameful and sad. I'm pretty sure most pianists can't afford to soundproof their practice room, nor can they just move whenever (nor should anybody!).
A Spanish prosecutor's office has conceded that the customary 7 1/2 year prison sentence for noise pollution may be too harsh for a pianist who practised at home.
The office for the northeastern region of Catalonia said in a statement released late Friday that it was studying a request for a partial pardon for 26-year-old Laia Martin, a professional musician, given that a "prison sentence could be considered overly stringent."
The office had recommended prison earlier in the week after a neighbour — referred to as Sonia B. in the prosecutor's statement — said noise from Martin's five-days-a-week, eight-hour practice sessions had left her with psychological damage, subjected her to great stress and even temporarily forced her to move out.
Martin told reporters gathered outside her house that the neighbour was exaggerating. No musician, however serious, practised eight hours a day, she said.
Marc Molins, the musician's lawyer, said the penalty originally sought by prosecutors "should be reserved for very serious and offensive conduct."
The prosecutor's office had also originally demanded Martin be banned for four years from any profession that uses a piano.
That last part is pretty ridiculous... I guess they wanted to be extremely punitive by killing this person's livelihood.
Previously: Kawai MP-10, 1980 Yamaha C7, 2012 Young Chang Y175
It seems as if they're asking for the 7 years, not that she's truly facing such a thing. And from the original article, which didn't translate terribly well, apparently they were supposed to have soundproofed the room if she was going to practice at a level significantly above the legal noise limit. They didn't do that.
They might not have been able to afford to soundproof the room, but at the same time, they had enough money to buy her a piano and pursue the career, certainly they can understand the necessity of the professional expense of finding her practice space somewhere if it's become clear that the "train at home" plan isn't working for reasons of living in a densely populated apartment complex.
My au pair is from around there and speaks Català , which is the language of the region where this dispute is taking place (I speak Spanish, but not Català ), and we looked up a few more things about it and she summed it up thusly: "that is one crazy neighbor. But that family really dug their heels in when they didn't have to."
Remind me never to visit Spain. perhaps all this publicity will put her into the limelight once this ridiculous verdict is thrown out. Reminds me a little of the Amanda Knox thing.
