Noise complaint
By David Fisher. Filed in life |Tags: Uncategorized
Against all my “good blogging” practices, I am going to share something that is personally pissing me off this evening that is surely bordering on a rant. However, I really would like to start a conversation with anyone that is reading this with ideas of what I should do and what other people in this similar situation should do.
I got a letter on my door today that said the following:
 ”It has come to our attention that some residents have been playing musical instruments very early in the morning and late at night. Please be aware that this creates a noise disturbance for other residents and is a violation of your lease. In an effort to create a more peaceful setting, we recommend finding a different location to play your instruments if necessary. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. -Mgmt”
Now I’m pretty sure this letter is directed at me, being that the letter wasn’t on anyone else’s door at all. I really and honestly try to be considerate with my instruments. I have lived in environments that people weren’t considerate with their instruments and it did bother me. I don’t like hearing drums at 1:30am.
At night (any time past 8pm or so) I try to really be considerate and generally only play my electric guitars unplugged, or my acoustic guitars. I don’t think that even playing full out, that an acoustic guitar at 10pm should be considered a noise disturbance. Unless this letter is referring to something weeks ago, then all I’ve really been playing lately are my acoustic guitars. I haven’t touched my bass in months for fear of upsetting the neighbors. My drumkit hasn’t had a single note played on it since I moved in here and it’s wasting away in the corner. If I was trying to be an inconsiderate asshole with my music, believe me… I’ve got the gear to do it if I wanted. But I’m not. I really am trying to respect others.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t have time during the day to play much, and with the weather outside I know I’m not going to head to a practice space late at night. I posted on Craigslist looking for a space in Back Bay/Fenway that someone wanted to split as a practice space. At the same time, I know that’s going to cost me at least 200/month just for a freaking room to play my instruments in. I really don’t have that at the moment.
Perhaps I’ve just been fortunate enough in all of my apartments up until now that a ‘reasonable’ amount of noise was ok. In Alston it simply didn’t matter. In Chestnut Hill I was on the end unit and had an 85 year old lady (I hope she’s still doing ok) that was partially deaf likely living next door, and she told me to play as loud as I wanted because she liked the music. In Somerville place #1 no one cared period. Somerville place #2 the neighbors upstairs didn’t care then either and were gone most of the time. Anyone living next door didn’t ever complain or care at all. I was much much louder there, but never at night. But now in Back Bay, it seems that everyone feels that things need to be whisper quiet.
An example of how jumpy the guy upstairs is; One night I had a friend over, and we were listening to Sgt. Pepper’s. Not at all a bass heavy album. It’s not like putting on Nine Inch Nails or a hip-hop album. I had it about the volume that you’d reasonably listen to a TV. We were able to talk with voices not raised at all. The next thing I know, after about 20 minutes he’s banging on the floor as hard as he can in an effort to tell me to shut up. Yes, I know that my speakers probably go an octave or two lower than most (probably ~40Hz?) but it’s not like I have a sub in here or something. However, when I walk upstairs, I hear his TV always cranked loudly (of course it has no bass) with sports games on. In all honesty, it’s probably technically louder than my stuff if you measure it by a weighted curve (dBA, dbC).
But I really don’t know what to do. I’d find a space to play, and that would be fine, but I’m already paying a grand a month for my apartment. If I’m going to shell out a total of $1200/month in real estate, I’m going to get a nicer apartment- not just some unheated practice space that my stuff will likely be stolen. I am not sure if I should confront the neighbor. I believe he also put in a noise complaint about the guys next door having a dog that he feels is “too loud”. The dog isn’t too loud. Literally the dog comes up to my window, and if anyone heard him I would! He isn’t loud at all. I’ve never spoken with this guy at all, and I don’t know if he’s reasonable to deal with or not. Should I contact the management and try to figure out something? Hell, I’d move into another studio unit they had if it was nearby and the people were less jumpy about noise.
I guess I just don’t like this all, because I am not “that guy” with noise. I could be, but I try to be reasonable and I’m not. I feel that I’m not violating anyone’s space or sleep. If the guy has sleeping problems, it’s not my fault.
I’ve never had problems with that, but some close friends had (on different occasions). On one of the incidents, the upstairs neighbour complained that one of them sneezed
I think you should avoid confronting your neighbour directly, but do have an honest conversation with your building management. Make them aware that you don’t think you’re making excessive noise and that you’re available to talk about it with the neighbour, if necessary. It’s sort of “the proper channels”, FWIW.
Anyway, good luck!
You were probably inconsiderate in the level of noise you had playing.
Also most all music becomes bass heavy with loud speakers. Nine inch nails is extremely bass heavy on albums like the fragile. Very rude to play loud.
Right, but as I said I wasn’t playing NIN. I was playing the Beatles one night (and not late at all), and playing my acoustic guitar. Not much bass to be had there. I figure that I should be able to play an acoustic guitar without people flipping out.
Maybe this is just because I grew up in a house, not an apartment.