Klarinet Archive - Posting 000846.txt from 2000/02

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Apt Dweller
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 08:39:52 -0500

Kristin writes,
>First rule of living in NY - don't be intimidated. Second, assume that you
can work things out. NY operates on "massive cooperation". <snip> Have a
friendly chat with the neighbor. <snip> [W]hen would it not be a problem to
her if you played a little nice music? And which room is better...?>

I think this advice is more likely to get good results than a legal battle,
which IMHO would cost everyone a ton of money, satisfy nobody and make
everybody involved hate each other forever. Who needs it? When my husband
and I lived in apartments, our procedure, before we ever practiced a note,
was to go introduce ourselves to all the neighbors and ask them to please let
us know if our practicing ever bothered them. We also found out something
about their schedules, so that we could make an honest effort not to practice
when the sounds might wake people up or interrupt meals. In other words, we
invited our neighbors to perceive us as real human beings, not as nameless,
faceless noises. It's been our experience that people will put up with
things from friends that they won't tolerate from strangers. We had a
problem with a neighbor only once in many years of apartment living.

OTOH . . . I do sympathize with both sides here. Yes, a musician needs to
practice. Yes, some neighbors can act itzy-pitzy about things and some are
cranks who make a career of picking fights. But, still, this neighbor signed
a lease with every expectation that it bought her freedom from having to
listen to people practice, since the contract stipulated as much, in writing.
The unfortunate reality for the clarinetist is that, legalities aside, IMHO
the neighbor plunked down her money in good faith and has a moral right to
get what she paid for. If it's already too late for schmoozing to calm
things down, the clarinetist will have to find another place to practice or
another place to live. In such a no-win situation, I generally find that I
enjoy life more if I give in gracefully and exit the scene altogether, as
quickly as possible -- which, in this case, would be the minute the lease
expires, if not sooner. Can you sublet?

All this reminds me of the famous story about the violinist, Jascha Heifetz,
practicing in his hotel room before a concert. He heard thumping on his
ceiling. He ignored it. The thumping resumed, at higher volume. He ignored
it. Then he heard loud, persistent knocking on his door, bam bam bam bam bam
bam bam bam . . . . Whoever was out there wouldn't let up and Heifetz
couldn't practice against this racket. Finally, he set down his violin and
answered the door.

In the hall stood an irate woman wearing a flowery muu-muu and fuzzy pink
bedroom slippers. Her hair was done up in pink plastic curlers. She yelled
at him, "Don't you know what time it is? You're disturbing the whole hotel!"

He drew himself up proudly and said, "Madam, I am Jascha Heifetz, and I am
preparing for a recital in Carnegie Hall."

She hollered, "I don't care if you're Liberace! I'm entitled to my sleep!"

Lelia

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