Welcome!!

Usually, we can see this at the entrance of the homes where you are indeed well received. Places where you can find your friends, acquaintances, family. Maybe even some music teachers. I welcome you too, in my home, well, here just in this post, as we share this digital world. Here we can have fun and laughter too, the same as in our real lives. We can find here music, stories and thoughts. We can share our emotions, experiences and memories, grow together, support each other in doubts, or share happiness! And if you don't want to listen to my music anymore or read any of my thoughts ever, you can choose not to open my posts. That easy. However, in real life, my neighbours can not do that so easily.

Is there a problem?

That is not that easy to have a musician as a neighbour. No, it is definitely not easy. Well, depends on how good is the musician and whether the neighbours appreciate the sounds coming from your side of the wall. If you live in a house, where there is a distance between you and your next one, no problems. In buildings, where you live just a few metres from your neighbour (or you live below or above its apartment) the music you play can be heard much more.

Another topic is when you live in the same home with some musicians. And the most interesting phenomenon is having just one musician in a family. What the rest of the members could feel? Do they become annoyed sometimes? Do they always enjoy the sound coming from their son/daughter/mother/father/wife/husband? Do they secretly have some plans for how to get rid of the trouble sound maker? Hmm, could be exciting to know!

My first steps

You see, I was around eight years old when I started with my piano lesson. Believe me or not, I decided already that I would be a pianist. Or a piano teacher. Or anything connected to this instrument - the piano! The black and white keys started to be my main interest. I remember the moments when I wanted to play the piano late in the evenings. Around 11 p.m. when my inspiration used to come and force me to press those keys, my poor parents didn't have any other option but to smile and find it funny. Until some point, of course. They had to rest as they worked from very early in the morning.

Further steps

They got their relief when I moved to another city exactly for the reason to attend the secondary music school. It was the first time in my life to live in a building where many other families lived too. A new experience. The transition from living in a house to a flat had some challenges. Apart from the real challenge to move my upright piano to the eighth flat {small detail - the piano could not fit into the elevator}. Actually, I was lucky there, as the neighbours couldn't complain. The next-door neighbours were musicians too!! A mother, father and a son, and all three of them played the violin. The parents were professional musicians performing in the philharmonic of that city, and the son was still a student, just a few years older than me. That went easy, the poor were just those who lived below us.

Then I moved again. The piano went down eight floors. The same piano went up some stairs to my new place, a rented part of a house. An old villa, in the old part of the city. Thick walls. Practising sometimes until 2 a.m. No problems! It was cool, at least nobody said anything. There are two options: they liked my piano playing or they didn't really hear the noise because of the thick walls. Maybe the mixture of those two possible reasons why the neighbours were silent. But then I moved again. And once again... And again.

Now I live again in a building, in an apartment. Everyone in the building knows that I play the piano, I am wondering why :D But I am a good neighbour. I have a digital piano, so if it is late in the evening and I have to study, I do it with my headphones connected to it. Nobody else hears me, just me. The clicking sound of the keys can be heard, though. During the day I play with sound on and in summer when everything is open the neighbours whistle the tunes I play. Again, wondering why haha! Lately, it is just perfect for them as I barely find time to study seriously.

Do you think they will be happy when I move again?

From a neighbuor's point of view

I know some people telling me funny stories and experiences they had with their musician neighbours. One acquaintance's story:

A new neighbour came to the building, to live in the flat below her one. He asked for understanding saying he is playing the saxophone. Oh, it is not a problem - said the woman, we love music, it will be nice to hear you playing. She didn't know that the new neighbour just started to learn and the first six months it was just annoying blowing into the instrument, always the same note trying to get a good sound. Every afternoon for some hours. After six months she was out of mind and decided someone has to move. Or the neighbour or she! 😂

And what about you?

Well, this whole post is coming to the point of asking you for your thoughts. The small Q-inspired team would like to hear about your experience! So, let's do a small writing challenge!!!

Write a separate post on the topic, using some of the following questions as guidelines! @edje and I will gladly read them and pay attention to your thoughts and stories.

If you want to participate, write your post during the next week ( but also, it is never too late to give your thoughts on the topic :)) ).

This initiative is coming instead of the traditional Sunday guessing games.

The best posts will be pinned in the community feed.

So, the questions that may help:

-Are you a musician or have a neighbour that is a musician?
-Does someone in your close family play an instrument?
-Is it difficult to listen many times to the practising sessions?
-Is it nice, do you find joy in that?
-Did you have some funny moments?
-Have someone ever complained to you if you study your musical instrument?
-Maybe you are not a musician, either have a musician neighbour... but you like to listen to loud music?
-What was the wildest thing you made in your flat, bothering the neighbours?
-What is your favourite music you listen to very loudly??
-Has someone called the police?
-What do your neighbours listen to, and do you like it?
-Whatever your experience is around this topic, we would like to read in your post.