Neighbor complains HS marching band rehearsals are too loud.

[babytrees]

I think 9 is a little late to be playing loud music. But it sounds like they basically within the noise ordinance rules. So I am not sure what he can do on an official level.

On a non-official level, if I were him, I would meet with the band director and see if practices can be restructured to reduce the noise later in the evening as much as possible. Maybe they can practice the music at 6, and the marching steps later or something. Or schedule the louder instruments at one time and the less loud ones at another. I find it hard to believe they are all marching and playing for 3 hours. Do they eat dinner?

On the other hand, I guess if you buy a house next to a high school, you have to expect things like that!

Denae

When my daughter's band has 6-9 rehearsals they are expected to have eaten before getting there. They will also play and march that 3 hours (there are breaks) but they are done right at 9. At this point in the season you really do have to be doing both the marching and playing or your show might be off. It's better than the other HS that starts late July with field practices at 7-7:30 in the morning!!

 

[Ride Junkie]

My first thought is: Why did you move into a house next to a school? Most schools have night games and other activities that will be noisy.

We will be looking for a house soon, and I'm definitely going to make sure we are not near a school (no kids anyway).

 

[babytrees]

I think they should either stop practices earlier or find a new venue. What they are doing is obnoxious.

I am sorry it isn't obnoxious....we don't ask football games to stop because they go past 9. These kids are not only musicians but athletes as well...spending as much time in on the field practicing as the athletic teams. You should take an afternoon and see the amazing sportsmanship and fantastic music that happens at competitions.

Sorry I'll get off my soap box now!!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I think they should either stop practices earlier or find a new venue. What they are doing is obnoxious.

I'm sorry I don't agree with you. These are high school students who may be the musicians of the world.

I live near high school and am proud to hear them practice, even past 9:00.
Would you rather them walking around the neighborhood causing trouble?

 

[Principessa Alba]

They should just deal with it. Sorry that the band is "too loud" but they were there first. .

I completely agree.

On the other hand, , I can imagine how I'd feel if I'd bought a house without realizing it would be that way somehow (the previous owner of our house neglected to tell us quite a few things). Can you imagine the first evening in your brand new home, you'd be thinking oh shhhhhhh....ugar. But I'd be thinking it was my problem, not the band's.

 

[MichelleVW]

I just find it odd that there are so many athletes in Marching band it didn't happen in my high school, or my DD's high school....you have to commit to one or the other, not both. My DD is a cheerleader and can't be in the band because they practice/preform at the same times....I don't understand how that would work for these kids?


Personally, I wouldn't complain about the band as long as they quit by 9, but I do think it's a little late...

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Did it upset you? How often and for how long did it occur?

If it did upset you, would it upset you less if it was local children celbrating their own victory?

I am just trying to grasp why people would be outraged by the kids doing it. I see why it would be annoying, but not to the levels some people took it.

It lasted for all of 10 minutes, and it a little annoying, but I dealt with it. They were celebrating the victory of the team they support and that's fine.

 

[Golf4food]

I just find it odd that there are so many athletes in Marching band it didn't happen in my high school, or my DD's high school....you have to commit to one or the other, not both. My DD is a cheerleader and can't be in the band because they practice/preform at the same times....I don't understand how that would work for these kids?


Personally, I wouldn't complain about the band as long as they quit by 9, but I do think it's a little late...

It happens more often these days probably. I was one of the better members of our band but also ran Cross Country, played tennis, and would have played golf as well if it didn't overlap with Tennis season at the time. We had a sax player on the football team. We had vollyeball players, softball players, etc. There were also drama members. We worked around things. It should all be about the kids and letting them do as much as possible to enjoy their time in high school before they are stuck with a mortgage and car payments and wishing sometimes it were Friday night again.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

It happens more often these days probably. I was one of the better members of our band but also ran Cross Country, played tennis, and would have played golf as well if it didn't overlap with Tennis season at the time. We had a sax player on the football team. We had vollyeball players, softball players, etc. There were also drama members. We worked around things. It should all be about the kids and letting them do as much as possible to enjoy their time in high school before they are stuck with a mortgage and car payments and wishing sometimes it were Friday night again.

so true!

also, the school I attended ( a very long time ago!) was quite small. The band students were the football players, the honor society, the student govt, ...you get the picture!

 

[Tiffer]

It lasted for all of 10 minutes, and it a little annoying, but I dealt with it. They were celebrating the victory of the team they support and that's fine.

I think this would be my reaction too. I may find it annoying, then shake it off. I would probably give them a wave as they went by.

 

[Laura]

What are they going to do when the football games are on? Those run later than 9pm, and not only are there TWO bands, but there are fans... cheering!

 

[Snoopymom]

This made me laugh because we live close to a highschool and the band sounded so awesome the other night, I had ds7 come out to hear it. I was impressed with how loud and clear they were, I was thinking how nice it might be to be able to walk over to see the game this Friday if they're playing at home...just find it funny how something I feel fortunate about is the complete opposite for someone else. That seems to be happening a lot to me lately

 

[KelNottAt]

I just find it odd that there are so many athletes in Marching band it didn't happen in my high school, or my DD's high school....you have to commit to one or the other, not both. My DD is a cheerleader and can't be in the band because they practice/preform at the same times....I don't understand how that would work for these kids?


Personally, I wouldn't complain about the band as long as they quit by 9, but I do think it's a little late...

Hi, OP here.

Being in the band qualifies for a fine arts credit. Therefore regular rehearsals are held during class time in the school day. So, yes, it's possible for athletes to participate. The outdoor practices are only held 2x per week and scheduled in the evenings as described in my first post.

I suppose there are some sports (e.g., football) in which it's virtually impossible to be a part of the marching band. But, for the most part, they make it work.

BTW, although this conflict is happening at DS's school, he's not in the marching band.

 

[Galahad]

DS's school marching band rehearses 6-9ish 5 night a week plus Saturdays when there is not competition. The H.S. is in a residential neighborhood. And they do have football players in the marching band (but then again, the marching band is a multiple time Grand National Championship winner and the football team hasn't won a game yet this season). The community are very supportive of the band! I think you should just assume there will be some sort of commotion around a high school most nights with games, events, etc.

 

[TwinsinCA]

I realize I am in the minority, but I feel sorry for the guy. It isn't fun when your kids can't sleep in their own home because of outside noise.

There are certain reasonable expectations when buying a house near a school -- there will be excess traffic during the beginning and end of the school day along with various special sporting events/dances/etc. That would certainly be enough for me to not ever choose a home bordering school property. But it never would occur to me that a band would practice in the *parking lot* at that time of day. I would assume any band practices would be held either on the field or in the gym. I would expect some level of inconvenience living near a school, but I'd assume these would be daytime issues.

How was this guy to know they practice then? Maybe when he bought the house it was the off season or maybe he was just never at the house during a practice. Most people don't camp out in the front yard for a week to see what sorts of noise problems might exist before buying a house. Unfortunately there are things about a house you simply won't know until you move in, and then it is too late.

I really don't think the guy is being at all unreasonble to expect that his kids can sleep in their own house without music being played loud enough to wake them up.

Flame suit on.

 

[katerkat]

I live on a military base. Therefore, we have planes flying overhead often, day and night. My house is also within hearing distance of the sports range, therefore I can hear the pop-pops from there. Oh, and we have the daily reveille, retreat and taps blasted over the loudspeakers. And an announcement testing the loudspeakers once a week, and all the announcements during an exercise.

I didn't know I could complain and get the military to change everything they've been doing for a couple decades!! (OK, I admit, I do yell "you're not allowed to fly so low over housing!" sometimes. I don't think the pilots can hear me.)

ETA: As for the kids sleeping - they get used to it. Russ is a BAD sleeper and he still can sleep through the planes and such. In Mississippi, the planes were allowed to fly all over housing and they were a lot louder than here, and I just got used to turning the volume on the TV up and down. It drove my parents insane when they came to visit, but for someone who lived there, it was totally normal.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

t it never would occur to me that a band would practice in the *parking lot* at that time of day. I would assume any band practices would be held either on the field or in the gym. I would expect some level of inconvenience living near a school, but I'd assume these would be daytime issues.

not flaming - I am just guessing you were never in field or parade band

first - field: the difference in noise between practicing in the field or parking lot would be negligible - it really carries.

second: you can't practice field band in the gym - at least when I went to school, gyms weren't the size of football fields...(and you have to practice parade band where you can actually have a parade, for the most part)

Band is a high school activity, so I do think it reasonable to expect this type of noise - even outside normal school hours (just as sports teams, etc may have practices on weeknight evenings)...though I can understand some not being fully aware

 

[Christine]

I realize I am in the minority, but I feel sorry for the guy. It isn't fun when your kids can't sleep in their own home because of outside noise.

There are certain reasonable expectations when buying a house near a school -- there will be excess traffic during the beginning and end of the school day along with various special sporting events/dances/etc. That would certainly be enough for me to not ever choose a home bordering school property. But it never would occur to me that a band would practice in the *parking lot* at that time of day. I would assume any band practices would be held either on the field or in the gym. I would expect some level of inconvenience living near a school, but I'd assume these would be daytime issues.

How was this guy to know they practice then? Maybe when he bought the house it was the off season or maybe he was just never at the house during a practice. Most people don't camp out in the front yard for a week to see what sorts of noise problems might exist before buying a house. Unfortunately there are things about a house you simply won't know until you move in, and then it is too late.

I really don't think the guy is being at all unreasonble to expect that his kids can sleep in their own house without music being played loud enough to wake them up.

Flame suit on.

No flames here. While I don't know that I would take it to the level that this guy is, as I stated earlier, I would have a tough time because I try to get to bed at 8:30.

And I would have been the bozo buying the house by the school and NOT having a clue. My high school, I believe, didn't even have much of a marching band. I know nothing of marching bands. Nothing. It would have NEVER occurred to me that the marching band would have been an issue at 9 PM. Traffic? Yes. Football games on the weekend? Yes. Kids roaming around? Yes. Marching music at 9 PM? Clueless. I would have assumed that any school practiced during the times I've heard my co-workers band kids practice--usually right after school until about 7:00 p.m. or from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

I'm betting the realtor didn't point that out either. But, it really does all fall on the guy. I just don't see why it might not be too much to try to compromise.

 

[golfgal]

Our high school marching band has the same schedule, as well as practice during the school day around noon or so. We have commented about wondering how people feel about the band practicing but since the school and the band was there before the houses they don't have much to complain about. I agree that it is assumed risk when you move into an area that you will have to deal with normal activities at the high school like band practice, football games, etc.

Our band also has later evening practices so the kids that are in athletics can also participate in band. Some sports are easier to do both. Volleyball and Swimming can't do both because there are too many schedule conflicts with meets/games/performances but the other sports work out ok.

 

[suzannen]

I guess I'm lucky in that I live across the street from a middle school and we never hear any noise after 4:00 pm. Personally, I think 3 hour band practice that goes until 9 pm is excessive. If all of these kids are involved with sports immediately after school (the excuse given for why it couldn't be earlier) and then have 3 hour band practice, when exactly are they studying and doing their homework?