Neighbor complains HS marching band rehearsals are too loud.

[Philadisney]

oh boy I would hate to have to listen to any sort of loud noise for hours a day. for years i lived in the center of philadelphia, and had sirens at all hours, buses, garbage trucks, and screaming drunkards. it was awful.

soooo...I moved. i knew it was expected that if i lived in a city, i would hear all those city noises at all hours. i would think someone buying a house near a high school should expect to hear band & athletic practice sounds too.

sucks for the neighbor, but i don't think the HS band is being unreasonable.

 

[Jennasis]

Well I was going to side with the school until I read that practice is from 6-9. First off, i think 3 hours is a bit much for badn practice...but that's totally just my opinion. I have a friend whose son is a drum major and they take their band very seriously. they have been known to have practices that last all day on weekends!

Second, I think 9pm is an unacceptable time to be practicing to. When exactly do these kids do homework, study and eat. Perhaps they should structure practice at a normal hour and those who can make it to practice get to be on the band and those who can't, don't.

HOWEVER, the school was there first, so the neighbor is out of luck. He knew it was their when he moved in, when they had the baby etc. I once covered a story about angry neighbors complaining about the airport they lived near. Seems they were angry about the noise the planes made. The reported and I actually asked them if they moved in before the airport was built and BOY did that make them angry! The airport has a curfew though...no take offs before 6am and no landings after 11pm.

 

[budbeerlady]

I dont think it is unreasonable that they are outside practicing. I would find it entertianing and probley have people over to watch them (If I lived right next door) and serve margarittas! As for practicing so late, if we werent in sports we worked untill 9pm or 9:30 each night and then studied.

It is alot better than the hillbillys that moved next door to us cussing out their kids all the time, that got old the first night! I would rather hear a marching band every night from 4 to 10 pm than them!!!!!! Hey wanna come over and watch the neightbors, I'll serve drinks to entertain us all! (Disclaimer: you really cannot see the neighbors but from our deck but you can hear them plain as day. Sound really can carry out there!!!!)

 

[Independent]

9:00pm is not unreasonable for High School kids. They are not toddlers. They are teens.

And 3 hours practices, 2x per week is nothing. The guy should count his lucky stars that they are not practicing every night. For those who think 3 hour practices are too long just don't understand what it takes.

FWIW - My kid's school has lots of athletes in the band. And they practice in the parking lot because:
The freshman football team has games on Thursday nights
Varsity plays on Friday nights
and JV plays on Saturdays.

So, there are some weeks that there is a game going until late 3 out of 7 nights of the week. The other nights the 3 teams are practicing or other sports are practicing.

Our marching band starts practice at 6:30am before school for an hour. They also have their evening practices. 7am on Saturday mornings.

Caveat Emptor

 

[golfgal]

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?

Well, most of the kids that are in band/sports are also honor students, at least at our high school. Kids find the time. It is only 2 nights/week that they practice in the evening so it really isn't that difficult to plan ahead. A 3 our practice for marching band is pretty typical for the school year. These kids have to memorize ALL of their music and all of the show in such a short time. Go watch a good field show marching band sometime and you will see what I mean. We are the top rated band in the state of MN and our kids put in a TON of hours to get there but it pays off for them and they LOVE what they do.

 

[teacherforhi]

Right now my school system is under heat restrictions and no one is ALLOWED to practice outside until 6:00. The local high school (that was just built last year) has been having practice until 9:00. My nephew and I sit outside and dance to the music. Once it's cooler, I know they'll be practicing earlier, but for now, we just deal with it.

I find it FAR more annoying to listen to the team get slaughtered during football games, but we don't complain about that either.

 

[MichelleVW]

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.

I guess I was just thinking about football/cheerleading. Since the band/football team and cheerleaders are ate the same game at the same time so they can't do all of them!

 

[KimAshton]

Sometimes my high school has footballs games at night. Would the person complain about that??

 

[dahirsh]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I did grow up down the street from my high school. I imagine they knew the school was there when they bought the house. Unless local laws prohibit loud noise past a certain hour, they just need to get used to it. I don't think our band practiced outside, but we sure heard the football games and track meets

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I guess I was just thinking about football/cheerleading. Since the band/football team and cheerleaders are ate the same game at the same time so they can't do all of them!

they did at our school!

no, they weren't in the stands to play - but come half time they were on the field in their football and cheerleader uniforms marching with the band!!!

(and as someone mentioned - most were also honor society, so clearly found a way to make all the hours work!!!)

 

[coolshannie]

In my opinion that is ridiculous for that person to be complaining. If you move by a High School you have to expect the noise of activities and such.

At my High School Marching band is Early bird Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. and every tuesday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.