So I got a Bylaw Warning Notice for Noise...

[simmer2]

This is somewhat of a venting post, but one I can hopefully find some help with. Today I get home from work and find a nice blue piece of paper from the City of Calgary by-law services...there is a box under Noise checked off which is "Noise which disturbs a person".

I'm taking drum lessons right now and I have my drum set out in the garage. I practice generally when I get home from work around 5pm for about 30min...that's it. Now I get this notice saying I'm making too much noise. So what I'm wondering is this:

• What are the repercussions if I decide not to do anything? I mean, I'm playing them early evening for 30min...seriously.
• It states I need to ensure I mitigate the noise of the sound. I could go buy dampening pads but those are $160...I'd rather not if I can avoid it.

It bugs me that my neighbour wouldn't just come talk to me, that's what really pisses me off. But I can't do much about that now.

So to anybody specifically who plays the drums, have you a) been in this situation before and b) done anything about it to reduce the noise level without spending $160?

[ken0042]

Is your garage insulated? Roxul acts as a sound barrier as well as insulating.

[jar_e]

The bylaw now states that at any time, any place in the city of calgary that a noise complaint is valid and that a summons can be issued for it. So you could get a ticket...i think its $115? or $172?

And considering you've had a warning, I doubt bylaw would be too lenient from here on in.

[simmer2]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Is your garage insulated? Roxul acts as a sound barrier as well as insulating.

The garage is insulated but I don't think all of it is. I think the garage is 30 years old so I don't know everything that's behind the walls.

Is there anything that can insulate the garage door at all? Even putting Roxul up on the door?

[jayswin]

Yeah, when I started learning I had the same thing happen. They just called the cops without talking to me. It sucks, but unfortunatley drums are just really loud.

Eventually I talked to them and we worked on some times that they were generally out. They admitted that the reason they didn't talk to me first was because it's a big city and they just weren't comfortable confronting someone they didn't know, which is understandable.

Do you know which neighbour it is? If so, maybe just initiate discussion yourself, as that worked for me. You may be in the same situation, where your neighbour just isn't comfortable confronting you about it.

[3 Justin 3]

If you playing at 5:00 PM and people are bitching I wouldn't do anything about it. I'd keep doing it, and then look to see if any neighbors are watching than go yell at them.

Honestly, if people are bitching at 5:00PM for noise, they have to be the most prickish person imaginable.

I got something sort-of-not-really-similar. One day Bi-Law came to our house and said we had 7 days to cut down our tree because it was too big or going over the fence. The thing that really pissed me off is that someone couldn't grow a pair of balls and just come talk to us. Effing cowards, angers me way more than it should. I find those people are just pathetic shallow worthless humans.

Edit: Just saw the posts above me. Well, like I said I'd continue to do it (for like a day or two) and see if anyone is watching, then go talk to them.

[ResAlien]

*RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE* You broke the law. Think of your neighbours, think of the children! You're human scum! *RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE*

[wooohooo]

My roommate uses those electronic drum set things. Don't hear a thing... it's great. I know it's not the same but it's better than annoying everyone.

But since you have your own place... can you move your drum set inside?

[PIMking]

Go out and start your lawn mower in the driveway and rock out!

[Bill Bumface]

I would go talk to my neighbour. If they are a real chicken poop they will deny they complained, but if they admit it, they will likely be intimidated (since they obviously have no balls) and I can imagine it would be pretty easy to get them agree to a time they don't mind you practicing if you say you'll keep it to just 30 minutes or whatever and give them your number so they can call if its a bad time. If they're half decent they'll feel guilty about calling the cops again and will hopefully just come over and let you know if they need to take a nap or something and want you to pipe down that day.

[simmer2]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Yeah, when I started learning I had the same thing happen. They just called the cops without talking to me. It sucks, but unfortunatley drums are just really loud.

Eventually I talked to them and we worked on some times that they were generally out. They admitted that the reason they didn't talk to me first was because it's a big city and they just weren't comfortable confronting someone they didn't know, which is understandable.

Do you know which neighbour it is? If so, maybe just initiate discussion yourself, as that worked for me. You may be in the same situation, where your neighbour just isn't comfortable confronting you about it.

I spoke with a couple of neighbours (the ones with kids) about the drumming and they said they'd let me know if it was a problem. So I figure it's either the house right behind me or the one on the other side of me...I'll maybe go talk to them. I'd ideally like to just find a time that works for them and continue playing.

As for drums inside, the only room we have that would work is a concrete room and it would be stupidly loud in the house; that's why I figured the garage would be a happy medium, far enough away from everyone to cause problems.....

[mikey_the_redneck]

Welcome to modern city life. Most people have no balls so they just tattle to whoever will take their complaint. Unfortunately, the squeeky wheel gets the greese.


That being said ....tell them to shove it.

[LockedOut]

That sucks. So neighbors can send the bylaw officers at me for cutting the grass. I'm sure it makes more noise than drums do.

[Bownesian]

If you haven't done so already, you can put some blankets or sweaters inside your bass drum (which makes a big difference in deadening what is the loudest part) and hang some quilts up in the garage (over the windows and/or build a fort around the kit) which should help some.

One of the drummers I played with had composite plastic sticks (they were 7 x 1/8" cylinders that were lashed together) and they were pretty quiet. You could also play with brushes but they are pretty lame unless you're into that sort of music.

[burn_this_city]

Just get a cheap set of electric drums. They arent loud and you can still learn the ropes on them.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm not taking a shot at the original poster. But I know that in a city like Calgary people aren't going to go over to their neighbors to ask them to turn down the damn music, and I don't blame them after reading some posts here.

I would go talk to my neighbour. If they are a real chicken poop they will deny they complained, but if they admit it, they will likely be intimidated (since they obviously have no balls) and I can imagine it would be pretty easy to get them agree to a time

If you playing at 5:00 PM and people are bitching I wouldn't do anything about it. I'd keep doing it, and then look to see if any neighbors are watching than go yell at them.

Honestly, if people are bitching at 5:00PM for noise, they have to be the most prickish person imaginable.

This isn't the 50's where people talk to their neighbors anymore, its the sad fact of modern society.

And how do you know that one of your neighbors doesn't work an unusual shift, or doesn't have another reason why noise at that time is an intrusion.

As has been stated drums are loud, maybe some people don't like bashing percussion when they're having dinner, or watching the news. They have every bit as much of a right to peace and quiet.

Knocking on peoples doors and asking them if they have problems with you drumming probably isn't a great tact unless its handled properly. Watching for someone watching you and marching over to yell at them is ridiculous.

Find a way to insulate the sound. Don't continue to aggravate the situation by pounding away because all that's going to happen is that they're going to complain again and your going to start paying fines.

To be honest drumming is different from car sounds and different from mowing lawns, so in a lot of ways openly drumming loudly is probably an annoyance to a lot of people.

To be honest, my neighbor plays the worst music in the world at spinal tap level 11, now I'm different in a lot of ways because I don't intimidate easily and I'm old school so I'll politely tell him to turn it down and he mostly listens.

But if you have a neighbor who's a woman, or elderly or timid they're not going to do that. But they have the right to peace and quiet.

find a way to muffle the sound, or move the drums into a quieter area, because to be honest you're the one causing the disruption here, not your neighbors.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Find a way to insulate the sound. Don't continue to aggravate the situation by pounding away because all that's going to happen is that they're going to complain again and your going to start paying fines.

Exactly. They were already aggravated enough to call, now that that mental barrier is broken down, they will have few, if any, qualms about calling again.

As a musician, or a budding one, I think you have a responsibility to not have your sound intruding into the homes of others. My guitar amp is easily loud enough to generate a complaint on demand, which is precisely why it gets used only in the basement, not in the garage - I feel I have a responsibility to contain my sound and volume levels.

Another thing to consider is how irritating I think (based on my wife and kids...) practice can be for other people. I know full well now that you can play plenty loud for a good long time, as long as you aren’t practicing the same lick over and over and over and over

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

blah blah blah

I didn't say "Intimidate them".

The type of person who won't go talk to there neighbour is likely scared of confrontation.

In my experience, when you approach these people in a reasonable fashion and they realize you aren't the boogy man, they become a lot more reasonable than they are in the anonymous situation.

If they aren't reasonable people, they will likely be intimidated that you now know who they are, and who cares for what reason they stop complaining, they're dickwads anyway if they aren't grown up enough to knock on their neighbours door to discuss a concern. Whether it's the 50's or not.

[Locke]

Get muting pads or an electric set that you can plug headphones into.

Some people dont properly appreciate how loud those things can be, and yeah, even for 30 minutes that enough to push someone off the deep end.

I know it sucks because it seems like you're being pretty reasonable but what can you do? Drums are loud and if I'm waking up at the crack of 5 pm with a vicious bloody hangover well.....well....well, I wouldnt be phoning bylaw thats for damn sure.

[T@T]

Holy crap, the city can charge you for noise between 5-6pm?

I live in Harvest Hills, I am formally protesting every flight out of Calgary International Airport and demanding all flights cease after 5pm due to the noise that effects my conversations at dinner.