practice room locations???

[tonylee1977]

Hi, I am new to this forum and have my first question to get you guys to help me out with. I haven't really practiced my alto sax for about almost two years (I had been playing for about 8 years before I stopped). Besides my personal inexcusable laziness, it is mainly due to the inconvenience of getting a place to practice. A year ago, I moved into a house located in a very quiet residential area. Although I haven't really tried practicing in the house, there is no doubt that at least one of my neighbors that lives right next door is absolutely going to bitch at me if I start to play. Believe it or not, she came to knock our door a few times to ask us not to talk in our backyark when there were only me and my housemate talking at a normal volume. So, obviously, that's a lost cause. I graduated from UCSD half a year ago so of course I thought about finding a practice room there. But, the parking and getting the permission to use their practice room when I am not even a student there anymore make it a far less likely option for me. So any suggestion where I can go for practice? I don't have the money if not space to turn my room into a practice room and I'd really like to know if there is any place around San Diego (best near La Jolla) area that offers practice rooms for rent or better yet for free. Thanks for any suggestion from yall.

[Mike Cesati]

Don't ASSume the neighbor will bitch. Just start practicing at home a little. Practice at the same time regularly. As long as its not too late in the evening or morning you have a right to play a musical instrument.Also you should try finding an outdoor spot. I play alot outdoors when the weather gets good.I'm in the northeast so that is not an option all year but its great to blow near the ocean or on a dock.Do the Sonny Rollins thing and play on a brigde. I do that almost all summer.Sounds like you live where the weather is better so that should work for you.But start playing at home. YOU live there in your house not your neighbors.

[gary]

Don't ASSume the neighbor will bitch. Just start practicing at home a little. I would agree with the first sentance and caution on the second.

It might be that practicing will be accepted but bringing your neighbor into the decision may make the difference between agreement and resentment. Sometimes when people are given the opportunity to make a decision they go ahead and are reasonable, even if it's not exactly what they want. If you're skeptical about your neighbor, then practicing without consulting the neighbor will likely bring predictable results.

Of course, there are probably some sort of neighborhood or city ordinances that apply and you could force the issue based on those ordinances, which may or may not be practice-friendly. Here we, as professional musicians, are allowed by law a certain number of practice hours each day, but within certain paramaters.

You might be right by law and force the issue but I'm not sure you would really want to go there. Sometimes being right in such situations just doesn't benefit you in the long run.

As an alternative, have you considered a near-by church parish hall? I have done that in the past and it worked quite well. It was inconvenient to drag my horn, materials and equipment to and from, but I had freedom of mind when I practiced there that I didn't have in my apartment. I also played little ditties from time to time for the church as "payback" for the use of the hall.

[larry]

I use a relatively unused computer lab here at work during lunch. I think some people can hear me from the hallway, but no one seems to mind.

[Jon B. Bop]

You have every right to practice in your home during normal hours, at reasonable volume.

This is one of those situations where it's better to ask for forgiveness then for permission. :!:

[mark_m]

I used to have a stepvan that I'd park along a stretch of road between the freeway and the bay, and I'd just wail away out toward the water with reckless abandon. There was enough ambient noise from the freeway that I felt acoustically isolated, in a way, and the view of the water made it quite pleasant. Them were the days...

Now I live in an extremely quiet, woodsy area where we can hear the neighbors car door close from about 200 yards away. I have no idea what anyone thinks, nobody has said anything - I practice every evening from around 9 or 9:30 to 10 or 11. Weird. Even my kids haven't complained! Kinda scary.

[mark_m]

I guess if there was a point there, it would be to consider outside locations. It might be somewhere unorthodox (such as alongside the freeway...)

[tonylee1977]

hey, appreciate all your replies. Yet, is anybody on this forum from San Diego? If you are and you know where I can find practice or rehearsal rooms, studios etc... around San Diego, plz let me know. Thanks!! :D