MUSIC! CALL THE COPS
Constantin Ferrito, a neighbor, was an usher at the Stadium. Good for him. Not good for us — the neighborhood kids. Mr. Ferritto didn’t allow kids to sneak into the box seats, even though Cleveland Municipal Stadium was usually three-quarters empty.
Mr. Ferritto’s wife was also hard on us. Specifically, she was very sensitive to noise — except her son’s. Her son, John, played piano a lot. He would not shut up on piano.
I practiced an hour a day on clarinet; John Ferritto was just getting warmed up at an hour.
Another neighbor, Frankie, practiced a half hour on trumpet and a half hour on piano. His father kept a clock on him. Frank’s sister punched the clock for a half hour on piano and a half hour on accordion.
John Ferritto ultimately attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and Yale, and became a conductor.
Right now –- a million decades later –- a neighbor is playing drums a block from me. I might call the cops on him. I’m sick of hearing his drums. He plays in his garage, and the sound reverberates. He plays all year round, even during school hours; he must be an adult.
Should I call the cops?
Nobody called the cops on John Ferritto. Nobody called the cops on me.
Somebody did call the cops on Yiddishe Cup. We were playing a bar mitzvah party in a backyard in Shaker Heights. No music allowed in Shaker after 10 p.m.
I can’t call the cops.
My best option: Go nuts.
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Footnote: “Frank” is a pseudonym.
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Here’s an original yideo, “Is Dave Brubeck Jewish?”
5 comments
Bert, if I am not mistaken, there is a noise ordinance in Shaker with specific decibels involved. You might check it out.
Alternatively, you might talk to your council person about tightening the amount of time one can keep the noise going in terms of hours per day and days per week etc. Assert your rights.
Love your Blog Entry.
It made me laugh.
That is good.
Liked the video you made.
:-)
As president of the Drummers Organization of Nevada (otherwise known as DON), I take umbrage at your attitude towards drummers who practice a lot in their garage.
You should feel sorry for them. If they have a drumset in the garage, they don’t have a car!
I have e mailed your negative attitude to our brother organization, Jews At Central Kansas (also known as JACK)!
Whhhssss (The sound made while letting off steam).
When I was 17, I used to practice sax up in my bedroom. One Saturday morning my dear mother yelled up the stairs that there was a police officer at the front door responding to a neighbor’s complaint about my playing.
Since then, I’ve fielded a number of complaints about my playing, but that was the only one involving the police.
I used to have to practice my clarinet in the farthest (ickiest) room of the basement — with the door closed — because otherwise our German Shepherd would go crazy when she heard it….
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