Irritating musical family

[CurtainWitcher]

Namechanged, as this is outing.

We moved into this house in Jan. A neighbour introduced herself and we clicked well as we have DC of a similar age.

I'm a Music examiner and teach at a local school (which her DC don't attend). She was very keen to let me know how musical her family are, even inviting me over to hear her children play their instruments.

The problem is that it's ramped up a notch during lockdown. Her DC have been entertaining the close (four houses) by playing their instruments in the street. She even joined them today (her DH is the only one who isn't involved, but she asks him to film it on his phone).

The thing is that this all seems to be very much aimed at me, and seeking my approval, which is uncomfortable and intrusive. DH is convinced that she encourages them to go out and play as soon as anyone steps out of our house. She's also sent me lots of videos of them, on Whatsapp. I always praise them, but it's getting ridiculous. Their playing is fine, but certainly not extraordinary.

WIBU to politely discourage their persistent performances?

OP this is hilarious! How utterly self absorbed would you have to be to think the cu l-de-sac want to hear your family ensemble of a night? OP could you ask their permission to film them as they are extraordinary and share it here? This reminds me of a class party I attended with dd when she was 6 and one of the other mums (completely uninvited) produced a cordless mic and got up at the front and started singing an unknown-to-anyone song, saving her arms in the air like she was a pop idol 😂 She went on for ages and then asked if there were any song requests. All the other mums stood there like 😲😲😲 At the end of the party she got up again and kindly requested that her 'performance' was not shared on social media. No one had even filmed her in the first place 😂

It's very like that, PicsInRed!

Today, when she, the mum, joined it was awful because she sang a folk tune in a bewildering Irish-ish accent, smiling at me the whole time.

I have to live in very close proximity to these people and really need to think carefully how to encourage them to stop without causing a problem.

Could you out and join in ? Sing along, but sing shittily - out of tune and out of time. But LOUDLY. And beat them at the eye contact game. Make them not want your approval.

Obvs you may well wreck your professional reputation, but it's probably worth it.

This would be my nightmare! I have a "friend" who sends me long, long WhatsApps, very detailed with perfect punctuation and grammar, asking for advice, support, endless questions. There is only one way to deal with it - cut them off, be brutal. They are not respecting your privacy.

Tell her you have been made redundant/ handed in your notice and are now working for a company which researches the value/ beneficial impact of silence on communities/ mental health.

Such great ideas! Thanks everyone.

I don't think she's competitive with my DC, she just seems to really want to promote her family as very musically talented, for some reason.

Just tell them to f** off. There problem solved.

Pretend to answer phone every time, wince and put your finger in the other ear like you can't hear the phone. Every single time

Oh no. Surely it doesn't take much jsut to smile and nod and say they're great.

I thought you were going to comment on that irritating family that somehow seem to have wangled a couple of slots of BBC Breakfast (The Marsh Family, from Kent).

Place an empty tin in front of them and give them 1p. [emoji]
Seriously, are they bringing out all the instruments? Bonkers.

emoji was

Are you being asked to go out to watch? Jesus, don’t open the door more than a crack and hiss ‘Not now, busy’. Shut door, don’t explain. Stop tolerating her shit! God, this would drive me potty.

Get a friend who is tuneless to record a song and send it to them, telling them how good it is

Why on earth do you have her on Whatsapp?

Just block or mute them on social media and stop engaging.

Get a Didgeridoo, open your window and give them a blast every time they start..?

Hyacinth & Emmet🤣

Sorry OP. I'd be irritated to death in your shoes. If you can't tell them you'll have to effect bland disinterested expression and no eye contact when they're putting on their performance for attention. I do feel sorry for the children though, what on earth are their parents thinking of? I bet they look back on all this in later life and cringe.

I have some distant relatives. Moved to a yorkshire village. All the kids played instruments.
Within a week they were referred to the von trapps

Put some Slipknot on and open the windows next time they start up.

Okay, wow.

Fuck!!!

I personally don't think you would be being unreasonable to throw a bucket of ice cold water over them all so long as you did from 2 metres away.

Tell her “you’re taking the piss”. She’ll look embarrassed and scuttle off.

Aren't the other neighbours equally annoyed?

does she maybe think you actually enjoy their performances?

As you and your kids are musical you have a few options here,

1. encourage them to go out and out perform her children
2. ask them to perform and having them answer you very loudly about how incredibly cringe worthy that would be
3. critique their playing

Were they playing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by any chance?

I am a member of a local musical society. We got an email this week saying that there was some initiative to encourage people who play instruments to play this during the clap for NHS, the email included attachments with sorts for most instruments.

I decided not to. I wasn't going to inflict my rendition of this on my poor unsuspecting neighbours. However, on our Facebook one of the women in the society posted a film of her and her DC playing outside their house last night.

Your post made me smile BTW!

Oh no, we're a 'musical family' (as cringe as that sounds). I opened the thread worrying it's about us .
Phew it's not but I do wonder what our next door neighbour think. Between us we play the piano, flute, recorders, guitar, violin and sing! Never during unsociable hours of course but more frequently during lock down. We never ever pester anyone with recorded videos though apart from grandparents who are suitably proud

You need to be clear with this woman. Text her, thank you for sharing but please do not send me any more videos.

I feel for you, your neighbour sounds obsessed

Super awkward

This has made my week
The eye contact it is priceless!