It made it difficult to reason with them, though I once tried to use a scientific argument – how listening to Mozart is said to be good for cows.’ ‘They would knock on the door and quickly run back downstairs to show their discontent. ‘Our neighbours below were sure that the violin sound wasn’t good for their newborn baby, regardless of the time of day,’ he recalls. Practising at home also caused problems for violinist Ilya Gringolts while living in New York. They decided they had to be able to practise at home, plus the relationship with their unhappy neighbour had deteriorated further because of the publicity. ‘We practised at college and at friends’ houses, and if we did practise at home, we always stopped if he asked.’ Despite support from their other neighbours, in the end the couple moved. ‘We did everything we could to avoid practising at home,’ says Ross. The pair had been aware of his unhappiness, but the action came as a surprise. The cause of the letter: just one unhappy neighbour who’d lodged a complaint. Two young freelance violinists living in a block of flats in Manchester, Hazel Ross and Oliver Morris, were sent a letter from their local council telling them that their instruments could be seized if they continued to practise. Back in 2007, one such dispute caught the attention of the national press in the UK. Sitkovetsky’s experience was extreme, but musicians often face conflict. He told me in broken Russian that if I didn’t stop immediately he would break my violin in half and then snap each of my fingers.’ And what did Sitkovetsky do? ‘I said, “Thank you for letting me know” and quickly closed the door.’ ‘After I’d practised for five hours, a massive, tall guy knocked at my door.

Most of the time, musicians and neighbours happily coexist side by side, but when disputes occur, there’s a chance things will turn nasty, as violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky discovered in a hotel in Novorossiysk, Russia. The sounds of practising can be as unwanted as a TV or radio on too loudly.

It can be a test of tolerance for some, living next door to a musician – or sharing a hotel with one.

How to make music without instruments