It's that time of year, folks: Another update on my ever evolving practice room! And believe me, this update is actually worth mentioning.
Four months ago, when Rachel and I first moved to our apartment in Chicago, I wrote about being pumped that my new rehearsal space was not going to be in a small wardrobe, like the last time I lived in a city apartment in Leipzig, Germany (You can read the post here). Yes, my practice space is still smallish, but it's WAY better than a movable wardrobe.
That being said, my bigger closet practice room still had a long way to go to become more practical. The biggest issue, by far, was that of soundproofing. Being in an apartment, there are people living above and below us, so noise volume can be a big issue (note: for others. I'm the loud one). And try as I might, it's VERY hard for me to have worthwhile practicing when I know that others can hear me, or worse: if they're annoyed with me.
There was also the issue of temperature (which fluctuates a lot), electricity (no electrical outlets in there), and space (no place to put computer and other practice stuff).
But Hark! Who is this on his way?!
It's Dad to the rescue!
My parents are super great for a TON of reasons. One of these (and this would barely make the top 100) is that they love to help out with projects every time they visit us. I mean, seriously, who are these people who enjoy doing house projects on their vacation!
So one of these projects was my dad helping me really upgrade my practice space, once and for all. And with the amount of hours I log in there each week, I guess it makes sense to spend a little time and effort making it as good as it can be. So after purchasing some large foam pads, a bit of lumber, some drywall, and insulation, we (or mostly he) got to work.
And after a full day, here's the finished the project:
My practice room/closet is now completely enclosed (all walls, ceiling, and floor) in thick foam padding, which really cuts the harsh noise inside the room. And here's the best part:
We added some major sound-proofing to the ceiling (where the neighbors could most hear me). You can't get a sense of it in the photo, but we basically lowered it a foot and filled it with drywall, insulation, and more foam. Pretty cool, I think!
And as you may have noticed in the first photo, Dad also built me a two-leveled table for my computer, fan, and other stuff. He even attached an electrical power strip to the table so I could plug everything in. So not only does this help my practicing, but with all this I can now easily record my BEATBoX SAX tutorials right there without having to set up a bunch of stuff or worrying about other people being nearby.
And as I mentioned, this is just a tiny example of how giving my parents really are. But despite the fact that I'll really never be able to thank them enough for all that they do, here's one more:
Thanks, Dad!!!
Four months ago, when Rachel and I first moved to our apartment in Chicago, I wrote about being pumped that my new rehearsal space was not going to be in a small wardrobe, like the last time I lived in a city apartment in Leipzig, Germany (You can read the post here). Yes, my practice space is still smallish, but it's WAY better than a movable wardrobe.
That being said, my bigger closet practice room still had a long way to go to become more practical. The biggest issue, by far, was that of soundproofing. Being in an apartment, there are people living above and below us, so noise volume can be a big issue (note: for others. I'm the loud one). And try as I might, it's VERY hard for me to have worthwhile practicing when I know that others can hear me, or worse: if they're annoyed with me.
There was also the issue of temperature (which fluctuates a lot), electricity (no electrical outlets in there), and space (no place to put computer and other practice stuff).
But Hark! Who is this on his way?!
It's Dad to the rescue!
My parents are super great for a TON of reasons. One of these (and this would barely make the top 100) is that they love to help out with projects every time they visit us. I mean, seriously, who are these people who enjoy doing house projects on their vacation!
So one of these projects was my dad helping me really upgrade my practice space, once and for all. And with the amount of hours I log in there each week, I guess it makes sense to spend a little time and effort making it as good as it can be. So after purchasing some large foam pads, a bit of lumber, some drywall, and insulation, we (or mostly he) got to work.
And after a full day, here's the finished the project:
My practice room/closet is now completely enclosed (all walls, ceiling, and floor) in thick foam padding, which really cuts the harsh noise inside the room. And here's the best part:
We added some major sound-proofing to the ceiling (where the neighbors could most hear me). You can't get a sense of it in the photo, but we basically lowered it a foot and filled it with drywall, insulation, and more foam. Pretty cool, I think!
And as you may have noticed in the first photo, Dad also built me a two-leveled table for my computer, fan, and other stuff. He even attached an electrical power strip to the table so I could plug everything in. So not only does this help my practicing, but with all this I can now easily record my BEATBoX SAX tutorials right there without having to set up a bunch of stuff or worrying about other people being nearby.
And as I mentioned, this is just a tiny example of how giving my parents really are. But despite the fact that I'll really never be able to thank them enough for all that they do, here's one more:
Thanks, Dad!!!