Nobody wants a brass band moving in next door. Especially not when the future musicians are kids who haven’t quite figured out which end of the instrument to blow into.
I arrived home earlier than usual. The weather had finally broken after a long cold stretch, and I was looking forward to getting out on my gravel bike. Coming up the stairs I noticed something right away. A letter had been posted to every apartment door on the floor, each one accompanied by a small chocolate. Mine included. My first thought was that it was some kind of unconventional promotional material.
I unlocked the door, set the paper down on the kitchen counter and read it through. With only moderate enthusiasm, I learned that the kids next door were about to start music lessons and that there was no external rehearsal space available. They would be learning some of the louder instruments out there. French horn. Trumpet. Not exactly lullaby material.
And still, I was not annoyed. Not because I played trumpet as a child, though I did, but because of the way the letter was put together. Holy smokes, Lise. That is what good communication actually looks like.
My gut told me this was a letter that had been genuinely thought through and then written straight from the heart. Lise introduced herself with real humility, not assuming everyone in the building already knew her family. That kind of roundedness’ is rare and it is lovely.
Yes, there were a few spelling mistakes. But the letter did not feel rushed or thrown together. From what I have overheard, Lise speaks Italian with her kids, and translation tools, even the good ones, make mistakes. Nobody should be penalized for writing in a second or third language.
She did not pretend the noise would be a non-issue. She named it. And not only that, she offered solutions and made a personal promise to handle any concerns directly. Honestly, I wish more vendors and service providers would show even half that kind of proactive thinking.
If Lise’s kids turn out to be even half as gifted in music as their mother is in communication, I think we are all going to be okay in this building.
Warm regards, Ralph
