I hope you're having a great day. This is my entry for this little experience promoted by 
This experiment is about what means to be a musician in a social context. In this particular case, there's some question to guide the posts and the narration of what happens next depends entirely on qualia (that's the subjectivity of individual experience). Let's have some fun!
Funny story: since I have curly hair I consider myself a kind of sheep. But just in looks. I suck at following people.
The Beginning
I've always felt different around the household. I was born a sensitive child but all that was torn apart from me by my mother and her lack of sensitivity. The only thing she couldn't quench was my curiosity and artistic sensitivities. And even though she never wanted me to be an artist in any sense, that's what I became. I started with poetry, then music, and music brought to luthierie (instrument's crafting). So in true Greek Myth fashion, by trying to avoid something, she pushed me right into the rabbit hole of art. And, lo, it is a beautiful place.
The Musician's Era
So after a lot of poetry, I finally became a musician at the age of 16. I had had a previous shot at it at 9 but I didn't like my teacher. So, I started playing Mandolin at that age. If you know the instrument, well, it is a treble-maker (horrible pun, yes). So for quite some time, my parents had to deal with me playing scales and tremolo for hours. And they didn't like it one bit. The neighbours might not have either, but they are the ones playing music out loud until dawn. It was fair game!
Then, I finished high school and move to Caracas to study Physics. Of course I brought my Mandolin with me, but it was a lot of work to study and keep the music going. I did my best to keep practising every day. I also had to keep the tight schedule for it. You see, my brother an I lived in an annex (think of a flat but smaller), in an old lady's house.
However, my brother used to told me about the people in the house liking the times when I played scales and tunes. During that time, one of the few musical performances I had was in a jamming session for the College's Rock Group. Yeah, playing Mandolin along a bunch of metalheads. It was funny and also very cool.
The other one was during the old lady's birthday. It so happens that one of her grandchildren (he was around my age) played the Venezuelan Cuatro. And that day I was rehearsing something when someone said from the house, "do you hear that? We have another musician around!" And one of the sons of the house lady came by and knocked on the door. Long story short, my brother and I got an invitation to the party because of my playing. I played with the other guy and with some musicians that arrived later. It was a great night. Lots of food, drinks and music!
But it didn't last because I wasn't doing great over there. I came back to town and enrolled in the local public university. When I began a lot of my relatives kept telling me to join the cultural groups of UDO. I finally did and well, it was blast. My 10 semesters at UDO were marked by music either playing the mandolin or singing in the choir. I attended festivals and we even made some recordings.
You may ask if my family is proud of that. I know my father is, but mom, oh, my, well she's stubborn to say the least.
Spending time at home
During the whole time at UDO, I spent hours rehearsing stuff. I kept my duties as a student as well. Needless to say, but I was #1 of my class. And it was one of the biggest graduations of the last years. So, yeah, there's that. Music also led me to know a lot of people I admire from the Traditional Culture Movements. I even kept playing for a while after those days were over.
Paradigm shift
However, I have put my mandolin in its case and there it rests. I don't play it anymore, but I learned to play other instruments. There was also this story about my mom threatening to kick me out of the house if I brought more instruments. Well, jokes aside, now I make the instruments, so there's that! 🤣
However, she might kick me out now that there's a lot of timber laying in different places. I'll keep you updated about my housing situation!
I changed instruments to play the Venezuelan Cuatro. It's also the instrument I make for the moment. That is until I move to a place where I can set shop and make the moulds for other instruments.
This is the last one to be made by my hands.
If you're asking how easy it is to make the instruments and also play them, let me tell it isn't. Playing an instrument isn't easy. Making them and playing them is worse. I just do it because I like challenges.
Noise
That brings me to this. There's always noise coming from the house. Sometimes it's me practising a tune. That's the good part! Then, there are the days of the sawing, sanding and hammering. I'm particularly fond of hammering frets into place making as much noise as I can. Why? It is cathartic!
Nevertheless, I have never had anyone come to the house to say anything about the music or the noise. I guess it's all around normal levels. Once someone came asking for the maracas, but my father said it was just some music playing. 🤣 And I must say that could've been the chance for some classes or playing in a band or something. But it is what it is!
Pondering
I had the chance to listen to some people practising in different stages of my life. Also, in Caracas it is common to find people doing it or planning something musical on the streets. Or at least it was back in 2010. However, I never had a practice partner. There are no other musicians in the family, and that's kind sad. On the bright side, I've never had to endure listening to someone sucking at their instrument during those months of learning. But others did endure my beginner stage.
But I have had people complain about my practise time, especially my ex-girlfriend. That was a good sign of the ending of the relationship. She suffered migraines which is a very bad thing to have when you are with a musician. And I have complained about my neighbours musical tastes. Especially, the new ones and their karaoke nights! Those guys wouldn't sing a note even if their lives depended on it! 😅 That must be karma coming back as a boomerang!
Other Musicians
I have had Musician neighbours in many occasions. A lot of them I never met in person, but I remember that when I walked in front of their houses I would stop and listen to whatever they were playing. Some of them were really good. In Caracas, there was this jazz pianist that played incredible improvisations. There was also a very nice girl some blocks away from my house that is an amazing pianist and is in Spain at the moment, I think. She invited me to play once but I didn't go since I was too busy during those days. And those are the ones I remember.
Conclusion
There's a lot to be learned about people's experiences around music. Whether you're a musician or just interact with them, music is around us all the time. Hopefully, your neighbours are good enough to share nice music or play their instruments in during not-so-late hours! As for the other black sheep around the world, you know you're alone, just a little bit different and that makes great!
On a side note, I lived with my grandparents for some time during 2019. They never complained about my playing; however gramps always said that musicians lived drunk! Funny thing! I remember drinking a lot but never being drunk during my active years as a performer. It doesn't go too far from the idea that some artists have created this bad rep for the rest of the guild. Everyone gets the image they like. That's how that works, for me.