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Dave Grohl’s letter to Cornwall Council is as lovely as it is unlikely

John Plunkett. Updated January 5th, 2020

The good people of Letters of Note shared this letter Dave Grohl wrote to Cornwall council and it went viral because it’s so unlikely and such a lovely thing to do.

And here it is in full.

Hero. And here’s a little bit of what he had to say.

“It has been brought to my attention that the band is having difficulty functioning within the current noise restrictions placed upon them by Cornwall Council, a maximum of 30-40 decibels (approximately the level of a dishwasher at 15 metres distance).

“Music is not only a healthy pastime, it is a wonderful, creative outlet for kids, and fosters a sense of community necessary to the emotional and social development of any child.

“[It is] crucial that children have a place to explore their creativity and establish a sense of self through song [and] the preservation of such is paramount to the future of art and music.

“Without them, where would we be? As a proud father of three aspiring musicians myself, I have always made this a priority in our home, to get great results.

“For the sake of your local band Black Leaves Of Envy, and for the generations of young musicians that they may eventually inspire, I ask that you reconsider the restrictions put upon the volume of their private rehearsal space. I believe that in doing so, you will be sending a message that Cornwall is not only a home to music and the arts, but a place that encourages children to follow their dreams in a world where anything is possible.”

And how people responded when it was shared on Twitter.

Not everyone was impressed by it though.

And just in case you were wondering …

He wrote the letter in 2016, and here’s the council’s response back then in full.

“The Council is legally required to investigate once it has received a complaint about noise. In this case we have received a number of complaints about the level of noise. We have not, however, told the band to stop playing or told them they must keep sound levels below 40 decibels. We have not prescribed a set noise level but have advised that the sound levels are currently too high. We have offered to work with them to look at ways of reducing the noise levels by suggesting they look at installing some sound proofing into the garage to address the problem or possibly compromise by looking at playing only at certain times. We have spoken to the owner of the property on three occasions so far and are arranging to visit them to try and identify a solution.”

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