Well, I've recently joined this forum in the hopes that some advise may be given to a worsening problem of mine concerning the apartment I have lived in for five years.

Since I moved in with my mum there have always been slightly unsettling events occuring that have been no cause for concern up till recently. For four and a half years we have lived with strange banging, rapping and repeated knocking noises that although slightly disturbing, were no cause for concern and do not raise curiosity from my mother. For about two years I have lived with 'corner of my eye' sightings of odd whispy black shapes and movements which I dismissed as simply 'seeing things' until last year when I encountered the phenomenon head on in the center of my gaze for literally five seconds or so. I was naturally bothered by this but this has only been repeated twice over the months since it first happened. Another thing that I find strange but not upsetting takes place every week or so, usually in the afternoon or late at night. It is simply a 'tune' that is made up of a steady rythm that repeats itself for hours unlike any song I have ever heard. The strange thing about it is that it seems to come from nowhere. I have asked various neighbors whether or not they have being playing a particular song on repeat and I have twice checked outside to see if anybody is playing loud music in the street. I cannot pin-point the direction the 'music' originates from either.
I doubt I would even be typing this now if recently disturbing events had not taken place since a few months back. Every now and again I have experienced objects being moved inexplicably (I would be in the room and when my back is turned, the object in question would be at a different place to where it was before I turned my back), objects falling on top of me even if they are secure beforehand and other objects going missing inexplicably and then turning up just as inexplicably weeks later in places already searched.
My gerbils too, have started to behave oddly. I am well aware that animals have different senses to us and so may get scared by or notice things that humans cannot pick up (such as noises of a different pitch to what humans can hear that are made by everyday objects) and have taken that into account but recently their 'spooked' time which I have never worried about before has unsettled me, as they often stare into one place for ages while stamping their feat in alarm (as gerbils do when they are upset). They have also caught my mum's attention by constantly staring into a particular corner of her bedroom while sitting on my shoulder.
A few days ago I was in the kitchen which seperates two halves of the apartment and heard human-like movement in my mother's bedroom and was unworried for ten minutes until I saw my mum emerge from the bathroom (which is on the opossite side of the apartment to the bedroom). The movement stopped there and then.
Any thoughts? Although I am sure some sort of rational explanation can be met (this all could be lots of coincidences?) I am a little anxious about these events!

Hello Siren: Your story was well written and explained so I may have a thought or two. Since the music is occasional you might start with a good , long play recorder. Set it in a central area like a hallway or room separation. See if you catch any EVP's. And remember to listen to the tapes with some good quality head phones as some voices and sounds are at the boundaries of the human hearing range.
And by all means watch your pets. Animals are good detectors for a lot of things , even BAD PEOPLE. If they act strange , speak out loud and ask who is there , (while recording of cource).
If you get any results , bring them back to the Forum. We do have some Good Paranormal Investagators that check in here periodically.

Good Hunting to you!