Music education in a divorced family

[J. Dan]

So no matter the instrument, daily practice is essential.

 

So we've run into this multiple times already. We're 50/50 custody. Sending instruments back and forth, especially through school is next to impossible, the other 2 options is duplicate instruments at each house or only 50%(at best) practice. My daughter took guitar for a while, got frustrated and quit. My son wants drum sets at both houses. They are interested in keys, but only have piano and keys at my house.

 

 

I know some of you have been through this. Advice please?

 

They are 6 and 9. I have them mon, wed, and every other fri/sat/sun....mom has inverse.

[Kenny Ingram]

I used to be in a similar situation. When I lived at both houses I had one digital piano at each house (and one acoustic at both as well). When I became more and more interested in playing keyboards (more than one at a time; more sounds), I bought an 88-key Kurzweil keyboard which I was planning to bring to each house (depending on the week - not sure how well that would have went). It ended up happening just as I made the decision to stay at only one house, meaning I could continue to accumulate gear and keep it in one spot.

 

Other than trying to get instruments that have an aspect of portability to them, duplication may be the only other solution.

[yannis D]

Its a hard situation anyway... A thought: maybe you could get in touch with a music school near your or your ex wife's house and keep/store there the instruments you already have. So the kids could go practise there, accompanied by you or your ex wife. Its cheaper to "rent" a small room than buy two pairs of drums, keyboards, guitars that your kids might abandon in some years time.. Just an idea but it could work...

[sMatt]

with that kind of bouncing around, I would think 2 sets of instruments is the only solution. might also contribute to some sense of stability.

[MuzikTeechur]

My music room has been a "Neutral Zone" for budding musicians for years. My piano lab and practice rooms are open for students before and after school, and most of the day. Little hard to hear during Concert Band rehearsal, though.

Ask your child's school music teacher if there is a place your children can practice on the "off" days.

[MAJUSCULE]

Not sure I can be of any more help than the previous responses what with physical instruments, but making sure that they're listening to good stuff that gets them interested in music and maybe in their specific instruments can be quite galvanizing. Get 'em into the good tunes!

[lightbg]

How about a pair of iPad 2's and two cheapie controller keyboards? My Samson Carbon 49 was about $100.00, and powers off the Pad. This way you can keep your investment costs down and yet the kids can use the iPads for school and other activities.

[Bobadohshe]

I have a motivated 11 year old student who is dual custody. Fortunately both parents are super into it. She has a piano at one house and at the other house they just got a piano. There is still the headache of 'she was at her mom's mostly this week and she forgot her books so she couldn't practice', but overall this student is making great progress despite her domestic arrangements.

[Outkaster]

For me I was probably 13 and my dad went out and bought an acoustic piano and it had a lot of balls for an old piano. That solved me being able to play or practice at both places. I was glad my dad was at least able to do that in 1981.