I have a bit of a dilemma...

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My daughter wants to be a drummer and singer. I'm all for this, but I've run into some issues in supporting it and encouraging her to develop these interests.

1) She's only 5. I hesitate to support this too early as I worry she may get it into her head this is the only thing she can ever do.
2) Funds are pretty much non-existent. Lessons, a drum set... etc all cost money I do not have.
3) Space. I'm in a tiny apartment and haven't the room for such equipment.
4) I have shared custody, so even if 1-3 weren't an issue I'd still have to worry about her not practicing while at her father's.

I'm open to suggestions.

Of the 4 issues, I think #4 kind of cancels #1.

If she spends significant time at her Dad's place; she will perhaps develop some different interests in his environment.

As for resources; where there is a will, sometimes the cosmos provides the way. Schools used to provide music options for kids to learn instruments at school; lessons were provided free of cost; often the parents needed to rent or buy the instruments. This option was offered starting somewhere between grades 3-5.

I am afraid there may yet be another issue. If you live in an apartment, the noise may be unfair to the neighbors. Is there sufficient time when they are away at work when your daughter is home and can drum? And if so, is she disciplined enough to stick to the time allowed without acting out over the restricted schedule?

Really nice post and i also like the music..My favorite song is Let's have rain over me..Really nice..

If you're worried about the cost of buying a kit up front, just get her a set of sticks and a practice pad (can be had for less than twenty bucks. My pad cost me five, sticks cost me about 12 a pair and are fairly expensive as far as sticks go.) and see if she really keeps it up. A lot of people want to pick up drums because they think it's easy, but it's actually very difficult which may lead to her giving it up after a short time.

If she keeps it up for a time (6 months to a year), cheap used kits can be had for 200-400 bucks. Or, if you have any skill in making things yourself, you can make an electronic drum set for about 40 bucks before the module, and a used module runs 50 bucks to a few thousand depending. Mine cost me 100. You'd also need a cord for every drum and cymbal (two for the hats) which can run anywhere from 10 a piece to 40 a piece depending on the length and quality of the cord.

As far as lessons go, check out drumlessons.com. It's a free site that covers everything a beginner should know (both on a pad and on a kit) with video lessons, and ramps up in to the intermediate range which should be good for 3-5 years of work. After that self teaching is normally the way to go.

For me when I was a kid, my dad actually had a drum set and all that equipment, so I got to play his whenever, haha. But, when I was a kid, I was so ridiculously self motivated, I'd never really *ask* for lessons, I'd simply just try to figure out how to do it myself, and ask as I got stuck. I'd say see if you can find a set of drums (buy used, so you can sell it back later for approximately what you bought it for on craigslist or whatever) and/or a microphone (microphone would be cheapest, or even as simple as a karaoke machine) and just let her play with them a bit. Worry about professionalism and lessons and whatnot when/if it comes up. But, just let her get time alone with the drums or the microphone, or both, and then when lessons come up, they'll come up. But, you don't wanna force her into lessons right away, as she might burn out and hate it.

Money's really all you gotta lose on this, so just be smart with your money, and buy stuff efficiently. It could be a phase or something like that, or she could just REALLY love it, and really take to it, as a parent you don't know, so kid's "phases" are sorta something you gotta gamble with it a bit. A used drum set shouldn't be terribly much money, so worst case scenario, you buy it for...let's check Craigslist right now... $300-500 Karaoke machine should be like, almost nothing. But, if you got the cash to spare, let her try it out, just don't spend a ton of money on the initial tryout period. You possibly have any friends in a band or whatever that'll let her play their drums? That'd be an option.

EDIT, actually on craigslist, I'm seeing a few sets go for $100, so you might get lucky. Just gotta look.

You're welcome Tea