THE MINDFUL PRACTICE ROOM
A community coworking practice space for musicians who want to develop consistent, healthy practice habits.
Practice is this space in a way that is joyful, explorative, exciting, curious, restful, and mindful, without the pressure to be perfect.
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We're here for you whenever you're ready. You are welcome here.
WHAT
This is not about learning how to press buttons faster, this is about incorporating creativity and mindfulness into your music and your life.
Join our virtual practice room to gather inspiration and stay accountable to your musical progress.
The session will begin and end with guided practice thoughts, with plenty of time to practice with curiosity, mindfulness, and exploration.
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In this space, you can:
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Practice fundamentals or current repertoire
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Score study
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Listen to recordings
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Improvise
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Compose
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Sightread
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Explore new music
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Chat with other musicians
WHO
The people who benefit the most from this space are adult hobbyist musicians who want to develop consistent, healthy practice habits. You only need your instrument and some music to work on!
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The space is facilitated by flutist, educator, and seeker of creativity, Ali Hoffman (she/her).
WHEN
Regular sessions are held every week on Mondays at 6pm ET and Thursdays at 12pm ET for 1 hour.
You can come to as many as you'd like and stay for as long as you want (you're welcome to come late or leave early)! On average, most people come to 2-5 sessions per month.
WHERE
All sessions will be held on Zoom. Meeting details will be sent via email half an hour before each session.
PAYMENT TIERS
The Mindful Practice Room offers a sliding scale to allow for economic equity and a more inclusive and accessible music world. This model is inspired by The Green Bottle Model from Alexis J. Cunningfolk.
Pay what supports you. Please pick whichever option you feel comfortable with. All are welcome.
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$20 per month is the average/suggested cost for individuals who can attend regularly.
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$30 per month is the suggested cost for individuals who can attend most sessions and/or have the economic means to support this cost.
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$10 per month is the suggested cost for current students, recent graduates, individuals with low income, musicians who can only attend infrequently, etc. If the lowest tier is still prohibitive for you, please contact me here and we can work something out.
For those who can’t afford music lessons, this is an excellent resource for accessing frequent, high-quality musical guidance at a low cost. The Mindful Practice Room is an enriching, thoughtful community for all musicians.
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Want to try it out first? Try it free for 30 days, no obligation, no credit card required.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
By setting up a subscription of any tier, you'll receive:
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Access to all sessions of the Mindful Practice Room, including Zoom link reminder emails 30 minutes before each session every Monday and Thursday.
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Access to the Mindful Practice Room Resource Library
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The Mindful Practice Bundle (PDFs):
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Weekly Practice Checklist
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Weekly Practice Planning Chart
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Sound Concept Map
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General and Daily Practice Guides
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A warm, gentle practice environment with weekly reflection questions and practice prompts to fuel your creative practice session​
Here's what the sessions look like:
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60-minute sessions with guided practice thoughts and reflection questions to offer inspiration and new practice strategies
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It's welcome and encouraged to pop in and out, even if you can only come for 15 minutes some days!​
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Bring whatever music you want to work on; this Zoom room is your practice room (but with lots of encouragement, accountability, and thoughtfulness)
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Check in with other musicians in the chat; share what you’re working on or what roadblocks you’ve been encountering in your practice sessions (or keep to yourself - many people do!)
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Camera on or off - you’re welcome here! We'll remain muted while practicing
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Come every week or pop in for the sessions you’re available
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Ready to check it out for yourself? Try it for free for 30 days, no obligation, no credit card required.
IN THIS SPACE,
YOU CAN:
Practice fundamentals or current repertoire
Score study - Listen to recordings
Improvise - Compose - Sightread
Explore new music -Â Research your instrument
Chat with other musicians
Breathe -Â Rest -Â Play
Join our Mindful Community of Musicians
FAQ
HOW LONG IS EACH SESSION?
Each session is 60 minutes, but because it's a very casual environment, you're welcome to come late or leave early. It's better to come for 20 minutes than not at all!
WILL THE SESSIONS BE RECORDED?
Because a majority of our time together is spent individually practicing (muted), the sessions are not recorded. If you can only catch part of the session, that's okay too! It's not a structured program, so it's okay if you can't make it every week.
DO I HAVE TO PARTICIPATE OR CAN I KEEP MY CAMERA OFF AND MICROPHONE MUTED?
You can participate as much as you'd like! We remain muted for the majority of our time together while we're practicing, and you're welcome to have your camera on or off. Some musicians like to connect with each other in the chat, but it's up to you how much you want to interact. You can either fly under the radar or feel the community of other musicians.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
You just need your instrument and any music you're working on. You're also welcome to bring composition projects, books, or anything new you want to work on during our time. The time here is yours, so you can spend it however will feel the best for you that week!
WHY WOULD I PAY TO PRACTICE?
Why would you pay for a gym membership when you can go on a walk for free? Why would you sign up for private lessons or coaching when you could do the research on your own? There’s beauty and focus in accountability and community. There’s a switch that gets turned on when you make a commitment to spend your time doing one thing, which is harder to find on your own. Plus, with gentle reflection questions and prompts each session, you’ll be stepping into a different kind of practice room than you’re used to. Instead of thinking about what’s going wrong, you’ll have brain bumpers guiding you to think in mindful and productive ways about practicing.
WHAT'S "MINDFUL" ABOUT THE MINDFUL PRACTICE ROOM?
In many traditional practice rooms at colleges and conservatories, students can often be found stressed about not being good enough, creating injuries for themselves by overpracticing, avoiding practicing by escaping on their phones, and taking a nap on the ground. Although it’s not always that extreme, it’s really common for music students to feel bad about themselves while they’re practicing and experience high levels of stress. Mindfulness is a state of being aware of the present moment without being overly reactive to your environment. In the Mindful Practice Room, we intend to think neutrally about our practice to be more productive and satisfied with our habits.
