THE MINDFUL PRACTICE ROOM
A come and go as you please community coworking space for musicians who want to stay in love with music.
Exist is this music space without pressure to be perfect in a way that is joyful, explorative, exciting, curious, restful, and mindful.
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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. Join anywhere from your living room to your college practice room.
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
Any musician: student, hobbyist, or professional who wants to develop healthy practice habits within a community of thoughtful musicians. 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. We have approximately 8 sessions a month.
WHERE
All sessions will be held on Zoom. Meeting details will be sent via email half an hour before each session.
SIGN UP HERE
The Mindful Practice Room is a come and go as you please, welcoming, accessible community for all musicians. In an effort to keep the community affordable and flexible, there are 3Â payment tiers available.
​NOTE: Payments will be accepted up until one hour before each session. Any payments received within 1 hour of the start time will be applied to the following session.
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[Current students: MPR is included in your tuition!]
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.
$30 per month is the suggested cost for individuals who attend frequently and/or have the economic means to support this cost.
$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.
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:
Access to all sessions of the Mindful Practice Room, including Zoom link reminder emails 30 minutes before each session every Monday and Thursday.
Access to the Mindful Practice Room Resource Library
The Mindful Practice Bundle (PDFs):
Weekly Practice Checklist
Weekly Practice Planning Chart
Sound Concept Map
General and Daily Practice Guides
A warm, gentle practice environment with weekly reflection questions and practice prompts to fuel your creative practice session​
HERE'S WHAT THE SESSIONS WILL LOOK LIKE:
1 hour long sessions with guided practice thoughts and reflection questions to offer inspiration and new practice strategies
It's welcome and encouraged to pop in and out, even if you can only come for 15 minutes some days!​
Bring whatever music you want to work on; this Zoom room is your practice room (but with lots of encouragement, accountability, and thoughtfulness)
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!)
Camera on or off - you’re welcome here! We'll remain muted while practicing
Come every week or pop in for the sessions you’re available
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
FAQ
HOW LONG IS EACH SESSION?
One hour long, but because it's a very casual environment, you're welcome to come late or leave early if you need to.
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 (or voice) 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.
