The Practice Room HQ
Quick Links
Get better every time you practice
These links take you to various pages in the Practice Room in the SPARK Learning Environment platform. When you sign up, you will get log in details. Please click HERE if you're having trouble accessing the main LOG IN page.
Join the exciting community
With experts & inclusive activities
Add the SPARK Practice Calendar to your agenda! Click on "subscribe to calendar" and have all the Practice Room activities at your fingertips! Quick link to SUBSCRIBE TO CALENDAR
HOW SPARK PRACTICE WORKS
Great Performance starts with Great Practice
Adapted to Your Unique Profile
Achieve consistent, confident results with SPARK Practice, the Intentional Practice System
SPARK Practice Timer
The Practice Library
Best Practices Blog
Practice Boost
Research & References
Interactive Practice
Performance success starts in the practice room.
When you learn how to practice, the whole world opens.
SARAH NIBLACK, THE PRACTICE PROFESSOR
Not yet a Practice Room member?
Pick your perfect membership below
Maui hotel or Maui condo? It’s the burning question on everyones mind! What should you do? Maui hotel? Maui condo? Which should you choose? The sweat is pouring down your face and you can feel the pressure building…Okay! Okay!
Trial
FREE
Please enjoy the neuroscience-backed expert practice tools to become a better musician every time you practice
Starter
17€
12 monthly instalments
Best option for getting back into playing, or starting your science-based practice journey
Pay annually & save
Level-up
27€
12 monthly instalments
Great for motivated musicians with clear goals. Build momentum in your practice & playing
Pay annually & save
Custom
Apply
HERE
Payment plans available
Do you want bespoke training, check-ins, and tools tailored to your unique profile?
Don't let this year escape you
Please explore the SPARK Practice Courses for efficient practice, supportive mindsets, and confident performance training HERE.
Regular Events in the Practice Room
Jump in and level-up your practice
Each month, there are a variety of events in the Practice Room to support your efficient practice, supportive mindset, and confident performance. With special guests, group challenges, celebrations, and more in the community, SPARK Practice is a vibrant, supportive, safe place for you to grow and evolve into the musician you've always wanted to become.
The brain is the most important instrument you will ever play.
Don't forget to make sure it's also in tune.
SARAH NIBLACK, THE PRACTICE PROFESSOR
Practice Room Troubleshooting
Support for technical hiccups
If you have questions, or are stuck, please don't hesitate to reach out HERE. Or, refer to the FAQ, or ONBOARDING path below.
Easy links:
- Account Sign In HERE
- Reset your password HERE
- Main community link HERE
- SPARK Practice Room Calendar HERE
- Subscribe to SPARK Practice Room Calendar HERE
- Best Practices Blog HERE
- Contact SPARK Practice HERE
- Add the SPARK Email address to your contacts / primary inbox
- Bookmark this page HERE
- Not getting emails? Check your preferences HERE
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope. Everything is musician-friendly, explained step by step.
There are some exercises that have modifications for different levels of difficulty, like yoga poses or weightlifting.
SPARK Practice is here to support you as much (or as little) as you need - and while there are some variants in instrument-specificity, many of the principles of learning, strategic training, and mental preparation are similar for everyone - regardless of playing level or experience.
It depends on your needs and how much you want to invest in yourself.
- FREE /
- Starter /
- Level-Up / This is already a lot!
- Custom Training /
- Course Students /
These are some common SPARK Practice Profiles and adapted membership levels.
- HS Students
- Conservatory Students
- Recent Graduates
- Audition Takers
- Professional Musicians
- Teachers
- Injury/Burnout Recovery
If you're in a position that you can sponsor someone in need, please consider either sponsoring or upgrading someone else's membership - we take applications for scholarships seriously and try to help as many people as possible. Want to submit an application? Please reference it HERE.
Yes! If you pay annually, you receive two months FREE.
You are eligible for a no-questions-asked refund for 14 days after purchase. If you download materials from the membership area, your refund will be voided.
If you are kicked out of SPARK Practice for misconduct, you void your rights with your misconduct. We have a very strict no-troll policy. No recordings, no sharing other people's private stuff, no being mean-spirited. No second chances if you're mean or share someone else's community posts without express permission. Any misconduct means an immediate and permanent ban, and because it's a violation of the terms and conditions, there's no refund.
Please SIGN IN and try again.
Also, if you're not yet a Practice Room member, the links won't be activated. Please join The Practice Room and participate in all the events!
You can join the free level of the Practice Room. Audition Club is a community project started by Sarah Niblack during the covid pandemic. It's hosted on the SPARK Practice platform but doesn't require a paid Practice Room membership to participate.
If you want to be part of Performance Lab, that series requires a Practice Room membership. See you in the Practice Room!
Yes. Videos and audio that you post for challenges and asking for feedback from other Practice Room members is confidential. Anything from SPARK Boosts is also confidential.
We have a very strict no-troll policy. No recordings, no sharing other people's private stuff, no being mean-spirited. No second chances if you're mean or share someone else's community posts without express permission. Any misconduct means an immediate and permanent ban, and because it's a violation of the terms and conditions, there's no refund.
Short answer? Yes. Here are some stories of SPARK Practice helping.
Longer answer? Also yes - SPARK Practice is strategic training of practice for performance, and mental preparation / nervous system training - while cultivating support, curiosity, creativity, and fun.
We figured out the formula to practice better, cultivate supportive mindsets, and perform confidently - every time - all with a supportive community and a big dose of fun.
With expert-led, neuroscience-driven strategies and frameworks, the Intentional Practice System(tm) strategically builds practice, mindset, and performance. We boost the science with fun and community (which also is science).
I get it - I've been there. I stopped playing for 5 years when I graduated from conservatory.
It's totally ok. Sometimes it's great to have someone sit with you and help you look at - I like to use the analogy of emptying the backpack on the kitchen table. Let's see what's in there - keep the good stuff, put away what needs to be put away, clear out the chewing gum and receipts, and look at what's actually going on.
Whatever you have going on is figure-out-able, and I'm great at helping you see what resources / support you actually have so you can lean into what you want - with an expert-guided plan to maximize your effort, connect with your intrinsic motivation, and make major strides forward.
Great practice starts with a PlanFREE Guided Practice
SPARK Practice
With the proprietary SPARK Practice Formula, you'll become a better musician in your next practice session. Transform your practice and never get stuck in the practice room again.
Get your guided SPARK Practice session and Find your SPARK!
Your data is safe and will never be sold or shared without your permission. Check your email to get your guide and subscribe.
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The Ideal Practice Day
An example of your best practice
8am - Wake up
Wake up, get a cup of coffee, get to your practice space and get ready for a great day!
Put on a song you love, look at a picture of people who love you, walk your dog, and let's get our mind ready for the day.
(I'll check to see if there are urgent messages but otherwise no phone/scrolling yet!)
9am - in the Practice Room!
30 minutes
WARMUP
The most important thing is to know where you're heading. I like to start at the end. How do you feel while you're playing when you have a great performance and love being on stage? What do you / can you do to help you get there? Let's do those things!
It's normal that everyone needs a slightly different approach to warmups. I've seen success with clients that have a similar structure, but change it up a little bit every day depending on mood, fatigue, energy demands, training plan, etc.
Regardless, the basic format is the same. Let's visit the 5 SPARK Elements and their Warmup Goals:
SOUND Get everything open and resonating
PERFORMANCE Practice the switch into performance brain
ATTUNED INTONATION Get ears tuned to hear harmony & pitch
RHYTHM Wake up your inner pulse
KINETIC INTEGRATION Activate your coordination and mental anticipation
ADHD tips / Having a structure helps you cover all the bases, but make each element really fun and different every couple days to get all of your special wiring turned on.
Autism tips / Often we want to know exactly what to do, and routine can be really helpful and important. Try varying approaches within the SPARK warmup framework, and keep at least one element (maybe Performance!) to push yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone and get creative!
SPARK Pro tip / This could also be your Pre-Performance Runway
Open strings
Sounding point
Full bow
Lip buzz
long tones
Long tones
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
15 minute break
30 minutes
Journal & do your Daily Check-in
Think about what you need your practice to do for you today and start to sketch out your practice today.
Where do you want to be at the end of the day? How do you want to feel? What are you working towards?
If you're going to have 4 SPARK Practice sessions (that's 2 hours), what are the 4-6 steps to take to move towards your goals today?
10:30am Practice time!
30 minutes
SPARK Session 1
30 minutes
SPARK Session 2
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
11:30 Great job! 30 minute break, water, & snack
12:00 Practice Time!
5 minutes Plan
25 minutes SPARK Practice
5 minutes Break
25 minutes SPARK Practice
30 minutes
SPARK Session 1
30 minutes
SPARK Session 2
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
1pm Great job! Lunchtime :)
2pm Get inspired, take a walk, or take a nap. Call a friend or mentor
3pm Do some emails, admin, planning
4pm Practice Time!
- 5 minutes Plan
- 25 minutes SPARK Practice
- 5 minutes Break
- 25 minutes SPARK Practice
30 minutes
SPARK Session 1
30 minutes
SPARK Session 2
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
The navigation design should communicate the relationship between the links it contains so that users understand the options they have for navigating the site.2026 International Viola Congress Paris
5pm Great job! Make sure to write down what went well, and maybe some ideas for tomorrow.
Your brain and body need time to organize and digest all the information you've given today - you've had a great warmup and 3 hours of incredible practice. You've visited each element of music 5 times today (!) - including performance and kinetic integration. You're building the habit of aligning your mind with your playing, and building up all your skills together. You're awesome.
Have a great rest of your day!