I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE

One of the best things about being a musician & teacher is getting to know other musicians on a deeper level. So let me share a little about myself and why I’m passionate about SPARK Practice, and helping you achieve your goals.

HI, I'M SARAH

SPARK Practice exists to help you build security & confidence on stage and in the practice room. You will transform your playing whether you’re in conservatory, a performing musician, or even just starting out.

SPARK Practice came from my own diverse background, elite sports training, good (& bad) conservatory experiences, and years of struggle in the practice room.

I want you to succeed, to be happy, and confident in achieving your goals. 🚀

Here’s my (kindof long) hello if you want to know more 😎

Hi - good to see you! I’m so glad you’re here. 👯‍♀️

I’m Sarah, Head Nerd here at SPARK Practice. I love chamber music sight-reading parties, indie rock, neurobiology, stargazing, pho, and Kung Fu Panda. But what I absolutely love the most is making music - and supporting people like you to find ways to make music as fully and whole-heartedly as possible. Which can be hard, because, well… classical music 🤦‍♀️

In music school, when my teachers gave me feedback, I felt SO inspired and then SO…lost. I was at a top conservatory (CCM), surrounded by such an imposing wealth of excellence - but wasn’t equipped to get it all into my music making. There was such a huge difference between us and our professors (some of whom were international soloists) - and even they couldn’t articulate exactly what to do to get there. Burnouts/breakdowns were de rigueur. As a student, we only had coaching (lessons) for 1-2 hours/week, and after graduation - well I got a piece of paper and good luck. 🤷‍♀️

It was so different from what I learned at crew (I'm a former Division One Scholarship rower, which basically means that I woke up at 4:15am & owned a LOT of spandex). I had detailed training programs from the next 5 minutes to a year from now. I had a plan, and I had coaches present 5-6 hours/day. My training was calculated to avoid physical & mental burnout. I had great coaches, and I knew that I could trust the system. In rowing, all I had to do was show up and push myself. In music (just like pretty much any musician I’ve ever met) - I was alone in a barren wasteland. 😕

Anyway, like we learned in Kung Fu Panda - there’s no secret ingredient. Something is special because we believe it’s special. You are special because you are YOU. But how to know that you’re on track, realize your potential, and to be confident in your progress was a secret. (Don’t worry - it’s not anymore!) 🌱

As a life-long nerdy-pants nerd-face, I’m constantly inspired by the science and neurobiology of self-compassion, creativity, and competitive response. My crazy background and experiences finally all came together into the 5 Pillars, and the SPARK Practice Formula. Now I’m the Head Nerd at ⚡️SPARK Practice, and I love finding simple, clear, repeatable ways to support professional & aspiring professional musicians to kick butt (& be nice to yourself in the process!). Yaaaaay! 🚀

I think it’s ridiculous that learning how to practice isn’t part of the standard conservatory curriculum, so let’s change that.

I’m so excited for you and your journey to become the musician you want to be. I want you to have the BEST musical life, and it’s been thrilling to see SPARK Practice have such an impact for musicians and teachers alike - to speak a common practicing language so that we can talk more about the good stuff - the music. 😎

Happy Practicing!

⚡️ Sarah ❤️

THE PROBLEM

Music schools don’t teach people how to practice. We have theory, history, instrument lessons, but NO support for the thing we do the most - individual practice.

Even with master teachers, there’s a lot of loss in this excellent education with the current system.

Never before has been a simple, efficient, reliable, teachable, science-based, proven framework like ⚡️SPARK Practice.

Sarah in a rowing shell at the Youth National Championship

Look I’m in a boat! Sarah Niblack competing in the medal finals at the US Rowing Youth Invitational in Cincinnati, OH

MUSIC MEETS ELITE SPORTS

SPARK Practice is the solution.

Intentional Practice combined with mindfulness Positive Emotional Signatures can change the narrative and inspire efficient, sustainable, constructive methods to excellence.

Even at top music schools, I felt like there was a big piece missing - but didn’t realize that learning how to practice is SO uncommon. SPARK Practice is the flexible framework uniquely based in:

Neuroscience
Elite Sports Training & Psychology
Top Musical Training with a vast repertoire of practice and performance techniques from generations of expert musicians
Mindfulness

LEARN SPARK PRACTICE

MY VALUES

Be unapologetically you, and be the best you that you can be.

This means a couple things:

Start Wherever You Are, Be Inclusive
THEORY Get the Best Information Possible & Keep it Current
ACTION Use Science & Expertise to put it into Action
COMMUNITY Find (or Create) a Community of Beautiful Humans on a Similar Journey
Celebrate the Wins, Know When to Rest, Get Unstuck with the Next Step

PUT PRACTICE INTO ACTION

SPARK PRACTICE GETS RESULTS

SPARK Practice brings together the Theory, Action, & Community

Each SPARK Practice session touches on every pillar of music-making. Each SPARK speaks to a musical objective building strength in the 3 Ms (musical, mental, & mechanical), and strategically builds & reinforces learning, retrieval, integration, and expression from every angle.
Instead of low-level work we level-up our playing with rich, neurologically complex musical objectives using Intentional Practice (SM).
Cultivate a good attitude. Learn how to incorporate mindfulness with Positive Emotional Signatures, using a process-based approach.
Concentrate on the right stuff with elite sports theory & psychology, know how to recover confidently, & build your mental game into your practice time.
Join The Practice Room, a supportive community to accelerate progress. 🚀

JOIN THE PRACTICE ROOM

MINI FAQ

I’m a Teacher. Does SPARK Practice work in the Teaching Studio? What a great question! Yes. There are Lesson Booster sheets included at the end of your Practice Journal, and a class just for Teachers!
Neat but this sounds like I’ll be practicing 40+ hours/day?! Hahaha! No, probably not. Each SPARK Practice session is only 30 minutes long, and uses Intention and specific practice strategies to maximise efficiency. Usually, with better concentration and MUCH better strategies, 2 1/2 hours of focused practice time is enough, even to prepare for auditions and competitions.
Who Already Endorses SPARK Practice? Our courses are endorsed by Suzuki Association of the Americas for their continued education credit requirement. SPARK Practice has been invited for workshops, classes, residencies, and lectures by several international schools, conferences, & festivals, including RNCM, Musical Care, the International Viola Congress, the American Viola Society Journal, and others.
Why the 100 days of SPARK Practice? Because why not spend 100 days together developing positive practice habits and sharing our experiences in a relaxed, exciting environment.

SPARK Practice offers three main areas : LEARNING, ACTION, & THE PRACTICE ROOM. Check out www.sparkpractice.com 🚀

Share with your friends #100daysofSPARKpractice #sparkpractice #totalpackageplayer

SPARK Practice is effective, practical, and, therefore, motivating! Spark Practice gets results 100% of the time, and I love to use it in my own practice and with my students!

____ Daina Staggs, violinist & Suzuki Association of the Americas teacher, Texas USA

SPARK Practice is brilliant! The system has helped both me & my students become more efficient practicers & more secure performers. It can be applied at every ability level & the results are tangible!

____ Gwendolyn Cawdron, Associate Principal Viola, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

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