Gong Playing Workshop : New Possibilities in Gong

Join Master teacher Mike Tamburo and Cassiopeia of Blue Muse Sound Healing for an immersive and inclusive workshop that delves into the essential elements of gong music. Whether you’re new to the gong or a seasoned player, this five-day experience offers a comprehensive journey through gong techniques, creative expression, and deeper listening.

With a diverse array of gongs to explore, you’ll have ample hands-on practice in a supportive and inspiring environment. From focused exercises to group improvisation, this workshop will help you expand your skills, find your voice, and develop a deeper relationship with the gong. Each day builds on the last, flowing organically from fundamentals to intermediate exploration, culminating in an overnight sonic immersion.

Days 1–2: Gong Fundamentals

The first two days establish a strong foundation for personal practice and collaborative playing. Participants will learn:

• Achieving good tone and sound quality

• Foundational gong strokes and their variations

• Mallet techniques for a wide range of tones and textures

• Dynamics: from soft to loud and everything in between

• Rhythm and how to establish flow in your playing

• Listening skills: attuning to the gong and to others

• Muting Patterns

• Building structure and form within your playing

• Longer pattern development for endurance.

Days 3–4: Gong Intermediate

These sessions deepen the relationship with the gong, encouraging more nuanced, creative, and collaborative exploration. Topics include:

• Touch, articulation, and muting techniques

• Rhythmic layering and more complex timing approaches

• Texture creation and evolving soundscapes

• Planned vs. spontaneous composition

• Conduction: balancing orchestration with improvisation

• Smooth transitions between strokes, textures, and sections

• Developing multiple relationships with time

• Volume control and extended dynamic range

• Expanding into longer patterns for sustained states of listening and flow

Day 5: The Overnight Gong Puja Sleepover

The final day prepares participants for an immersive overnight journey:

• Guided orchestration and group rehearsal

• Building stamina and focus for long-form playing

• Balancing sound, silence, and space in extended durations

• Collective listening practices to deepen group cohesion

• The Overnight Gong Sleepover: a shared experience of continuous gong sound, with players rotating through the night while others rest, dream, and awaken in sound

What Participants Will Gain

• A strong foundation in gong fundamentals and an expanded intermediate toolkit

• Deeper active listening and sensitivity to tone, dynamics, and time

• Confidence in both solo and collaborative settings

• Tools for creating structure, transitions, and longer-form patterns

• Hands-on experience with a wide variety of gongs and mallets

• A deeper connection to the gong as both a personal practice and collective experience

Whether you attend for all five days or select individual sessions, this workshop offers an enriching, transformative opportunity to grow your skills and explore the endless sonic possibilities of the gong.

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