Elemental Gong
Scroll down for course description, overview, sample, and student reviews!
Course Description
Based on the in-person course I have taught at the Atma Buti® Sound & Vibrational School, this course features over 10 hours of gong-related material including:
basic playing techniques
advanced techniques and specialty “colors”
types of gongs and mallets
instrument care, cleaning, and maintenance
how to craft your touch and tone
elemental gong sequences (earth, water, fire, air, and ether)
sound bath considerations
exercises and close-up demos
AND MORE!!
Lifetime Access for $888 ($1,500 retail value)
In addition to the pre-recorded videos of each module, enrollment in Elemental Gong also includes opportunities for live teaching, including:
a private 1-on-1 lesson with Ben, so he can answer questions and check in on your progress
Monthly “Office Hours,” open to all enrollees to pop in for a chat or to ask a question (scheduling varies)
*Please note that you will be prompted with a little legal language prior to purchasing. Please read and acknowledge to continue with your course enrollment. Cheers!
Course Overview
“Elemental Gong” is primarily comprised of pre-recorded videos organized into 10 modules. Each module has exercises for personal practice. In addition, there are also two opportunities for live support included in the program. Additional coaching is always available for an additional fee.
Module 1: Preparing to Play
Physical Warm-ups
Energetic Warm-ups
Meditation basics
Modules 2-3: Gong Building Blocks
Playing positions
Playing zones
Basic stroke types and stroke mechanics
Rolls (aka, playing with 2 mallets)
Specialty sounds
Kabuki taps
Scrapes and “swishes”
Drones
Vibrato
Pitch-bending
Module 4: Mallets and Gongs
Mallet exploration - “What mallet should I buy for my gong?”
Gong exploration - “What instrument should I get [next]?”
Care, cleaning, storage, and maintenance
Gong stands
Module 5: Mental Aural Concept & Touch
How professionals think, describe, discuss, and express “sound.”
“Touch” is the x-factor in your path toward mastery
Module 6: Speaking & Playing
Tips from the pedagogical philosophies related to meditation and hypnotherapy
voice volume, range, and timing
working with mantras, affirmations, short stories, and poetry
Module 7: Gong and the Elements
Practitioner Anchors
Earth: overview and four approaches
Water: overview and four approaches
Fire: overview and three approaches
Air: overview and two approaches
Ether (Metal): overview and three approaches
Module 8: Music Theory Basics for Gong-ers
structure
interval and pitch designations
Module 9: Sound Bath Considerations
Console logistics
Room considerations
Performance checklist
Module 10: Full Elemental Sequences
Performed live by Benjamin Irons, CHt, CMI
Additional Components
Each module has exercises for personal practice
Ear training and milestone check-ins
Supplemental resources (usually related to the technical, historical, or educational aspects of gongs)
1 virtual coaching with Ben to ask clarifying questions and to check in on your technique/progress
Monthly virtual office hours to ask quick questions and commune with the Elemental Gong community of students
Course sample
“Elemental Gong” FAQs
What mallets or equipment do I need to get started?
This course is designed for any level of practitioner/enthusiast. If you don’t currently own a gong or mallets, that’s ok! The info in Module 4 might help you narrow down your first instrument. If you only have 1 gong, that’s great! Have a full rack of 38 instruments? Bully on you. I teach the full course on one primary instrument.
That said, if you want to feel ready to dive in immediately, I recommend having at least one gong/tam-tam, one softer mallet (like the Dragonfly RSMS), one harder mallet (like the Dragonfly RSMH), and a pair of “rollers” (soft, lighter mallets used for sustained drones; like the Dragonfly Baby Buckets or RSS).
Dragonfly Percussion - Resonance Series (left to right): Med Soft, Med Hard, Baby Buckets, Small rollers
How is the course structured?
Currently, I’ve organized materials into 10 modules with pre-recorded videos, exercises, and supplemental resources. Additionally, your enrollment comes with one virtual coaching session with me—which I recommend scheduling toward the end of your coursework—as well as monthly virtual office hours for the course community to come together, share, and ask questions. As this course is incredibly comprehensive, I created the content to be approached and digested at your own pace, with live support to help clarify and reinforce those concepts.
Do I get a certificate when I finish?
Unfortunately, I do not “certify” other practitioners. I love a good certification but I have yet to see a piece of paper actually translate to tangible skills, especially after a 12-hr weekend. Proficiency comes with time, practice, and experience. Music is a lifelong journey. Percussion is a lifelong journey. Meditation and wellness might extend beyond a single lifetime! Real talk: those who receive your sound after you’ve worked with these concepts will recognize your growth and skill. A certificate pales in comparison to the integration and demonstration of skill and intention.
Any tips for successfully navigating the course?
Pay attention to the adjectives and descriptive words I use to talk about sounds. Make a list for yourself. Surrender any expectations or judgments. My instruments probably sound different from yours. My sequencing probably feels different or unusual from the “norm.” There are no good or bad sounds—with regard to intention—merely more skillful or less skillful approaches. The course is meant to empower you to find YOUR sound. Take what works for you and leave what doesn’t. These are all just tools in a toolbox for a variety of sonic “jobs.”
Additionally, I cannot make you do the work. Your “success” in this course is completely dependent on your commitment to practice, grow, and implement the concepts and techniques outlined in this course.
Course photos
from the Atma Buti® Sound & Vibrational School (Boulder, CO)
Course Reviews
“This is one of the finest classes I’ve ever been to...and I’ve done many. I’m walking away floating. ”
“It’s the sign of an artist whose been doing their craft for so long, that knows all the nuances, and all the particulars...”
“To get to practice on not just one but several kinds/sizes of instruments was really fantastic.”
“I really appreciate [Ben’s] different perspective than I’ve ever been taught before so it’s going to make me a more well-rounded sound practitioner. ”
“I came into this [course] fairly naive in my gong training and I come away feeling confident. That is the most important thing I wanted to have...also creativity. Ben brings a beautiful balance of both professionalism and playfulness to the training. ”
“I’m a very techy kinda person and I was very interested and appreciated the details of the mechanics of things to get started. Knowing the techniques first was very good for me. ”
Introduction to
Singing Bowls
Full Online Course coming in 2024!
An expanded version of my in-person singing bowl clinic, this 3-hour online course covers everything you need to know as an introduction to your crystal or metal singing bowls.
Course topics include:
History and construction of metal vs crystal singing bowls
Playing techniques such as inviting, extended rubbing, ululation
Beginning techniques for meditation and self-healing with the singing bowls
Instrument selection
Pitch designations
Mallet selection
Health benefits of singing bowls
General playing advice
Common practitioner blunders
Lifetime Access for $270 ($450 retail value)
Enrollment opening soon!