Elemental Gong 2.0

To get the best sound playback, I recommend turning the YouTube player volume down a smidge and using headphones through your device.

Additionally, please feel free to practice/perform using ear protection. I use earplugs 98% of the time while I’m practicing and performing, even with soft playing.

While being mindful of time commitments, please do feel free to text me videos via WhatsApp (720-400-3730) if that’s helpful to your progress. I do watch them. I take notes. I give feedback. I want this course to be a balance of teaching and correcting. Admittedly, it’s hard to correct what I can’t see/hear.

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).

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.

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.

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.