Gong Essentials Workshop with Mike Tamburo

Join Mike Tamburo for an immersive, all-levels workshop exploring various dimensions and possibilities of gong playing. Whether you’re new to the gong or an experienced player, this session will guide you through essential techniques, creative approaches, and expressions in gong music.

Topics include: • Pivot Grip and Mallet Movement – Refining control and fluidity in your playing • Whisper Drone – Exploring sustained play with dynamic control • Sustaining Tone Clusters – Building and holding layered harmonic textures • Gradient Dynamic Movement – Shaping smooth transitions between volume and intensity • Swells: Crescendo & Diminuendo – Developing sensitivity to gradual volume shifts • Drone with Variable Force, Tempo, and Location – Creating evolving textures through nuanced strikes • Single Toning Strokes – Enhancing articulation and phrasing • Subdividing Time – Exploring rhythm, pacing, and musical flow • Dampening & Muting (Front & Side) – Controlling resonance and shaping sonic textures • Friction Mallets – Producing ethereal, harmonic-rich sounds with rubber mallets • Drumming on a Muted Gong – Discovering rhythmic potential within controlled resonance

This workshop emphasizes: • Deepening your connection with the mallet • Expanding creative vocabulary through dynamic strokes, patterns, and transitions • Improvisation and composition techniques for crafting meaningful musical journeys • Playing with presence and responding to the variables of gong playing intuitively in real time Participants will leave with a strong foundation in gong playing, along with new tools for creative exploration.