Explore the Art of Gong Playing Join world-renowned gong artist, composer, and educator Mike Tamburo for Gong Explorations, a five-day immersive workshop exploring touch, tone, time, creativity, and transformation through the art of gong playing.

This intensive offers a comprehensive study of gong technique, sound production, rhythm, musical awareness, and ensemble performance. From foundational mallet work to dynamic control, improvisation, and composition, you’ll develop greater precision, coordination, and expressive freedom while expanding your personal sonic language through deep listening and hands-on exploration.

Whether you're looking to refine your existing technique, develop new creative approaches, or deepen your relationship with the gong as a musical instrument, this workshop offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the instrument's possibilities alongside an internationally recognized artist.

Workshop Focus Areas Throughout the five days, participants will explore:

Mallet Work & Grip — Develop pivot grip, efficient movement, and precise control for greater expressive range.

Strokes & Techniques — Explore drone, toning, two-handed strokes, muting, dampening, hand independence, friction mallets, and drumming on a muted gong.

Tone & Dynamics — Shape resonance and sustain, sculpt crescendos and decrescendos, and refine tonal balance and volume control.

Rhythm & Time — Develop rhythmic patterns, subdivision, timing, transitions, and endurance in long-form playing.

Listening & Ensemble Work — Attune to overtones, spatial awareness, the overall sonic mix, and the interplay between performers.

Friction & Continuous Sound — Explore friction techniques, sustained tones, and the creation of a continuous drone carpet.

Creativity, Composition & Improvisation — Develop personal motifs, structure spontaneous and planned improvisations, and transform musical ideas into complete pieces.

Group Learning & Dynamics — Strengthen collective listening, shared decision-making, and the ability to navigate and shape sound within an ensemble.

Gong Explorations builds a strong foundation in the language of the gong, bringing together technique, control, creativity, and musical awareness through deep listening and hands-on exploration.

Five Days of Workshops & Live Concerts Each day combines extended workshop sessions with evening performances, offering opportunities to learn through direct instruction, personal exploration, and the experience of live music.

Daily Schedule

10:00 AM–1:00 PM — Workshop Session

1:00–2:30 PM — Lunch Break

2:30–6:30 PM — Workshop Session

6:30–8:00 PM — Dinner Break

8:00–10:00 PM — Evening Concert

Weekly Schedule

Wednesday, April 7 — Workshop + Mike Tamburo Solo Concert (open to public)

Thursday, April 8 — Workshop + Mike Tamburo Solo Concert (open to public)

Friday, April 9 — Workshop + Duo Concert with Mike Tamburo and Dr. Arin Levy (open to public)

Saturday, April 10 — Workshop + Trio Concert with Mike Tamburo and Special Guests (open to public)

Sunday, April 11 — Workshop + Participant Class Concerts (closed to public)

All five evening concerts are included with workshop registration. Concert tickets will also be available separately for those not participating in the workshop.

About Mike Tamburo Mike Tamburo is a world-renowned musician, composer, artist, and educator known for his transformational live concerts performed on a personally curated set of gongs, bells, hammered dulcimer and other metal instruments.

A lifelong multi-instrumentalist, Tamburo has focused his talents on metal percussion, string instruments (hammered dulcimer, guitar, zither, shahi baaja), and electronic instruments (synths, looping). Since 1994, he has shared over 2,500 concerts and workshops and released more than 70 albums—solo and with Crown of Eternity, Meisha, Arco Flute Foundation, Psychic Frost, Brother Ong, and others. His work spans gong music, ecstatic string music, folk, drone, ambient, mantra, and experimental sounds.

He is also a gong teacher, an interdisciplinary sound artist, instrument builder, video artist, sound therapist, writer, and meditation teacher.

Learn more at miketamburomusic.com or follow him on Instagram @mike_tamburo.

Workshop Details Dates: Wednesday, April 7–Sunday, April 11, 2027 Location: The Resonance Room @ Denver Percussion Tuition: $1,100

Registration includes admission to all five days of workshop instruction and all five evening concerts. Concert tickets are available separately for non-workshop attendees.

No prior experience or personal equipment is required. Participants are welcome to attend regardless of their previous experience with the gong. Come ready to listen, experiment, collaborate, and explore the instrument's possibilities.

Join us for five days of focused study, creative discovery, and deep listening with Mike Tamburo at The Resonance Room.

$ 1100.00 Includes 5-Day Workshop and Admission to all 4 Concerts