Learn the gong in the room with Martha
Some things only happen with a gong in front of you: feeling it answer your mallet, hearing the room change, learning to listen with your whole body. Our in-person trainings are small, hands-on and taught by Martha Collard at Red Doors Studio in Wong Chuk Hang, home to Asia’s largest private collection of gongs.
Three levels take you from your first strike to playing for groups alongside other musicians. The Flumie Masterclass stands on its own and is open to anyone.
A gong for every student. Classes are capped at twelve so everyone plays their own instrument from our collection, all day.
Three levels, one path
Each level is three full days in the studio. You start by playing for yourself, then learn to lead sessions for others, and finish by playing alongside other musicians and instruments. Pick a level to see what it covers, then choose a date on the calendar.
Introduction to Gongs
The knowledge and skills to play for yourself, on standing and hand-held gongs.
A practical, experiential workshop in listening, becoming one with the gong and tapping into the sound current. Made for complete beginners and for players with some experience who want a proper foundation.
What you’ll learn
- The history, types and lore of the gong
- How to approach a gong, and the power of intention
- Listening as a skill you can develop
- One- and two-handed playing techniques
- What different areas of the gong do
- Building a full sound with rhythm, volume and pattern
- More than 30 ways to strike a gong
- Choosing and caring for your own gong
- Your ethics and responsibilities as a player
Playing for Others
Lead gong relaxations for individuals and groups, with the science behind them.
Builds on Level 1. You learn how to prepare, structure, lead and close a transformational gong experience, how sound works as a therapeutic tool, and how to shape a session around a clear intention. You get feedback on your playing as you go.
What you’ll learn
- Confidence with everything from Level 1
- The science of sound as a therapeutic tool
- A template for assessing a client’s needs
- Preparing yourself and the space for the best effect
- Structuring a session through gong, meditation, mantra, mudra and posture
- Intuitive play and grounding while you play
- Using the gong within a yoga practice
- Real-time feedback on your playing
- A personal sound journey of your own
Multi-Player, Multi-Instrument
Play in concert with others, bringing in the wider family of sacred sound.
Your skills grow from micro to macro: listening to other players and creating one shared experience together. Drums, conches, singing bowls, shruti box and, most of all, the voice join the gong. It prepares you to give multi-player sound performances for the public.
What you’ll learn
- Playing in concert with other gong players
- Listening across a group, not only to your own gong
- Drums, conches, singing bowls and shruti box
- Voice, toning and overtoning
- Rhythm, beat and building a full sound journey
- Preparing a multi-player performance for the public
Flumie Masterclass
Move from initiating the sound to co-creating it with the gong.
Flumies are friction mallets. Used well, they draw out the gong’s lowest, most powerful harmonics: cosmic, whale-like sounds that carry the listener a long way. They take patience, communion and technique, and done badly they screech. Martha trained personally with Bear Love, the inventor of B Love flumies, and is qualified to teach his curriculum. You leave with a new relationship with the gong and a new chapter in your playing.
Who it’s for & the certificate
- Anyone who wants to deepen their sound practice
- Gong and singing bowl players, and other sacred sound artists
- Complete beginners: it is a good way to get to know the gong too
- A certificate of attendance for completing both days, covering B Love techniques for personal use (teaching them to others is a separate level)
Pick a date, book your place
Every training is on the Red Doors calendar with its dates, fee and the seats left. The buttons above take you straight there.
- Find your date
Open the calendar and tap the Workshops filter to see only the trainings. Multi-day courses appear as one block across their days.
- Book & pay online
Enter your name and email and pay securely by card. Your place is confirmed once payment goes through, and a confirmation email follows.
- Arrive and play
Come to the studio in Wong Chuk Hang. We provide the gongs and mallets; bring comfortable clothes, a notebook and water.
- Gongs provided
- Up to 12 students
- Certificate of attendance
- Taught by Martha Collard
- Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
For yourself, for others, for the community
Gongs can deepen almost any practice, and when you play, you feel nearly as much of the benefit as the people listening. Our students include:
- Therapists
- Nurses
- Yoga teachers
- Musicians
- Meditation teachers
- Naturopaths
- Energy healers
- Curious beginners
Questions about which course suits you? Ask Martha at martha@red-doors.com or +852 9673 8075.
I’ve never touched a gong. Where do I start?
Level 1 or the Flumie Masterclass. Neither needs any experience. Level 1 is the foundation for the full training path; the Flumie Masterclass is a stand-alone two days that suits beginners and experienced players alike.
Do I need my own gong?
No. Every student plays a gong from our collection for the whole course. You are welcome to bring your own, and if you are thinking of buying one, we can advise you and have a selection in stock. See the shop.
Do I have to take the levels in order?
Yes. Level 2 builds on Level 1, and Level 3 expects you to be comfortable with everything from Levels 1 and 2. If you have trained with another teacher, talk to Martha before booking.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes. Each level ends with a Certificate of Attendance from Red Doors Studio. The Flumie Masterclass certificate is for completing both days and covers B Love techniques for your own practice.
Can I change my dates after booking?
Trainings are fixed-date courses, so they cannot be rescheduled online the way weekly classes can. Our cancellation guidelines apply; if something comes up, contact us as early as you can.
What about the Bangkok trainings?
Martha also teaches the levels and the Flumie Masterclass in Bangkok. Those runs are booked through the local host, not on our website. The calendar shows their dates and how to contact the host.
Rather learn from home first?
Martha’s online masterclasses are good preparation, and many students arrive having done one. They are a separate programme; the studio levels are hands-on and certified in person.
More ways to learn with Red Doors
Fees are in Hong Kong dollars and shown on the calendar at booking. Trainings are fixed-date courses; see our cancellation guidelines. Sound healing is a complementary wellness practice and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.