The Way of the Gong™

I field a lot of questions about cleaning Gongs, but I have to admit that I don't really clean mine. I'm not obsessive about them like some people. I don't wear white gloves when handling them, in fact, I touch them with my bare hands.  If you look at my Paiste Gongs from a distance, they look really great. Up close, you can see finger prints, scratches, discoloration, and areas where the wax coating has worn off. The coating tends to keep them in good shape. I may wipe them off with a cloth once in a while, or even wash them with water and Dawn Blue dish detergent, but not often (I can't remember the last time I washed them off!).  Which Paiste Gong is 20 years old? 30? 40? I love my Gongs and take good care of them. I always transport them in hard or flight cases, but let's face it, they are TOOLS . They are the tools I use to create the music I play. And as such, I don't obsess over keeping them as clean and shiny as the day I got them. My 19 ...

Not quite from the mail bag, but from a Facebook discussion on the right and wrong way to present a gong bath . This quote brings up an interesting point: You know a person has a lot of experience with the gong, as a therapy, when you see them playing from behind the gong or gongs. People who are taught as "sound healers" to play with their backs to everyone, may not be too aware and sensitive to others needs.…You need to be able to see and observe what another person is receiving and feeling when giving therapy.  Personally, I have always had my main Gongs behind me, so that when I play them, my back is to the people. This is a natural development from having the Gongs behind my drums when I was playing in progressive rock bands. Later, when I developed my solo percussion concerts, I kept the same set up. This was partly out of practicality, and partly out of not wanting to have the Gongs between me and the audience. Solo concert set up, circa 2005: Gongs in ...