08/06/2026
Yesterday we were back at The Park Hotel in Kilmarnock for Gonging As One, a gong players gathering open to anyone who plays and wanted to come together with other like minded players to create something special.
We were joined by Sam from who travelled all the way from London to be with us. Sam shared his journey into mallet making followed by a demonstration of his mallets and gong accessories.Thanks Sam, it was great to have you there.
Then we all started playing together. I orchestrated the group so everyone knew when to come in, when to hold back etc, and together we created something really special.
20 gongs playing in unison but the room never felt overwhelming. It shouldn’t be about how loud you play, and yesterday was a perfect example of what skilled, conscious playing sounds like. Sound levels are something I take very seriously and volume levels stayed within a beautiful range throughout the day.
Every player had the chance to experience the sound from inside the gong circle - true surround sound! Such a treat as a player to get to experience something like this.
This day was about coming together, regardless of where anyone had trained, and connecting over a shared love of the gong. We had players travelling from Liverpool, Aberdeen, and from both the East and West costs of Scotland to be part of it.
Thank you to every single person who made the journey to be there and who made the day what it was. You are the reason events like these are worth doing.
Gonging As One will be back. This is now an annual event and I cannot wait to see what next year brings.
Pauline x
