Gong School, May 2026 Cohort

The Ohm Store Community

Learn This Instrument
With a Dedicated Community.

The most powerful instruments require the most supportive communities. We have spent years building the most trusted home in sound healing, a place where practitioners are supported, guided, and celebrated.

Gong School is the culmination of that work. Whether you have never played a gong or you already lead sound experiences, this is your opportunity to study the instrument with real clarity, surrounded by people who share your dedication.

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You will learn from a true guide. Ben Irons teaches technique and provides direct, personal feedback on your playing. He ensures you never feel lost or unsupported.
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You will build a structural vocabulary. You will learn the exact techniques for building and releasing intensity, giving you the tools to create a session with a clear direction.
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You will learn the language of silence. You will learn to use silence as an instrument, holding space while resonance decays and the nervous system resets. This is where the deepest integration happens.
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You will grow alongside your cohort. You will complete this program with 24 other passionate practitioners. The friendships and professional connections built here last long after the seven weeks are over.

"We play intuitively, and it is an extremely well-informed intuition. That is the language I hope you take away from this course."
Ben Irons, Lead Instructor, Gong School

Why the Gong

The Most Powerful Instrument in Sound Healing.
Learn to Use It Properly.

A singing bowl creates a single, sustained tone, and a gong creates a field. When a hand-hammered bronze plate is struck with the right technique, it produces hundreds of simultaneous frequencies, creating a living, breathing acoustic environment that surrounds the listener completely.

The gong's acoustic complexity produces specific, measurable physiological responses. When played with mastery, it changes the state of the nervous system.

Mechanism 01

Brainwave Entrainment

The gong's complex, slowly-evolving frequency spectrum drives the inferior colliculus, the brain's primary auditory processing center, toward theta and delta states. This is the same mechanism used in clinical neurofeedback, produced acoustically.

Mechanism 02

Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

The sustained low-frequency resonance of a large-format gong activates the vagus nerve via bone conduction. This shifts the listener from sympathetic activation into parasympathetic dominance, the physiological state required for deep integration.

Mechanism 03

Default Mode Network Suppression

The gong's acoustic saturation overwhelms the brain's capacity for self-referential thought. The Default Mode Network, responsible for rumination and anxiety, goes quiet. The listener stops thinking and starts integrating.

"With a singing bowl, we ask: where is the sound coming from? With a gong, we ask: where does the sound end?"
Ben Irons

The gong can only do this work when played with structural mastery. Without technique, without an understanding of dynamics, silence, and the acoustic properties of the room, the gong is just a loud object. The physiological mechanisms above require a specific, intentional approach to activate them. Gong School teaches this approach.

Watch: Ben in Conversation with the Gong

Ben Irons, Lead Instructor of Gong School

LA Philharmonic

San Diego Symphony

Arizona Opera

Dragonfly Percussion Artist

Author, Sound Bath Conversations

Your Instructor

Ben Irons

Gong Master · Symphonic Percussionist · Sound Healer

Ben Irons is a teacher who genuinely cares. Students consistently describe him as the most supportive, patient, and insightful instructor they have ever worked with, someone who meets you exactly where you are and brings out more than you thought you had.

His depth comes from 15 years as a professional symphonic percussionist with the LA Philharmonic and the San Diego Symphony, and a decade of deep work in transpersonal hypnotherapy and sound healing. His training runs through a direct lineage from the highest levels of professional orchestral percussion.

Fred Hinger

Philadelphia Orchestra

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Bill Wanzer

Phoenix Symphony

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Ben Irons

Your Instructor

He knows exactly how a mallet transfers kinetic energy into a bronze plate. He knows how to build an acoustic crescendo that moves a room to tears without ever becoming harsh. He understands the physics of resonance, the anatomy of the grip, and the architecture of a 60-minute session. He knows how to transmit all of that in a way that is clear, accessible, and deeply encouraging.

"We play intuitively, and it is an extremely well-informed intuition. That is the language I hope you take away from this course."
Ben Irons

The 2025 Gong School cohort was his first structured program. Forty-two practitioners completed it. Every single one reported a fundamental shift in their relationship with the instrument, and many said it was the most supported they had ever felt in a learning environment.

Watch: Why Ben Loves the Gong

Watch: Frank Mocerino on Ben Irons

The Transformation

Learn to Hold a Mallet.
Shift Your Practice.

By the end of seven weeks, you will know how to play the gong. You will understand how to listen. You will have a structural vocabulary, a set of techniques, frameworks, and instincts, that changes every session you lead for the rest of your career.

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You Will Command the Room

You will know exactly how to structure a 60-minute session with a clear narrative arc, including an opening, a descent, a climax, and an integration. You will stop guessing. You will stop filling silence with noise because you don't know what else to do.

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Your Practice Will Stand Out

The wellness space is crowded. A practitioner who truly understands the architecture of sound is rare. Your sessions will become the ones people talk about, the ones that sell out, because they facilitate actual change.

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You Will Master Silence

The most advanced skill in gong playing is knowing when not to play. You will learn to use silence as an instrument, holding space while resonance decays and the nervous system resets. This is where the deepest integration happens.

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You Will Understand Your Instrument

You will know why your specific gong, whether Chau, Wind, or Paiste, produces the sonic experience it does. You will understand the physics of resonance, the anatomy of the strike, and how to get the most from your instrument every time.

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You Will Read Any Room

Every room is different. Every group is different. You will learn how to adapt your playing in real time, reading somatic feedback, adjusting dynamics, and handling the unexpected with the confidence of a seasoned practitioner.

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You Will Find Your People

You will complete this program alongside 24 other passionate, dedicated practitioners. The Ohm Store community is known for its warmth and support. The friendships and professional connections built in this cohort will become a lasting foundation for your practice.

The 7-Week Curriculum

Every Week Builds on the Last.
By Week 7, You Play Like a Practitioner.

Each week includes a new learning module from Ben, a paired listening exercise, and a practical exercise to actualize the skills. Weekly live Office Hours are on Tuesdays at 10am CT. All sessions are recorded.

Week 01

The Foundation: Lineage, Philosophy & Your Instrument

Acoustic Entrainment · Material Resonance · Structural Integrity

You will learn where this knowledge comes from, Ben's direct lineage through the classical orchestral percussion tradition, and why that matters for how you play. You will understand the anatomy of your specific gong and why different instruments produce fundamentally different sonic experiences.

"By the end of Week 1, you will have a framework for everything that follows."

Week 02

First Touch: Mallet, Grip & the Invitation

Kinetic Transfer · Ergonomic Alignment · Acoustic Yield

You will learn the exact grip, the fulcrum, that prevents strain and allows the instrument to do the work for you. Ben will show you the most common mistakes beginners make and how to unlearn them immediately. The mallet is an invitation.

"The mallet is the bridge between your intention and the instrument's voice."

Week 03 The Turning Point

The Architecture of Dynamics: Loud, Soft & the Space Between

Amplitude Control · Harmonic Layering · Acoustic Saturation

The gong's power lives in its dynamic range. This week, you will learn the specific techniques for building and releasing intensity, how to take a room from stillness to overwhelm and back again with complete control. This is the week most students describe as the moment the gong stops being an object and becomes a partner.

"This is the week most students describe as the turning point. The moment the gong stops being an object and becomes a partner."

Week 04

The Language of Silence

Decay Rates · Auditory Processing · Neural Reset

The most advanced skill in gong playing is knowing when not to play. You will learn to use silence as an instrument, how to hold space, how to let resonance decay, and how to read a room. "Never throw a note away" becomes the foundation of your practice.

"Silence is not the absence of sound. It is the space where the sound is integrated."

Week 05

Structuring a Full Sound Bath

Narrative Arc · Frequency Sequencing · Autonomic Regulation

You will learn how to design a complete, intentional 60-minute sound bath from opening to close, including how to work with other instruments without losing the gong's primacy. You will leave this week with a repeatable structure you can use in every session for the rest of your career.

"A repeatable framework you can use in every session, for the rest of your career."

Week 06

The Practitioner's Toolkit: Troubleshooting & Adaptation

Environmental Acoustics · Real-Time Calibration · Somatic Feedback

Every room is different. Every group is different. This week, you will learn how to read your audience, adapt your playing in real time, and handle the unexpected with confidence. This is the week that separates a practitioner from a performer.

"The gong rewards those who are present, who are patient, who are committed."

Week 07 The Capstone

Live Performance & Integration

Creative Synthesis · Morphic Resonance · Professional Actualization

The final week is a live performance session. You will play for your cohort. You will receive direct, personal feedback from Ben. You will leave with a recording of your performance and a clear, personalized development path for the next stage of your practice. This is the beginning.

"You will create an original, recorded 20-minute gong meditation, reviewed personally by Ben Irons. This is the culmination of your experience."

Watch: Ben on the Curriculum

Watch: Ben Play the Gong

Is Gong School Right for You?

Be Honest With Yourself.

This program is designed for a specific kind of person. Here is how to know if that is you.

✓ Gong School is for you if...

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You own a gong, or you are ready to invest in one, because you feel genuinely called to the instrument.

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You teach yoga, lead sound baths, work in wellness, or practice sound healing privately, and you want to add a powerful, differentiated skill to your work.

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You are ready to invest seriously in this, 3 to 4 hours per week for 7 weeks, because you understand that the practice is where the change happens.

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You want to learn in community, with a small group of likeminded, passionate practitioners who are doing the same work.

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You simply feel called, and you have the energy, passion, and enthusiasm to take on learning something new at the deepest level.

✗ Gong School is not for you if...

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You are looking for a passive, "weekend certification", a series of videos you will watch whenever you get around to it.

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You cannot commit 3 to 4 hours per week for 7 weeks. The practice is where the change happens, and the practice requires time.

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You want a quick credential to add to a bio. The gong rewards those who are present, patient, and committed to becoming ever-more-skillful.

Voices from the 2025 Community

42 Practitioners.
One Extraordinary Community.

The 2025 cohort came from all backgrounds and experience levels. Every single graduate reported a fundamental shift in their relationship with the instrument and with each other.

★★★★★

"Since taking the course I have been engaging with my gongs almost daily. My favorite personal practice is to allow a short piece of poetry or verse to guide that day's session. The gongs come through nice and clear, and I can hear my 'inner conductor' just fine. My only regret is that I opted out of the final project, and so, didn't receive the benefit of Ben's feedback. My mistake."

Dave Berner

✓ Verified 2025 Graduate

★★★★★

"I have been playing gong for 4 years and thought I knew what I was doing. Week 3 completely dismantled my understanding of dynamics and rebuilt it from the ground up. I play completely differently now."

Sarah M.

✓ Verified 2025 Graduate

★★★★★

"Ben's lineage is real. You can feel it in how he teaches, the precision, the patience, the insistence on understanding the 'why' behind every technique. This is a masterclass in an instrument."

James T.

✓ Verified 2025 Graduate

★★★★★

"The week on silence changed everything. I had been filling every moment with sound because the silence felt uncomfortable. Now I understand that the silence is the medicine. My clients feel the difference immediately."

Rachel K.

✓ Verified 2025 Graduate

★★★★★

"I've taken three other sound healing certifications. None of them touched what Ben covers in Week 2 alone. The grip, the fulcrum, the way the mallet is an invitation, these are concepts I will carry for the rest of my practice."

Michael D.

✓ Verified 2025 Graduate

What You Receive	Value
7 weekly learning modules with Ben Irons (video + written)	$700
7 paired listening exercises (curated by Ben)	$200
7 weekly live Office Hours sessions (Tuesdays, 10am CT)	$700
All sessions recorded and available for lifetime access	$200
Week 7 live capstone performance session	$300
Personal written feedback from Ben on your capstone	$500
Private cohort community (25 practitioners)	$200
Total Value	$2,800
Enrollment	$1,999

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Our Commitment to You

If you complete all 7 weeks of Gong School, attend the live sessions, submit the weekly exercises, and complete your capstone, and you do not feel a fundamental shift in your relationship with the instrument, we will work with you directly until you do. We stand behind this program completely. Ben's reputation is built on results.

Common Questions

Everything You Need to Know.

You do not need to own a gong before enrolling. Many students use the first two weeks to select their instrument, and Ben provides specific guidance on which gong type is right for your practice and budget. The Ohm Store carries a curated selection of Chau, Wind, and Paiste gongs, and enrolled students receive a private discount code.

Gong School is designed to work for both complete beginners and experienced practitioners. The curriculum builds from first principles. Ben assumes nothing and explains everything. If you have never played a gong, you will leave with a complete foundation. If you have been playing for years, you will leave with a structural vocabulary that changes what you already know.

Plan for 3 to 4 hours per week. This includes: watching the weekly module (approximately 45–60 minutes), completing the listening exercise (30 minutes), the practical exercise (60–90 minutes of actual playing), and attending the live Office Hours session (60 minutes). The practice is where the transformation happens. The time investment is non-negotiable.

Every live Office Hours session is recorded and uploaded to the course platform within 24 hours. You will have lifetime access to all recordings. We strongly encourage attendance at live sessions, the direct interaction with Ben and the cohort is a significant part of the value, but we understand that schedules conflict.

Gong School is $1,999 as a single payment, or available as interest-free installments through Shop Pay at checkout. Select Shop Pay at checkout to see your installment options.

Full refunds are available within 7 days of enrollment, before the cohort begins. After the cohort starts, we do not offer refunds. We do offer our commitment: if you complete the full program and do not feel a fundamental shift in your practice, we will work with you directly until you do.

The May 2026 cohort begins mid-May. Live Office Hours are held on Tuesdays at 10am CT. The exact start date and all session links are sent to enrolled students upon registration.

Master the Most
Powerful Instrument
in Sound Healing.

Learn This Instrument
With a Dedicated Community.