Sound Bath Sessions 101: Jacqueline Tay

Jacqui’s style is very versatile, calm, and controlled. The story her compositions tell are so captivating making for a deep session. I noticed that Jacqui used expressive movements when she plays which added to the drama and impact of the sound.

This recording is simply… a masterpiece. After the conch blessing, she arrives at a faster pace to build tension. Her pulsing march dissolves into a quiet clearing where we rest. She combines the rumble of a passing jet plane (practicing maneuvers for Singapore Day) with the singing of the gongs using small friction mallets. Expanding blooms, bloated swells, and distant explosions push and pull our emotions to the edges of an abyss. As she rises to a powerful climax, I open my eyes to see her heaving her body with both mallets at a twisting, swaying gong. After a final strike of the gong, we recover with the sounds of the rain stick and chimes.