Listen Up:
Sound Journey
Sat May 10, 3pm – 5pm
Feel music in a whole new way.
It’s back. The beloved Indigo music experience that put us on the map returns this May in Coledale, NSW.
A cult favourite at our old Surry Hills digs, for five years, seventy of us would gather each month for a sonic ceremony designed to enhance your relationship with both sound – and yourself.
Offline, lights off, lying down… you are granted the space to explore the power of your creative mind, thoughts and emotions, untethered from the world – in a contemporary sound bath.
When did you last give music your undivided attention?
Listen Up was the subject of a seven-year study by psychologist and music behaviour researcher, Dr Amanda Krause, resulting in extensive findings on the links between active listening and healing. (The peer-reviewed study was released by leading music psychology journal Musicae Scientae, which you can read here)
The enormous research project explained the magic alchemy of these sonic ceremonies; proving that actively listening to music in this format developed by Mary Hoang & Rich Lucano, is a form of enduring catharsis: “Participating in Listen Up could bring about feelings of transcendence and transformation.”
For those new to Listen Up, expect a modern day ceremony where you will be guided through a recorded sound journey, gently cocooned by live vocal guidance.
Some call it church for non-believers, some call it a “trip without the tabs”.
Don’t expect singing bowls or dolphin sounds – this is not a typical sound bath: think soundtrack/film/ambient music that transports you to different worlds.
Expect to enhance the way you listen to music, while heightening your awareness of the inner workings of your mind. We’ll open your heart to the power of tuning out of everyday noise and tuning into a world of sound.
“Listen Up takes people by surprise with its emotional effects”
Presented by Katarsi:
Mary Hoang (Founder, The Indigo Project)
Rich Lucano (Director of Strategy, The Indigo Project | Producer, Phondupe)
Mary Hoang is the founder of progressive online therapy practice, The Indigo Project. Since 2009, she has been pioneering a creative approach to mental health, specialising in its intersection with music.
Mary believes that music provides the gateway to deep transformation and change. In 2018, she published her debut book to wide acclaim; Darkness Is Golden: A Guide To Personal Transformation & Dealing With Life’s Messiness, via Pantera Press – which featured a suite of audio experiences composed by partner Rich Lucano.
Having supported fellow ambient luminaires Jon Hopkins and Olafur Arnalds (Kiasmos), Rich is a multi-disciplinary artist (Phondupe) who has developed a reputation for his meditative outputs, such as recent neo-piano album Torso and the large-scale 360 degree immersive installation, Ama at Vivid Sydney 2023.
Together, they are now Katarsi. The pair established Listen Up in 2017 and have since taken their sonic experiences across the country, performing at The Sydney Opera House, Perth Arena, Vivid Sydney, The Espy and The Art Gallery of NSW.
2024 saw them enlisted by Audible to develop three Sleep Audiobooks featuring over 30 hours of original ambient compositions and meditations. Their work together is informed by groundbreaking research into music and well-being in collaboration with Dr Amanda Krause.
The Important Stuff
| DATE: | Sat May 10, 2025 |
| TIME: | 3pm – 5pm |
| LOCATION: | Coledale Community Hall |
| COST: | $40 (+bf) |
Coledale Community Hall is located at 745 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Coledale – just over an hour’s drive from the Sydney CBD. Trains from Central or Redfern (1 hour 30 mins). Free street parking available.
You will be provided with a mat and small cushion.
You may like to bring a light blanket and pillow, or a journal and pen for reflections.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please see our T&Cs for more info.
This is a drug & alcohol free event. This experience is not intended as a substitute for therapy
.