EVENT LOCATION Gold Coast, QLD

EVENT DATE – 3 – 5 August 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Gold Coast, QLD

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 21

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, Chaplains, Mental Health workers, Music Teachers, Community Workers, Youth Workers, Disability workers

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

It was awesome. I want to become a Holyoake Facilitator.
Well run, clear instructions and content.
Good impression – great facilitator and people.
Provided structure and practical take-away program – very flexible demographic too for young people. Great facilitator
I feel this is going to be great for my community as it appealed to me so that will help pass it on. Loved it and felt a strong connection. Trainer was great and easy to understand.
Very good. Took us through the whole programme. Very clear and relaxed.
Great
Very engaging. Fun, informative.
Very interactive and great course content. Had an amazing 3 days – great facilitator, Grace!
Excellent – great group – personal and professional learning. Excellent, worthwhile – valuable PD.

These responses are part of a post-training feedback form given out to attendees at the conclusion of every training event. This form collects a range of data aimed at improving program and training content.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 29 – 31 July 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Cairns, QLD

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 26

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, Mental Health Workers, Youth Workers, Youth Justice and disability workers.

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

This was awesome, facilitators were warm and friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. Fantastic, encouraging.
The consistent use of the medium (drums) played a significant role in the confidence of delivering as well with clarity. Great standard.
Awesome.
Extremely enjoyable, powerful, practical which is essential.
Effective. Good to have resources to help take pressure off remembering so much.
Very worthwhile – could be used for many different groups with different needs.
Very engaging – easy to stay focused. Wonderful.
Best value for money compared to any other workshop or training I have done. Excellent.
Absolutely fantastic. One of the best courses I’ve participated in.
Fantastic.
Awesome.
Lots to learn – but very do-able. Fits in well when working with adults with mental health problems.
Clear, concise, good balance of practice/theory.
Plenty in it, but well-paced. Catered to everyone’s level of expertise.
Should be more of it.
I really need to see how the program works to know.
Fantastic, great facilitator. Strongly enjoyed – great to have hands on.
Very interactive and supportive.
The facilitator did really well not to make it boring.
Great
Interactive, supportive and informative.
Well presented and informative.
Well explained, friendly.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 28 – 30 July 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Geraldton

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 15

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, Psychologists, Counsellors, Chaplains, Aboriginal Mentors, Youth Workers

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

I love the training, think it is a very useful tool.
I was engaged fully which usually is hard for just a day. Very impressed. Had a lot of fun and learnt plenty of useful tactics to engage with the targeted group.
Leaders are passionate and cover every social skills issues for youth/adults in society.
Enjoyable
Excellent presenters, content and mode of delivery.
Very relaxed and enjoyable.
Very good.
A great platform. No loads of practice.
Great program and feedback. Loved it. Worth every cent.
Fun and engaging. Wonderful.
This is a powerful intervention. Excellent.
It was fun and well presented. Great tool to reach out to our community.
Amazing, exhilarating, fun, enjoyable. Loved every second.
Such a privilege to spend 3 days drumming together. Practical. Love it. I love the focus on re-engagement and non-judgmental acceptance. The attitude shared that we can all have a go and that every individual is valued.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 21 – 23 July 2015 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Roebourne WA (Private Training)

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 12

DEMOGRAPHICS –Juvenile Justice, DCP Mental Health, Teachers, Youth Workers

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

Much better, hands on, engaging, positive, supportive. Excellent
I loved it. Vanessa presented this course really well.
Awesome, very comfortable environment. Great – learnt new skills that will help young people in Roebourne.
More fun. Awesome.
Very hands on and interactive, made it easier to attain the info that is being shared and taught. Loved it. The trainer was so nice and easygoing. Very approachable and gave me a new sense of understanding people especially youth.
Excellent. Good but maybe use more simpler words e.g. Harmony and Identity and Community.
Vanessa is awesome.
This is the best training I had in years. It was really great. Vanessa is great.
A good experience. It was fun.
Excellent – well presented. Fantastic way of building relationships and changing behaviours.
More complete, more consistent. Very friendly atmosphere and I learned many things.
This was fun because it’s very hands on.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 29, 30 June and 1 July 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Auckland, New Zealand

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 17

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, Counsellors, Youth Workers, Drum Circle Facilitators, Music Teachers, Art Therapists and Drug and Alcohol Workers.

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

Detailed and thorough.
Great for counselors – good to have focus on counselling for drum based participant.
Very well put together, great facilitator. Good balance of theory/practice/fun.
It was more enjoyable. Loved the training, content and the trainer was lovely and engaging. The information was all relevant and useful. Talking and activities were well balanced.
Excellent course handouts. Excellent counselling and psychotherapeutic training. Very inspiring. Good blend of drumming and team building and therapeutic process.
Excellent.
Very thorough, inclusive. Excellent modelling of facilitation.
Fabulous and amazing.
Well prepared, great facilitation, great role model as leader, wonderful program, relevant and evidence based program.
Full of info, felt some of the games were doubled up being taught then role played.
Excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Always a pleasure to be taught by Grace. Fantastic modelling and knowledge of the program.
Excellent course by great facilitator.
Exquisite facilitation. Meaningful, useful program. Less talk, more drumming.
Awesome, excellent tutor Grace.
Wonderful and full on.
Very good. Need more breaks.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 15 – 17 June 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Ashfield , Sydney

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 25

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, youth workers, community workers, psychologists

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

It was great training
Very helpful and informative. Confidence building
One of the best training experiences of my life
It was so much fun, exciting and creative
Very positive overall
It was fantastic, very engaging. Loved it. Very informative
It was brilliant, fun, enjoyable, educationable
Amazing
Great speed, logic, strategies, techniques
Interactive and well-paced. Fun, great equipment
Very motivating. Fun, confidence building, informative
Excellent, fun, exiting, enjoyed it
Good
Very good
Brilliant. Love the drums. Beautiful, experiential, great handouts/books
Very well delivered. Very organized and the presenter very knowledgeable
This training was such a practical and fun way to present a lot of the theory we work with daily
Fun and alive. Engaging.
1000% better, entertaining, educational, challenging. Great facilitator – thankyou Grace. Just excellent.
It was vibrant and fun and the facilitator was amazing. The training was very indepth

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 1 – 3 June 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Melbourne

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 16

DEMOGRAPHICS –Teachers, Music Teachers, Family Workers, Mental Health workers, Youth workers

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

Very high level of training in all aspects. For me the training was extremely beneficial for my work and for me personally. Just great stuff.
Very engaging and transferable skills/knowledge. Really enjoyable. Makes drumming very accessible with lots of real life examples.
Very organized and comprehensive. Excellent.
Heaps of fun. Gave me the tools to run a program and ongoing support resources. Very brilliant, learnt from the master. It is a program that will take a lot of investment to run.
Practical, challenging, fun.
Enjoyable, empowering. Simon was an inclusive, reassuring, knowledgeable and fun trainer.
Engaging and challenging. Fantastic, engaging.
Long, intense, but every minute was engaging.
I feel well equipped to practice and prepare, then to deliver the program.
Very good and inclusive. Excellent.
I loved the mix of theory and practical components, which compared positively to other training workshops which are generally theory dominated.
Excellent training – great mix of theory, activity and group work. Great to have Simon’s experience and passion for the program. Most enjoyable. Simon is an excellent facilitator – respectful and encouraging.
Impressive delivery of the theory and practice, using multiple aspects of self.
I was engaged all the way to the end. Strong, well-rehearsed, well-evaluated and sensitive.
Very thorough and complete. Very clear, well presented. Would be great to have ongoing support as we set out to deliver training.
It is the best training I have ever completed. Absolutely brilliant concept – every aspect is amazing and relative to people I work with.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 3 – 5 June 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Coffs Harbour, NSW

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 12

DEMOGRAPHICS –Youth workers, Teachers, Medical workers, Mental Health workers

QUESTION 10. Give us your overall impression of the training

Practical, interactive, friendly.
Excellent.
Well structured. Excellent matching of practical to themes.
Very engaging, enjoyed the ‘doing’ part of the training. Excellent, very useful and compliments mental health intervention.
Stellar facilitation – effective – lots of fun, self-deprecating – great modelling of how to facilitate DRUMBEAT.
Very inspiring. I feel I have learnt a lot personally. What an amazing program.
It was enjoyable and totally interesting. Have thoroughly enjoyed this training which has also given me useful ideas for personal life as well as work tools.
The best I’ve attended. Interesting informative, skill orientated, fun. Fantastic – so much potential to help others. Delivery was friendly, non-threatening, great for learning.
Great ideas which are very useful, powerful program. Fun hands on. Engaging. I can feel the program works. Power of the drum. Clear, well set out, enthusiastic.
This was very rewarding and fun. Vibrant, engaging, informative.
Well presented. Very enjoyable. Excellent.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 26-28 May 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Kalgoorlie WA

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 17

DEMOGRAPHICS –Youth workers, Teachers, Chaplains, Mental Health Workers.

Answers to Question 10: Give us your overall impression of the training.

Very good.
Non-invasive and appropriate. Great.
Awesome
I loved the physical side of the course. Great.
Really hands on and fun. Really good. Would definitely recommend it.
Excellent.
It was fun, exciting and an alternative approach. I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 days. Very useful in a school setting.
Very interactive and hands on. Good engaging, encouraging and personable.
Great training. Enjoyed it.
Very enjoyable, interactive way to engage people. Engages youth and individuals – useful tool to use. Can be therapeutic for individuals and small groups.
Training and Refreshers are always interactive and enjoyable. Supportive and helpful.
Awesome, very engaging, content fun, group supportive. Excellent.
Very professional and thorough. Lots of fun.
Well presented and engaging.
Excellent. Job well done.
Thorough.
Excellent.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at

EVENT DATE – 25-27 May 2015

EVENT LOCATION – Darwin NT

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS - 22

DEMOGRAPHICS –Youth workers, Teachers, Chaplains, Mental Health Workers, Self-employed.

Answers to Question 10: Give us your overall impression of the training.

This is a practical and relevant course. It’s awesome.
I really enjoyed it and it will be very useful for my work. The content is complimentary to much of my previous training content for programs. I enjoyed that the content was taught outside of the course structure to emphasis flexibility (this is a very new format).
A lot more fun and the drum keeps you awake. It was good, but there was a lot in it.
Fun and interactive.
Very supportive facilitator.
Very well and clearly delivered.
Flexible across age groups and needs. Because we were learning social emotional theory and drum technique.
Thorough display of knowledge in practice and use of theory.
Practical and streamlined, but comprehensive. Simon was a wonderful leader (facilitator). He gently showed us the detail in the program.
I like it.
Great.
Simon knows his stuff and made the group feel very comfortable. I learned heaps. I have never touched a drum before and feel heaps more confident now with the program.
Very interactive, lots of resources. Very comprehensive.
Good mix of theory and practical which inspired me to pursue other learning opportunities. Excellent – except that not necessarily as accessible to certain groups, e.g., visual learners who struggle with literacy.
I enjoyed mix of practical and theory. Well structured and informative.
Interactive – physically went through program. Helpful, knowledgeable, related to trauma and common youth issues.
Excellent. Great balance of theory and application. I loved it – enjoyed the pace, the drumming and I am excited about it’s potential applications with my work.
Very good and interesting.
More practical.
Excellent. Never trained in music therapy before.

To see the complete form contact

Holyoake maintains a data base of all training feedback and publishes the most recent feedback from its training events each month on its web site.

Further information on feedback from attendees can be obtained by contacting Holyoake at