De Woonplaats Housing Corporation, 07-01-2009, 120 participants
After a short reception with prosecco, coffee and petit fours we entered the theatre. To everyone’s amazement, there stood 120 Brazilian musical instruments, all lined up and begging to be played! The warm-up was handled really well, with infectious rhythmic clapping, and then in our small groups we moved on to the various instruments and rhythms. In a short time we were playing together as one, creating not only a great feeling of unity but also a whole lot of noise! Everyone fully enjoyed the experience, and we were astonished by how quickly we formed a musical whole. So I’d like to thank Drums and Barrels for their outstanding and skilful leadership of the workshop, and not forgetting Caroline Koldeweij, who organised everything around the event so smoothly.

Wasbeek Foundation, 14-12-2008, 55 participants
we had our annual Christmas get-together. This year we wanted to do something a bit different, and after finding some information on the internet, and an encouraging telephone conversation with Caroline Koldeweij, we decided on a Drums and Barrels workshop. Caroline’s enthusiasm and the glowing reviews on the website had already got us fired up and ready to go! And wow, what a great time we had! There were 55 of us, and the workshop Onno gave us in one of our sports halls was explosive. Everyone was keen to join in, and we were still talking about it days later. Definitely one to recommend.

Amsterdam East Physiotherapy, 19-12-2008, 30 participants
On 19 December we took part in a percussion workshop from Drums and Barrels. The workshop was given by Onno, and through his enthusiasm we picked up the Brazilian samba at lightning speed! Everyone, young and old, got straight into the groove, and we were surprised at how quickly we could master the rhythms together. All in all, an experience we won’t soon forget!

Leeuwarden City Council, 28-11-2008, 39 participants
I’d just like to say that thanks to this workshop we had a fantastic evening. Many of my colleagues came out of the session totally elated, and thanked us for organising this part of the event in particular. Our sector is expanding, so we’ve all been working flat out. With this workshop we could let it all go! Many, many thanks, especially to Onno, who led the workshop brilliantly. Heartily recommended!

KPMG Meijburg & Co, 11-12-2008, 26 participants
On 11 December we were lucky enough to enjoy a percussion workshop from Drums and Barrels: and when I say enjoy, I mean really enjoy! Of course as a department within a big organisation like KPMG Meijburg we’ve already tried out so many activities that people have maybe become a bit jaded. But most people got really enthusiastic straight away, and the more introverted types soon followed on, largely because of Hermine’s good leadership. The enthusiasm of Caroline Koldeweij in the planning stages had already had an encouraging effect, and during the workshop Hermine added another dynamic layer of motivation. Hermine and Caroline, thanks for a hugely successful evening!

KPMG Meijburg & Co, 15-12-2008, 10 participants
On Monday 15 December 2008 we had a workshop from Drums and Barrel, and it went down incredibly well. It’s amazing how such a small group can make such an enormous din and still sound good (thanks of course to Hermine, who managed to really get us fully motivated in no time at all). We could totally let ourselves go, the location in Amsterdam was beautiful, and after the workshop we ate at a superb restaurant recommended by Caroline Koldeweij. We really had a wonderful time, bellissima!!!

ArboAnders, 10-12-2008, 40 participants
After a hectic year, we wanted to see if our organisation could still ‘make music’ together. And we found we could! Our employees didn’t know in advance what we were going to be doing, but that became clear from the moment we entered the hall. I never realised there was so much talent in our organisation! And there was so much laughter during the Break Out workshop! The gathering was a great success, thanks to our enthusiastic Drums and Barrels workshop leader and to organiser Caroline Koldeweij. Caroline provided excellent help in planning the programme and finding a great location, for which many thanks! We’re going into 2009 with a great feeling!

Amsterdam VU University Medical Centre, 09-12-2008, 45 participants
Compliments to Drums and Barrels! Their experience and flexibility and the way they think along with you make organising a company event a whole lot easier. The workshop itself was a great success. With humour and a lot of empathy from the workshop leaders, drumming together as a group seemed the most natural thing in the world. There’s lots of laughter, and you get an absolute kick from what you discover in yourself and what you can create as a group. A great success!

Prismant, 27-11-2008, 15 participants
We decided on a Drums and Barrels workshop as an activity for our Prismant employee association. Musician Hermine arrived at our offices well before time with a whole load of drums, oil drums and other percussion instruments. This was obviously going to be quite something! After a warm-up for hands and other body parts we spread ourselves among the instruments and the real work could begin! Each group was taught its own rhythm. That wasn’t easy for some of us, but with her enormous enthusiasm Hermine managed to get us all playing. This woman radiates love and enthusiasm for the music from her whole body! Once all the groups had mastered their rhythms, our separate rhythms were blended together step by step into one great irresistible percussion party. And not only did it sound fantastic, it was also great fun! Suddenly we were a real, live samba band together! Who’d ever have thought that of a group of researchers and advisors like us? After the break we switched instruments, so we could see what it was like to play a small tambourine, or the great bombastic surdo drums. Then after the break it was party time again! Swept up by the music, by each other and by Hermine, we nearly blew the roof off! The workshop ended on a high point when Hermine got the small and large instruments playing alternately, with even more volume! That was the sparkling finale of a sparkling party of over 90 minutes. An amazing experience: we all well and truly let our hair down. And all under the perfect leadership of Hermine. Superb! This calls for more!

Leeuwarden City Council, 28-11-2008, 39 participants
I’d just like to say that thanks to this workshop we had a fantastic evening. Many of my colleagues came out of the session totally elated, and thanked us for organising this part of the event in particular. Our sector is expanding, so we’ve all been working flat out. With this workshop we could let it all go! Many, many thanks, especially to Onno, who led the workshop brilliantly. Heartily recommended!

Waal aan de Maas Advertising Bureau, 08-11-2008, 19 participants
As a advertising bureau from Rotterdam we drummed through the Amsterdam canals, waking up the locals (and American tourists!) and attracting a lot of attention in the process. What a fantastic idea from Drums & Barrels! It made our company day out a great success. The results of the workshop were impressive, and brought us compliments from the captain (also a Rotterdammer, funnily enough), who as a final flourish dropped us off at our own private Italian restaurant! After a top-class dinner, we received a beautiful photo book of famous Rotterdammers as a parting gift. And all of that thins to the efforts, suggestions and organisation of Caroline Koldeweij from Drums & Barrels. Perfect personal service and a warm and enjoyable contact. Recommended!

De Leede Wholesale, 28-11-2008, 20 participants
Our employee association, De Leede from Gouda, wanted to organise a surprise evening. First a bite to eat, and then let ourselves go. Our members had a great time. With a minimum sense of rhythm and a lot of teamwork we learned a piece of music in a totally natural way. Just watch out that you keep in tempo with your own section and we all reach the finishing line together! Let’s do it again!

ABN AMRO, 30-11-2008, 60 Participants
On Sunday 30 November we had our annual day out. We wanted to bring our people from two different branches closer together, and what better way than with music?! We narrowed our choice down to Drums and Barrels, and we couldn’t have made a better decision. The collaboration with Caroline Koldeweij on the organisational side was perfect, and then on the day Onno and Hermine arrived to give the workshop. They managed to get the whole team so enthusiastic that in the shortest time we were drumming out a swinging samba reggae. The hilarity, with those giant drums round our necks and the oil drums that many of us were beating on as one, had to be seen to be believed! Whether you think you have a sense of rhythm or not, anyone can do this, and you’re so swept along by the leaders’ enthusiasm that the enjoyment is clear to see. Onno was so much into his role as conductor that it was a pleasure just to watch. Nobody is left on the sidelines. I can’t remember when we had so much fun!

Shell Global Solutions International, 25-06-2008, 25 participants
Together on a canal boat, drumming through the Amsterdam canals on a beautiful day… what an experience! Under Onno’s cheerful (and patient!) leadership the businesslike atmosphere soon loosened up and instead of colleagues we became fellow musicians. With a little practice we even formed a united whole through the music. And I must say that in the planning stages I was greatly impressed by Caroline’s friendliness, enthusiasm and professionalism. I can definitely recommend Drums and Barrels to anyone looking for teambuilding activities. Thanks for your pro-active approach!

ABN AMRO Bank – 30-11-2008, 60 participants
We wanted to bring the people from two branches closer together, and what better way than through music? We couldn’t have made a better choice than Drums and Barrels. The organisational side with Caroline went perfectly, and when Onno and Hermine came to give the workshop they simply swept us away with their enthusiasm. Onno was so animated in his role as conductor that it was a pleasure just to see it! Anyone can play along, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a sense of rhythm, nobody is left on the sidelines. We’ve seldom had such fun!

Amsterdam VU Medical Centre, 9-12-2008, 45 participants
Compliments to Drums and Barrels! Their experience and flexibility, and the way they think along with you, make organising a company event a whole lot easier. The workshop itself was a great success. There was loads of laughter, and drumming together as a group seemed the most natural thing in the world. A winner!

Fortis Corporate Insurance NV ,27-6-2007, 25 participants
Our contact with Caroline Koldeweij went really well right from the start. I wondered if a percussion workshop would go down well with my colleagues, but in no time at all it turned into a real party. Everyone was still talking about it the next day: ‘what a fantastic night!’ A workshop like this really gets people to open up. Thanks Hermine and Caroline!

Tetra Laval International BV, 11-9-2006, 14 participants
Music without frontiers! Under Onno’s inspiring leadership our international guests were grooving together as one in no time. Language, background, personality… any barriers to teamwork evaporated, and the results were way above our expectations. Our eyes and ears were opened, we learned to really listen to and interact with each other. Onno took account of everyone’s different abilities, so we could all join in on our own level. We had a great time, and we can still feel the benefits. 100% teambuilding!