"It is with sincere thanks, gratitude and endorsement for the mentorship offered to our students by The Hollands! I've had the good fortune to witness the special connection and encouragement that The Hollands! offer and wholeheartedly endorse their work." ~Steve Eliasen, Member, Board of Education, Oshkosh Area School District
Songwriting; Family Style
Family band, The Hollands! have had a unique opportunity to create together. Their team effort has birthed three full length albums. Gleaning from their shared experience, Songwriting with The Hollands!, offers participants the opportunity to learn how to write with others. They will guide participants through a basic understanding of song structure and tools to get songs flowing. This is a class on song and writing and will focus on writing in groups. Excellent for School age to adult.
The Circle of Creativity; Soundscape Songwriting Exercise
The Hollands will guide the students through discussion about the methodology of creativity and the creative process. Using sacred text, poems and writings, they will guide the class through the process of creating a soundtrack for that written piece. This is a highly interactive course designed for group expression. The end result will be the opportunity to see the written word put to sound. Excellent for all ages.
Australian Folklore
Using story and song, The Hollands share the history and folklore of Australia. Starting with the unique Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and songs, moving through the history of the first prison colonies and early immigration, with a strong focus on Australia's premiere bush poet; Banjo Paterson. Sharing poems, stories, and songs that depict the 19th century everyday plight of the Australian working class, including the infamous poem/song Waltzing Matilda. For children’s workshops, history of Australia’s rugged outback, featuring the history of its unique animals will be shared. And finally, The Hollands! will showcase some original material based on the folk traditions of Australia. This workshop is informational, entertaining and offers a delightful look into the folklore of Australia. (All Ages)
Swimming Upstream
At the end of 2010 The Hollands! recognized a huge disconnect in their marriage, family, spirituality, global footprint and finances. Typical to most middle American families, working full time, pursuing their musical passion, school committee's, organizing neighborhood gatherings and with what energy they had left, dreaming about a slower more deliberate pace. A pace that included deeper connectivity, reconciliation and purpose. Thus began the process to align all of those areas in their lives. They started by casting a dream/vision for a life that was simpler, less fragmented and community driven. They are three years into the process and would love to share their journey in travel, bus conversion, home schooling, healthcare, music business and more. Their hope is to encouraging more folks to swim upstream.
Libraries/ Education / Credentials: We have over 10 years of experience as professional musicians. We are members of the International Folk Alliance and have performed in 10 countries including the US, Australia, Canada, and South East Asia. Half of our band is from Australia and half from the US. We are students of International studies and dedicated to preserving and presenting the diverse cultures and living heritage of those we meet around the world. We believe the promotion of creativity in any culture engages humanity in the act of being human, offering dignity to both the creator and created. We believe music and art are universal languages, that can bridge cultural gaps and offer opportunities to bring about peace. And, that is the heart behind all of our workshops.