JEREMY CLOAKE

"Jeremy, just a thank you for such an unbelievable, articulate class. Even through sleep, my brain hasn't stopped for a second attempting to digest all that you taught. I have a whole new perspective, and approach with yidaki now, and for the first time in many a year, have this motivation to push further with what you showed. Thank you for your energy, your patience, and I won't let you down. Have a safe flight, and until the next class, take care brother. All the best." Zed, England.

 

"I found in Switzerland not only a genius player and teacher for yidaki, but also a man with a great charisma and the wisdom of three old medicine men, loving the nature and with his work and calling being the bridge between the past and the future and a bridge between the people – bringing them together with your wonderful music. I am very impressed of what you are doing and your attitude." Gisela, Germany.

 

"It is thanks to you, that I left the workshop totally inspired. This inspiration is still alive and it let me practice as often as it is possible. It was really refreshing that you did a lot of exercises with us - exercises that we somehow could manage. Your workshop was brilliant and it was a pleasure to have met you. Ka Pai and hopefully till next year. Best wishes." Hajo, Germany.

 

"Jeremy, I would like to say a big thank you once more for sharing your knowledge and precious lifetime with us. You’re a tremendous teacher with a heart to match that! The ember that was ignited in Belgium has become a bushfire in the Netherlands…" Gino, Belgium.

 

"Big Thanks Jeremy! As the last time I had the chance to meet you, it had a profound impact on my being. You have enriched me with many new tools for mass peace and love. Loved the yidaki courses, loved the n'goni and maybe to some surprise, have really found something in the porotiti and taonga pūoro in general. As the bird who needed his freedom, others have been made specifically for their 'owners' to set love free. Thanks again Jeremy! What a blessing! Take good care of yourself bro and hope to see you soon when the time comes around again!" Bennoit, USA.

 

"So super amped right now, your class always leaves me on a high!!!" Lucie, Aotearoa.

 

"Hi and thanks for an amazing afternoon! Just what I needed and I will be practising awaiting your return for the next n'goni day!" Sarah, Aotearoa.

 

"I think you're a kind of person that can change the world... Thanks again!" Allesandro, Italy.

 

"Fantastic! .. I may have even got those rhythms up to speed. Hey Jeremy, great day, well organised, good pace, and plenty to go home with.. very enjoyable.. My n'goni isn't an ornament anymore.." Ian, Aotearoa.

 

"London workshop on May 27th was truly amazing, you managed to keep my attention the whole day :) thank you for your dedication, knowledge and most important, the kindness for sharing it, you are truly a amazing person Jeremy :) and thats understated !!! now that I have your tutorial cd, I will be practising all the steps, until we meet next time. Take care my brother." David, Belgium.

 

"Hi Jeremy, short feedback to the workshop: It was the 3rd time for me in your workshop and it was not just a refresher, there were many new things for me to catch. I'd liked to have a 30min lesson with you as we had in the workshop in Stein am Rhein (2010), but maybe this time we were a little bit too much people for that. However, I truly thank you for all the energy you put in teaching/workshops. For me, practicing Yidaki has become joyful, every time. Your workshops have supported me strongly with that, thanks!" Beni, Switzerland.

 

"We finally got to experience Jeremy's class in the states!!! Ok... only a one day class. I cannot recommend him enough! Great teaching style." Warner, USA.

 

"I thought your workshop was one of the best I've done and if you come back to the UK again you could put me down for a place for sure. I would be interested if you even do a two-day workshop. I think the way you taught was brilliant and easy going. I also think your traditional playing was superb as you did not play that much when I first met you at Garma in 2004, I hope you come back to the UK." Dave White.

 

"Just want to say again big thanks for the workshop and for sharing the yidaki wisdom with us...! I think you are a gifted teacher able to inspire, encourage and guide people in the right way, so in relation to that I have nothing else to say except THANK YOU! I am really glad to have discovered a bit more of the roots of such wonderful and powerful instrument and tradition... I left craving for more... who knows where will that inspiration take me later on... I also enjoyed very much your playing and of course all the beautiful instruments you showed us... I've checked them again in your website, is hard to choose what to aim to first... slowly slowly i guess... they are all amazing and amazing as well your refined work, respect for that." Aura, Mexico.

 

"I found the workshop was fantastic. Jeremy is a great teacher and things were explained well for all. Just listening to Jeremy playing right in front of you was a great experience. We were encouraged to make notes and not to record anything. This has worked fairly well for me, but it would be good if maybe you could produce a cd or dvd to go along with the workshop. Just so as you could check back on things to hear how it sounded and so on [Let me know if you ever do]. Nothing more constructive to add, just that the day was awesome, and I can't wait for the return visit. The one thing I found when I got home and played was that the workshop gave me a real shot in the arm and improvements in playing are happening. Cheers." Julian, England.

 

"Hello Jeremy, thank you for this excellent workshop and your high quality learning-CD. It was a pleasure to meet you." Jorg, Germany.

 

"Thank you Jeremy for building bridges between different people, cultures and times. An introduction into a pure and authentic tradition that inspires to explore even more. Now it's time to practice, practice, practice...." Kenny, Belgium.

 

"I really apreciate your workshop here in Cesena. I'm doing practise with what I've learn in your lessons (at this time two workshop with you: Forlimpopoli was the first one) and cd tutorial. I'd really love traditional way of playing didgeridoo. But most of all the meanings and the culture around this instrument and the mens that "hear" the music. I really think that without knowing traditions or best, without appreciate the misterious emotions of meet myself that I've in commons with all human beings, playing didgeridoo risks to become training, performance, calculation, technicism. And human being's heart disappears behind the instrument." Gianni Placido, Italy.

 

"I totally enjoyed the seminar at the London club in October, my playing as improved ten-fold. I`ll definitely see you on your next visit to the U.K." Chris.

 

"As so often on workshops, there are always people who want to make an effort to record the proceedings.....and I was really pleased that Jeremy did not compromise in allowing people to do this. I have to say I find it irritating and that note taking is by far the best way of remembering the proceedings. As with so many other aspects of music, there is a huge spiritual thread woven delicately through the whole area. You can teach a dog to jump through a hoop and you can teach someone to play an instrument - a mechanical process that does not necessarily include feeling and awareness. I found Jeremy's sensitivity and awareness quite moving, his ability to show how the Aborigines in his experience speak and feel, a huge eye opener and deepened my appreciation of the instrument and the spirituality it embodies. The way the day was set out suited me fine, and the putting together of rhythms and sequence of rhythms a brilliant exercise. Three of us got together last Saturday to go through what we did - using my written notes !!!!!!!! and it was a really good exercise. Improvements - well, I think it was just fine as it was. It is extraordinarily difficult having to put together a plan for a workshop, only to find that half have just learned which end to blow through and the other half have been playing for ages - in which case, the plan just goes out of the window. It was a great day, thank you." Andy Mapplebeck, England.

 

"Here´s the workshop feedback: - THANK YOU!!! - My englisch isn`t good enough to write a long mail. Your workshop give me very much information, exercises and inspiration for the next weeks... (...months, ...years...). Greetings from Germany." Christian Falkenrich.

 

"I thoroughly enjoyed your workshop! Your way of teaching was one that felt very natural and familiar to me. I also very much appreciated your no-nonsense and non-esoterical approach to the teaching that was backed-up by your knowledge in neurolinguistics. It was an excellent opportunity for me to double-check my own findings and to get a lot of new inputs. The only thing I was a bit sorry about was that the 3 hours went by too fast. I would have loved to sit down with you and do some 1:1 teaching. Hopefully, there will be another occasion sometime and if I have the chance to attend another one of your workshops, I certainly will!" Christian Som, Switzerland.

 

"Hi there Jeremy, again thanks for your enthusiastic and motivated course, it was great to be a student again and to learn and listen to your stories and knowledge." Bastiaan Baaij, The Netherlands.

 

"I have been organising and attending classes with Jeremy for the past few years now. The way he constructs his workshop is simply perfect! He is able to get everybody along due to his clear teaching method, especially if you take a multiple day course with him, your didge/Yidaki playing will get an immense boost! It is not just the inspiration to practise Yolngu sounds/style but, and that is for me most important, the way he can bring across the idea to be in charge and in full control of the sounds and rhythm you want to play. Last but not least, Jeremy is not Yolngu and he’s clear about that, but learning from Jeremy I started to understand and appreciate Yolngu music a lot more!" Michiel Teijgeler, Holland.

 

"Hey Jeremy! I still want to thank you for the great workshop you gave us in Leuven. It influenced my playing-style very much. The turorial cd is also very great! It helped me a lot. I truly hope we will have the opportunity again to do a workshop when you're in Belgium someday again. You are really a great teacher and we had a great day." Bart, Belgium.

 

"Hey Jeremy, a quick response on the Eindhoven workshop, last weekend. On Saturday you surprised me telling I had to play the yidaki in front, I never did that, when I started I even couldn't. Amazing you were listening and correcting when all of us had to play. I didn't hear any difference. Sunday was an off day, I was completely absent minded, cause that day I had a blinding headache, in spite off the asperine that I took. In the early morning I was okay and made a mountain bike trip for about 25 km. I couldn't make any proper sound on the yidaki that day, I felt a bit ashamed, too bad I had this headache just on that day. I didn't consider leaving the workshop, cause I wanted to hear and listen to all that you had to say. Your body absorbs the info that I am telling you said, your were right, on Monday listening to your CD it went much better, and it all came up, even I could hear different sound. Well it is gonna take me some time to improve myself. It was a thrill take part in your workshop and I never forget it and you. Thanks again. The next time you visit Holland I'll try to be there again." Paul Gerrits, The Netherlands.

 

"A quick note to say how much I enjoyed your lesson, that you gave on Saturday 18th of October. I enjoyed it so much, and have found myself gripped by the yidaki once again. I enjoyed seeing you as well - a long long way from Sydney, eh? It is good to see that you are getting out and going round the world passing on what you know. It is very interesting to hear about yidaki from someone who has been to where they grow, as it were. It was good to see you on my soil this time." Dan Loizos, England.

 

"Thank you for the great workshop in Switzerland. For me it was again the opportunity to review my own knowledge and to improve them with you. The best part is not met a brilliant yidaki player with a multicultural vision, but a friend whom I appreciate. I am very impressed by what you do and how you do it. Also thank you again for the great day with Frank and the yidaki you have got for me. I Love its sound and the ingenious way to play it. I hope to see you again soon." Alex, Germany.

 

"Mr. Jeremy Cloake, thanks you for your letter. I enjoyed your workshop very very much. I practice yidaki with your tuition cd everyday. That is fun and I think I progress by little and little. I hope to see you again next year." Yoshinari Kobayashi, Japan.

 

"I thought you tailored the lesson just right to my ability and needs, clearly outlining technique and structure of rhythm forming. I found your teaching style to be spot on and very friendly and humble. Looking forward to working with you again." Carl Woodward, New Zealand.

 

"Hi Jeremy, thank you for the workshop at Colin's shop in London. You certainly gave me alot to think about and to practise. I must say, you are definitely the best yidaki teacher I've ever learned from and a real inspiration." Simon, England.

 

"Hello Jeremy, I hope all is good for you. I don't want to disturb you but just a few words to say that your new cd is very very very good. It's easyest now for me to anderstand yidaki sounds. now I can write all my rythms. The workshop you made in Alsace whith Gregory is in my mind for ever. I hope to see you the next year to learn more and more. If you come in France i don't forget the red wine and the white wine. Thank you for all you are and all you make. I hope my english is not too bad. THANKS......" Cyril, France.

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"If you have actually taken the time to read through all this text then you deserve a ten percent discount off anything that I have featured here on this website for sale and also my n'goni website. I will even include orders! That's my way of saying thanks for showing such an interest in what I do and taking the time to read this. Just click here to claim your discount. Congratulations, you are awesome! Jeremy, Aotearoa.

 

"Great thanks one more time for your Yidaki tuition over here. I enjoyed the whole thing in a very special way. After six years of didjeridu playing a very new way of playing has germinate. I practise with great enthousiasm and found out that this circle for me is more round than only play common didge style. As we took it in history, it feels like give back a tiny bit from it. I learned in the weekend that we have to keep alive those traditional energies, before it will be completely lost over a 100 years. So if i may be small part of keeping it alive i'm a happy man. As you asked us for some bad comments, i don't have any. The far negative i can go is that it was way to short, but that is only positive. Believe me that i have had some rythemly fevers about dhid-dihrl-lung dha-rong dha-rong etc..back over home, it does run trough my brains every day, yeah!" Hans, The Netherlands.

 

"Hi Jeremy, I was the Aussie guy that came to your workshop in Tokyo the other month. Just want to say thanks for the workshop and opening me up to a whole new world. Since the workshop I have really immersed myself in yidaki and have really started to gain an appreciation for it. I think the way you taught too was very constructive and encouraging. After hearing you play I thought ‘how in the hell is he doing that?!’, but have realized that with practice I have been able to improve more than I thought I could.Thanks again and hope to see you at the next workshop, cheers." Andrew, Japan.

 

"The workshop is perfect the way you do it, and I cannot imagine immediately a point in it that has to be improved. Every time it's amazing to see how people's way of playing (and not only yidaki playing, but also didgeridoo-playing) improve/evolve during your lessons. And last but not least, you always manage to create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere during your workshops, so that everyone (I think) is always at ease very soon." Bart, Belgium.

 

“I can say without any hesitation that you are the best yidaki/didgeridoo teacher I have had the good fortune to learn from and your workshop was high excellence.” Colin Goring, England.
 

"Nicely done on the CD, I love the lay out and all the linear notes and examples. Plenty of stuff to keep anybody busy for a while definately a great edition to the educational materials genre of the instrument, way to go Jeremy!" John Groves, USA.

 

"Just a quick word to say hi and mostly thanks!! I bought balanda yidaki dhukarr off Greg of didj passion at the airvault festival. It was exactly what i was looking for when i asked you for advice for evolving. Its been a bit more than a week I bought the yidaki and the cd and i'm burstin'off new rhythms with more control, precision and power ever! The cd was exactly what i needed in straightening out what i had learned on my own, knowing and putting a name on the different sounds and the different distinctions in articulation. Being an african drum player aswell i know how much it is important to be able to sing the rhythm and the cd gave me tools to sing what i do on the yidaki. being able to sing has really evolved my playing i can really burst off the different beats i feel as i've said with precision and power!! So many thanks to you Jeremy for your advice and for showing me the way!" Ben, France.

 

"I have found the CD very very very very useful, informative and I can't recommend it enough to other people, thanks for sending me my copy a while back my playing has as I say come on leaps and bounds." Richard, England.

 

"Hi Jeremy. Thanks for the mail and CDs! Can’t wait to receive them! Yes this is my favorite didge cd ever. Highest recommendation to the didge lovers!" Sanshi, Australia.

 

"I just received the 2 cd's and I'm already listening for 20 minutes or so to the 1st one. Damn, this is really very great stuff! And the music is really able to bring you into trance. We want more of this :). I'm very happy with the discs." Bart, Belgium.

 

"Hi Jeremy! Just wanted to let you know I received the cd from you today! Great stuff! Hope to dive into some practicing with it tonight. Thanks for putting this great info together!!! Love the booklet." Allan Van Leeuwen, USA.

 

"I received your CDs this week-end, thanks for the rapidity! Hope your French Workshop was a success. Just been listening to them once yet, and already fan! Balanda Yidaki Dhukarr's philosophy is great... just what Balanda "neo-trad'heads" were awaiting I guess. Keep it all up! Cheers." Francis, France.

 

"I just recieved the CD yesterday. Thanks for the speedy delivery! This is a great tool to help learn traditional techniques and look forward to mastering them! Thanks for producing a quality product." David McGraw, USA.

 

"I received your CD on Monday, 1 Sept. Thank you very much. The contents of the CD are more than my expectation, like oh... you are teaching and revealing such secret parts in terms of your style. I have been listening to it and practicing along with it every day. I am hoping my technique will refine as good as what I am aiming for. The quality of the sound of the CD and the explanation of the booklet are at very high standard. I am sure people who have been practicing Yolngu style will love it as you have approached into the every little phrase in it. I will keep practicing until I start my recording again!" Yas, Australia.