Personal guidance
Full attention for every participant
Innovative materials
See improvisation from a completely new perspective
Expert
More than 25 years of experience guiding musicians
Registered course
The course meets CRKBO quality standards
Horse (w)listener
In our village of Uffelte, Judith is known as the 'horse whisperer'. But when I once called her that, she said: 'I'm actually more of a horse listener. Because I constantly listen to the signals my horse gives me, and I respond to those.'
When Judith said that, I immediately thought: That's exactly how I prefer to interact with my piano: constantly, with every finger movement, I listen attentively to the note my piano gives me back, and I respond to that.
Who is it for?
The four-day retreat 'Horse and Improv' is intended for musicians with a heart for horses, and for horse lovers with a heart for music. In other words: are you a musician with an affinity for horses or are you simply curious about the influence these beautiful animals could have on your music-making, then this retreat might be perfect for you. Or are you a horse lover who would like to learn to play a musical instrument (better) and are you curious about the 'improvising interaction' with your love of horses, then you may well become very happy from this retreat. All levels are welcome. Prior knowledge of horses or music is not required, but is allowed.
What do horses and music have in common?
When you interact with horses, how you 'feel in your skin' is incredibly important. Horses notice everything. And they mirror it. You can't 'lie' to a horse: if you pretend you want to do something 'together', but in reality you're only focused on yourself, horses notice this, and they won't take a single step when you want to walk them on a long line. If you're afraid and pretend you're not, horses notice this too, and they'll mirror it and not come to you.
Judith has an enormous amount of exercises and tons of experience in teaching people to interact with horses. And all of that can be seamlessly applied when you want to play your musical instrument. For horse (w)listeners and for (improvising) musicians it's incredibly important to feel comfortable in your own skin, to dare, to be in the flow, to be relaxed, to be in the moment, to not pretend, to be clear, to not want to control everything but to accept and surrender to what happens even if it wasn't primarily your 'intention', to have fun, to be in contact with yourself, to be in contact with your horse/instrument, to work together with your horse/instrument, to have trust and to feel free as if you're dancing.
Recently I was able to attend a workshop 'interacting with horses' with Judith. And although I've been working for ages to teach myself and thousands of others to feel comfortable in their own skin and to be in the moment etc... Judith managed in a few hours to give me such tips and inspire me so much that after the workshop my improvisations had deepened.
About my first meeting with Judith
One day she came walking up to our place with her two horses. One horse on a long, slack rope in her left hand, the other horse on a long, slack rope in her right hand. She told us she was taking a walk with her horses, and that the horses had been startled by some men with cherry pickers who were sawing thick, dead branches from the trees in our village. She asked if her horses could calm down on our large lawn and eat some grass...
I thought it was wonderful. Like a fairy tale... In Amsterdam, where we had lived for forty years, we had never experienced anything like it... I barely knew Judith at the time. I knew she lived on the other side of our village. And that she had a passion for horses. That was all I knew about her.
How sweet her horses were, and how TAME! My husband Wiebe and I each got a horse on a rope to hold for a while. How calm and quiet the horses remained... Actually just as calm and quiet as Judith herself was in her own skin... While the horses were grazing, a conversation developed between Judith and me. Very quickly we discovered that there are enormous similarities between how Judith interacts with her horses and how I prefer to interact with my piano. When Judith felt it was time to move on, she clicked her tongue a few times. The horses raised their heads, Judith set course for the street, and the horses followed her at a trot.
The fairy-tale image of Judith and her horses on our large lawn stayed with me. And our conversation too. Slowly the thought grew in me: How wonderful it would be to combine our wisdom... This planted the seed for what would later, in further conversations with Judith, grow into the four-day retreat 'Horse and Improv'.
When?
The next retreat takes place in the summer of 2027.
We have decided to make our schedule a little less packed, which is why we organise some of our courses no longer every year, but only once every two years.
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General programme
What is fixed are the start and end times of the retreat:
- Thursday there is arrival from 12:00. At 12:30 we start with lunch.
- Sunday around 4:00 PM we close the retreat and everyone heads home.
How the retreat will take shape is partly determined by you as participants. The weather also plays a role: for example, if it's rainy with occasional sunny moments, we plan it so that we can be with the horses during those sunny moments. The retreat is allowed to take shape organically, in the moment.
Per day you can roughly expect:
- a block of time for bodywork and interaction with horses, with Judith
- a block of time for music improvisation, with Robijn
- a block of time with a surprise programme
- a block of time to fill as you choose (think of: time to let things sink in / improvise informally, individually or in small groups / be with the horses / help Judith care for the horses / walk / cycle / enjoy the sunshine / rest.
Generally we take a short three-minute break every hour, and a longer break every two or three hours. But we can deviate from this depending on your wishes and your 'absorption capacity' ('Can you continue or are you ready for a break?')
At the beginning of the retreat everyone can make a wish: something you'd like to learn or experience during the retreat. We aim for all your wishes to be fulfilled by the end of the retreat...!
Testimonials
The love for the craft is palpable with the two of you! A beautiful collaboration, an open atmosphere and respect for every participant.
The four days of Horse & Improv with Robijn and Judith were amazing. Two people who complement each other well with the horses and in the music. The open group of people, who love both animals and making music together, was healing and inspiring.
Wonderful musical experience in solo, duets and the whole ensemble. Never knew I could experience so much joy and openness by playing together in a meadow at sunset with horses around us like a protective mantle. The delightful food was the cherry on top.
Amazing the tools you have to help participants open their hearts to instrument, horses and themselves. The unity consciousness was awakened in me: the instrument, the soloist, the supporter, the conductor, the leader, the horse, your heartbeat, mother earth, the breathing and even the weather are all part of being one.
The setting, the surroundings, the reception, the calm and the space: I experienced a very warm bath, where everything is welcome. Although I wasn't very musically experienced, I felt very welcome and at ease.
What does the retreat cost?
Cost
The cost for the four-day retreat, including all workshops, 3x breakfast, 4x lunch, 3x dinner, optional 3x overnight stay, and including my two improvisation books Tonediving and Free Your Music, is € 695. The Improvisation Academy is accredited by the CRKBO and is therefore exempt from VAT.
Discount?
If you really want to join the retreat but cannot afford it, please contact us. If the retreat is your dream, we believe that cost should not be an obstacle to realizing your dream...!
Home
Our farmhouse is more than two hundred years old. For a large part of those two hundred years there were horses on the farm. What is now our bathroom used to be a horse stable! That's an extra reason for me to enjoy giving the 'horse retreat': horses belong here, horses are at home here. Throughout the entire retreat, Farah and Boyd, Judith's two horses, will be present on our large lawn. I look forward to that. On Judith's website equitopia.nl you can read more about Judith and her horses.
More information and registration
Does this retreat appeal to you and would you like to sign up? Click here.
If you're thinking: 'A retreat like this might be something for me, but I still have one or more questions,' please email your questions to robijntilanus@gmail.com. Always include your phone number in your email: Robijn may call you back or leave a message, if she feels that's the best way to respond.
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FAQ
You can participate with any instrument. No instruments are excluded. Singers are also welcome.
That's no problem at all. This retreat is about interacting with horses, walking with horses, making music among horses, and horses as mirrors and sources of inspiration to feel free and comfortable in your own skin. During the retreat we will not be riding the horses.
Absolutely! Robijn specialises in getting everyone, even without experience, to improvise. She has developed a unique method for this: Tonediving. There is plenty of information about this on this website. In Robijn's studio there are many musical instruments that you can try out... and you can of course also sing, if you wish.
Beginning musicians and experienced musicians can make music together perfectly well:
-- if you have a lot of experience, you can take care of the structure, the chords, and occasionally take a solo;
-- if you're a beginner, you add, under Robijn's guidance, with confidence, an occasional note...!
The retreat location is: Dorpsstraat 39, Uffelte, South-West Drenthe, The Netherlands. A beautiful farmhouse on one hectare of land, a hundred meters from a stunning nature reserve with forest, heather, sand drifts, small pools and two dolmens.
The retreat is given in a small group (minimum four, maximum ten people).
Absolutely! Overnight stays are included free of charge. Expect basic comfort, not a luxury hotel. We ask you to bring your own bottom sheet (or sleeping bag liner), pillowcase and duvet cover. We provide duvets, blankets and a bed. The farmhouse has two bathrooms that we share. If you prefer camping, that's also possible: there's plenty of room on our grounds to pitch your tent or park your camper. You can also choose to book a B&B or small hotel nearby if you'd like more comfort...
Uffelte is located in the south-west corner of Drenthe. From the Randstad it's roughly an hour and a half by car, depending on your starting point. If you come by train, go to Meppel station. From there take bus 28 towards Dwingeloo. After about fifteen minutes get off at the Anserweg stop in Uffelte (Note: do NOT take the Dorpsstraat stop in Uffelte, as it's much further to walk. Also do NOT take the Dorpsstraat stop in Havelte, as that's the wrong village). From the Anserweg stop it's about a ten-minute walk to Dorpsstraat 39.
Absolutely! Please let us know your dietary requirements well in advance by email.