Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat

MARTIN TAYLOR GUITAR RETREAT

with special guests Bruce Forman and Peppino D'Agostino
April 12th-14th, 2024 - Benicia, California

Overview

Players of all levels and styles are welcome at the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat in sunny California, USA. Whether you’ve been playing for years, or you just know a couple of chords, you'll be able to immerse yourself in learning guitar at this three day guitar retreat with three of the world's leading acoustic guitarists; Martin Taylor, Bruce Forman, and Peppino D'Agostino.

From fingerstyle to acoustic to jazz and more, Martin, Bruce, and Peppino will give you insight into the techniques, styles, and tips to inspire and improve your playing. The retreat is designed to gather guitarists of all levels from around the globe with a common goal - learning, playing, eating and sleeping music.

This is the eighth Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat that has been held in California. Don’t miss this chance to spend a week-end in the Golden State of California, home of some of the world's best music. What could be better than a musical holiday where you really learn something and have a great time with like-minded people?

The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat will take place in Benicia in Northern California, just outside San Francisco on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of April, 2024.

During the day you'll learn directly with Martin, Bruce, and Peppino and every evening you can sit back with a Californian wine or local handcrafted beer and take part in intimate, once-in-a-lifetime jam sessions. Just bring your guitar, get ready to learn, jam, make friends and have fun!

What Is The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat About?

The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreats are all about hands-on playing. This retreat is about helping you achieve REAL RESULTS and having fun in the process.

Improved Technique

Improve your technique and gain a new level of confidence as a guitarist.

Multiple Styles

You'll be exposed to learning different styles and techniques to develop your guitar playing.

Inspiration

Spend three days getting inspiration, meeting, and jamming with guitarists from around the world.

Guitar Exercises

You'll learn plenty of new exercises to continue to make progress in your playing.

Guitar Arrangements

You'll learn to take your ideas and craft them into a finished arrangement on the guitar.

Live Performances

Opportunity to perform with Martin, Bruce, Peppino and other retreat attendees.

REGISTER NOW

WHAT'S INCLUDED

All Workshops
Over 14 hours of guitar workshops with Martin Taylor and his guest teachers.

Great Tasting Food
Join Martin and guitar players from around the world for two lunches and two dinners.

Evening Jam Sessions
Pick up your guitar and take part in once in a lifetime jam sessions.

Faculty Performances
Sit back and enjoy intimate performances from Martin, Bruce and and Peppino.

Welcome Goodie Bag
Receive a welcome goodie bag when you arrive at the retreat.

Sunday After Hours
Join Martin, Bruce, and Peppino for a final opportunity to play together (optional).

Special Bonus for First 20 Guitarists That Enroll - New Book.

In Martin Taylor’s Latin Jazz Rhythm Guitar, iconic guitar virtuoso Dr Martin Taylor shows you how to quickly master the basic bossa groove, then transform it into endless musical comping patterns.

Part One – Boss Nova Guitar from the Ground Up
For those new to Latin Jazz, have no fear – this book begins with an easy-to-follow, practical guide to nailing the bossa nova groove and breaking it down beat by beat.Part Two – A Masterclass in Chord Embellishment

In Part Two you’ll learn Martin’s stunning chord embellishments and how to apply them to the greatest Latin Jazz tunes ever written.

You’ll learn how Martin plays these Antônio Carlos Jobim classics:

The Girl from Ipanema
Wave
Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
Triste
How Insensitive
Plus, two classic standards often played in the Latin Jazz style:
The Shadow of Your Smile
Night and Day

** The first 20 people who enroll will receive a copy of this book at the retreat.

PLUS RECEIVE OVER $1,800 WORTH OF BONUSES UPON REGISTERING!

Bonus #1 ($997 Value)

Retreat participants will receive immediate access to the 'Guitar Mastery' online precourse (value $997).

This six week home-study online course will help you get the most from the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat. It includes over 40 HD videos on scales, melody playing, arranging for guitar, improvisation, performance technique and other areas that will be taught in more depth on the retreat. This online precourse is only available to Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat students.

Bonus #2 ($297 Value)

You will also receive access to a ten-part online course from Martin Taylor. (value $297).

This ten part home-study online course will help you get the most from the walking bass workshop that Martin will be teaching. This online pre-course is only available to Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat students and students will be given online access in September.

Bonus #3 ($297 Value)

Plus you'll receive access to Alison Burns' online course on vocal technique (value $297).

This online home-study course from vocal coach Alison Burns includes 14 HD videos on developing your voice and improving your singing.

Bonus #4 ($197 Value)

All participants will receive access to the video and audio library from the Online Guitar Summit™ where Martin Taylor and James Taylor interview over 30 leading guitarists including Tommy Emmanuel, Clive Carroll, Ulf Wakenius, Andy McKee, Robin Nolan, John Knowles, Peppino D'Agostino, Richard Smith, Muriel Anderson, Frank Gambale, Pierre Bensusan, Justin Sandercoe, Pat Bergeson and many more.

Bonus #5 ($90 Value)

The first eight Gold Package customers will also receive a gift card entitling them to a 3-month membership to the Martin Taylor Guitar Academy to learn from Martin directly online.

Already a Martin Taylor Guitar Academy member? No problem, you can give this gift card to a friend or family member to redeem.

REGISTER TODAY

What They Say...

Martin Taylor's Guitar Retreats are legendary! To date over 130 guitarists have attended a Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat. Here's what one recent retreat student said:

"I’ve had a wonderful experience. Playing at home I found that it’s hard to find other players that are interested in fingerstyle or jazz. When I came here I found many people with similar interests. Martin showed us different ways of approaching accompaniment improvisation and we were able to jam with other students, we were able to play with them as well. As much as I enjoyed my time here I can’t wait to go home and try all the new material that I’ve learned here.”
- George Beasley, USA

“I’m having a great time here. The camaraderie is great. I’m getting to compare notes with all the other fine players. Being up close and personal with Peppino and Martin, and being able to get into a Q and A with them, and really work out questions that I’ve had, and it’s fabulous. It’s fun. It’s very laid back, and everybody is just so friendly and hospitable.”
- Kent Gunderson, USA

The Location

With a population of 28,000, Benicia is a small waterfront town in the Bay Area less than an hour from Oakland or San Francisco and twenty minutes from the Napa Valley. This charming hamlet gives visitors a chance to relax as they stroll the compact downtown's boutiques, antiques stores, and restaurants. This one-time state capital (1853-54) is dotted with historic sites and is a haven for the creative set — about 500 artists make Benicia their home.

YOUR RETREAT TEACHERS

MARTIN TAYLOR

Fingerstyle & Jazz Guitar

Martin Taylor is a Grammy nominated fingerstyle guitarist, solo jazz guitar virtuoso and online guitar teacher. Pat Metheny says Martin Taylor is "one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument" while Jeff Beck thinks Taylor "out-shreds all of us put together….I’ve never seen anything like it". As one of the world's most popular online guitar teachers and providers of guitar lessons online, Taylor now helps people in over 58 countries learn how to play guitar and become better guitarists.

He has collaborated with the biggest names in guitar music including Tommy Emmanuel, Jeff Beck, Chet Atkins, Frank Vignola, Barney Kessell, Earl Klugh, Herb Ellis, Scotty Moore, Julian Lage, Andreas Oberg, Albert Lee, Ulf Wakenius, Tony McManus, Martin Simpson and Laurence Juber. In addition to this he has been awarded two honorary doctorates, a BBC lifetime achievement award, an IAJE Jazz Educators award, Top 10 albums in both the USA and UK, a record 14 British Jazz Awards and in 2002 he was appointed MBE 'For Services to Jazz Music' by the Queen of Great Britain. Today his online jazz guitar lessons and fingerstyle guitar videos have been watched by over 1 million guitarists worldwide.

BRUCE FORMAN

Jazz Guitar

A hectic touring schedule; twenty-one recordings as a leader, countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; raconteur, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept., when does Bruce Forman rest?

Deep immersion in American culture inspires Forman to contribute to the traditions that he draws from. Reunion! (the newest project) revisits the famed Poll Winners sessions with cohorts John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, playing instruments owned by Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne; Formanism (his trio project); original works like The Red Guitar; his high-rated podcast, GuitarWank; Cow Bop and the “road challenges” down historic byways like Route 66; JazzMasters Workshop; Junkyard Duo; GrumpsTV (a fifty episode YouTube variety show during the lockdown), the popular ‘first chorus of the day’ series on Instagram…these are only the latest answers to the endless question that underlies Bruce Forman’s creativity. His music and life reflect every step of his journey, and demonstrate the awareness of an artist who’s very much at home in the world, and at the top of his form.

"Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age.” - Barney Kessel, Jazz Times

PEPPINO D'AGOSTINO

Fingerstyle and Percussive Guitar

D'Agostino, a native of Italy, has been hailed as “a guitarist's guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine as well as “a giant of the acoustic guitar” (San Diego Reader), and holds many top guitar awards - even his Peppino D'Agostino Seagull Signature Guitar model was ranked as one of the 10 best signature guitars by Guitar Player Magazine.

D’Agostino has performed in more than 31 countries; been featured at prestigious international music festivals, and frequently plays with prominent artists around the world, including Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, and Eric Johnson. His 18 recordings include releases on Favored Nations, Mesa/Bluemoon, Acoustic Music Records, and other labels.

When not performing D’Agostino also enjoys teaching. He has made various teaching videos, has individual students, and through the years has been a guest instructor at various guitar programs such as Creative Vacances in La Moreau, France, Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp, Swannanoa Gathering, and Guitar Workshop Plus. Truefire, an online instruction company, has released two courses in which D’Agostino explains his influential guitar techniques and approach to composition. One thing is true – Peppino is always thinking guitar.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN AT THE RETREAT

Improved technique and a new confidence as a guitarist

Plenty of exercises to continue to make progress in your playing

New tunes for your repertoire

Guitar skills to accompany yourself

Develop your improvisation and guitar arranging skills

How to unleash your creative potential as a guitarist and overcome blocks

PRICING AND REGISTRATION

Early-Bird Package

$1750

Only 30 spaces available.

All workshops (over 14 hours).
Welcome goodie bag.
2 lunches and 2 dinners.
Sunday after Hours (optional)
Wine/beer at dinners
Evening jam sessions and teacher performances.
Home-study preparation course (valued at $997)
Bonus bundle (valued at $544)

CLICK TO REGISTER

Partner Package

$275

For non-participating partners

2 lunches and 2 dinners for partner
Wine/beer at dinner for partner
Attend the evening jam sessions, teacher performances and Sunday after Hours.

CLICK TO REGISTER

Provisional Schedule

Friday 12th April 2024
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Students Arrive
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Opening Session: Welcome & Introductions
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Workshop I
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Dinner
9:00 pm - 11:00 pm Open Mic

Saturday 13th April 2024
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop II
11:00 am - 12:30 pm Workshop III
12:30 pm - 1:45 pm Lunch
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Workshop IV
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Coffee Break
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Workshop V
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Dinner
9:00 pm - 11:00 pm Open Mic

Sunday 14th April 2024
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop VI
11:00 am - 12:30 pm Workshop VII
12:30 pm – 1:45 pm Lunch
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Workshop VIII
3:30pm - 4:00 pm Coffee Break
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Workshop IX
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Sunday after Hours (optional)

NON-PARTICIPATING
PARTNER PACKAGE

CLICK TO REGISTER

Why Not Bring Your Partner

If you would like to have your loved one join you at the retreat but not participate in workshops, we recommend this package. You both dine together with the group for all meals, and attend all evening concerts/jams together. During the days, while one of you is participating in workshops, your partner can enjoy the fun things to do in the Benicia area.

So here's how to register your partner. Firstly register yourself. Then come back to this page and click on the non-participating partner package button and make this week-end a get-away both of you can enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When does the retreat take place?

A. The retreat classes run from the Friday afternoon until Sunday evening.

Q. Where does the retreat take place?

A. The retreat classes will take place in Benicia, CA. from April 12-14, 2024. Upon registration you will receive more detailed information about the local venues being used for the classes, evening jams, and meals. A list of local lodging spots and transportation options to get to Benicia will also be included. Six weeks before the retreat you will receive the final retreat schedule.

Q. What is the cost?

A. The cost per participant is $1750 and $275 for non-participating partners.

Q. Can my partner attend even though they won't participate in the classes.

A. Absolutely, non-participating partners are very welcome and the price per non-participating partner is $275 which can be purchased at the link below. Partners may also sit in on a workshop session or two as long as there is adequate space in the room. See the button on this page to register your partner when registration opens.

Q. What is your cancellation policy and COVID policy?

A. You can receive a full refund minus any credit card fees within the first 30 days of booking. Please consider getting travel insurance to cover your fees in case you have to cancel due to unexpected circumstances. We will follow ALL CDC and county health department COVID-related rules, and modify accordingly.

Q. What about accommodation?

A. Accommodations are not included in the price of your retreat ticket. Upon registration you will receive a Fact Sheet with links to nearby hotels/inns. These include the Shorelight Inn , Inn at Benicia Bay, Union Hotel (all in the center of the small downtown area of Benicia and a five minute walk from each other) and the Heritage Inn and Holiday Inn Express which is a little further away. Call or go online to make your reservations for accommodations as soon as possible - there is limited availability at each location. It is your responsibility to make and attend to your lodging reservation. If you make a reservation with the front desk person, they will let you know if they provide a discount because you are attending the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat. You can also check out AirBnB.

Q. Who can I contact if I have other questions related to the retreat?

A. Please email dwapnermusic@gmail.com

Q. Can you accommodate those with dietary issues?

A. We are happy to cater for people with diet issues. Vegetarian, vegans and basic diet requirements are included in the price - just let us know by emailing Donna Wapner here.

Q. Are the retreat venues suitable for those with mobility issues?

A. We are not able to accommodate anyone with severe mobility problems. Please get in touch with dwapner@sbcglobal.net to discuss your particular needs.

Q. How do I get there?

A. You can travel to Benicia either by air or road.

By air: Benicia is usually 45minutes from Oakland International Airport and an hour from San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Public transportation to Benicia from the airports include: BART (to Pleasant Hill) - www.bart.gov - and Evans Airporter to Vallejo - www.evanstransportation.com. From BART taxi or Rideshare to Benicia.

CLICK TO REGISTER NOW

The Premier Music Retreat Experiences

This will be our 15th Music Retreat in beautiful Benicia. P3 Music has also produced music and creativity retreats for Mike Marshall, Sergio Assad, David Wilcox & Peppino D'Agostino in the same location. Our Benicia team is focused on giving you the very best experience in which to learn guitar.

Other P3 Music retreats take place in London, New York, Italy, Scotland, France and Asia. We are honored to work with Martin Taylor for this retreat in California. We hope you decide to join us for three day days of eating, sleeping, learning and playing music.