Players of all levels and styles are welcome at the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat in Big Indian, New York. Whether you’ve been playing for years, or you just know a couple of tunes, you'll be able to immerse yourself in learning fingerstyle, jazz and acoustic guitar at this four day guitar retreat with Martin Taylor and his guest teachers including Tony McManus, Richard Smith, Jim Cunningham, Alison Burns and James Taylor.
Martin 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 and playing guitar.
This is the seventh year that the Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat has been held at the Full Moon Resort (just 2.5 hours from New York City). Don’t miss this chance to spend a week in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, just 30 miles from historic Woodstock. What could be better than a musical holiday where you really learn something and have a great time with like-minded guitarists?
The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat will take place this year from August 28 - September 1, 2023. During each day you'll learn directly with Martin and his guest teachers and each evening you can sit back with a 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!
To really help you make the most from this event we have created a series of preparatory home study courses and cool bonuses (see below)!
Monday 28th August 2023
3pm - 5.00pm Check In & Registration
5.00pm - 6.00pm Meet & Greet
6.00pm - 7.30pm Dinner
8.00pm - 9.00pm Welcome & Faculty Concert
9.00pm - 11.00pm Jamming
Tuesday 29th August 2023
8.30am - 10.00am Breakfast
10.00am - 11.45am Workshop 1 (Martin, Tony, Richard, and Jim)
12.00pm - 1.30pm Workshop 2
1.30pm - 2.30pm Lunch
2.45pm - 4.15pm Workshop 3
4.30pm - 6.00pm Workshop 4
6.30pm - 8.00pm Dinner
8.00pm - 8.45pm Faculty & Student Concert
9.00pm - 11.00pm Jamming
Wednesday 30th August 2023
8.30am - 10.00am Breakfast
10.00am - 11.45am Workshop 5
12.00pm - 1.30pm Workshop 6
1.30pm - 2.30pm Lunch
2.30pm - 4.00pm Workshop 7
4.15pm - 5.00pm Workshop 8
5.15pm - 6pm Workshop 9
6.30pm - 8.00pm Dinner
8.00pm - 8.45pm Faculty & Student Concert
9.00pm - 11.00pm Jamming
Thursday 31st August 2023
8.30am - 10.00am Breakfast
10.00am - 11.45am Workshop 10
12.00pm - 1.30pm Workshop 11
1.30pm - 2.30pm Lunch
2.30pm - 3.45pm Workshop 12
4.00pm - 5.00pm Workshop 13
5.00pm - 6pm Workshop 14
6.30pm - 8.00pm Dinner
8.00pm - 8.45pm Faculty & Student Concert
9.00pm - 11.00pm Jamming
Friday 1st September 2023
8.30am - 10.30am Breakfast
11.00am Checkout
***Note*** - Martin will also be doing 1-on-1 lessons with each student.
Conjuring a unique but universal language from that most ubiquitous of instruments, the acoustic guitar, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and east European music. Long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes – even the phrasing of a Gaelic song – onto his own six strings, McManus is increasingly being acknowledged also as a pioneering figure in bridging the realms of Celtic music and other guitar genres.
Born in 1965 in Paisley, near Glasgow, his surname the legacy of an Irish grandfather, McManus was introduced to traditional music via the family record collection. Having first tried his hand at the fiddle, whistle and mandolin, he took up the guitar aged ten, although subsequent academic inclinations got him halfway through a PhD in maths before the music won out. After rapidly making his name as an unusually fluent and sensitive accompanist, he took the solo plunge with a triumphant main-stage debut on the final night of Glasgow’s inaugural Celtic Connections festival in 1994, supporting Capercaillie in front of a 2500-strong crowd.
Over the years, Tony has recorded a catalog of dazzling albums, both solo and with friends, delivering a breadth of artistry and performance which conjures up images and themes of the traditional music of the Celts along with more global influences from far and wide. On the shop pages you will find all of Tony’s recordings along with the teaching DVD’s. The video section has a section of performances both studio and live. Check out the dates for when Tony is next performing near you – as the hardest working man in folk, it maybe sooner that you think!
Having witnessed one of his live performances, fellow musicians and music lovers alike sing hymns of praise about world-renowned fingerstyle guitarist Richard Smith. With fretboard fireworks and lyrical endeavours he will melt your heart-strings, make your toes tapping and your jaws hanging open. Richard's ever growing repertoire comprises a wide variety of music from classical Bach to Beatles pop. It includes Scott Joplin Rags just like Sousa marches, Chopin, Mozart and fiddle tunes. It ranges from jazz standards to Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed and to Django Rein-hardt gypsy swing, not to mention his intriguing originals. He delivers both, light-ning fast barn-burners and beautiful ballads, occasionally spiced with vocals.
Richard first met his hero, the “Godfather” of fingerstyle guitar, Chet Atkins, when he was only eleven. Richard was invited by Chet to share the stage with him at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in front of an audience of 1,000. At first, the master ac-companied him, but later on he just listened in stunned silence while the child played Chet’s own arrangements – perfectly. By the time Richard reached his early twenties, both Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed began to refer to him as their “Hero”.
Now residing in Nashville, Richard has toured the world as a solo artist, teaming up with his wife Julie Adams for a unique guitar and cello duo, performing with his brothers Rob and Sam as the Richard Smith Guitar Trio and with his swing band, The Hot Club of Nashville, featuring Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Pat Bergeson on guitar and Charlie Chadwick on bass. Fellow guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel prefers Richard Smith as one of his favourite duet partners. In 2001, Richard became the National Finger-style Guitar Champion in Winfield, Kansas. He was elected Thumbpicker of the Year in 2008 and inducted into the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame in Kentucky in 2009. He is also a recipient of the Golden Thumbpick Award by the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists in California.
Richard has been a mainstay at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention in Nashville since 1991, where he has played with many world renowned artists inclu-ding Nato Lima of Los Indios Tabajaras, sax legend Boots Randolph and John Jor-genson of Desert Rose Band and Elton John Band fame. He has also performed with other great musicians such as Marcel Dadi, Tommy Tedesco, Thom Bresh, Joe Pass, Biréli Lagrène, Bryan Sutton, Les Paul, Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush, Martin Taylor, Jorge Morel, Suzy Bogguss, Muriel Anderson, Guy Van Duser, Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Tony McManus and Buster B. Jones and shared the bill with a host of others, most notably Steve Morse, Albert Lee, Paco Peña, Barney Kessel, Da-vid Russell and Johnny Hiland.
“The most amazing guy I know on the guitar. He can play anything I know, only better.” - Chet Atkins, CGP (music legend)
“If you like my playing, you should hear Richard Smith! The world champion!” - Tommy Emmanuel AM, CGP (two-time Grammy nominee)
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:
Plus, two classic standards often played in the Latin Jazz style:
The Shadow of Your Smile
Night and Day
Q. When and where does the retreat take place?
A. This Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat takes place on August 28th - September 1st, 2023 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York which is approximately 2.5hrs drive from New York City. Upon registering you will receive a confirmation email which includes an info sheet with exact directions, timings, etc.
Q. When should I plan to be there?
A. We suggest you arrive between 3pm-5pm on Monday 28th August to check-in. There will be a meet and greet for everyone at 5pm after which we'll have dinner and faculty concert and jam session.
Q. Is lodging provided?
A. Yes, and you can choose from six different lodging options ranging from shared room with a shared-hall bath to a private cottage.
Q. Are meals provided?
A. Yes and everyone sits down for three wonderful meals each day. Menus include hot buffet breakfasts, lunches and formal gourmet dinners with fresh, natural ingredients (many that are organic and local).
Q. What level and style of guitarist is this retreat intended for?
A. The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreats are for all levels of players, from beginners to advanced. Around 25% of the attendees are beginners, 50% are intermediate and the remainder are more advanced players. In terms of styles the retreat will cover fingerstyle, acoustic, jazz and blues.
Q. What is the home-study preparation course?
A. The Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat preparation course is a home-study course that you will get access to once you enroll. The idea of this course is to give you a foundation of knowledge and techniques so you can get the most from the four-day retreat. You will get immediate access to a members-only website with over 50+ HD video lessons that are only available to Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat students. In addition to that you will receive access to other bonus online courses to help you get the most from the retreat. We will also record the majority of the workshop and jam sessions and these will be made available to you after the retreat for your continued learning.
Q. Can I buy the home-study preparation course on its own?
A. No, the course and retreat is intended to work together to provide you with a blended learning experience. The home-study course will teach you some of the basic techniques and concepts while the retreat will allow you to go deeper by learning directly with Martin and the guest teachers as well as collaborating and jamming with other fellow students. If you would like to study online with Martin then please check out his online school.
Q. When will I receive a detailed daily schedule and retreat handbook?
A. We will email you the handbook with daily schedule six weeks in advance of the Retreat start date. In that handbook we’ll have details of the individual workshops that Martin and the guest instructors will teach plus other support material!
Q. Is the venue and accommodation suitable for those with mobility issues?
A. Yes it is. Please get in touch to discuss your particular needs.
Q. What should I bring with me?
A. We recommend bringing your guitar, notebook, pens and small snacks to hold you over.
Q. Can I bring my partner with me?
A. Absolutely, we have a non-participating partner package so they can join you. You will be able to purchase this once you register.
Q. What are your registration and payment policies?
A. All rates are per-person, unless otherwise stated. All prices subject to change. Prior sales excluded. We reserve the right to change any price, package or offering at any time without prior notice. All rates are subject to 8.9% surcharge, which includes all local, state, and occupancy taxes. All payments and deposits are final and non-refundable.
Q. What if I have a question that's not listed here?
A. If you have additional questions, please contact the retreat support team at music@fullmoonresort.com
Q. How do I get there?
A. You can travel to the retreat location by plane, car, bus or train.
By car:
From Albany and points North:
Take the New York State Thruway (I-87) South towards New York City
Take Exit 19, Kingston (see below)
From New York City and Points South:
Take the New York State Thruway (I-87) North/West to Exit 19, Kingston
After toll, merge slightly right onto Route 28 West (towards Pine Hill)
Travel approximately 30 miles on Route 28 West to Big Indian/Oliverea
Turn left onto County Route 47 (just after a brown sign on Route 28 which says Oliverea 3 miles)
Proceed 5 miles on County Route 47 (Oliverea Road)
You will see signs for Full Moon on the right-hand side.
By air:
The closest airpots to Big Indian are one hour and thirty minutes away: Albany International Airport and Stewart/Newburgh International Airport. JFK and LaGuardia Airports in New York City are approximately two and a half hours from Big Indian.
For details of travelling to the retreat by bus or train please visit the Full Moon Resort website at http://musicmasterscamps.com/directions