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I attended the 2023 Nashville Retreat held by Andrea Stolpe. It was a five day retreat and very well organized. Here are my thoughts based on my experience:
- The group was not too big (about 30 people), which allowed everyone to get to know everyone. It had a wide range of song writing and musical talents and experience. This allowed our songwriting experience to blossom, as everyone was able to bring different strengths into the equation.
- Each person was put into three separate songwriting groups of three over the week to write and perform a new song together, after mornings of songwriting techniques held by Andrea. Every day was something new and exciting to look forward to.
- Since I had already attended many of Andreas online songwriting sessions, I had made the assumption that most of the group had done the same, however, that was not the case. I personally found it difficult to write with others who did not have a base or some knowledge of songwriting. I did not know the wide level of songwriting knowledge beforehand. In a couple situations, it was difficult to participate in the songwriting purely because of the large difference in ages, as lifetime experiences are limited in the very young and very different in more seasoned individuals. Understandably, though, that's what makes great songs.
-I would love to attend another songwriting retreat, however, my goals are not the same as younger individuals. I would look for a retreat with the focus on songwriting without the expectation of performance. Not everybody has a desire to perform, or the skills to perform. That would be a different type of retreat.
-While I had no expectations before I went to the retreat, I did learn and enjoy myself. I was opened up to the many facets of co-writing, as different as personalities. And, I learned more about myself and my own strengths and weaknesses.
-In closing, I would love to see different types/levels of retreats based on goals, level of songwriting experience and maybe less significant age spans.

The mentorship program really raised the bar for me on my songwriting passion, discipline and skills. The regular communication with Andrea kept my creativity and energy flowing and maintaining this flow for 3 months really helped me to improve! Andrea's feedback was very helpful and insightful - she knew what I needed to learn and how to help get me there. What I enjoyed most was how personal the learning experience was - I am a self-directed learner and being able to choose what I thought would work best for me was a big plus.

I highly recommend the program - there's nothing like it out there and, if you are serious about songwriting, the one-on-one guidance is an opportunity you don't want to miss out on!

I absolutely loved the retreat. It felt kind of magical. The teachings seemed so calm and kind of simple even, and so was the program, but it was as if it all had a deeper layer to it and it somehow brought out the best in us all. I was so sad to leave by the end of it but the whole group is still in touch even now a few weeks later and many people are co-writing songs together and making plans to visit each other! Thank you Andrea and your wonderful team, I feel super inspired and so grateful for everything. 🙏🏻♥️

Andrea is an outstanding mentor; her knowledge and experience are second to none. Her supportive and dedicated approach creates an experience where one can open up and expand every aspect of their creative journey.

It's hard to say how I would improve this experience. The staff and their preparation were excellent.

It was more people than I was expecting. I found the amount of people a little overwhelming and it was difficult to connect until late in the course. Perhaps better 'break the ice' exercises at the beginning instead of all introducing ourselves in such a big circle which was quite daunting. Not enough breaks to just take it all in. 14 hour day with only breaks for meals felt very intense. My accommodation was a long walk away from the main venue so the round trip meant I had to take everything I needed at the start of the day and did not really get a chance to go back to my room unless I missed the communal meal experiences. I had not expected to do so much cowriting with people who were quite inexperienced . That made the experience quite difficult to be really thoughtfully creative and became more about working on one's levels of patience and tolerance. I found Andrea captivating, sensitive and very knowledgable.

A magical week with fantastic mentoring , caring team and talented people. Would go again in a heart beat !

Everything on this retreat was perfect. If I was Andrea's fan prior to this retreat, now I'm more. The venue was amazing, in contact with nature, isolated from the rest of the world like in a bubble of fresh air. The team working with Andrea was amazing, kind, helpful and sooo talented I can't explain. And the best of all was all the people there. It was a dream to be put in the same place with so many and so talented people. Everything was set to be the safest place to allow myself to be vulnerable and explore my creativity and connect with everyone. Even if we were from so many different places it felt like we belonged together, it felt like a tribe. We shared similar insecurities and concerns and we shared goals and dreams. This couldn't have been possible without this event and without Andrea, Lumia, Madison, Andrew and Diana's hardwork and talent. I was able to reignite the spark of my musical dreams and I'm, for once in decades, confident they can become true. THANKS!

Andrea's teaching was truly inspirational. Lumia's business section was excellent. Madison's organisation was great. The accommodation and food were quite good. The cowriting sessions didn't work for me personally since the groupings seemed to be based on age rather than musical styles and skillsets but I know some people really enjoyed them.

It was really creatively renewing experience that has lifted my song writing. The people who were on the retreat also were so good to work with too. Lots of long last friendships to be made too.

Fantastic experience overall. Andrea is extremely inspirational and supportive. I would do it again for sure.

The only downsides were:
- too big group (30 people)
- the venue

Great retreat, high value programme, inspiring and dedicated team. Andrea's methodology and personality are incomparable. Strongly recommended.

The experience of the retreat was all that I had hoped for and more. It was amazing to spend time with other people who are committed songwriters and to connect with them in a very intimate setting. The dynamics created by such diverse people with varying strengths in the world of songwriting was great. It has completely re-energised me as a songwriter.

I wrote a song for the first time in twenty years! THANK YOU Andrea! This was a beautiful venue with good food and a wonderful safe space to share and work on songs. If you are an experienced songwriter that needs to work out some kinks in a song or are tired of songs sounding the same, this is for you. If you have always wanted to write songs but have never been able to make the time because of a career or kids, this is for you. Do this for you! You deserve it! And you will love it!

By viewing your page I read good things show how connect with your students and help bring out their creative side would love to go to one if it permits.

This gathering of artistic minds paired with the expertise of one of the industry’s creative yet analytical , musical minds was transformative. Five days of pure excellence, somehow woven in with the supportive and nurturing environment of fellow writers and musicians…simply a must-attend for those wanting to hone their craft.

Andrea Stolpe is not only an organized, thought-provoking teacher, she also considers her student's experience deeply and with empathy! I learned so much about kicking writers block and was reminded of some fun yet critical tools for songwriting.

Just came back from the Nashville retreat and what an incredible week it was! To be in an environment with like minded individuals and to learn from Andrea has been very helpful to my own writing and development.

The Writer to Writer retreat in Nashville was truly unforgettable. The insights and tools Andrea provided really unlocked my songwriting potential after a very long dry spell and her leadership showed me that I have a place in the music industry, even if I have yet to find my niche. Co-writing really pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me just how much space there is for me to explore in my writing, and the connections I made with other writers are invaluable. I feel like myself again.

Amazing experience!
we were in tears at the end because everyone attended created a bond...Andrea is a wonderful guide in the songwriting process and generous with information and open to us asking questions. This retreat gave me the encouragement and support I felt I was lacking before I got there.