andreastolpe.com Reviews 420

Easily the best week of my life. Such an organic and creative experience. I finish the retreat having made life-long connections and friends and the tools I need to improve my songwriting. Special thanks to Andrea, Madison, Hannah & Mark for making me feel so welcome for my first time in the states. I can’t wait to come back to Nashville

This retreat was just about everything I was hoping for and even more. I got to connect with my writing thanks to all of Andrea's lessons and advice, as well as my fellow songwriters who made the learning experience a fantastic one! It was totally worth it and I would do it again any time.

Well organized! Great information. Overall amazing experience.

I attended a songwriters' retreat and it was nothing short of incredible. So much solid, pragmatic methodology punctuated by experiential wisdom and context. The balance between pedagogy and hands-on learning, and the facilitated interactions with other songwriters suggests I'll both remember (or at least have great materials to refer back to) and put into practice the things I learned.

The whole experience was exactly what I was looking for. being in a bit of a songwriting rutt before the retreat, I had only written maybe a song per month... During the retreat I wrote 4 songs (3 cowrites) and in the two weeks since the retreat I've written 6 songs. I definitely got the inspiration I was looking for through this retreat. I learned alot from Andrea and the best part about it was the amazing community of likeminded songwriters who traveled from all around the world to be there. Highly recommend for any songwriter who wants some inspiration and motivation to get writing. Or songwriters just starting out, it is a great atmosphere. Also, the resort grounds were beautiful.

I had a very nice experience with Andrea's mentorship program. She was responsive, supportive, and provided helpful critiques of my songs. Andrea knows how to remain encouraging even while providing critiques. Her insight got me out of some of my typical songwriting "ruts" and had me approaching things in new ways.

Andrea's knowledge extends beyond the craft of songwriting to the business side, and I received helpful and realistic feedback in that regard. It probably goes without saying, but you are still the one that needs to make your career happen. But if you want someone you can really trust to improve your songwriting, Andrea is a great choice.

I enjoyed the sense of connection and community. I would have like more teaching from Andrea.

Andrea provided a holistic retreat for every personality type and creativity level. I loved that the group was around 30 artists, allowing each individual to get what they needed from one another and the retreat organizers. The retreat felt like a 'family' rather than a typical conference/training. For me, the retreat confirmed some of my writing techniques, and the retreat was liberating in that it gave me the freedom to learn about the songwriting process in a safe, creative environment.

What an amazing week! Andrea has such a wonderful way of demystifying the songwriting process and freeing artists to use practical and tangible tools in order to tap into the magic within. I walked away with new friends, and a new fire to explore my own process as a songwriter.

The people made it great and the full agenda kept us going and interested. A lot of information is packed into a well thought out agenda and the changes from last year are improvements in my opinion and last year was great too.

I appreciated the practical tips Andrea provided to help me bust out of my writer's block and to help me revise/improve my songs. She gave me a lot of tools to think about and use. Andrea also built an exceptional community of songwriters with varying skills, strengths, and talents. The people were open-minded, collaborative, and super supportive. As a result, the songs created at the retreat were amazing.

I've been to Andrea's songwriter retreats three times and I always leave with new ideas, inspiration, and a feeling of community. If you are a songwriter feeling like you need to break out of your rut, learn some new tools, and meet some cool people you should consider applying for Andrea's retreat.

What a life changing experience! I went into the retreat with some hesitation; was I good enough to keep up? Could I co-write with high level musicians and song writers? Andrea just has a way about her that facilitates learning, community, and positivity. After the experience I learned that I can more than keep up; I can hold my own. In 4 days I felt like all 31 participants were new found family members, and there were more than a few tears shed on the last day. Thanks Andrea and Madison for all that you do to support artists hone their craft.

Madison,
You are welcome to take anything from the letter I wrote Andrea on 4/12. Title as you will and I don't mind you using my name

Met some really cool people and had a very informative cowriting experience, great practice if you’re wondering whether you’ll enjoy cowriting with people! The morning sessions were Andrea were very insightful and eye opening as well!

Andrea has a particular gift for creating an open and expansive space for writers to delve into what makes them authentic artists. This retreat met and exceeded my (somewhat lofty) expectations, and if it sounds even remotely like something you might be interested in, you should sign up. So fun, so enlightening. Exactly what I was looking for, and a heavy dose of clarity around what I didn't know I was looking for. I will be back!

I can't think of a better way to begin or give a boost to your creativity. Andrea is a great communicator. Even so, there's no magic wand that will make you write better songs, but you'll learn how to write songs better. And unless you're a genius like your mama told you, you need to understand the rules of writing songs that stand a chance of being shared.

Andrea and her team are very well organized and she has a dearth of expertise to share. Not only is she knowledgeable but her intuitive approach and personal demeanor are unparalleled. I definitely recommend this retreat for songwriters - whatever level you’re at, she can help you!

This week was an overwhelming success - emotionally, socially, and in the development of new skills. From the choice of venue, to the meals, to the approachability of team, to the amount of information that was imparted, everything met or exceeded my expectations.

Experience was beyond phenomenal. Anyone who is on the fence (as I was) JUST GO!!! Andrea knows her stuff and Madison was super organized. Musical and friend connections for life…