A Destination Music retreat in Latin America
October 9-13, 2024 | Lake Pátzcuaro | michoacán, México
~ with Instructors ~
Martin Gioani and Gabriel Santiago
Seats available: 25/25
Registration opens April 15th
How about escaping to the mountains of Mexico this october to study jazz guitar?
Mexico Music Retreats is pleased to announce the addition of “Jazz Guitar in Mexico” this October featuring the talents of guitar phenoms Martin Gioani from France and Gabriel Santiago from Brazil.
Students will have the opportunity to study jazz guitar intensely for three days with some true masters of the instrument while relaxing at “La Gloria de Los Angeles,” a beautiful vacation lodge on the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro, tucked away in the mountains of rural Mexico. All meals are included in the package- the kitchen staff at “La Gloria” make us delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine prepared fresh with local ingredients. In addition to the jazz guitar workshops, the retreat includes a daily Spanish class, as well as daily outings to visit different towns around the lake.
Retreat overview
The story behind Mexico Music Retreats:
It all started with the “Mexico Mandolin Retreat,” first held in February of 2024 where we had 18 participants from the U.S. join us for an unforgettable experience. I, Isaac Eicher, in addition to being a mandolinist and mandolin teacher, have a long history of learning Spanish and traveling in Latin America. In 2017, I had the opportunity to stay at this lodge for the first time and have been friends with the owners ever since. I have now stayed there many times and enjoy showing this hidden gem with others!
About the instructors
Martin Gioani
Martin Gioani is a jazz guitarist and teacher from France who specializes in gypsy jazz and straight-ahead jazz, among other styles. He is at the forefront of digital education in jazz, as the creator of the popular YouTube channel Guitare Improvisation (famous for its backing tracks) as well as his own instructional platform. He's also an experienced musician and composer, with his album of originals ("Grabuge", Paris Music Tales) or his latest releases in duo with the singer Sarah Kennedy.
Gabriel Santiago
Gabriel Santiago, native of Brazil, is a distinguished composer, arranger, and virtuoso on both acoustic and electric guitars. With a prolific career spanning 14 albums, Santiago has garnered acclaim for his compositions, hailed as “stunners” by JazzTimes Magazine. In addition to holding a Doctoral Degree in Music Composition from the University of Texas at Austin, Santiago’s musical journey includes invaluable mentorship from jazz luminaries such as Pat Metheny, Adam Rogers, and Maria Schneider.
Guitar Workshops
The workshops will cover a variety of jazz guitar styles, including straight-ahead, gypsy jazz, bebop, and Brazilian genres like samba and Bossa nova. We will divide the group into two smaller groups that will rotate between instructors for two workshops each day. The beauty of this type of event is that there are many opportunities to ask questions like in the evenings when we are jamming around the chimenea.
Spanish Classes
In addition to the guitar workshops, there will be a Spanish class each day. Regardless of your level or familiarity with the language, you will have fun learning some basic words and phrases that will come in handy.
Sight-seeing
Apart from the time spent at the lodge, we will take several trips around the lake as a group to see the area. Down the road is a pueblo mágico or “magical town” called Tzintzúntzan with pre-colonial archeological sites and Spanish colonial architecture. The bigger town in the area is called Pátzcuaro where we will go hang one night for a special concert.
Another fun trip will be to a local mezcal distillery on the other side of the lake and touring their operation, as well as tasting some of their products.
There will be opportunities for everyone to shop for artisanal crafts and keepsakes in town. I have some beautiful items from previous trips such as a wool pancho.
Lodging and Food
The lodge has a handful of private rooms, although in order to accommodate a group like ours a certain number of folks will be in shared rooms, with bedrooms capable of sleeping anywhere from 3-6 people. You can see in the photos examples of the bedrooms, dining hall, and communal spaces, with many outdoor courtyard and patio areas.
Three meals a day are included in the package- we’re talking authentic Mexican food prepared fresh on site with local ingredients.
Price
1 student in a shared room: $1,300 (Early Bird is $1,200)
1 guest in a shared room: $1,100 (Early Bird is $1,000)
Private room for two (1 student and 1 guest): $2,500 (Early Bird is $2,400).
*Pricing includes tuition, lodging, food, and ground transportation once in Mexico.
When registration opens, any participant wishing to reserve a spot will pay a non-refundable deposit of $500.
The retreat starts Wednesday Oct. 9th with a meet-and-greet dinner. The retreat concludes with breakfast on Sunday Oct. 13th.
Guest spots - Some alternate classes will be offered in place of mandolin workshops such as cooking and Spanish language.
Lake Pátzcuaro and Michoacán, México
Lake Pátzcuaro is a magical place with tons of natural beauty. The mountains surrounding the lake attract the migration of monarch butterflies and hummingbirds every year, and the whole area is rich in indigenous fruits and vegetables such as avocados and limes.
There is a strong presence of Purépecha people, an indigenous population that speaks the Purépecha language.
As visitors, it is our highest priority to respect the locals and the land.
safety
Safety in Michoacán- sometimes you hear about violence in México and even Michoacán makes it in the news. I have never encountered any violence or threatening people in this area of Mexico, which I have been to a number of times. Honestly, you will encounter nothing but nice people, and you should feel safe knowing that you have a destination where you’ll mostly be spending time in our group. You will be in good hands with my wife and I interpreting Spanish and guiding you through this new cultural environment!
Travel to Lake Pátzcuaro
All students are responsible for their own airfare and getting to Morelia, the capital of Michoacán. We will have shuttles on arrival day to pick you up and get you to the lodge, which is about an hour and a half drive. There are flights from Dallas to Morelia, but on some trips it worked out to go through Mexico City and then a short flight over to Morelia. On one trip my wife came in after me and took a four our bus-ride from Mexico City to Morelia.
More Photos
