Songwriters Retreat

What makes the REO Songwriters retreat different from any other songwriting camp?
July 15-20th 2012

This years date: July 15-20th 2012

What makes the REO Songwriters retreat different from any other songwriting camp?

Start with an incredible setting right on the edge of a beautiful jade-green river canyon. Then add:

• snow-capped mountains, rushing rapids, wildflowers and wilderness.
• three of the best songwriting mentors on the planet.
• A low instructor-to-student ratio to enhance intimacy and one-on-one time with our instructors and other songwriters.
• A  private critique session with your choice of instructor/mentor.
• Co-writing sessions, daily social hour & open-mics. 
• A FREE rafting or resort adventure

Join songwriters from around the world for a truly amazing week!

Check out the pictures from previous songwriting retreats in our photo gallery.

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Due to high demand for lodging for this years retreat we have reduced the Camping/RV Package to $849.00 plus tax. Call us to book your spot in the retreat and gain valuable insight into the songwriting process!

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Download the 2012 Songwriters Retreat flyer by clicking on the image. 

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All-inclusive Prices: Early-Bird Rates

Early-Bird rates are all-inclusive of tuition, meals, choice of lodging, beverages, snacks, resort amenities (hot tub, hot showers, private beach), 1-on-1 critiques & evening sessions for 6-day/5-night retreat. $1 US = $1 CDN (Feb 2012).  The actual exchange rate is determined by your bank on the payment date.  Early-bird rates end April 15, 2012. Add $50 pp for bookings after April 15.

 

Early-Bird Pricing	Adult	Youth U21	Spouse
Camping in own tent/RV	$849.00	$799.00	$649
Cabin tent with linen (4-5 sharing; twin beds)	$999.00	$949.00	$699
Cabin tent with linen (3 sharing; twin beds)	$1099.00	$1049.00	$799
Cabin tent with linen (2 sharing; twin beds)	$1199.00	$1149.00	$899
Deluxe tent with linen (2 sharing; Queen bed)	$1299.00	N/A	$999
Luxury tent with linen (2 sharing; Queen or King)	$1399.00	N/A	$999
Deluxe tent with linen (single occ; Queen bed)	$1499.00	N/A	$999
Luxury tent with linen (single occ; Queen or King)	$1699.00	N/A	$999

Note: Please add 12% HST tax and 3% Land and Water Access Fee to all prices. Spouse rate includes non-retreat spouse/partner and family including youth (add $100 if spouse attending song sessions). A $400 CDN non-refundable deposit per person will secure your seat and accommodation option. 
To reserve, please call 1-800-736-7238 or Bryan Fogelman at 604-307-3122 or bryan@reorafting.com

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2012 Songwriting Instructors

	Pat Pattison Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Pat developed the first Songwriting Major in the USA. He has published four  best-selling books on songwriting including Writing Better Lyrics. Pat has hosted nine Songwriters Retreats at REO since 1997. Pat teaches across the North America, Australia and New Zealand and is involved with TAXI, NSAI, SAC and many other songwriting associations. www.patpattison.com
	Don Osborn Don Osborn has seen many sides of the music business. Don has been a professional musician, published songwriter, indie recording artist, SOCAN member representative, music publisher, artist manager, indie label head and film/TV music supervisor. He's worked with recording artists in developing marketing plans and securing financing, developed and launched a recording school, developed and taught college music business courses. combining years of music experience with the revolution going on in the music business, Don is currently creating an on-line career development training and organizational tool designed to help music artists prosper.  Look for www.MusicCareerBuilder.com in 2012.
	Steve Leslie Steve is a Grammy-winning songwriter, educator, music publisher & songwriting mentor. As a staff writer for EMI Music Publishing he had cuts with Kenny Rogers, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley and Neal McCoy. He received a Grammy for "Brand New Strings", the title cut to Ricky Skaggs' 2004 Bluegrass Album of the Year. Steve is an Adjunct Professor of Songwriting at Belmont College in Nashville and currently rehearsing his new musical “Umbrella”, a romantic comedy with 14 original songs.
	Clare McLeod Clare is a master vocal instructor and mentor. As the Head of Voice at JMC Academy (Melbourne, Australia) from 2009 to 2011, she taught Voice, Composition, Arranging, and Professional Practice. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in 2004 and is a member of the Australia National Association of Teachers of Singing. She works with vocalists in all genres in any stage of their singing life, helping singers to develop both their craft and their artistry, deepening their connections with their instrument, their material and their audience.
	Jess Meider, USA, China Jess has been singing and songwriting for more than 30 years. Since graduating with a Songwriter Degree from Berklee College of Music in 1995, she has been exploring her songwriting through various musical projects and genres including jazz, electronica, rock & solo acoustic. Jess is a dynamic, powerful singer/performer, vocal 'gongfu' teacher, and yoga/meditation instructor. Jess speaks fluent Mandarin and performs in Beijing and Shanghai's hippest music venues and festivals. Jess's most notable accomplishments: 4 self-produced albums (Candy 2000, Songwriter 2008, Dao 2009, Divine 2009). Jess is currently playing with her new rock trio, The Heavenly Stems.

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Retreat Contact: Bryan Fogelman, 800-736-7238,

bryan@reorafting.com

Check out our photo gallery from our previous retreats.

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2012 Retreat Highlights

• Private one-on-one session with one instructor!
• Vocal and Performance Master Classes
• Evening open-mic and campfire entertainment!
• Melody & Music Master Classes
• Songwriting Master Classes
• Co-writing sessions
• Song Critiques and Peer Review
• Inspirational setting on the edge of the river
• Free whitewater rafting or scenic float trip!

Enjoy an intimate songwriting retreat in the beautiful Canadian outback. REO Rafting Adventure Resort is located in a wilderness canyon overlooking the beautiful jade-green Nahatlatch River and is surrounded by forests of pine, cedar, spruce and fir.

REO is a recreational paradise for rafting, hiking, kayaking, biking, and canoeing. After a day of inspirational songwriting, unwind on the private beach, walk the picturesque nature trail or soak in the riverside hot tub. Our wilderness chefs will impress you with their daily creations. Evenings are special with a fun and relaxing night of campfire entertainment.

 

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Vancouver International Airport: Start times and Info

The retreat check-in is Sunday afternoon (July 15) at 5 PM.  If arriving from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), allow 3.5 hours drive from the airport.  Seattle Airport (SEA-TAC) is 4.5 to 5 hours south of REO. We recommend you fly in on Saturday or arrive no later than 11:30 AM on Sunday at SeaTac. The retreat officially opens at 6 pm on July 15 with our social hour.

Check out time is 12 PM Noon on Friday, July 20, There will be a light snack prior to departure. Please call for pre and post-retreat package options.

Car-pooling will be arranged when possible to assist getting to and from Vancouver. Please be flexible if you require a ride. Weekly car rentals start at $250 US for the week so sharing a car is economical and gives you more options and flexibility.

Bryan Fogelman, Retreat Organizer

Bryan Fogelman is a songwriter and the owner of Blue Crush Music. Bryan. He has organized and hosted the retreat for the past 13 years. 2012 is a good year musically for Bryan: his first single-song publishing deal, continued radio airplay of Crosby, Staals & Nash across Canada, and new CD release Boomer & Fogelman. Check-out Bryan's music at Bryan O'Ryan (www.bryanoryan.com).

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REO Songwriter Retreat Instructor Alumni

Bonnie Hayes A Grammy-nominated songwriter with huge international hits including “Have a Heart” and “Love Letter”, which restored Bonnie Raitt to superstardom with the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy-winning CD Nick of Time.  Writing for artists as diverse as Bette Midler, Robert Cray, Adam Ant, David Crosby, Booker T and the MG's, and Cher, Bonnie has continued to craft songs one critic described as "sparkling clockwork mechanisms with a tendency to do the unexpected." Plus, Bonnie has toured as a keyboardist/backing vocalist with such arena acts as Belinda Carlisle and Billy Idol.

Steve Seskin (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011) Steve is one of Nashville’s top songwriters with seven #1 hits and cuts by Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Peter Frampton, John Michael Montgomery (“Life’s a Dance”) and Tim McGraw f or the Grammy-nominated “Grown Men Don’t Cry”. Steve is also a successful performer, recording artist, and keynote speaker for songwriting associations across North America. www.steveseskin.com Renee Grant-Williams (2010) Voice teacher Renee Grant-Williams clientele includes the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Linda Ronstadt, Christina Aguilera, Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, Miley Cyrus, Kix Brooks, Chicago, Jessica Andrews, Bob Weir, Kenny Chesney, among others. Record company executives, artist managers, and world renowned producers send their clients to Renee for one simple reason - after singers work with Renee, they're better . She doesn't just work with stars, she helps create them. Renee's formal education took place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she also taught. She served as the Director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley and worked as a Musical Director at the Actors Studio in Manhattan before eventually establishing permanent residence in Nashville. www.myvoicecoach.com

Mark Simos (2010) Acclaimed "neo-traditionalist" songwriter Mark Simos brings a deep grounding in American roots music - old time, bluegrass, Celtic - to his work.  His signature style, combining finely crafted lyrics with surprising turns of melody and modal harmonies, has yielded four songs recorded by Alison Krauss and Union Station, and 100+ cuts overall with artists including Del McCoury, the Infamous Stringdusters, Doyle Lawson and Laurie Lewis.  As a songwriting professor at Berklee College of Music, Mark's teaching combines solid technical content with explorations and exercises developed at dozens of workshops, camps and clinics over the years.  In his writing and teaching, he champions craft, diversity, versatility, risk-taking, and innovation through renewal of timeless forms. Bonnie Hayes (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) Bonnie Hayes, a Grammy-nominated songwriter with huge international hits including “Have a Heart” and “Love Letter”, which restored Bonnie Raitt to superstardom with the multi-platinum, multi-Grammy-winning CD Nick of Time.  Writing for artists as diverse as Bette Midler, Robert Cray, Adam Ant, David Crosby, Booker T and the MG's, and Cher, Bonnie has continued to craft songs one critic described as "sparkling clockwork mechanisms with a tendency to do the unexpected." Plus, Bonnie has toured as a keyboardist/backing vocalist with such arena acts as Belinda Carlisle and Billy Idol.

Jon Vezner (2006, 2007) Grammy award-winning songwriter Jon Vezner is a tunesmith of rare sensitivity and dry wit. His catalogue of recorded songs, topped by the poignant ‚ “Where You’ve Been,” reflects his straight-to-the heart sensibility and sensitivity. Vezner weaves the particulars of his own feelings with the lives of people he has known into universal themes that deeply touch listeners’ emotions. He has songs recorded by Reba McEntire and Ronnie Milsap, followed by Lorrie Morgan’s first single in 1987, ”Train Wreck of Emotion,” which he co-wrote with Alan Rhody. Beth Nielsen Chapman (2009) Beth Nielsen Chapman’s name resonates powerfully with music lovers. Stars such as Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Michael McDonald, Bette Midler, Anne Murray, Amy Grant, Keb Mo, Roberta Flack, Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin, and Brenda Lee have recorded Beth Nielsen Chapman songs. “This Kiss,” as recorded by Faith Hill, won ASCAP’s 1999 “Song of the Year” award and was nominated for a Grammy. In addition to 9 highly-acclaimed albums and countless songwriting awards, Beth mentors fellow songwriters at a few select events. The REO Songwriters retreat will be a rare opportunity to experience and learn from one of the world's best songwriters. http://bethnielsenchapman.com Pam Tillis (2009) A CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Pam Tillis has written songs for some of the top singers in and beyond Nashville, including more than a few of her own hits. She knows what it's like to break the platinum barrier, to top the singles charts time and again, to bask in an ovation at her induction as a member of the Opry or play in the intimate hush of the Bluebird Café. She has bathed in the lights of Broadway, posed for glamour magazine spreads, sung ballads in Bay Area bistros, batted wicked one-liners back to Tom Bergeron on Hollywood Squares, even made cameos in movies. http://ww w.pamtillis.com   Jai Josefs (2009) Jai Josefs is a nationally-renowned songwriting coach. His book Writing Music for Hit Songs is recognized as the definitive text on modern music writing and has been endorsed by numerous hit writers including Diane Warren. Jai has taught songwriting at UCLA and at seminars and conferences throughout North America. Many of Jai’s students have been signed to major label deals and have had top 20 Billboard hits. Jai is also a successful songwriter/producer placing more than 30 songs with artists like Jose Feliciano and companies such as MCA, RCA, Motown, and Disney. His songs have appeared on TV shows on every major network (CSI, Medium, Brothers and Sisters, Monk, Cold Case etc.) and in major motion pictures. www.jaijomusic.com

All retreat attendees receive the July/August issue of American Songwriter Magazine.