andreastolpe.com Reviews 

Excellent course. I learnt things i have never experienced others focus on

Andrea created an incredible songwriting experience. As a beginner songwriter, I learned so much from her. She has a wonderful ability to explain songwriting techniques in a detailed, practical, and easy-to-understand way, and I came away with tools that I can continue using in my own songwriting.

What I especially loved was the way Andrea structured the retreat. Each morning, she taught us new songwriting techniques, and then we were put into small groups to collaborate and write a song while applying what we had just learned. Being able to immediately put her teaching into practice was incredibly valuable and helped me understand the songwriting process on a much deeper level.

Andrea also created such a positive, inspiring, and creative atmosphere. I loved the energy in the room and felt encouraged to learn, experiment, and grow. I left the retreat feeling inspired and much more confident in my songwriting journey.

I’m very grateful to Andrea for everything she taught me, and I’m already looking forward to the next retreat!

Andrea's Songwriting Retreats Never disappoint! This was my third event, and the value of this experience is worth so much more than the travel effort and money spent. The content is rich, the collaboration and musical growth is unsurpassed, and this setting was beyond amazing. Felt like Andrea and her staff tailored the retreat specifically to meet my wishes and needs ~ the warmth, encouragement, support, and reinforcement of my music and aspirations was so sincere and very much appreciated. The participants she attracts were open, collaborative and unbelievably fun! We were from parts all around the globe, yet connected so beautifully through the common language of music! For me this was absolute bliss. I am very, very grateful and will carry this experience with me for quite some time to come, Thank you!

An amazing songwriting experience! I highly recommend for songwriters who want to sharpen their craft and discover what co-writing with others can bring.

This was my second time attending one of Andrea's retreats (the first was in Nashville) and I fully enjoyed it.

For those who haven't done this before, there are two key pieces of the experience. First, Andrea brings together a bunch of capable songwriters and then puts us in intentional groupings each day to co-write a song, which we perform that evening. Second, there are lectures on songwriting approach and technique.

The parts I like best? I really appreciate how Andrea chooses the songwriting groups -- I think we all have a little PTSD from when teachers would say "now find a group" and we have to scurry around and make sure we invite people to our group for the right reasons. I smile when, during a lecture, Andrea will say "okay, that was the polite answer, now let me tell you what I really think" and gives us some real talk. And it's a treat when Andrea sits down at the piano to illustrate a point and plays and sings something totally gorgeous. Finally, I would say it was a special bonus that her husband Jan was at this retreat and he did special interest lectures on production.

So in summary, highly recommended. I think Andrea runs a great program and brings together some really nice people from a LOT of places to have fun writing songs together.

I had the most amazing week at Andrea's retreat. It was such a treat to dedicate time to the craft of songwriting guided by Andrea's expertise and teaching skills and surrounded by such a talented, kind and supportive group of songwriters. It was so inspiring to see how many great songs came to life through the cowriting sessions in such a short amount of time. I left the retreat feeling energized, inspired and with a renewed confidence in my ability to keep growing and move my songwriting forward. A huge thank you to Andrea and her team for creating such a unique and warm experience!

Andrea Stolpe California Songwriting Retreat July 2026
Absolutely Wonderful Experience !!! Incredible amount of essential information on how to enhance songwriting encompassing music, lyrics, production and creative teamwork. Fun interfacing with a great group of friendly people. Andrea's special in depth reviews of songs by attendees were enlightening and most helpful. Jan Stolpe provided a wealth of valuable information and clarity in regards to production. Daily, diversified small groups were assigned to create new songs in an afternoon, performing live each evening.
Erin Workman visited with lots of essential solid information regarding publishing, A & R,vocals, artist development, education and performing.
Daily hikes, Yoga, meals, wonderful weather, fine accommodations, and late evening jams kept everyone busy. Honestly, at the week's end I was tired from long days, After driving home, I briefly reflected, wishing the Retreat was still going. I wanting to immediately return for another week.
I really enjoyed meeting so many talented people who inspired and taught me. Bless you all. May our paths cross again.
Get Musically Charged, Invigorated and Energized. Attend an Andrea Stolpe Retreat !!! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS !!!

Enthusiastically Submitted,

Steve Garvey

Andrea is an exceptional teacher, and I truly feel honored to have been in the room learning from her. Her knowledge, generosity, and ability to guide the creative process are remarkable.

My only suggestion would be regarding the balance between collaborative writing and individual songwriting. I came to the retreat expecting to spend more time developing my own songs. While the collaborative writing exercises were valuable and taught me a great deal, I felt that one or two days of group writing might have been enough, leaving more time for participants to receive guidance on their own material.

I realize this is a challenge with a group of 30 people, and I’m not sure what the best solution would be. One idea might be to have a daily lottery where a few participants are randomly selected to come to the front of the room and spend 20–30 minutes workshopping one of their own songs with Andrea. Even those not selected would likely learn a great deal by watching the process.

Thank you so much for the entire experience. It was inspiring, educational, and deeply worthwhile. I would absolutely attend another retreat, especially if there were an opportunity for more work on participants’ own songs.

Jo-Ann 🎼♥️

The whole experience was very intimate, secure, and facilitating creativity through song and community.

It's a good retreat for someone that is just staring to write songs.

The skills and tools that were shared are invaluable! The methods helped me with years of hitting a creative wall when dealing with lyric writing.

Andrea is an elite professional. So kind and encouraging. The best retreat I've ever attended.

Andrea and her team managed to pull together folks from all over North America (oh yeah, there was a Brit there too) who seemed to have only songwriting in common. Andrea's instruction, exercises, and collaboration opportunities raised each of our abilities to another level. By week's end I realized Andrea Stolpe and her team selected deep, sensitive souls whose egos were in check and who were open enough to experience the gifts we'd be given that week. The location was inspiring and reflective, and the cuisine exceptional. The experience was beyond my wildest dreams and I can't wait to head to her next retreat! Thank you Andrea and Madison!

Andrea's retreat was a gamechanger and definitely pushed me to elevate my craft. My mind was opened so much by just relaxing and letting the songs flow into consciousness. Andrea's method is so inviting and gives space for the vibes, the music, the lyric to be held. I would recommend her retreats to anyone wanting to hone their songwriting and interpersonal skills.

The Andrea Stolpe experience was amazing!! The classes, co-writes, the guest speaker, the food, her team - absolutely the best!! I'd rate this week six stars (out of five) if I could.

The entire experience was very intimate, safe, and facilitating creativity through song and community.

I truly didn't know what to expect going into the songwriting retreat in Nashville last week, but it was one of the best experiences I've ever had creatively. I have never felt more easily connected to a group of people before, or felt more creatively safe and at home. Andrea is an incredible, intuitive and kind teacher with so much wisdom to share! What she and her team put together was truly an unforgettable, life changing experience that helped me get out of my head and ready to create my art. Plus I left with lifelong friends and collaborators. Win win if you ask me!

Andrea is a wealth of knowledge and creates a perfect space for being creatively open. The entire experience exceeded my expectations. I met some amazing people, cowrote for the first time and had an absolute blast.

Andrea is a very engaging speaker - her communication and presentation skills are impeccable. Very knowledgeable in her field and focused on what she is presenting, yet welcoming and encouraging of discussion and questions. This was a ‘hands on’ retreat where we received instruction and then were given the task of implementing the tips and tools presented to us. The lodging was very conducive to promoting an intimate group dynamic as well as providing a beautiful backdrop for creativity to bloom.

Planful. Tangible. Knowledge and experience behind content. INTERACTIVE. Held my attention. Beautiful setting. Loved the diversity of the participants and what they brought to the sessions. Andrea made me feel that the tool are practial and useable. LOVED every minute.