FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Guitar Vacation Retreats


Home Retreat Schedule What You'll Study About Us Travel and Logistics FAQ San Miguel de Allende Resources Links	FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Guitar Vacation Retreats in San Miguel de Allende: Guitar Vacation Retreats is not accepting applications for the time being. We (guitarists Jack and Frances) are busy with our performing schedule. Former students who wish to return are welcome to email us and discuss a possible schedule. Our resources pages are still online. See also: Creative Classical Guitar. Instruction: What if I don't read music? Can I send my teenager? What are the youngest / oldest aged students you will accept? Can you really learn much in a week? Do you lead Group Retreats? What is your policy on using guitar tablature? I really want to train my muscles/hands/fingers, rather than my brain, how to play guitar. Do you teach beginners like me? My child has a learning disability or is developmentally disabled. Will you teach him or her to play the guitar? My doctor says that playing the guitar will be good for my arthritis. Will you teach me? How can I best prepare for my Guitar Vacation Retreat? Payment: What does a Guitar Vacation Retreat cost? What is the application procedure? How can I pay for my Guitar Vacation Retreat, and is the payment procedure secure? What is your cancellation policy? Can you provide contact information for references from former students? Do I need to bring my own guitar, or do you have guitars for rent? Travel: Is San Miguel de Allende safe? Can I fly into Mexico City (MEX) or Queretaro (QRO) instead of Leon (BJX)? Is San Miguel hot in the summer? Do I need a passport or VISA to travel to Mexico? Can you recommend lodging in San Miguel? Do I need to rent a car? Spanish: Do I need to speak Spanish? Can I attend Spanish school at the same time? What language do you conduct the classes in?
Instruction: What if I don't read music? We have, over time, come to the conclusion that we really can't teach our method to folks who don't want to read music (not that we haven't tried.) We have, however, worked with students who have begun to read music with us, and if you have an open mind toward learning to read, then we will work with you. Music reading is an acquired skill which requires time to develop, much more than a week. It requires patient explanation and demonstration on our part; on your part it requires good eyesight (!) and a genuine desire to learn. We can give you a good introduction in a week, which we will combine (typically) with basic instruction in classical guitar technique. (top) Can I send my teenager? Guitar Vacation Retreats is our adult guitar education program. If you have a teenager who loves the guitar, please consider instead our program for young guitarists, Creative Classical Guitar. If your teen is under 18, you or another responsible adult must accompany him or her to San Miguel de Allende. (top) What are the youngest / oldest aged students you will accept? Youngest: Children younger than ten years old often do not have strong enough fingers to press the strings, and this is a frequent limiting factor for young children. If your 8-year-old has large, strong hands (in your opinion), and is clear that he or she wishes to learn the guitar, then we will teach him or her. We offer only individual lessons on a weekly or twice-a-week basis to young children, who must be resident in San Miguel de Allende for at least a month. If a child makes a strong request to study the guitar, and is adamant that he or she does not want to study some other instrument, we really believe in honoring that request. Our teaching method is a little different for children under 12: we focus on learning to play simple melodies (easier for little hands than playing chords) and on the basics of reading music. We don't recommend our intensive program for young children; one or two lessons a week is enough. Children younger than 8 may do better in a group singing program, or other group music or art program. Also, in the cases of young children who express an interest only in some particular pop style, we usually send these children to one of our own (local) teenage students to study. There are, besides, free beginner guitar classes at the Casa De Cultura (please inquire at the tourist office.) Teens: Please see our program for young guitarists, Creative Classical Guitar. Oldest: We have worked with adults as old as 70 who already have some previous experience with the guitar. In fact, many of our students have been older adults who were returning to the guitar after many years. (top) Can you really learn much in a week? We calculate that one week with us (10 hours of instruction) is equivalent to 5 months of weekly half-hour lessons in your local music store. Here's what one of our students had to say: "A year later and I am still working off of the foundation you set. The one-on-one is unique from the other camps. Your knowledge of the guitar and the way you share your knowledge is as good as I've seen." (Jennifer, 2007) All the same, a week is only a week. What we really hope is that we will plant the seeds of a musical practice which will then unfold for you over a several year period of growth. You will certainly have a memorable experience, and probably you will be exposed to some significantly new and perhaps unfamiliar musical ideas. If you can make room in your life for some significant amount of music practice, then you will continue to benefit for a long time. You will decide for yourself just what level of passion and dedication you are willing to put into your guitar playing, and you will get out of it what you put into it. (top) I really want to train my muscles/hands/fingers, rather than my brain, how to play guitar. Do you teach beginners like me? We'd really like to suggest that you reconsider this position. While training the muscles is valuable and necessary, to do so without training the mind is directly contrary to our own experience about learning music in general, and if you are committed to that position, you won't be happy studying with us. (top) My child has a learning disability or is developmentally disabled. Will you teach him or her to play the guitar? With all sympathy for the difficulties faced by such children and by their parents, experience has taught us that such children will probably not be able to grasp even the simplest elements of guitar technique, much less the ways of thinking that are central to our method. We suggest that your developmentally disabled child be enrolled in a music therapy or art therapy program designed for his or her level of ability. (top) My doctor says that playing the guitar will be good for my arthritis. Will you teach me? If your arthritis has progressed to the point of stiffness, pain, and swelling in the finger joints, trying to play the guitar is only going to cause you considerable frustration. Your doctor may be excellent in his field, but on this issue he is misinformed. We regretfully recommend that you find another artistic interest. (top) Do you lead Group Guitar Vacation Retreats? Not any more (we used to). In certain cases we will teach couples or friends who have a commitment to playing music together (we have a lot of experience in that area.) We no longer offer group classes because we want to give each student the personal attention that he or she deserves, and because we are more interested in quality than quantity in our teaching practice. After all, our own prime directive is to have time to perform and practice our own music. We make room in our lives for one intensive student at a time, and a very few other students who come for weekly lessons. (top) What is your policy on using guitar tablature? Perhaps the bottom line is that we teach the classical art, and teach those who take it seriously. Having a student who only reads TAB, to us, is kind of like having a developmentally disabled adult child... If you can understand what we're teaching, you can learn to read music, and if not, not. We make very minimal use of tablature to introduce some very basic concepts to beginners. Other than that, the essence of what we teach is closely related to the use of staff notation and to the superior understanding of music which staff notation facilitates. Reading tablature requires almost no instruction and it contains only the technical information about where to put the fingers. Our practice, and our teaching, is about a creative interaction with the music based on knowledge of the musical language of our time, and the use of tablature does not support this. (top) How can I best prepare for my Guitar Vacation Retreat? We work with students at all levels, and we will be happy to pick up the thread of your instruction at the level suitable for you. However, there is one very useful thing that you can do to prepare, if you have not yet done so: Learn the names of all the notes on the guitar fingerboard! We have a file in our resources folder that will help you: the Fingerboard Look-up Chart. Here also is the PDF file for printing. By all means download this chart, print it out, and study it! (top) Payment: What does a Guitar Vacation Retreat cost? Current information on the cost of a Guitar Vacation Retreat is posted here. (top) What is the application procedure? Check our list of available dates. Send us an email with the following info: your name, address, age, how long you have been playing the guitar, a brief description of your musical interests and training, and the date(s) that you are interested in. Suggested subject line: "GVR Application". How can I pay for my Guitar Vacation Retreat, and is the payment procedure secure? At the time of booking we require a $250 USD deposit, with the balance due two weeks before your arrival. We send out invoices using PayPal, which is a secure transaction. You are also welcome to transfer funds using Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to our bank in the U.S. We accept payment in U.S. dollars (or in any of the 15 other currencies which are currently accepted by PayPal, at the current exchange rate.) We do not accept checks as a rule; we may make some exceptions if we have 60 days to clear the check before your scheduled retreat. See also the cancellation policy below. (top) What is your cancellation policy? The $250 USD deposit is refundable up to two weeks before the scheduled start of your Guitar Vacation Retreat, minus a $50 USD processing fee. The remaining balance, if already paid at the time of cancellation, is refundable at any time, minus $25 USD to cover PayPal transaction fees, provided of course that the original transaction has cleared. We reserve the right to delay your refund in case of any doubt that we have received your payment and that the transaction has cleared. If we have booked your lodging for you, we will make every effort to refund your lodging deposit or payment in good faith, minus 3 percent for transaction fees, but if we have already paid for your lodging at the time of your cancellation, we cannot guarantee your refund for that amount. Your $25 USD a week payment for guitar rental is refundable minus $1 USD to cover our transaction fees. Can you provide contact information for references from former students? Yes, we'll be happy to provide you with email addresses of students who have done Guitar Vacation Retreats with us. In the meantime, please visit our testimonials page. (top) Do I need to bring my own guitar, or do you have guitars for rent? You are welcome to bring your own nylon string classical or flamenco guitar. If you prefer not to travel with your guitar, we have our own guitars available for a $25 USD weekly rental fee. Our guitars are nylon-strung classical guitars hand-made in Paracho. We sometimes have guitars for sale (not always), and we can take you to Paracho to buy your own hand-made classical guitar as part of your Guitar Vacation Retreat, if you would like yet another adventure (this requires extending your stay). (top) Travel: Do I need a passport or VISA to travel to Mexico? You will require both. If you're from the United States and are considering a Guitar Vacation Retreat, please check the State Department website for the current requirements for travel documents. From all countries, as far as we know, you will be required to get a Tourist Visa (FMT) which you may obtain from the Mexican consulate before traveling, or from the immigration office at the point of entry. (top) Is San Miguel de Allende safe? Common sense while traveling is important everywhere, and San Miguel is no different. Having said that, we can also say that none of our students, nor we ourselves, have ever encountered a threatening or uncomfortable situation regarding personal safety or the safety of possessions. (Bring a sturdy pair of walking shoes however, as the cobblestones can be tricky!) As a historic national monument with many tourists, San Miguel is well policed. (top) Is San Miguel hot in the summer? Summer is monsoon season in Mexico, and in San Miguel there are frequent daily rains, sometimes intense. The surrounding hills are green as a result. Temperatures are generally mild (70s to 80s Fahrenheit). The warmest month in this area is generally May. Plenty of international visitors come here in the summer! Also, many Texans come here because it's cooler than Houston or Dallas. Here's a link to the current weather report. (top) Can I fly into Mexico City (MEX) or Queretaro (QRO) instead of Leon (BJX)? Yes. We can arrange shuttle pickup from MEX for an additional $75 USD per person. Please allow extra travel time of 4 hours. There is also an additional charge for shuttle service from Queretaro, because there are fewer people flying in there. Please check with us by email for a current quote. (top) Can you recommend lodging / accommodations in San Miguel de Allende? There are a variety of beautiful and luxurious bed and breakfast inns in San Miguel at a range of prices. Our three favorites, any of which we can enthusiastically recommend, are: Casa De La Cuesta Casa Luna B&B Casa Angelitos San Miguel de Allende has many hotels, in all price ranges, far too many to list here. However, there is one hotel that has something very special: we (Jack and Frances) play there every Saturday night from 7 to 9, in their lovely restaurant Xipal. The hotel is Casa Rosada, barely a stone's throw from the Jardin and the Parroquia, a beautiful building that once belonged to Diego Rivera's daughter. Family Homestay: If you're traveling on a budget and / or would enjoy a vivid and memorable cultural experience, we can arrange a homestay with a Mexican family for you. You'll have your own private bedroom and bathroom, plus three home-cooked meals per day. Cost is $325 (three hundred twenty five dollars) USD per person for six nights (confirm this with us, as the price may change). You will have a wonderful opportunity to practice your Spanish language skills in a sympathetic and supportive environment. (top) Do I need to rent a car? We generally recommend that people don't rent cars. Everything in San Miguel is accessible by foot or by cab, and you'll have a much more relaxing vacation without having to deal with the hassle of parking in El Centro. Cabs are plentiful and inexpensive; a trip to most places in town costs about $2 USD. Also, San Miguel has a wonderful local bus system and costs 5 pesos a ride (about 40 cents USD). If you or your spouse want to do day trips or further traveling after your Guitar Vacation Retreat, there are first-class buses that go to most nearby and distant Mexican destinations. (top) Spanish: Do I need to speak Spanish? Of course it's helpful if you do... however, most of our students have little or no Spanish speaking experience before they come down. San Miguel is a foreigner-friendly city, and it isn't difficult to pick up a few helpful phrases, and it also isn't difficult to find someone to translate for you in a pinch. We will help you get oriented in town (San Miguel is a small town where you can walk almost anywhere) and we make ourselves available for translation assistance when needed. (top) Can I attend Spanish school at the same time? Our Retreats are pretty intensive, and so are the Spanish schools. For this reason, we recommend that you study one week with us, and then attend Spanish language school the next week (or vice versa). Several of our students have successfully done so. (top) What language do you conduct the classes in? We teach in English (our native language) by preference. We also teach in Spanish when appropriate. (top)
Last page update 09-07-09