Each day consists of a communal breakfast, optional cold dip in the lake, one-hour of yoga/movement training, one-hour of sound therapy/guided mediation, a songwriting/production session, communal dinner, and group check-in. Throughout the day the artists are encouraged to sign-up for appointments with our wellness team for massage, acupuncture, and/or psychotherapy should they need it. Emergency support is also available.

The purpose of focusing on body and mind first thing in the morning is to get the creatives in touch with themselves and energetically on the same playing field as their peers before starting to create. At our last retreat this proved to be a very meaningful practice and the creatives were able to access stories and feelings they had previously been unable to write about including family tragedies, experiences involving race and queer identity, and mental health issues. These topics illuminate the reasons why it is so crucial to have professional therapists on-site to help artists through any physical or mental symptoms that they make experience. Without the wellness staff, we would not be able to comfortably push the creatives to dig this deep.

As with any writing room, each person in attendance influences the direction of the song created that day with their energy, experiences, and unique talents. Our application - collaboratively crafted by Good Grief, Tuan Chau, and Eloise Ballou - considers each applicants social, artistic, career, and health needs.

To the best of our ability, we curate a camp of individuals that balance each other in personality, musical taste, shared experiences, and opportunities to grow together.