join us
Join us for four nights and four days in Italy. Playing guitar, jamming with new friends, and hanging out with two great guitarists, Adam Rafferty and Peppino D’Agostino will not only build your guitar skills and spark your creativity but will satisfy all your senses.
Your home during this retreat will be on a working family-run farm resort on top of a ridge in the heart of the Umbrian region surrounded by incredible vistas, nature, and other people crazy about the guitar. Where everything you eat is organic, cultivated and made fresh on site - from the pasta, bread, wine, olive oil, proscuitto, cheese, vegetables, and other culinary delights. They also breed Chianina cattle, Cinta Senese pigs and the Apennine breed of sheep.
No matter your skill level, you’ll find that the Umbria Guitar Retreat is a rewarding and highly educational experience. We will touch on many styles of guitar playing from fingerstyle to groove playing to arranging and more.
Adam and Peppino will give you insight into a variety of techniques, styles, and their personal favorite tips that are guaranteed to inspire and improve your playing. This retreat is a full-on guitar intensive experience that also doubles as a fun-filled vacation in the Italian countryside.
To give everyone the time and attention needed to get some personal feedback, we limit the group to no more than 20 students. Not only will you get a chance to learn from these guitar masters, but there will be ample time for actual playing with the other students, practicing new arrangements, and even joining Adam or Peppino for a tune at the evening jams.
These retreats are relaxed, intimate gatherings that bring those who love the guitar together for the joy of meeting new musical friends, partaking in good food and wine, making music – and just having a GREAT TIME!
meet YOUR GUITAR INSTRUCTORS
ADAM RAFFERTY
Adam Rafferty was playing guitar by the age of six and studying with Woody Mann who introduced him to country and blues music. He went on to study classical guitar in college and then expanded his focus to jazz and improvisation. He has a long history of performing throughout the U.S. and Europe, playing in many musical configurations and covering many genre’s of music - R&B, jazz, hip hop, and funk.
Adam became enamored with solo fingerstyle guitar more than a decade ago and has never looked back. He brings to his solo guitar playing a "funky fingerstyle" energy that has led him to create guitar versions of songs ranging from the Great American Songbook, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Chick Corea - as well as his own original compositions. His guitar videos on YouTube have gotten over 13 million views.
He's an instructor as well, with a love for guiding his students through the mysteries of melody, harmony, groove, technique and how to practice and achieve real world results.
His instructional materials include fingerstyle guitar DVDs, Jazz guitar DVDs, books and most recently his interactive online school called StudyWithAdam.com
PEPPINO D’AGOSTINO
D'Agostino, a native of Italy, has been hailed as “a guitarist's guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine as well as “a giant of the acoustic guitar” (San Diego Reader), and holds many top guitar awards - even his Peppino D'Agostino Seagull Signature Guitar model was ranked as one of the 10 best signature guitars by Guitar Player Magazine.
D’Agostino has performed in more than 31 countries; been featured at prestigious international music festivals, and frequently plays with prominent artists around the world, including Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, and Eric Johnson. His 18 recordings include releases on Favored Nations, Mesa/Bluemoon, Acoustic Music Records, and other labels.
When not performing D’Agostino also enjoys teaching and writing. He has worked with leading publishers and music instruction leaders such as Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass., Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp, Swannanoa Gathering, Guitar Workshop Plus, Guitar by Masters, and Truefire. One thing is true – Peppino is always thinking guitar.
pricing and plans
RETREAT PARTICIPANT
$3225*
ALL ACTIVITIES INCLUDED
ALL WORKSHOPS (18+ hrs instruction)
4 Nights Lodging in a Private Room with bath
All Meals
Evening jam sessions & instructor performances
Farm Tour
Cooking Demo/Class with our Chef
*price includes all taxes. You can pay 50% of the fee upon registration with the remaining balance due 30 days later.
PARTNER ADD-ON
$975
PERFECT FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Free time to Explore Gubbio and Surrounding Areas
4 Nights Lodging (shared room with your partner)
All Meals
Evening jam sessions & instructor performances
Farm Tour
Cooking Demo/Class with our Chef
Plus you will receive 3 Awesome FREE Bonuses!
(For Workshop Attendees Only)
BONUS #1: 1 full year of StudyWithAdam.com ( lots of material to keep you improving and learning for a long time )
BONUS #2: 1 month free enrollment in Guitar By Masters (Peppino and many other guitarists provide tutorials)
BONUS #3: Autographed copy of Adam’s “Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar”
What Do You Get?
All Workshops ♫
Over 18 hours of music workshops with Adam and Peppino - and vocal coaching with Annabelle Marie too!!
Delicious Traditional Meals**♫**
Join Adam and Peppino and all of your guitar buddies for tasty Italian food. Maurizio Moceo, chef and owner of the fabulous Macalle Bistrot will be surprising us with his fresh take on traditional Sicilian dishes.
Evening Open Mic/Jam Sessions ♫
Bring your guitar to these post dinner guitar sessions where we just let it all hang out.
Faculty Performances**♫**
Close-up and intimate performances with Adam and Peppino just for our participants.
Free Bonuses**♫**
You can use the "Study with Adam" bonus before or after the retreat and the book you will receive on site. We will also provide you a coupon for one month free at the online site Guitar by Masters.
What Will You Learn?
The “Science“ of the Groove
Scales, arpeggios, and patterns
Percussive guitar techniques
Funky fingerstyle guitar arrangements
Harmony & theory basics
Jazz and blues progressions
Alternative tunings
Walking bass lines
Dynamic expression and tone
Relaxation and performance Tips
THE LOCATION
Our retreat is on a working farm resort, an agriturismo, set on a ridge near Monte Cucco, in the region of Umbria, Italy known for its lush landscapes, medieval towns - and of course, truffles, chocolate, and wine. It is a 20 - 45 minute drive to the historic towns of Perugia, Gubbio, Assisi, Spello, and Spoleto - or to two well known caves in the area; Parco Monte Cucco or the Frasassi Caves - which once was the backdrop for an Andrea Bocelli holiday concert.
The nearest airport is in Perugia, although Florence and Rome are only about 2.5 hours away.
Two famous summer music events are also held in this region - the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, and the Umbria Jazz Festival. In 2025, the Umbria Jazz Festival will be held the week-end before and after our retreat in Perugia.
gubbio, italy
villa dama
Fresh local seasonal meals
THE DAILY SCHEDULE*
Monday, July 07
Monday, July 07
3:30 – 4:30 pm Students Arrive
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Welcome, Introductions and Opening Session
7:00 pm Welcome Reception and Dinner
Post Dinner Evening Jam Session
Tuesday, July 08
Tuesday, July 08
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop I
11:00 – 12:30 pm Workshop II
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop III
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop IV
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Faculty Concert and Open Mic
Wednesday, July 09
Wednesday, July 09
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop V
11:00 – 12:30 pm Workshop VI
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop VII
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop VIII
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Jam Session and Open Mic
Thursday, July 10
Thursday, July 10
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop I
11:00 – 12:30 pm Workshop II
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop III
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop IV
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Final Student Performance
Friday, July 11
Friday, July 11
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
Departure
*Schedule may be modified.
This is What Participants tell us…
Our Retreats have been life changing Guitar moments for many who have attended. Here’s what a few had to say about their experience…
Aaron Carlino
"Every single thing you said really helped, and things started coming together immediately. I can’t believe what improvement I’m seeing just from you pointing out a few screws to turn. It’s really starting to have that signature Adam Rafferty sound that always managed to elude me. I love it!"
Alan Passey
"The process was a perfect launch pad for me as I had become tired and a little lazy with my guitar playing. I dug in for more and became charged not only by the inspiration of learning new material but also new techniques."
Duncan Soule
“Thank you for all of your efforts, attention to detail, and hard work to make the guitar retreat such a success. It was an extraordinary experience for me. The teaching was inspiring and the camaraderie was wonderful. There was great playing by teachers and students alike.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. WHEN AND WHERE DOES THE RETREAT TAKE PLACE? ♫
The retreat takes place near Gubbio, Italy in the Umbrian Countryside, at an agriturismo from July 07 - 11, 2025. Meals, accomodations, workshops, nightly music jams, and most planned activities will be on-site. Most areas at Villa Dama will be reserved for participants of this retreat only. Lodging will be spread out among various buildings on the property.
Q. CAN MY PARTNER ATTEND EVEN THOUGH THEY WON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CLASSES?♫
Absolutely, non-participating partners are very welcome and the price per non-participating partner is $850 which can be added to the retreat fee when you register. Partners may also sit in on a workshop session or two as long as there is adequate space in the room. The farm tour and Cooking Demo/class is included in the Partner package.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY? ♫
You can receive a full refund minus any transaction fees within the first 30 days of booking. Please consider getting travel insurance to cover unexpected occurences that may cause you to cancel after the refund period. If a resurgence of COVID-19 occurs, we will follow all public health COVID-related rules, and modify accordingly. Music World Retreats reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel any event if there should be an "Act of God" or occurence outside our control that makes the scheduled retreat impossible to hold such as a pandemic, natural disaster, earthquake, or any civil unrest that would put our participants "at risk." In these situations (which we hope never occurs), we will reschedule or refund participant payments minus any transactional fees and expenses related to the event that we cannot get reimbursed. If we reschedule, and you cannot make the new date, we will credit your account for the amount paid for up to 1 year, and you can use that credit towards any other retreat that is held during that year.
Q. WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE RETREAT? ♫
Please contact us.
Q. CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE THOSE WITH DIETARY ISSUES? ♫
We are happy to try and accomodate your dietary needs. Vegetarian, vegans and basic diet requirements are included in the price – just contact us.
Q. ARE THE RETREAT VENUES SUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES?♫
We are not able to accommodate anyone with severe mobility problems. Please contact us to discuss your particular needs
Q. HOW DO I GET THERE? ♫
You can travel to the Umbrian region of Italy by air from all over the U.S. and Europe. Perugia (PEG) is the closest international airport, but it may be less expensive to fly into Florence (FLR) or Rome (FCO), and either rent a car to get to Villa Dama, or take public transportation to Perugia or Gubbio - and then arrange private transport to the agriturismo. If you are considering spending some time before or after the workshop, the easiest option would be to rent a car from whatever airport you fly into in Italy. You will receive more detailed information about getting around the Umbria region, including possible private transport options upon registration. The Umbria Jazz Festival will commence right after our retreat ends, so it might be a perfect addition to your trip.
In the meantime, you can check out directions HERE**
Stay in Touch:
Check your inbox. You will receive a one-click confirmation from our email provider. Respond if you’d like to receive our newsletter and get information about future retreats.
If you have any trouble with this form, just email Donna Wapner at: dwapnermusic [AT] gmail [DOT] com
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MUSIC WORLD RETREATS
are hosted by Peppino D'Agostino and Donna Wapner. Our goal is to partner with some of our favorite musicians and together create supportive, learning experiences. We pick locations that will encourage the exploration of one’s creativity and musicianship. When participants walk away having learned something new, made new friends, are content and inspired, can’t wait to join us again and had fun too - we know we have done our job. Thank you to all who have supported these efforts through the years.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”
