Isaac Eicher’s

Mexico Mandolin Retreat

February 19-23, 2025

Lake Pátzcuaro | michoacán, México

with guest instructor Dan Voight

How about escaping the cold this February to study mandolin in the mountains of Mexico?

Do you like eating fresh locally-grown fruits and vegetables, as well as authentic Mexican cuisine? What about sitting around a chimenea sipping locally-made mezcal, gazing at the stars and jamming tunes on your mandolin? If you answered yes to these questions, read on.

On February 19th to 23rd, 2025 we will be holding the second annual Mexico Mandolin Retreat at one of the most beautiful places I have come across in my travels, a lakeside vacation lodge called La Gloria de Los Ángeles in the mountains outside of the town of Pátzcuaro. There is space for 20 mandolin students who want an immersive musical and cultural experience that combines the joy of music, language, nature and food in what will be a truly unforgettable experience.

As you may know, in addition to my passion for mandolin, I started down a path years ago learning the Spanish language and discovering Latin American culture. My experiences traveling in the Spanish-speaking world, be it Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico or my year living in Spain, were inexorably intertwined with my journey learning to play the mandolin, which led to me also getting really interested in latin music.

That’s why in 2024 I put together the first Mexico Mandolin Retreat, a destination mandolin camp in Latin America, where I could share this unique combination of passions for art, language and hispanic culture with my mandolin students.

La Gloria de Los Ángeles

A more perfect setting for a music retreat in Mexico would be hard to come by. I first went to this lodge, La Gloria de Los Ángeles, in 2017 while interpreting Spanish for the Hummingbird Music Festival and quickly became friends with the owners, Hugo and Susy. If you can’t tell from the photos, this place is magical. The lodging and service that Hugo and Susy provide are top notch, not to mention being surrounded by nature with gorgeous views of Lake Pátzcuaro.

Guest instructor Dan voight

This year’s guest instructor is the very special, multi-talented Dan Voight. Not only is Dan an accomplished mandolinist, having studied and performed classical mandolin since college, but he is also a luthier, known in the mandolin world for his boutique-level instruments. (Dan built my blonde A-model.) In addition to leading mandolin workshops at the retreat, Dan will also be available to diagnose and adjust mandolins. I have also asked Dan to share with us some of his journey studying Classical Hatha Yoga and lead a session where we can fit it in.

Mandolin Workshops

The mandolin workshops will cover a variety of styles such as jazz, latin, bluegrass, and classical, and will focus on technique and repertoire. We will divide the group into two smaller groups that will rotate between instructors for several workshops each day. The beauty of this type of event is that you can ask questions at any time even when we’re jamming around the chiminea.

Spanish Classes

In addition to studying mandolin, we will also have a daily Spanish class. Regardless of your level or familiarity with the language, you will have fun learning some basic words and phrases that will come in handy.

Sight-seeing

Apart from the time spent at the lodge, we will take several trips into town and around the lake as a group to see the area. Down the road is a pueblo mágico or “magical town” called Tzintzúntzan with pre-colonial archeological sites and Spanish colonial architecture. The bigger town in the area is called Pátzcuaro where we will go hang one night for a special concert.

The first year of the retreat we toured a local mezcal distillery on the other side of the lake and tasted some of their products.

There will be opportunities for everyone to shop for artisanal crafts and keepsakes in town. I have some beautiful items from previous trips such as a wool pancho.

Lodging and Food

The lodge has plenty of beds, although in order to accommodate a group like ours it is a shared room situation, with bedrooms capable of sleeping anywhere from 3-6 people. You can see in the photos examples of the bedrooms, dining hall, and communal spaces, with several outdoor courtyard and patio areas.

Three meals a day are included in the package- traditional Mexican food prepared on site with local ingredients. The lodge also offers a vegetarian meal plan.

Price

The total price for lodging, food, and tuition is $1,300. During the “Early Bird” registration period (August 15th - September 15th) the price is $1,200.

When registration opens on Aug. 15th, any student wishing to reserve a spot will pay a non-refundable deposit of $500.

The retreat starts Wednesday Feb. 19th with a meet-and-greet dinner. The retreat concludes with breakfast on Sunday Feb. 23rd.

Guest spots - a limited number of guests can join for the price of $1,000.

Any two-student pair (student-student or student-guest) can reserve a private room for $2,600 while availability lasts. Early Bird private rooms are $2,500.

Lake Pátzcuaro and Michoacán, México

Lake Pátzcuaro is a magical place with tons of natural beauty. The mountains surrounding the lake attract the migration of monarch butterflies and hummingbirds every year, and the whole area is rich in indigenous fruits and vegetables such as avocados and limes.

There is a strong presence of Purépecha people, an indigenous population that speaks the Purépecha language. On previous trips we have played with musicians in the area that sing in this language.

As visitors, it is our highest priority to respect the locals and the land.

safety

Safety in Michoacán- sometimes you hear about violence in México and even Michoacán makes it in the news. I have never encountered any violence or threatening people in this area of Mexico, which I have been to a number of times. Honestly, you will encounter nothing but nice people, and you should feel safe knowing that you have a destination where you’ll mostly be spending time in our group. You will be in good hands with my wife and I interpreting Spanish and guiding you through this new cultural environment!

Travel to Lake Pátzcuaro

All students are responsible for their own airfare and getting to Morelia, the capital of Michoacán. We will have shuttles on arrival day to pick you up and get you to the lodge, which is about an hour and a half drive. The most common flight itinerary is from Dallas to Morelia, but on some trips it worked out to go through Mexico City and then a short flight over to Morelia. On one trip my wife came in after me and took a three our bus-ride from Mexico City to Morelia.

More Photos