The Experience...
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The Highwater Recording Retreats are curated communal gatherings focused on taking songwriters and their songs through the recording process; from pre-production, through interacting with professional session players and engineers, to recording, and even on to understanding various means of marketing and distribution of a song.
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These retreats involve participant songwriters living together on site, sharing family style meals, sitting in on engaging panels and workshops, forging relationships with industry professionals, and experiencing classic Brill building style recording sessions for one another’s songs with a cadre of like-minded and committed creatives.
Take Your Song Further
The Impetus:
The current number of creative retreats focusing on songwriting is quite impressive; These experiences help up-and-coming writers learn a wide variety of professional tools to help them develop and craft original songs. They do not, however, give guidance on what to do once a song is completed. We wanted to create a retreat to meet that need.
Who is this Designed For?
The Highwater Recording Retreat will involve a wide range of experiences for both seasoned and newly emerging creatives alike. Each participant’s song will be approached individually by its production team, and each session will undoubtedly provide a unique experience for the cadre of songwriters. In addition, the communal nature of the weekend will provide opportunities for discussions with the staff as well as our guest speakers which will help participants’ individual questions and interests. Whether you are interested in learning more about arranging, producing, recording, or promoting your songs, there will be opportunities to expand your knowledge base at Highwater.
The Highwater Team
The Highwater team is led by world renown drummer/producer Jerry Marotta & award -winning Educator, Artist, & Producer Rees Shad, who have a combined experience of studio production that spans not just decades, but close to a century of professional recording. Each of these men will oversee one of two cadres of songwriters.
Rees will be teaming up with audio engineer Shubham Mondal who has worked on projects with artists such as Post Malone & Norah Jones, while Jerry will be teaming up with Ariel Shafir, whose discography includes such artists as The Pixies, Lake Street Dive, & Regina Spektor.
The Where…
The Highwater Recording Retreat (Woodstock) will take place at the world renown Dreamland Recording Studios, a residential recording studio built into a renovated 19th Century Church located minutes from historic Woodstock, NY.
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The studio features a wide array of vintage and modern microphones and outboard gear as well as an API discrete series console for world class digital and analog sessions. The church has spectacular acoustics and unique and inspiring vibe that has made it an attractive recording destination for such luminaries as Yo-Yo Ma, Lake Street Dive, Natalie Merchant, Fleet Foxes, The B-52s and countless others.​
The Take Aways...
At the end of this four-day retreat, participant songwriters will return home...
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With a well-produced recording of their original song performed by ‘A’ list studio musicians
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Having had the opportunity to observe and learn recording processes from vetted professionals
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Having gained a wider understanding of music marketing from a small group panel session
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With a greater understanding of publishing rights, music supervision, & distribution from a small group panel session.
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Enjoying an expanded network of friends and professionals
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Having experienced the exhilarating “Highwater high” of communing with other creatives in a supportive and enlightening environment.
October 2026
Woodstock Retreat Packages
(early bird pricing good until July 4th)
Schedule
Retreat Duration
October 9-12
Check-in Time
3:00PM on October 9
Wrap-up Time
7:00PM on October 12
Friday will begin with an introductory gathering followed by production team pre-production meetings and an after dinner round table with the session musicians Saturday will involve song recording sessions in two-hour blocks, have publishing/distribution workshops, evening vocal sessions, and wrap up with late night song swaps Sunday will resume song recording sessions, introduce marketing/promotion workshops, vocal sessions, and an after dinner concert by staff and session musicians. Monday will wrap up the remaining song recording and vocal sessions followed by an afternoon playback party of rough mixes (final mixes done by production team after retreat). The retreat will wrap up after dinner.