RENOWNED GUITARIST STEVE HOWE TO HOST ‘CROSS STYLES MUSIC RETREAT’ AUGUST 19-23 AT FULL MOON RESORT IN NEW YORK’S CATSKILL MOUNTAINS

Renowned guitarist Steve Howe is set to host the first Cross Styles Music Retreat from August 19-23 at Full Moon Resort in the heart of the “Forever Wild” Catskill Forest Preserve, just one half hour west of Woodstock, New York. Guitar players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to join Steve Howe and other guest guitar instructors for this unique music camp–the first of its kind for the longtime Yes guitarist and founding guitarist for supergroup Asia. After a full day of activities, evenings at the retreat will culminate with intimate, once-in-a-lifetime jam sessions.

“This year I’m getting back to doing some solo dates, and the Cross Styles Music Retreat is an extension of that,” Steve explains. “I’ll be enjoying the different things the event will demand of me, as opposed to just doing shows. It’s a wider breadth of ‘guitarness,’ and it indulges me in my singular fascination–the guitar. Hopefully, my team and the audience can do a little mingling and learn more about each other.”

Throughout the Cross Styles Music Retreat, Steve will lead workshops that explore the development and technical aspects of his playing, writing, recording, and performing. Steve will also perform selected pieces, and discuss influences and experiences. A Q&A session and meet & greet are also planned. To complement the event, Steve will be joined by two other fine guitarists, Ray Matuza and Flavio Sala, who will each provide in depth advice and analysis to explore and learn from.

“As I’m self-taught and don’t read music, I come at doing workshops from a different perspective than many who teach,” Steve adds. “I’ll be bringing my experience to the fore through performances, interactions with campers, and daily master classes.”

The camp’s itinerary and guests–including fingerstyle and jazz guitar aficionado Ray Matuza, Italian classical guitarist Flavio Sala, and Martin Guitar’s Dick Boak–reflect Steve’s own genre-bridging approach to the instrument.

From his early days in the late-‘60s London psychedelic scene to pioneering work with eminent prog-rockers Yes and Asia, countless collaborations, and nearly 20 solo albums, Steve Howe has embraced both acoustic and electric guitars–and fretted instruments of all varieties. Named Guitar Player magazine’s “Best Overall Guitarist” for five straight years from 1977-1981, Steve has expanded the boundaries of rock guitar over the past half-century, incorporating classical, jazz and country techniques into his writing and playing.

Ray Matuza brings over 35 years as a performer, educator and writer to the Cross Styles Music Retreat. In addition to work with Steve Howe, Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner) and others, Ray is a regular contributor to Fingerstyle 360 online guitar magazine, and an aficionado of fingerstyle and jazz techniques. Ray will offer workshops on finger exercises and scales, improvisation, practical use of harmony and chord construction, and methods of efficient practicing, as well as overseeing the daily jam sessions.

Internationally acclaimed classical guitarist Flavio Sala has toured and given master classes on four continents, and created and curates the annual International Web Music Talents competition. In his workshops, Flavio will introduce techniques and fingering for classical and flamenco guitar.

Dick Boak–author, guitar designer, and archivist for Martin Guitar–will offer an interactive history of the 180-year-old guitar company. He’ll be showcasing several important examples of instruments in the evolution of Martin acoustic guitars, including some from Martin’s priceless museum collection and some of the prototypes from Martin signature model collaborations with Steve Howe. His presentation will focus on Martin’s colorful history, the development of the modern acoustic guitar, Martin’s historical contributions to the definitive acoustic guitar design, artist signature model collaborations, and on specific guitar shapes, sizes and tonewoods that lend themselves to particular musical genres.

Additional guest instructors for the Cross Styles Music Retreat will be announced soon. For more information and to reserve your spot, go to: http://crossstylesmusicretreat.com.

Cross Styles Music Retreat offers a variety of pricing options, based on the variety of available accommodations. Packages are on sale now at crossstylesmusicretreat.com, and start at just $1195, including lodging, access to all workshops, seminars, gourmet meals, performances, and camp activities.

All activities will be held at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY, which features an eclectic array of comfortable, rustic country-inn accommodations as well as primitive camping. All accommodations are just steps away from daily camp activities. Guests can enjoy the spring-fed swimming pool, on-site access to the Esopus Creek, and explore the splendors of the Catskills on the nearby network of hiking trails. Dedicated to the celebration of nature, music and the arts, this one hundred-acre wonderland of mountains, fields, and streams is a world of its own.

Cross Styles Music Retreat is part of the successful Music Masters Camps Series (www.musicmasterscamps.com) held at Full Moon Resort.