Four years ago, when Toronto Songwriting School organized the first Songwriter Getaway, we didn’t know what to expect. A weekend in a weird house north of the city? A few tasty meals? A couple good song circles?

What it turned out to be was absolutely magical.

We’d rented an Air BnB an hour north of Toronto and advertised that we were doing a “songwriter getaway” for a weekend in November, not knowing who would sign up. On the Friday night we arrived at the house as a group of strangers with a bunch of food, a couple bottles of wine and a few guitars, and on the Sunday morning we stood next to our cars and hugged like we’d known each other forever. At the time I remember thinking, “This feels like the final scene of The Breakfast Club,” where a group of misfit kids comes together for a detention and by the end of the movie they’ve formed a bond that will last their lifetimes.

Turns out, we weren’t the only ones who felt that magic. We now do four getaways a year, including one out of province and one in the U.S., all of which regularly sell out. The majority of our attendees come to each and every one, which has given the getaways the feel of its own community. And as our locations have become more exotic, the getaways have become a form of ‘music tourism’ – a way to work on songs in a great environment but also to visit amazing music cities around the world, eat great local food and experience the local culture.

What’s not to love?

As the getaways enter their fifth year, we’re putting together our wish list of future destinations, great music cities like Nashville and Dublin and even Madrid. We’re so happy that people have felt the same magic we have and are willing to come along wherever the journey takes us.

Join us!