Totally Guitars – International Guitar Camp

A Message From Neil

IGC 2025 News

We just wrapped up another spectacular week at our Fall International Guitar Camp in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California. The Green Mountain Retreat in Los Gatos is the home for this incredible event. The IGC has evolved and improved quite a bit since our first back in 2013 and here is what is on the calendar for 2025.

Last year we started a second camp to complement our annual Fall IGC with a slightly different emphasis. Our first Spring IGC was held the last weekend in April and ran three nights, Thursday through Sunday. The Fall camp has traditionally been the second week in September for four nights, running Monday through Friday. The dates for 2025 are April 24-27 for Spring and September 8-12 for Fall.

We will have the same fabulous staff of teachers and performers, featuring Dave Nachmanoff, Jim Bruno, Doug Young, Mike Mullins and yours truly.

The Fall IGC features three Open Mic Nights where all players are encouraged to get up and play one song each night. No one is required to play at all, but the opportunity is there for everyone to work on their performing skills. For those who have more songs they'd like to perform, we set aside time for Mini-Sets, a 15-minute block to play 3 or 4 songs. We also hold a Performance Workshop the first full day where a few students play something for the group and then get feedback and comments from the staff as to how they could improve on stage.

We also offer the chance to play in a lower key setting with Meal Sets. These are 20-minute sets during lunch and dinner, in more of a background music mode while people are eating and talking. The Spring IGC includes these as well.

Even though playing in front of others is a big part of the Fall IGC, we were able to increase the instruction time significantly. Our morning sessions will typically start with an hour workshop of mine where we go into things like general theory, guitar geography, ear training, or sometimes just into questions from the group. The next two hours are break-out sessions where small groups of students rotate through four teachers in 25-minute blocks.

After lunch Dave leads sessions on Songwriting and all of us are available for one-on-one lessons. In the Fall of 2024 I was able to have at least one 20-minute lesson with everyone, and multiple ones with quite a few. This daily schedule is pretty much the same for both camps.

The Spring IGC has just one Open Mic Night (the last), along with a Song Circle Night. This has everyone sitting in a circle (obviously) and taking turns playing a song from their seat. You can invite others to join in playing, singing, or taking a solo. This is a great place to get exposed to new songs and artists, and the songs do not have to be as polished as you might want on stage.

To maximize the IGC experience for everyone we must limit the Spring event to 20 campers and the Fall event to 30. Time is of the essence in registering. Pricing and registration info are further down this page. Hit the ‘Contact Us’ button at the top of this page if you are looking for more information.

Once again, I look forward to reconnecting with some IGC alumni and welcoming others into the IGC Family.

Neil

What Is The International Guitar Camp

The International Guitar Camp, or IGC for short, is a Guitar Player's community event being presented by Totally Guitars offering some of the finest guitar playing, training and instruction by an elite panel of guitar instructors who truly are "Masters of the Craft."

This International Guitar Camp event, the brain child of Neil Hogan and the TotallyGuitars.com family, will be attended this year by guitar playing enthusiasts from all around the world, many from the TotallyGuitars.com community and a lucky few who find their way to the "Register Now" button on this page.

Most of our players have come to multiple camps, a handful have even been to all our previous ones, continuing their journey of musical development and recharging lifetime bonds formed at earlier camps. Be sure to check out some of their experiences on our IGC Highlights page.

For new IGC attendees this will mark the beginning of their guitar instruction journey and they will discover why this years' International Guitar Camp continues to be heralded as a lifetime experience that promises to give its patrons guidance, progression, and immersion in all things guitar and music.

When and where will the IGC be held?

TotallyGuitars.com is excited to share with you several incredible details regarding our next, highly anticipated, International Guitar Camp. Once again we are in the beautiful Redwood Forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, just minutes from San Jose and Los Gatos in Northern California. Take a deep breath and settle in for a time of serene relaxation, reflection and rejuvenation. The historic Presentation Center has been resurrected, refurbished, and rechristened The Green Mountain Retreat. This incredible venue will play host to the lucky group of eager guitarists looking to take their musicianship to a whole new level in the Spring and Fall of 2025.

Who are the “Masters of the Craft” that will be training?

We are proud to announce that we expect to reassemble our very knowledgeable and talented crew of in-house experts and instructors as staff for the IGC, These VIP, "Masters of the Craft" instructors will be offering subject specific classes over multiple days and will be on-site and accessible over the course of the event. These inspirational instructors will of course include Neil Hogan, Dave Nachmanoff, Doug Young, vocal master Jim Bruno, and flatpicking virtuoso Mike Mullins.

Will there be anything else?

Well, of course there will be. As we continue to reach out to others, we will be announcing possible special guest instructors, songwriters, music business professionals and other VIPs who will join us. Really, who knows what else we may conjure up?

So simply we are saying, stay tuned to this site, the TotallyGuitars.com Forum and your emails for further updates and announcements over the coming days, weeks and months.

Don’t forget the FOOD!

The food being presented at the IGC could be an event by itself. The IGC Fall Camp will include cooked meals from Monday evening through Friday morning prepared by the talented chefs at the Green Mountain Retreat. You'll enjoy an authentic taste of California's Central Coast from their fresh, sustainable menu. At its heart is the simple use of quality local ingredients such as beef, fish, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and salads prepared with delicate seasoning, and with attention to sourcing from regional farmers, ranchers and fishermen. They have no problems accommodating most dietary requests or restrictions.

Wrapping up

It is our expectation that our next International Guitar Camp completely blows you away. We will keep this a regular event on the Totally Guitars annual agenda, and we need you to help us make it a success. This camp is for you, the TotallyGuitars.com family of guitar enthusiasts and we welcome your ideas, suggestions and any insights that will make the guitar camp even better. So, come on and join us for this fun-filled and enlightening guitar instructional and educational event.

*** Special Note ***

Space is limited for this incredible gathering as we are committed to every student having easy and personal access to all the instructors. We need to strictly limit attendance. Time is of the essence and don't let our camps sell out without you. We don't want you wait until the last minute and miss out on what is destined to be one of the best things you can do for your guitar playing and learning, as well your overall well-being and peace of mind!

Be sure to visit the Guitar Instructor bios below to really understand the power of what we are offering you at this event. We are excited and look forward to seeing you here.

Instructors

Neil Hogan

Dave Nachmanoff

Dave Nachmanoff

Doug Young

Doug Young

Jim Bruno

Jim Bruno

Typical Fall Schedule

Monday

  • 4:00PM
    Check In
  • 6:00PM
    Dinner
  • 7:00PM
    Teacher Intros & Concert
  • 9:30PM
    Pueblo Jam

Tuesday

  • 8:00AM
    Breakfast
  • 9:00AM
    Playing By Numbers with Neil
  • 10:00AM
    Breakout Sessions
  • 12:00PM
    Lunch
  • 1:00PM
    Playing With Others - Dave
  • 2:00PM
    Songwriting with Dave & Individual Lessons
  • 5:00PM
    Performance Workshop
  • 6:00PM
    Dinner
  • 7:00PM
    Open Mic I
  • 9:30PM
    Pueblo Jam

Wednesday

  • 8:00AM
    Breakfast
  • 9:00AM
    Vocal Gymnastics with Jim
  • 10:00AM
    Breakout Sessions
  • 12:00PM
    Lunch
  • 1:00PM
    Stage Presence - Dave
  • 2:00PM
    Songwriting with Dave & Individual Lessons
  • 5:00PM
    Mini-Sets
  • 6:00PM
    Dinner
  • 7:00PM
    Open Mic II
  • 9:30PM
    Pueblo Jam

Thursday

  • 8:00AM
    Breakfast
  • 9:00AM
    Alternate Tunings - Doug
  • 10:00AM
    Individual Lessons & Practice/Collaboration Time
  • 12:00PM
    Lunch
  • 1:00PM
    Songwriting with Dave
  • 2:00PM
    Individual Lessons & Practice/Collaboration Time
  • 5:00PM
    Mini-Sets
  • 6:00PM
    Dinner
  • 7:00PM
    Collaboration Night & Closing Concert
  • 10:00PM
    Pueblo Jam

Friday

  • 8:00AM
    Breakfast
  • 9:00AM
    Pack It Up
  • 11:00AM
    Check Out
  • 11:30AM
    Lunch at TG Central (for anyone still in town)

Location

Green Mountain Retreat

Asilomar The Green Mountain Retreat contains a number of historic structures including a few that were relocated from the Tevis Estate in 1909. The Tevis Estate was located on the adjacent property which is now part of the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve (Mid-Peninsula Open Space District).

Guest Rooms
The building structures range in design from rustic, Spanish Colonial Revival, to modern. The newest structure is the Welcome Center and Dining Room, which was built in 2005. The Welcome Center is a Leed Gold Certified building for its energy efficiency and green construction. The Main Hall (Pueblo Lodge) is the largest building and is a strikingly beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival design. There are also several smaller rustic cottages on the property. Julia Morgan, the renowned architect of the Hearst Mansion was instrumental in the architectural designs when Green Mountain was owned by Montezuma Mountain School for Boys from 1911 to 1955.

Labyrinth

Setting & Accommodations

Surrounded by nature, supported by attentive staff, more cost effective than comparable facilities...

Whether you are part of a large retreat group or small, we can provide the setting you need to meet your needs, with meeting, gathering, and worship spaces to accommodate up to 195 retreatants.

Browse the Green Mountain Retreat website for a complete list of services.

Pricing

General Registration for IGC Fall is $2595, which includes 4 nights, all workshops and events, and 3 meals a day. This rate includes a private room in the Pueblo Building, which is dorm-style. You can also upgrade to a private room in one of the historic cottages for an additional $400. Register Now

Due to the limit of 20 attendees, IGC Spring is invitational. Contact us if you would like to be put on the waiting list.

Refund Policy

All registrations must be paid in full in advance. If you need to cancel, up to 50% of your payment may be refundable until 60 days before starting date, with the balance available as a credit toward our next IGC. After 60 days out we would need to fill your reserved spot with someone you refer or one from our waiting list. In that case we would refund your payment minus $300 for administrative costs. For complete details please see our Registration and Payment Policy

 

Map Directions

Green Mountain Retreat

Address
19480 Bear Creek Rd
Los Gatos, CA 95033

Website
Green Mountain Retreat

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What Campers Are Saying



Previous IGC Highlight Videos



International Guitar Camp

Green Mountain Retreat
Los Gatos, California
April 24-27 & September 8-12, 2025

Register Now