I didn’t touch an acoustic guitar during the pandemic. Could a private island retreat with one of the world’s biggest guitar tutors help me reconnect?

Petit St. Vincent acoustic guitar retreat
(Image credit: Michael Astley-Brown)

Guitarists coped with the enforced isolation of the pandemic in different ways. Some finessed their technique, others checked off songs on their must-learn list. For me, productivity was my distraction: I was playing electric guitar, always plugged in, always writing, always recording. In my mind, it wouldn’t feel like a waste of a year if I had something to show for it.

The downside to this musical hot streak was a complete disconnect from the simple joy of actually playing. My Cort acoustic gathered dust on its stand in the corner of the living room, while my electrics got an eternal workout. Playing live shows with function bands had previously been my impetus for learning new material – without that catalyst, I was lost in an eternal loop of capturing perfect takes and perfect tones.

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Michael Astley-Brown