Thank you for your interest in
The Walden School
Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) 2025
The Walden School Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR), for adult musical professionals, teachers, students and amateurs (ages 18+), is a 9 day retreat with diverse programming, including seminars, workshops, composers forums, concerts, chorus, and more. This year’s retreat dates are June 14-22, 2025, in Dublin, New Hampshire.
Everything you need to apply for CMR 2025 is provided below, and complete application instructions can be downloaded here. A copy of this message will also be sent to the email address you provided.
Please email us at applicants@waldenschool.org for assistance with the application and admissions process. We look forward to receiving and reviewing your application.
Start your online application:
Creative Musicians Retreat 2025 Application
How to Apply
In addition to short answer questions about you, your interests, and your musical background, the following items will be requested on the application. We recommend reviewing these requirements, preparing them in advance, and then completing the application.
Applicant Essay: Please write a 2-3 paragraph (ca. 250 – 500 words) personal statement describing why you are interested in attending the Creative Musicians Retreat at The Walden School and any goals or intentions you may have for the summer. Please describe your musical background, including your education/training and experience as a composer, performer, improviser, choral singer, conductor and/or teacher. You will paste your essay into the online application linked above.
CV, résumé, and/or biography (optional for returning applicants). There is a place to upload these in the online application.
Supplementary Materials: on the online application, there is a place to upload 1-3 scores, audio recordings, or videos of your work as a creative artist. You may also provide links to your YouTube channel, SoundCloud, Vimeo, BandCamp, etc.
Application Fee ($40, non-refundable) If this fee presents a significant financial barrier to your application, please contact us at applicants@waldenschool.org to ask for a fee waiver.
Applications are considered in three rounds: Early (December 16, 2024), Winter (February 3, 2025), and Spring (April 1, 2025). Please review the decision and billing schedules for each round: CMR 2025 Fees and Deadlines.
Financial Aid
If you are applying for financial aid, complete the CMR 2025 Financial Aid Application.
Review of financial aid applications will begin no earlier than February 1, 2025, and awards will be made on a rolling basis. If you apply for financial aid, you do not need to make a deposit or pay tuition until you receive your award decision.
To apply for financial aid, you will need documentation of your income in the form of your 2024 tax return, or a combination of your 2023 tax return and end-of-year pay stubs from 2024. If you are someone’s dependent, you will need to include their tax and income information as well.
In the meantime, you can contact us at applicants@waldenschool.org or at (415) 587-8157 with questions about the program or admissions process.
You can also stay in touch with Walden by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and hear music from past Walden programs on our Bandcamp page.
Learn about the Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR):
CMR Frequently Asked Questions