917.620.8872
FACULTY 2025 is below. 2026 TBA soon!
Mike Dowling
World-renowned for his artistry in Acoustic Blues and Swing on guitar and slide, Mike’s extensive career includes playing with greats from Vassar Clemens to Joe Venuti and Jethro Burns, before embarking on his solo career -- a career that's taken him around the world. A composer as well, he’s written songs for artists including Del McCoury, Kathy Mattea and Emilylou Harris.
Armed with an engaging voice, self-deprecating wit and an arsenal of elegant interpretations of old blues, swing, ragtime, and original tunes, Mike's teaching is equal to his artistry. Mike’s published
numerous iinstructional DVDs including Two Guitar Jamming and Bottleneck Blues and Beyond (I and II) to name a few, and most recently, his book Rhythm By the Code. Mike’s core classes with include Acoustic Blues repertoire and Swing for Intermediate/Advanced players, with electives in improvisation, open tunings, and more, open to all levels.
Shawn Persinger
Drawing on a wealth of influences, Shawn Persinger combines the best of classical, rock, jazz, folk, world music, as well as the avant-garde, to develop a sound that is uniquely his own. A.k.a. Prester John, he is one of the most innovative guitarists, singer-songwriters and composers performing, writing and teaching. Rolling Stone, Acoustic Guitar, Guitar World, Jazziz, The Village Voice, Gramophone and countless other publications have praised his playing, composing and live performances.
Persinger is currently a faculty member of The University of New Haven. As a music educator, Persinger has taught thousands of students and directed multifarious ensembles and group workshops. He has written articles, features and lessons in Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, Frets and Taylor Guitars’ Wood & Steel.
Shawn’s books include the best-selling The 50 Greatest Guitar Books, Bebop Jazz Guitar, The Young Person’s Guide to Free Improvisation and Experimental Music, and The Uncommon Guitar Lesson.
Toby Walker
Toby has been hailed as an award-winning roots music fingerstyle guitar virtuoso and songwriter who has toured the US., US, Canada and Europe. Blending the styles of blues, ragime, country old time jazz and rock, he’s developed his own style and as such has received numerous awards, including recipient of the International
Blues Challenge Award in Memphis, and has been inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame.
Toby teaching not only reflects his guitar mastery, but a systematic approach to breaking down skills and content incrementally, to assure success. He has taught extensively at workshops across the United States and Europe, and currently has eight instructional DVD’s on Happy Traum’s Homespun Music Instruction. He’s produced hundreds of instructional videos for his own website as well. At camp, Toby will be focusing on Blues, Blues, and more Blues -- for all levels. In this context he will incorporate repertoire, tricks-of-the trade technique, soloing, and more. His core classes will range from early intermediate to intermediate. AHis electives will reflect results of our student interest survey.
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Denise Adorante
Denise Adorante is a multi-instrumentalist who hails from New York. She began her musical journey on the ukulele at a young age and quickly moved on to the guitar. She has played in many bands over the years, the most recent being the Westchester based Urban Coyotes and the acoustic trio of the Near Misses. Denise has also recently collaborated on a newly released children’s album, Smile Like a Reptile, as part of a duo called The Ossibles.
Denise likes to play a variety of musical styles including folk, Americana, swing, jazz, pop and rock. She plays the guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo and bass when there are too many guitars! She’s happy to be a part of the Guitar Intensives music community once again, and will be working primarily with early intermediate/intermediate students on enhancing skills, developing repertoire in genres of their choice, band 101, and jam-time sessions.