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FACULTY 2026
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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.
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David Hamburger
An Austin-based fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter, David is known for his sense of groove, witty yet poignant songwriting, engaging stage presence, and extensive instructional materials. He's worked as a composer for film and television, toured the U.S. with Joan Baez, and shared the stage with many of his most important influences, including Dave Van Ronk, Guy Van Duser and Roy Book Binder.
A recognized authority on fingerstyle blues, his teaching emphasizes groove, right-hand coordination, idiomatic blues techniques and improvising on solo guitar arrangements—areas in which he is widely regarded as an expert. His ability to present traditional blues repertoire in a way that feels both accessible and authentic has made him one of the most trusted contemporary educators in this genre.
David is the author of twelve books, two dozen TrueFire and Homespun instructional videos, and over 100 articles for Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar and other publications. Over the past twenty-five years, he has provided thousands of guitarists at every level with a structured, methodical approach to learning steady-bass and alternating-thumb fingerpicking. His YouTube channel has over 35,000 subscribers, and he currently hosts The Fingerstyle Five, a lively online lesson membership for musicians who want to play better fingerstyle blues, build their repertoire and learn to improvise.
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.
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.
Shawn Persinger
Cindy Scott
Cindy Scott’s technical mastery of the voice and deep commitment to lyrical and musical expression has earned her loyal fans around the world.
Originally hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Scott has lived a life steeped in all forms of American roots music, jazz, gospel, and southern soul, and these influences form the tapestry of her songwriting. She came up in an extended family full of talented musicians and passionate educators and was singing parts at the family jams from a very young age. Her earliest formal training was on classical flute, and she went on to earn her first college degree on a flute scholarship. As a performing artist, she still plays flute but wishes she had found guitar much sooner.
Having lived in New Orleans for many years, Scott now resides in Boston, where she teaches voice full-time at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She is currently knee deep in developing ValArts, a visionary new arts center in Valencia, Spain, which will serve as a conduit for North American artists of all kinds to expand into Europe.
In her own words:
"I am particularly interested in the mechanics of the human voice and how it can serve each singer’s unique artistry. The methods I impart build freedom, strength, tonal control, and endurance, and my primary goal is always to help singers express themselves with more ease and authenticity.