2023 FACULTY
LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER GREAT WEEK with …
MIKE DOWLING
Guitar Intensives is delighted to welcome back Grammy-winning guitarist Mike Dowling. He draws inspiration from deep in the musical bag of American roots guitar firmly grounded in authenticity and possessed of a musical soul as old as the vintage music he favors. Fluent in several styles and difficult to pigeonhole, Mike has captured the hearts of acoustic music fans throughout the world with his engaging voice, self-deprecating wit, and elegant interpretations of an arsenal of old blues, swing, ragtime, and original compositions
“I don’t play guitar when Dowling’s in the band. You don’t take the game warden fishing” — Jethro Burns
TOBY WALKER
Nationally and internationally acclaimed, Toby Walker has been hailed as a roots “music finger style guitar wizard” by Happy Traum. Walker blends the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, rock and old-time jazz into his own unique style. Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure – but immensely talented – music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James “Son” Thomas,Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others. Walker has recently released several instructional guitar DVD’s for the world- famous company Homespun Tapes which have been getting rave reviews. His latest CD release – ‘Mileage’ – has been hailed as a shining success in the genre of traditional blues recordings.
ANDRA FAYE
Andra Faye, a powerful vocalist & talented multi-instrumentalist bbasdfasdflkjtours & records with partner, Scott Ballantine, with two CD releases. Their latest project, “Coulda, Woulda,
Shoulda” , released by the Vizztone Label
Group, is receiving rave reviews. She has toured the world with her previous band, Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women, and is a well-respected vocal coach and string-instrument teacher. She has taught at numerous blues camps across the country, and is looking forward to returning to Guitar Intensives in Bar Harbor, ME.
SCOTT BALLANTINE
Scott Ballantine is from Indianapolis, Indiana and a lifelong professional guitarist. Scott has taught at Guitar Intensives for the last four years. He is a master of ALL styles — from blues to jazz to folk/pop. Scott formed the seminal roots band, The Strugglers, in the late sixties in Indianapolis and played with them for many years. Country, Blues, Swing and Jazz became his passion then and he has pursued those passions ever since—both in performing and teaching (which he has done extensively over the years). Early on Scott studied with fingerpicking legends Tommy Flint and Pat Webb. Since 2012 Scott has been playing around the country with blues legend, Andra Fay
