Peghead Nation’s Teja Gerken and Doug Young win 2025 USA Songwriting Competition Award
Teja Gerken & Doug Young Duo's "Takoma" wins the competition's Instrumental category.
Peghead Nation co-founder Teja Gerken and instructor Doug Young are thrilled to be the winners of the Instrumental category of the 2025 USA Songwriting Competition with their fingerstyle guitar duo‘s recording of Teja’s tune “Takoma.” Featured on their most recent album, The Water is Wide, “Takoma” is a piece inspired by the guitarists featured on John Fahey’s Takoma Records label. Here’s a video of Teja and Doug performing the piece live at the Back Door in Sacramento, California:
Check out Doug’s Alternate Tunings for Fingerstyle Guitar course, and Teja’s Advanced Fingerstyle Workshop on Peghead Nation!
Related Events Posts
![]() |
Join Richard Hoover and Eric Skye of Santa Cruz Guitars on Facebook Live, Friday, December 11Peghead Nation hosts the Santa Cruz Guitars founder and one of their signature artists live on Facebook, Friday, December 11 at 3 PM Pacific Time, for a special conversation. Read More |
![]() |
Peghead Nation Workshops at the Fretboard SummitJoin us for hands-on guitar instruction with Tony McManus, Scott Nygaard, Courtney Hartman, Matt Munisteri, and Mark Goldenberg. Read More |







