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!

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