For release on or after September 16, 2006
Walnut Valley Association
918 Main, Winfield, Kansas 67156
(620) 221-3250

Winfield, KS…On Thursday afternoon September 14th the 35th Annual Walnut Valley Festival International Finger Style Guitar Contest got under way with the maximum of 40 contestants.  These individuals represented 25 states and 3 foreign countries including Japan, Canada and Brazil.  When the cut to five was made two contestants from the U.S., two from Canada and one from Japan prevailed.

First place was awarded to Doug Smith of Portland, OR, a professional musician and teacher at Clark Community college in Vancouver, WA, a suburb of Portland, OR.  This was Doug’s third try at the Finger Style championship.  In 2005 he placed second.  He started playing the guitar as a youngster and it was one his parent’s landlord gave him after his parents had rented one for him to “try out.”  “As a teacher,” Doug says, “ I often tell parents the same thing with their youngsters.”  Doug has recorded much music, some of which has gotten used in commercials.  He is also a Grammy Winner.  2005 he and eleven other guitarists were a part of a recording entitled “Pink Guitar – A Tribute to Henry Mancini.”  This recording won for Best Pop Instrumental CD.  When not playing the guitar, one will find Doug watching movies.  You see, he’s a classic old movie buff and when not doing that one can find him riding roller coasters.  I believe he has ridden all the biggest and best ones in the USA.  For his forty or so years of playing guitar, Doug won $3,000, the 1st Place Trophy and a Larrivee LV-10 guitar by Jean Larrivee Guitars of Oxnard, CA.

Don Alder of Vancouver, BC, Canada placed 2nd in this prestigious contest.  Don says he is a very very young 50 and a Technical Production Manager for the Rick Hansen Foundation.  This is his fourth time attending the Festival.  He is also a songwriter and has placed three years in a row in the instrumental portion of the Songwriter’s Showcase here at the Festival.  At the age of 13 he was given an electric guitar when he got sick and had to miss school for 6 months.  Don is quite proud of the fact that he was a member of the Rick Hansen “Man In Motion World Tour.”  Rick wheeled almost 25,000 miles in a wheelchair through 34 countries raising awareness and raised $24 million.  Don still works with Rick Hansen today at his Foundation.  A movie for the theaters will be released in 2007 on Rick Hansen’s life.  Don’s character will be in the movie and some of his original music will be used in the film.  As you can see, Don is a talented man and music is a major part of his life.  Don chose the Triggs Flat Top Guitar by Triggs Guitars of Lawrence, KS.  He also takes back to Vancouver, BC the 2nd Place Trophy.  

The third place trophy and a Gallagher GA-70 Guitar by Gallagher and Son of Wartrace, TN went to another Canadian Antoine Dufour.  This Canadian however is from the other side of Canada in Mascouche, Quebec, Canada.  This Canadian is a young 26-year-old Guitar teacher and solo performer.  He is making his second trip to this Festival and this contest.  Antoine started playing the guitar at the tender age of 15 when his mother gave him her classical guitar.  Not only is he talented musically, Antoine is also talented with a pencil, as he likes to draw and create art with the old fashioned wooden pencil.  This November Antione will be kept busy as a  part of the traveling International Guitar Night all over Canada.  He will be touring with three other guitarists Peppino I’Hgostino, Andrew White and Brian Gore.  Antoine is very excited about the project.  Last year he toured KS and CO performing.  
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