Just three and a half years ater taking up the guitar, John Shaw of Lincoln, Nebraska, accomplished what most flatpickers can only dream of - winning the National Flatpicking Guitar Championships in Winfield, Knsas. A finalist in year's flatpicking competition, Shaw says he practiced for an hour virtually every night for a year to prepare for the 21st annual championship. The extensive practice time gave him the chance to develop his contest arrangements and perfect his technique.

Shaw, 21 (at the time), started playing fiddle at age 4 and has reached the semifinal round in the fiddle competition at Winfield each year he's entered. His younger brother Jason, 17 (at the time), won the Winfield fiddle contest last year and reached the semifinals in the flatpicking championships this year. "Our dad really wanted us to play fiddle," says John, who was later inspired to play guitar by two-time Winfield winner Mark O'Conner. The brothers attend many music festivals, but Winfield is their favorite. "We come both for the picking and the contests," says John. "There are so many good musicians here".

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