Have you ever heard a guitar chord being played in the math hallways? Well, here’s why.
In the last few months, the marketing teacher, Henceroth Dayton, has become known for playing his guitar during passing periods for students who walk by.
“[Administrators] encourage teachers to stand in the halls during the change of classes and I thought to myself, ‘It feels kind of silly to just stand there’ so I first just held a tennis racket, because I play tennis, and people would come up like ‘Oh you play tennis!’ And it was sort of like a conversation piece. Then I just got to thinking, maybe I should just bring my guitar in here,” said Dayton.
Through his guitar, Dayton enjoys introducing others to new sounds and spreading his love of music; he wants to make people happy just by listening to it.
“It’s kind of like the feeling of walking through the city and there’s someone playing music and it just lifts your mood and gives people a reason to smile,” said Dayton.
Not only does he enjoy the experience it gives others, he also loves how it makes him feel. It is common knowledge that music can be therapeutic, but these senses are heightened when listening to or playing live music.
“When you hold [a guitar] against you, you can feel it vibrating through your whole body and the sound waves are right there. It’s like a whole experience when you play. There are a lot more senses involved. That’s why I like playing it for the kids,” said Dayton.
“It’s better than just playing something on the speaker because it hits you a lot differently and is much more memorable.”
Music has always been an interest of Dayton’s, he began by playing the piano while his older brother played the guitar. It was one fateful Christmas that got Dayton interested in playing guitar as well.
“When we were kids we were into music. I started off playing the piano, but I remember one Christmas I got this little plastic keyboard and he got this beautiful black electric guitar. It was love at first sight. When I saw it leaning against the couch and how much fun my brother was having, I was like, ‘I’ve had enough of the piano, I’m gonna learn how to play the guitar,’” said Dayton.
“Afterwards, I got my brother to show me the basics of how to play and then took a year of private lessons, but since then I’ve just been learning by ear and self-teaching. If it weren’t for my brother and that gift, I probably would’ve never picked up the guitar.”
Dayton began playing at around 12 years old and he’s been playing consistently ever since then, joining various bands throughout his middle, high school and both college years, performing and eventually creating his own music.
“There was a whole social aspect of playing music that just added so many friends and experiences to my life that I would never have if I didn’t play music. It’s just been a wild adventure and I couldn’t imagine my life without music,” said Dayton
By playing music, Dayton believes he can have the same impact on students as others did on him.
“My life wouldn’t be as rich if I wasn’t introduced to these different bands and genres, so it’s a neat way to share something that they may have not even cared about before,” said Dayton.
In the same way as Dayton, it would be wonderful to see more teachers have the chance to showcase their abilities during passing periods.