For most people, music serves as some sort of escape. Whether it is a form of relaxation after a hard day, or a way to get pumped up before a basketball game, music has a positive effect on most everyone. There are several high school teachers who participate in music through church, city wide activities and by being a part of a band.
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy music,” principal Ryan Tomlin said. “When somebody is singing, they are usually in a pretty good mood; music just does that to people, it does it to their soul. I think it was designed early on by the Lord to give us that in music.”
The parents of Tomlin, both musicians, raised him and his older brother, world-famous Christian music artist Chris Tomlin, in a musical household where his father taught them how to play guitar and the drums. Currently, Tomlin occasionally partakes in playing the drums at his church, and sometimes with Christian singer Casey Rivers.
“Chris and I would play at different little local churches and rodeos, talent shows in school, just wherever,” Tomlin said. “I wasn’t really the front man singer, but I love to sing and I love to play. My dad really started us out because he loved the music so much.”
Choir teacher, Kasey Halbgewachs, has a recording studio at his house and has recorded his own EP. Although it is expensive to do so, he plans to continue recording music this coming summer. Halbgewachs grew up being involved in music through his family in church.
“I think that the creative process is just a ton of fun,” Halbgewachs said. “To have nothing, and in just a couple months you have a product with your own songs. It is fun to see what comes out because you go in there with something on your mind, but you get a lot of musicians together and they are creating at the same time and something cool comes out that you weren’t experiencing.”
Math teacher David Mckain is extremely involved in music. He grew up in a ministry family and started singing in church choirs and groups as a child. Out of college, Mckain traveled almost every weekend to perform, with approximately 160 concerts a year. He and his wife still travel singing and preaching the word of God in their band, Made by Mercy.
“Music is a powerful way to communicate a message,” Mckain said. “In our music, it is the gospel message. Over the years we have seen many life changing moves of God; a young man, addicted to hard core drugs, that was delivered from drugs and now pastors a church comes to mind. Our music is an expression of our life changing faith and we love to share it!”
