By Mac McKee, ’11, Contributor
Sitting through a double bell of Mr. Matt Dahl’s physics class, students may not see a musician at the board describing the forces of gravity. Most people never find anything musical when Mr. Dahl proudly announces his scheduling accomplishments during assembly. But underneath that crew-cut, button-down guise of a high school science teacher lives a true musician.
Mr. Dahl has been involved with music since his own high school days, where he played trombone in the school band. Always interested in music, Mr. Dahl not only played the trombone but also the piano, and even the occasional banjo. It wasn’t until his senior year of college that he was introduced to his favorite instrument, the guitar.
“I suppose it was just the one that stuck” said Mr. Dahl, describing the guitar. He enjoyed a classical guitar education, and plays his guitar in an old jazz style. He admires the music of jazz icon Miles Davis, never mind that Davis played the trumpet. As far as guitarists go, Mr. Dahl often listens to the famous jazz of Wes Montgomery, and he dabbles in many different guitar pieces, playing “bits and pieces” of several songs. If he had to pick one though, he would play the catchy tune of “The Girl from Ipanema.” Mr. Dahl continues to play his guitar, and was one of the founding faculty members of the school’s student-faculty jazz band. So the next time Mr. Dahl gets that look on his face after he’s been asked the same question five times, just play him this song: