Gallery • 5 Photos

Valerie Benzinger

Drummer Josh Fletcher steps up to the mic during a Saturday night performance at Perc Coffeehouse.

English teacher David Boyle’s sweaty palms grip the guitar, shaking with nervousness. It’s almost time to perform. All the hard work and practice he’s put in has led up to this moment. With a friend singing by his side, he is unstoppable.

“I was too nervous to play by myself, so I asked my colleague, [English teacher] Michelle Pembroke, if she would sing because I knew she was a good singer,” Boyle said. “We had so much fun that we thought ‘Hey, we should do this more often.’ We also knew that the art teacher at Harmon, Josh Fletcher, was a really good drummer so it just kind of evolved from there.”

Their band, The Fool Hearts, is described as a Folk-Indie-Americana band which consists of Boyle on the guitar, Fletcher on the drums, Pembroke providing vocals, and a friend of the group, Dain Sullivan, on the bass guitar.

“I think our band has a laid back, fun and happy vibe,” Sullivan said. “People [can tell] we really enjoy each other and performing.”

Although Sullivan doesn’t share the same occupation as his bandmates, he relates to them with their shared enjoyment of being musicians.

“I have always loved music and being creative,” Sullivan said. “Making music satisfies many needs in my life from stress relief to building relationships through the creative process.”

The bandmates work in such close proximity to each other that it was impossible not to grow into a tight-knit group of friends. They are constantly helping each other become better musicians and people.

“My bandmates are a major influence for me now,” Fletcher said. “They push me and continually surprise me with their skill sets and sounds.”

Most members of the band come from musical upbringings. This ignited their love of music from an early age, allowing for that love to grow into a deep passion later on in their lives.

“I grew up in a very musical family,” Fletcher said. “It was almost a requirement to play an instrument. I started with drums and ended up playing many instruments, like the trumpet, french horn, guitar, bass guitar and more.”

Pembroke’s musical inspiration, however, comes from other artists.

“I grew up listening to women with powerful voices like Karen Carpenter and Wynonna Judd,” Pembroke said. “As a teenager, I spent hours in my room or driving in my car listening to them and singing along, trying to sound like them. Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert are two current songwriters who inspire me to write. Their lyrics are simple and honest, but they stick with you. I wish I had the writing talent they have.”

Being a musician allows for the teachers to express themselves. Their creativity and passion shows through their music.

“I love having a creative outlet,” Pembroke said. “As a teacher, I get to be creative in the way I plan my lessons and present my content, but there are still limits to what I can do in 90 minutes with the district curriculum. When we are making music, there are no limits or rules.”