slideshow

Logan County High School announced their new band director this week when David Dayton accepted the position.

Dayton, who replaces Allen Kennedy, was formerly the LCHS assistant band director in 2000-2001 under Mandy Beasley and the band director at Adairville Middle School.

“That was my first job right out of college,” Dayton said. “I am really excited about coming back to Logan County and my family is also really excited. My wife and kids are really looking forward to it.”

Dayton then took a leave of absence to attend the University of Louisville to pursue a masters degree in music education. While there he worked as a graduate assistant with the UofL marching band, the pep band for football and basketball, the concert band and the symphonic band.

Upon graduation from UofL, Dayton became the band director at Warren East High school from 2003-2009 where the band grew from 25 members to 75 members and competed in the KMEA Marching Band State Semi-Finals in 2008. With the birth of their 2nd child, Dayton decided to step away from marching band for a period of time and became the band director at Harpeth Middle School in Tennessee.

“We are very excited to have Mr. Dayton on board at LCHS and look forward to several years of increasing our marching band numbers and continuing the excellence of the music program that the middle schools are providing,” LCHS principal Casey Jaynes said. “We have been very competitive in the concert band area and look forward to having our marching band return to the state level competition.”

Dayton said he would like to see the number of students involved in band grow at Logan County much like it did while he was at Warren East.

“One of the main things is grow the numbers,” he said. “A school that size should have a 100 or 110 kids on the field. I hope we can do that in a few years.

“Logan County has always had excellence tradition in performance. I want to continue that, while building the numbers. The playing ability and talent is there, we just have to tap into the resouces to get more kids involved. That means good having communication with parents and teachers and having everybody working together so the band can be the best it can be.”

The LCHS band boosters will be organizing a “meet and greet” for Mr. Dayton on June 21, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the high school.