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Governor Livingston High School Guitar Club Takes A Road Trip to Perform at Famous Dave's

By BARBARA RYBOLT

May 7, 2018 at 5:05 PM

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ - Every year the Governor Livingston High School Guitar Club takes a "Road Trip." This year was no exception. As April came to an end Guitar Club members headed to Famous Dave's on Route 22 East in Mountainside to perform for family, friends and anyone else who happened to drop by.

On Monday, April 30, 2018 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm Guitar Club members sang, played guitars, Ukulele and drums before an appreciative audience. 

On the bill that evening were Olivia McKeon, Aidan Quigley, Beryl Roman, Louis & Jimmy Pitingolo, Kevin Rafferty, Eden Aflalo and Ryan Carriker, Brett Obrien and Annabella Hernandez and Bob Segear, the advisor of the Guitar Club.

Segear said some students find the club through friends, or the grapevine, sometimes he invites students to join. A longtime guitar player, Segear has instruments to lend out for those who don't have one, and can teach the neophytes. "The club meets on Wednesday's during lunch" and it isn't long before the members begin to form their own groups, teach each other and meet on Friday and Saturday nights, he said. "The road trip is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent."

Segear credited Ryan Carriker as one of the people who helped to get the Road Trip together. Ryan joined the club two years ago, having never played the guitar before -- but he studied and practiced and learned. This year, in the fall, when he heard the organizers of Winter Walk were looking for entertainers, "Ryan went out and solicited kids to perform at Winter Walk. They formed a band and performed five songs," Segear said. At Famous Dave's, Ryan performed with three different groups. 

Not everyone who played or sang was perfect -- but then neither was Bob Dylan when he first came on the scene. The audience made up of family and friends, applauded, cheered, took photos and videos of the performers. Moms and dads in the audience beamed with pride. By any measure, the road trip was a success for everyone involved. They'll be back at Famous Dave's next year, in the spring, with more songs to share!

The Guitar Club is an offshoot of the TREND Club. TREND is an acronym for "Turning Recreation Events into New Directions," which promotes a drug and alcohol-free life style while offering fun activities to students. The GLHS Guitar Club along with the Positive Alternative Club receive support from the district and The Berkeley Heights Education Foundation, The Berkeley Heights Municipal Alliance, and the Mountainside Municipal Alliance.