Piercing chords shake the bare hallways as students clear after the final bell of the day rings.  The kids of the Guitar Club stay, strumming their acoustics, loving the pure, sweet resonance of the guitar.

David Williams, resource teacher, has been playing the guitar for 33 years.

“Music chose me,” Williams said. “I just kept playing and playing and after a while, it took over my life. I had been playing so much.”

After years of teaching various music courses at Maryville University along with jazz at Meramec Community College, and while substituting at Rockwood Summit High School, Williams finally stepped into the Kirkwood frame 10 years ago.

Musical passion did not run in Williams’ family, however, he seemed to pick it up on his own.  Playing the guitar as well as piano, Williams became a musician at heart.

“There’s a lot of guys and gals that come to [the Guitar Club], but sometimes people can’t make it so it is just a few of us,” John Steffen, freshman, said.

Spreading his musical passion to students every Wednesday after school, Williams organizes the meetings as well as the events when the students get to perform.

“I had never thought of the idea, but if [the kids] wanted to I sure was willing to help,” Williams said. “I love listening to these kids, and some are really talented.”

Closely connected through their music, the students who gather sing, play songs, and sometimes play original pieces.

“I played at home before I heard of the Guitar Club, and I thought I would try it out,” Tomas Mata, junior, said.  “Mr. Williams is the head dude here. He is pretty cool.”

Williams seems to connect with the kids through their musical talent and his witty humor.

Anyone can join the club. It is simply a matter of interest, and even students who have not played before have joined in the past, according to Williams.

“Hey give me the mic, I think I know that song,” Mata said, grabbing the microphone, singing to the tune the other two kids were playing to.

All different kinds of music are played, and sometimes the kids will challenge each other to guitar battles, showing off every now and then.

Williams shows his passion for music through his teaching, and it reflects onto his students, where it becomes an inspiration to them.

“Playing guitar is just something we like to do in our free time. It’s like a drug. It’s an escape from reality,” Mata said. “[Music] expresses that which cannot be said, and on which it is impossible to be silent.”