Ending on a High Note

By Elizabeth Ramsay

When Lisa and John Boyd first showed up at Ojai Valley School, there were pay phones in the dorms. Photography class consisted of loading canisters of film in dark rooms. And instead of a pool, students roughed it out in mud-wrestling pits.

So much has changed in those years, as the Boyds saw the rise and fall of the first science and technology building, the emergence of a Student Commons, and the creation of a standalone multipurpose room dedicated to one of their passions, the performing arts. Together, the Boyds shaped the OVS music, science, and photography programs. And now, after 37 years, it’s coming to an end.

“It would be impossible to overstate their impact in the music and arts programs,” said Assistant Head of Upper Campus Crystal Davis, who started in 1985, the same year Mr. Boyd came to campus and a year before Mrs. Boyd’s arrival. “They have helped so many generations of students discover their voices, their eye in photography, and their musicianship.”

It was a humble beginning for the Boyds. They started out as dorm parents, waking up surrounded by the cinderblock walls of the old Grace Hobson Smith House. “We began teaching music in the old girls lounge,” Mr. Boyd said. “There was a piano, we set up some foldable chairs and sang some songs.”

During the Boyds’ time, the music space evolved from the girls lounge to a lecture hall (with “awful acoustics”) to the activities center, and now, for the past two years, its own dedicated room constructed as part of the rebuild following the Thomas Fire. Students can come in to practice any time of the day, and the space has been used for a number of open-air concerts led by the Boyds, often showcasing their immense musical talent.

Mr. Boyd is an exceptional pianist, guitarist, and bassist. “I could probably fool most people on any instrument,” he said, “and I can help any student.” During his time at OVS, he taught Music, Music History and Music Theory, and oversaw the Garage Band. He started a two-year Guitar program, led the Yearbook for 34 years, instructed Photography for 30 years, and taught a Media and Digital Design course for five years.

“Not only does he (Mr. Boyd) carry artistic talent and brilliance, but he shares it with the community,” said retired Upper Campus Headmaster Carl Cooper (L64, U68). “There’s a special kind of learning from going on stage and putting yourself out there and performing.”

It was 1985 when Mr. Boyd first arrived in Ojai from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Following a six-year music Bachelor program at St. Norbert College, he was a vocalist and guitarist for a band named “On Stage” that traveled across the Midwest for a year. He heard about a job opening at OVS and decided to bring his talents here.

“They (the Boyds) were so Midwestern,” Ms. Davis recalled. “We were all starting together and really bonded. We became the group that would define the shape of OVS for years to come.”

Mr. Boyd was joined by his multi-talented wife, Mrs. Boyd, the year after he arrived. Before that, she worked at a hospital after pursuing a fouryear hospital laboratory degree. However, she went to college to be a music teacher. She brought her passion for biology and music to OVS and taught freshman science and various music programs during her 37 years on the hill. To Mrs. Boyd, her most enjoyable and significant achievements include directing the choir and teaching vocal classes.

“I see students grow in ability and confidence as we create performances that give them lasting memories,” Mrs. Boyd said. “And I have received the most positive feedback from alumni regarding Chorus and Voice class.”

Perhaps Mrs. Boyd is best known for

the musical programs she spearheaded at OVS, doing everything from training the singers to teaching the choreography and working with the tech crew to finding costumes and props. This school year she got to end her musical career with a bang. She was the best part of my day, seeing the professionalism and heart Mrs. Boyd puts into her songs is a delight.”

Mrs. Boyd used to run an incredibly popular choir program in the 1990s and early 2000s, which has since been replaced by a flourishing rock band and the musical. “It’s fun to see how much the students involved enjoy it and work together to create music and performances they’re proud of,” she said. “The OVS experience was so sweet and special; we have such a nurturing environment.” and her students produced a fabulous rendition of Chicago — one of Mrs. Boyd’s all-time favorite projects, along with Thoroughly Modern Millie (2010) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (2005).

The Boyds plan to stay in Ojai for a while with their daughters, Eva (L07, U11) and Patricia (L04, U08), and grandchildren Dean, age 2, and August, age 5. Mr. Boyd intends to pursue music for himself.

“Hopefully, I can keep playing, get some gigs,” he said, “finally start writing and recording my own songs.” He also aims to keep up with his passion for photography, through photo expeditions in regions such as the California desert and “ethereal coastal locations,” where he’ll use long camera exposures to create misty, mysterious images in classic black and white.

“I am so grateful I got to witness the joy, the sheer joy, that their productions brought to the school,” said Mrs. Davis, who on occasion joined the chorus led by Mrs. Boyd. “The choir

Mrs. Boyd is preparing to promote herself and her husband as funeral singers, a trade she admires deeply and finds rewarding. “We give people peace of mind and happiness,” she said. “They appreciate good music.”

It will take a village to fill their shoes.

“I am so thankful the Boyds gave their careers to this school,” Ms. Davis reflected. “I got to witness the lives they changed, and the passions they launched.”