Special guests visit Ventura High School to perform a concert

On March 28, VHS teacher Christian Gallo brought special guest musicians Guy Martin ‘88 and Jayden Secor ‘20 to perform for his History of American Music class during period two. The two played guitar and sang for 30 minutes of the class, taking requests from students as well as answering questions about their instruments. Martin and Secor are VHS alumni. Martin was in the graduating class of 1988, along with Gallo, and Secor graduated in 2020. Both are now musicians playing gigs in the Ventura County area. Martin also owns a recording studio called Black Couch Studio in Ventura.

The two started the session with a freestyle blues jam, followed by “Crossroads” by Cream and “Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Secor and Martin also played an original song by Secor, “Moving Man.” After these songs, Martin and Secor took requests from the audience.

Students sit in their seats to watch the duo perform. “The American music canon is so deep and diverse, and there is so much history tied to it that it’s really fascinating to me and hopefully students in the class will pick up on that as well and find it interesting and rewarding,” said Gallo. Photo by: Christian Gallo Gallo requested “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. To end the mini-concert, the two played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

“I’ve only recorded at Guy’s [studio]. I did an EP in December of 2020, and I’ve had three singles since. I have a fourth one called “Stick shootin’ son of a gun” coming out on April 28,” said Secor. At 20 years old, Secor plays three to four gigs a week, including opening for the Guy Martin Band the weekend of March