Principals with pluck

Published 7:09 am Tuesday, March 4, 2008

He’s a mild-mannered principal by day, a rock star by night. Well — sort of.

Greg Schwab, principal of Mountlake Terrace High School, plays acoustic guitar in a band called the Stray Dogs with two other Edmonds School District principals. The band appears regularly in the Seattle area, playing covers of Nirvana, Poison, Pink Floyd, classic rock, country and more.

When students find out, they tend to be amused.

“They never expect their teacher or administrator to have a life outside of school,” Schwab said. “They think this is it for us, that outside of (school) we crawl into a hole and don’t come out until the sun comes out the next day.”

The band started when Todd Christensen, retired principal of the Edmonds Homeschool Resource Center, pulled out his guitar at an administrator’s retreat in summer of 2004.

Schwab has been playing guitar since age 12, but had never been in a band because it was a hobby. With his job at school, his time is limited.

“There are people who play in bands (who) just get really focused,” Schwab said. “For me it’s one of the most relaxing things I do.”

Dennis Burkhardt, principal at the Alderwood Early Childhood Center, was also at the retreat. He plays fiddle and cello, so the three decided to meet up and jam.

“We usually practice at Todd’s house,” Schwab said.

The three practice in Christensen’s basement once or twice a month, with Schwab and Christensen playing guitars and doing the vocals.

They now make regular appearances at venues like Murphy’s Irish pub, the Highliner Tavern and the Dubliner in Seattle, as well as local pubs.

Mostly, the band offers an outlet to relax, Schwab said, but sometimes the principals bond about work.

“Once in while we talk about our days, like, ‘You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today,’” Schwab said. “You can vent about stuff that is going on at work, but it’s also a nice escape.”

In many ways, being a high school principal is like playing on stage, he said.

“You’re always in front of the public, the teachers, the student body, parents and staff,” Schwab said. “It’s very similar to being on stage.”