Hayden is a student at Weber State University and the lead guitar player of the Utah-based band “Citrus.” Hayden grew up the youngest sibling of a military family, moving from base to base for much of his young life to accommodate his father’s position in the Air Force. His mom and dad remained pillars of strength through it all, embracing the good times when they could with music and laughs. Living in places like Germany and Florida allowed him to face many walks of life, however, Hayden didn’t know the culture shock he’d be in for when his family decided to settle down in Utah as he was just beginning middle school.
“It hit me that it was my life and that I wasn’t going to let the rest of my high school experience go to waste. So I decided to transform the year into exactly what I wanted it to be.”
Hayden found out pretty quickly there was a disconnect between him and the LDS children at school. There were things that seemed totally normal to him (hanging out on Sunday, watching rated-R movies, drinking coffee, etc.) that were taboo with his peers and caused them to see him as an outsider and would even avoid him at times. “In Germany, I thought Jesus was like a folk hero like Paul Bunyon or Superman… I didn’t understand religion. My religion at the time was Star Wars and Ben 10. Kinda what it is now, to be honest.” he said.
As he struggled to understand this new culture, Hayden grew frustrated because he felt alone and isolated. He didn’t know what made him so different from the other kids in his school. “I wanted to tell those kids, ‘I’m like you, I just don’t have a Sunday,’” he said. This issue also continued in his high school career with his peers and expanded into a general distaste for school. Certain subjects like history caused him to dread school and listening to lessons that he didn’t see the value in.
However, this perspective would change when Hayden had a chunk of his high school life that he didn’t get to experience due to Covid-19 and a near-death experience with a collapsed lung. Reflecting back on those years he said, “It hit me that it was my life and that I wasn’t going to let the rest of my high school experience go to waste. So I decided to transform the year into exactly what I wanted it to be.” Rather than entering class and dreading it, he was looking for opportunities where he could make someone laugh or ask an absurd question. He found his secret power to overcome his intimidations, humor. He would go up to his peers and see it as a challenge to make each of his peers and teachers laugh and think fondly of him. He began to see that his peers then began to respect him and see him as friend vs. an outsider.
Even in history class he got everyone laughing and participating just from a question about Napoleon Bonaparte’s height. This also gained him new appreciation for school and the wonderful opportunities he had there like being able to perform in the “Battle of the Bands” where he won 2nd place.
Throughout his life, Hayden has taken this “Good Vibe” approach to heart, from making friends to learning from his high school teachers to making music with his band. He says music was a lot of his inspiration for this “Good Vibe”. He even says that music is, “… a lot like laughing. It’s one of those things that just brings everyone together.”
Not only is Hayden a killer guitarist, but also a master at the art of creating an “us” over a “them.”