Grayson Orr: Cymbal of a Saint

It’s probably safe to assume that some students at Aquinas have tried playing an instrument at some point in their lives. It is a valuable skill to have, even more valuable when you’re crazy good at it. Enter senior Grayson Orr, who I had the pleasure of sitting down with and discussing his journey with music, which he says started as early as he can remember.

Grayson first started playing guitar and bass in middle school. When he was twelve years old, he and some friends started a band named "The Conundrums". They played together for several years and released an EP “Origin Story” in 2022. Just recently, Grayson has prided himself on becoming a songwriter. He has released two albums on Spotify, “PROM” and “Sing Me a Song”, as well as a third one soon to be released. 

Even though Grayson started with guitar and bass and built his own guitar that he uses today for recording and performing live music, it is the drums that he excels at most. Many great drummers have inspired him such as Danny Carey of TOOL, Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.

Throughout high school, Grayson has played in many bands as both a drummer and guitarist. Currently he plays with many people, including other Aquinas students in a variety of bands.Grayson has also taken his talents to a live audience. He’s played in KC venues such as the recordBar and VIVO Live. Grayson said his favorite live show he has performed was on October 15th, 2023 at VIVO Live, “It was pretty much entirely sold out, it was a ton of fun.” Grayson has also hosted music shows in his backyard and garage, for family, friends, and neighbors. 

This past summer, Grayson attended a jazz music camp in Nashville with another Aquinas senior, Oscar Green, “I got to meet with many professional musicians and even play with some of them. We also jammed out with other campers. It was so much fun.” This experience moved Grayson a step towards his goal of becoming a full time professional musician.

I just want to play, especially at some crazy level. For the next 20 years or so, I just want to keep playing.

Grayson Orr

There are plenty of good teen musicians out there in the world, but few with the artistic vision and ambition as our very own Grayson Orr. He serves as a great example of the talent and passion that so many students at our school have. He demonstrates how we can use our God given gifts for amazing and even fun things.

About the Contributor

Guest contributor, Eli Carter, '25