As the opening notes of a familiar rock song radiated through the Wrigley Theater on Nov. 6, Latin students were delighted to see that beloved faculty had taken the stage.

Staff Infection, a new faculty-led rock band, features Upper School photography teacher Ian Merritt and Upper School English teacher Zach Duffy, among others. During their debut, Mr. Duffy and Mr. Merritt both played their guitars while jumping into a thrilling performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” by Nirvana, and “Creep,” by Radiohead.

Mr. Duffy’s solo in “Creep” left students wondering how their Creative Writing teacher was such a natural rockstar. “I had no idea [Mr. Duffy] was so musically gifted,” senior Odin Gill said.

Though Mr. Duffy has built his skills through a lifelong musical career, his achievements remain largely unknown within the Latin community. Mr. Merritt, similarly, tends to keep his music accomplishments underground.

“Anyone who knows me outside of school knows that I love listening and playing music,” Mr. Merritt said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it is hidden [inside of school], but definitely not common knowledge.”

Both Mr. Merritt and Mr. Duffy’s musical journeys started with a bass guitar in middle school, though they lived over 1,000 miles away from each other.

“I actually had my first practice with my first band the day after my first bass lesson,” Mr. Duffy said.

Mr Merritt, also a natural talent, spent his teenage years playing in several bands. Sometimes he performed in live shows at small venues or even opened for well-established punk bands.

He described a particularly high-energy incident from one of these performances. “Right after we got off the stage, one of the big band members jumped off the stage and hit a guy with his bass guitar,” Mr. Merritt said. “I had never seen anything like that in my life; it was the type of memory that burns into your brain.”

Stories like that capture how music can turn quick moments into lifelong memories, a theme that also defines Mr. Duffy’s experiences as a musician.

Many of Mr. Duffy’s impactful adolescent experiences, in fact, were alongside Ed Bowen, his future best man and the father of his godchild. For them, music was more than just sounds strung together; it was a way to express themselves and connect.

“When he and I first met in middle school, we didn’t particularly like each other,” Mr. Bowen said. “We were dating a pair of sisters and were thrown together a bit.”

But Mr. Duffy and Mr. Bowen’s young musical careers would not have been possible without each other, especially since they played in every single band together.

“My musical timeline with Zach mirrored the development of our friendship,” Mr. Bowen said. “Even after we realized those sisters were no good.”

Mr. Duffy and Mr. Bowen once opened for a band that they both loved back home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and took home a whopping $50, which they split five ways with their other band members.

“That was the type of moment that always had you coming back,” Mr. Bowen said.

Many years later, Mr. Duffy’s musical career continued to prosper and develop even more personal meaning.

Mr. Duffy played in several bands, such as BOAT, an indie rock band started by one of his closest friends. Several years later, Mr. Duffy released his own solo album called “Left The Wreckage,” with the purpose of crossing it off his bucket list.

“I don’t expect anyone to listen to it and that it will become their new favorite thing,” Mr. Duffy said, “but I am proud of it.”

For both musicians, balancing teaching with their artistic pursuits proves a careful harmony.

For Mr. Merritt, understanding the similarities between his music and teaching helps him integrate the two.”

When I play a note, and the volume’s loud enough, and it’s ripping through my body … there is nothing like that,” he said. “It is similar to photography—once I finally get the shot I want, it’s the nicest feeling in the world.”

While that thrill connects all musicians, Mr. Duffy also finds value in distancing his musical passions from other aspects of his life.

“It’s sort of nice to have a little bit of a division between your work life and your creative life,” Mr. Duffy said.

Navigating that division can feel challenging, but ultimately, Mr. Duffy finds it very worthwhile.

“One of the shows that always sticks with me was headlining at Chop Suey in Seattle; Pearl Jam had recorded a special there just a few years earlier,” Mr. Duffy said. “Then the very next day, I had to turn around and go teach middle school humanities.”