Smooth like butter Hernton goes Dynamite

Written by:Allison Madrid

Blake Hernton, Ritenour High School’s orchestra teacher of two years, has decided to quit and become a part of world renowned Male K-pop group, BTS.

Hernton decided to give some information about how he was scouted by BTS’s manager.

“They found my music, and decided to collab with me. Their oldest member had to leave to go to the military, but they didn’t want to leave a hole in in the group. So they came to me,” Hernton said.

BTS is known for it’s diverse music genres with their sound ranging from “radio pop” to “oldtime rap,” so when they came across Mr. Hernton’s music that had a blend of both classical music and modern beats, they thought the fusion would be a perfect fit for their music style.

“I contribute a level of artistry, culture, and someone who is beloved by both their fans and my fans,” Hernton said.

When asked how Hernton deals with mega-fans bombarding him while he’s out and about, Hernton said he has just learned to embrace it.

“I try to just relax and take it all in. And I like to thank the fans for their immense level of support everytime they come out to adore me,” Hernton said.

Undoubtedly, making the switch from Orchestra teacher to K-Pop mega idol was a tough decision to make, so Hernton had to spend a lot of time thinking about it.

“The decision was quite difficult because they were very big shoes to fill,” Hernton said.

If you take a look at how the orchestra students vs students that are not in orchestra are taking the sudden change, the responses are drastically different.

Orchestra student Cailin Wooten has bittersweet feelings.

“I’m very devastated that he’s leaving us, but I am happy that he’s following his dreams. If, for him, being a K-Pop idol means happiness, then I am one-hundred percent for it. I’ll always support his group,” Wooten said.

However, when Robert Chamberlain - a student unrelated to orchestra - was asked how he felt about Hernton’s decision, the response was a bit different.

“Bro, I’m so excited, like I’m literally going to make a bunch of fancams for him and run my own Mr. Hernton fan page. Basically, I’m going to listen to all of his music and be part of the Mr. H Army.” (Army is the name of the fans that support BTS.)

Chamberlain also mentioned how he was going to “make edits” of Hernton and, “Get another poster of Mr. H,” since he “already has one.”

Hernton has already been officially announced as part of the new BTS lineup by their company HYBE Corporation via a social media post, but he won’t be leaving the Ritenour music group until the end of the 2022-2023 school year. There is currently a search for a new Ritenour orchestra director.