When an angel suddenly appeared in the new Gilroy High School
Cafeteria last Thursday night, the crowd went wild! It was the
perfect wardrobe choice for Gilroy’s beloved music teacher, Mr.
Phillip Robb.
When an angel suddenly appeared in the new Gilroy High School Cafeteria last Thursday night, the crowd went wild! It was the perfect wardrobe choice for Gilroy’s beloved music teacher, Mr. Phillip Robb.
In his little tinsel halo, snow white suit, and translucent gauze wings, he was maestro of “The ‘B’s’ of Pop,” one of the most entertaining programs ever produced by the Gilroy High School Choral Program (thanks to Dick Bruhn’s for Mr. Robb’s elegant costume).
Each song either started with a B or was composed by someone whose name started with B. I know I’ve never before seen 71 girls in tall pink wigs sing “Beauty School Dropout” with such style and enthusiasm.
I found myself sitting next to an eight-year-old named Justin Sottilare who quickly caught onto the “B” theme for the evening and began naming every B word in his vocabulary. “Box, bat, break, bar, bob, bound, brain, bait, blank, blimp, bifocals, biplane,” he bounced in his seat.
This year is Philip Robb’s 22nd year at Gilroy High School. Mr. Robb began in 1984 with one choir and twelve students. Today the GHS Choral Program has grown to include five choirs and over 150 students.
We didn’t have programs, so as we listened to them singing “Blue Bayou,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” it was fun to try to guess where the next B was in each song.
Justin said, “bouquet, blue, bite, brag, bloom, bike, and bale.” “You mean, like “hay?” I asked. “No,” he replied, “When you ditch somebody!”
The choir sang songs by Bobby Darin, the Beatles, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys, and Burt Bacharach. Some singers were dressed as beatniks or bohemians, or in bath robes. One was in a beret, another in black, and one came as a cowgirl in blue (or was she a “bronco rider”?).
“Bear, bakery, busted, beer, bottle, battle, background, bomb, BB gun,” Justin said, and when he realized that everyone up on stage was wearing as many B’s as possible, he excitedly called out, “baseball player, basketball player, ballerina, bather, boxer!”
The entire Gilroy High School Choral Program has been continually recognized throughout the state for their quality performances. They have been honored with commendations and superior ratings at each festival in which they have shared their music.
The many hours each choir member must invest in rehearsal teaches a high level of discipline, and each student learns lessons about the kind of preparation that is required to excel in any field.
Students prepare and compete to be accepted into Concerto Delle Donne or the Chamber Singers in much the same way athletes compete to make a varsity team.
The Chamber Singers have toured and performed in Japan, Korea, eastern Germany, and the Czech Republic, including performances in Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, and Prague. They will return to Japan next year.
To be in one of Mr. Robb’s choirs automatically confers a coveted reputation upon that student, but even more importantly, students know just how much Mr. Robb cares about them individually. Mr. Robb cultivates excellence in students by building self-esteem.
Mr. Robb brings out the best in each person in the way that only the best of teachers know how to do. He rewards students for showing up on time, for sticking with the program over time, for demonstrating commitment to achievement, and for maintaining a positive attitude.
Mr. Robb’s top annual award is given to One Who Goes Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, sort of like “Entertainer of the Year.” This year senior Mark Ruiz was recognized by Mr. Robb, not for his outstanding musicianship, but for his dedication, for always being present, smiling, and setting a positive example for all.
B is for beyond; B is for beautiful, and B is for the best. B is for Mr. Robb and for every student in Gilroy’s High School Choral Program.
Kat Teraji is communications coordinator for a non-profit organization benefiting women and children. Her column appears every Thursday in the Take 2 section of the Dispatch. Reach her at ka****@ve*****.net.
