Described by supporters as a “catalyst behind restoring Gilroy’s choral music program,” an educator who “instills character,” “dedicated” and “truly a hard act to follow” a Garlic Capital’s revered choir director whose melodies enchanted the lives and hearts of thousands of youth singers will have a lasting legacy.
On May 27, Gilroy Unified School District staff, school board, high school choir students, family and friends gathered to dedicate the Phillip Robb Music Building in honor of retired choir director Phil Robb, marked by a newly installed plaque and lettering.
“Phil has been a strong influence to the youth in Gilroy for many years, and his efforts in the choir program have touched a lot of young people and been influential in keeping them in school and in some cases, careers,” said Tim Day, who helped spearhead the dedication and who attended the event with his wife, Irene.
“He put the choir program on the map in Gilroy,” Irene said, recalling years when, “there were more kids in the choir program than in football.”
The Phillip Robb Music Building dedication ceremony was held following the unanimous approval of the school district in May 2013 and subsequent efforts of a 12-member committee tasked with raising funding and donations for the letter and plaque, which reads, “In recognition of his time, heart and commitment to the youth of our community … ”
The first line on the plaque reads, “My life flows on in endless song.” It’s in honor of Robb’s colleague, the late USC choral director Dr. Lynn Beafeldt, whose story of inspiration gleaned from a song made popular by Pete Seeger in the 1960s, “How Can I Keep From Singing” was performed in Ontario by the select Women’s Ensemble, Concerto Delle Donne, during California Music Educators State Convention during Beafeldt’s battle against cancer.
Beafeldt’s story is just “one of the many that have come from this room,” Robb said, “stories that take the songs we sing and make them lifetime memories.”
Robb said he can’t think of a more appropriate song to place on the wall than the one shared with Dr. Beafeldt—who at the time was undergoing chemotherapy in her third bout with cancer—and he thanked the district, Superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores, Gilroy High School Principal Marco Sanchez, the school board, committee and Tim Day, who was instrumental in initiating the honor, as well as the intimate group who gathered in attendance and those who were involved when the building first opened.
“This is one of the many stories that this building could tell,” Robb said of Beafeldt. “Stories that come out of serendipitous moments or music has allowed us to experience. Moments that have changed lives forever.”
For Robb, the plaque offers one last chance at a lasting lesson: how to read music.
Not only did Robb get to suggest the words of the first line, because he believes so strongly in teaching students how to read music, the music notation floats across the plaque in true musician form—all in the key of B flat.
Music notation is exactly what a variety students from a variety of ages and grade levels learned under Robb’s guidance.
In fact, according to Flores, Robb championed Gilroy’s K-12 choral program, turning it into an “award-winning choir program that was recognized throughout California and even across the nation,” not just in the United States but in other countries as well.
“He built it into an outstanding choir program that was highly regarded and valued not just in this community but recognized outside of it,” Flores said. “He’s definitely a catalyst behind restoring our choral music program to the highest level we can afford.”
The district supports teachers at all three levels: elementary, middle school and high school, and having a “strong feeder program into your high school program” is critical to an excellent program, she said.
At Gilroy High School, Sanchez commended Robb’s “experience, expertise, charisma and ability to get students from all walks of life involved.”
GUSD School Board President Mark Good commended Robb for the time dedicated in his profession, character-building, leadership development and the respect exhibited by students for those qualities, including his own children. Despite being “senior ditch day,” choral seniors were on-hand for the performances, Good said, pointing to the strong character qualities developed in students.
“I hope you never leave us completely,” Good said.
During his speech, Robb said that for many, the building was not just a place to rehearse music, perform or pursue your dreams, it was a “home away from home.”
That includes stories about students and their families and friends that met in the place, hung out before, during and after school, rehearsed, started tours, laughed and cried “inside this special building.”
Stephanie R. Woehrmann was among those whose dreams were berthed in that very special building. The Gilroyan and San Jose State music major said in a nutshell, “he is the reason I went back to college to pursue my dreams of becoming a music major.”
“He was the one instructor in high school that I knew I could go to for advice,” Woehrmann said. “When I get the opportunity to work with young people, I try to imagine what Phil would say.”
Students event created a YouTube video, “The Magic of Phil Robb,” that explores the inner nuances that make Robb such a special person in the lives of his students.
When Robb first began teaching at Gilroy High School, both choir and band shared the room. Robb, whose started his career in Gilroy in 1984, said it wasn’t until 1986-87 that half of the choir room could be dedicated to the newly formed Chamber Singers. At that time, a soundproof partition divided the room, the other half housing “on-campus suspension,” Robb said.
It wasn’t long before singers found themselves rehearsing in bathrooms for “acoustic affirmation,” Robb said.
Following a plea with then Principal (Ernest) Zermeno to “tear down that wall,” Robb said, “we forever left the GHS band to its own room and claimed the choir room as a choir room.”
Robb also thanked those teachers that opened the music building when the campus opened including Creighton Yip, John Allen and David Drom.
“I’m not sure the orange color scheme they selected was with the future in mind, but over time we made a few modifications,” Robb said, transforming into what it is today.
According to Flores, Robb also played an important role in the choir program at Christopher High School when it first opened, as well as helping restore the middle school choir program during the budget crisis, as well as shore up the elementary school program. The dedication ceremony marked a special occasion for GUSD considering that very few buildings are named after staff, she said.
The choral program Robb spent three decades building continues under the leadership of Jonathan Souza at GHS and Claire Massey at CHS.
The ceremony included a chamber choir performance led by Souza of “Beba Yetu” and “Lord I Know I’ve Been Changed.”
To view “The Magic of Phil Robb,” visit youtube.com/watch?v=dS3S2qTelgI&feature=youtu.be.
