| Austin High School Class of 1962 Stephen F. Austin High School, Austin, Texas |
| Dedication of LaFalco (Corkey) Robinson Band Hall April 28, 2006 |
Good morning to all of you Loyal to Austin High. Thank you for making this possible and for being here.
This is indeed a joyous day as we come here to officially name the Austin High School Band Hall for LaFalco Robinson! It is a day I
have long envisioned and long awaited. It is the day we recognize, honor, and celebrate the life of Mr. Robinson, a man who, even
as I speak, continues to dedicate his very existence to making this a better world through the beauty of music, by playing, by
composing and above all, by teaching this art form to so many, many people for more than 50 years.
It is my privilege to have known Mr. Robinson, probably longer than most people in this room. In 1955 I went to the elementary
school cafeteria to watch my friend Bob Tull tryout for the Brykerwoods band and I met for the first time, this new young band
teacher. Bob went on to play at O.Henry, Austin High, was in the Longhorn Band while gaining his college education and ironically,
came back to this very school to work with his mentor, Mr. Robinson and has enjoyed a distinguished career of his own in the local
music scene.
Many of Mr. Robinson’s former pupils have also had successful careers in a wide range of disciplines such as journalism and
publishing; design and construction; the law; accounting, the ministry; government service; psychology; the space program;
medicine, and private business ownership to list but a few.
Our honoree must be especially proud of his numerous ex-students who chose to follow in his footsteps and become teachers,
musicians and music educators, while many other of his former students continue to play and enjoy their instruments as an
avocation. These professional callings and ongoing interest in music bear true witness to Mr. Robinson’s dedication and
motivation.
In the summer of 1961 after our current director left, the band’s Student Conductor, Jerry Taylor, and I went to O. Henry to ask Mr.
Robinson if he would consider coming to Austin High as band and orchestra director if we students petitioned the District on his
behalf. Coincidentally, Weldon Covington, then the Coordinator of Music for AISD was in the band room meeting with Mr. Robinson.
We apparently convinced both of them of the soundness of his moving to Austin High instead of going to another local high school,
and the rest is history.
In 1961-62 I was a drum major for the second time under Mr. Robinson as he began his first year at the old campus. The other
drum major, Newton Hightower and I taught him what we knew about the school’s marching band traditions and procedures and he
presented us with new half-time show ideas. Together, we diagramed a brand new performance each week, taught it to the rest of
the band, practiced late every afternoon and successfully entertained the football crowds at House Park or took our show on the
road each Friday night during the fall.
Unable to attend Mr. Robinson’s installment in Austin High’s Hall of Honor on Dedication Day in 1996, I wrote to the principal,
“I believe one of the tests of a teacher’s greatness is the lasting imprint he leaves on his students over time. As the years blur the
recollection of our school days, mediocre instructors are erased completely from the pages, poor faculty become merely footnotes
to our scholastic experience, but truly outstanding teachers are etched deeply in the volumes of our lives."
LaFalco Robinson is etched deeply in our lives and epitomizes excellence in teaching. He has been an unfailing role model and
exerted a profound life influence on all of his students. His infectious love of music has been a gift to so many as an instructor of
student orchestra; marching, concert, Dixieland, dance and jazz bands; a choral director; an award winning composer, a contributor
to the greater Austin and Central Texas community as conductor of Zilker Hillside Summer Musicals, and as a musician and
bandleader playing for many public and private functions
Mr. Robinson, in gratitude for your legacy of a lifelong dedication to the art of teaching, composing and music making, we would like
to present to you a copy of the package submitted to the School Board seeking to have the Austin High Band Hall named in your
honor. This album contains over 40 letters attesting to the love, respect and high esteem in which you are held by your students,
fellow musicians and peers. One contributor to this album summed it up when he wrote, “He shaped confidence and character
while molding musicians.”
Mr. Robinson’s exemplary career, dedication to youth and music, and his service to this community reflect great credit upon himself,
this high school and the Austin Independent School District.
In closing, if I may paraphrase a line from Mr. Holland’s Opus, which was my inspiration to begin the process, and for which we are
gathered here today,
“It is not the songs and symphonies you taught and conducted that are noteworthy, but rather the thousands of students who
passed through your class room, marched the football field and delighted concert audiences that are the notes and melodies of
your opus and the great harmonies of your exemplary life.”
Mr. Robinson, not only are we Loyal Forever to Austin High, but we are Forever Loyal to You.
Thank you!
This is indeed a joyous day as we come here to officially name the Austin High School Band Hall for LaFalco Robinson! It is a day I
have long envisioned and long awaited. It is the day we recognize, honor, and celebrate the life of Mr. Robinson, a man who, even
as I speak, continues to dedicate his very existence to making this a better world through the beauty of music, by playing, by
composing and above all, by teaching this art form to so many, many people for more than 50 years.
It is my privilege to have known Mr. Robinson, probably longer than most people in this room. In 1955 I went to the elementary
school cafeteria to watch my friend Bob Tull tryout for the Brykerwoods band and I met for the first time, this new young band
teacher. Bob went on to play at O.Henry, Austin High, was in the Longhorn Band while gaining his college education and ironically,
came back to this very school to work with his mentor, Mr. Robinson and has enjoyed a distinguished career of his own in the local
music scene.
Many of Mr. Robinson’s former pupils have also had successful careers in a wide range of disciplines such as journalism and
publishing; design and construction; the law; accounting, the ministry; government service; psychology; the space program;
medicine, and private business ownership to list but a few.
Our honoree must be especially proud of his numerous ex-students who chose to follow in his footsteps and become teachers,
musicians and music educators, while many other of his former students continue to play and enjoy their instruments as an
avocation. These professional callings and ongoing interest in music bear true witness to Mr. Robinson’s dedication and
motivation.
In the summer of 1961 after our current director left, the band’s Student Conductor, Jerry Taylor, and I went to O. Henry to ask Mr.
Robinson if he would consider coming to Austin High as band and orchestra director if we students petitioned the District on his
behalf. Coincidentally, Weldon Covington, then the Coordinator of Music for AISD was in the band room meeting with Mr. Robinson.
We apparently convinced both of them of the soundness of his moving to Austin High instead of going to another local high school,
and the rest is history.
In 1961-62 I was a drum major for the second time under Mr. Robinson as he began his first year at the old campus. The other
drum major, Newton Hightower and I taught him what we knew about the school’s marching band traditions and procedures and he
presented us with new half-time show ideas. Together, we diagramed a brand new performance each week, taught it to the rest of
the band, practiced late every afternoon and successfully entertained the football crowds at House Park or took our show on the
road each Friday night during the fall.
Unable to attend Mr. Robinson’s installment in Austin High’s Hall of Honor on Dedication Day in 1996, I wrote to the principal,
“I believe one of the tests of a teacher’s greatness is the lasting imprint he leaves on his students over time. As the years blur the
recollection of our school days, mediocre instructors are erased completely from the pages, poor faculty become merely footnotes
to our scholastic experience, but truly outstanding teachers are etched deeply in the volumes of our lives."
LaFalco Robinson is etched deeply in our lives and epitomizes excellence in teaching. He has been an unfailing role model and
exerted a profound life influence on all of his students. His infectious love of music has been a gift to so many as an instructor of
student orchestra; marching, concert, Dixieland, dance and jazz bands; a choral director; an award winning composer, a contributor
to the greater Austin and Central Texas community as conductor of Zilker Hillside Summer Musicals, and as a musician and
bandleader playing for many public and private functions
Mr. Robinson, in gratitude for your legacy of a lifelong dedication to the art of teaching, composing and music making, we would like
to present to you a copy of the package submitted to the School Board seeking to have the Austin High Band Hall named in your
honor. This album contains over 40 letters attesting to the love, respect and high esteem in which you are held by your students,
fellow musicians and peers. One contributor to this album summed it up when he wrote, “He shaped confidence and character
while molding musicians.”
Mr. Robinson’s exemplary career, dedication to youth and music, and his service to this community reflect great credit upon himself,
this high school and the Austin Independent School District.
In closing, if I may paraphrase a line from Mr. Holland’s Opus, which was my inspiration to begin the process, and for which we are
gathered here today,
“It is not the songs and symphonies you taught and conducted that are noteworthy, but rather the thousands of students who
passed through your class room, marched the football field and delighted concert audiences that are the notes and melodies of
your opus and the great harmonies of your exemplary life.”
Mr. Robinson, not only are we Loyal Forever to Austin High, but we are Forever Loyal to You.
Thank you!
Scott Erwin
April 28, 2006
April 28, 2006
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