Rob Toups, retired Band Director of Canton High School, was installed into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame during ceremonies held in conjunction with the annual Convention of the Texas Bandmasters Association meeting in San Antonio July 23.

Toups is a native of Lafayette and graduate of UL Lafayette. After teaching several years in Louisiana, Rob moved to Texas and accepted a position at Canton High School as Director of Bands and several years later as Director of Fine Arts.

He advocated for school band and music education throughout the state of Texas and beyond, investing in and shaping young minds. He spent the remainder of his 36-year career as a music educator in Canton, retiring in 2014.

During his tenure as director of the Canton High School Band, his bands accumulated 20 years consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Awards, nine consecutive appearances at Texas UIL State Marching Championships, earning two Bronze Medal Awards, one Silver Medal Award, and three consecutive Gold Medal Awards.

His concert bands were TMEA Honor Band finalists five times and was the TMEA 2003 3A Honor Band, along with six ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series wins.

In addition to these Texas accolades his bands had many best-in-class and Grand Champion results at invitational contest and events, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Champion in Dublin, Ireland, invitational performances at West Point Military Academy and Royal Academy in Montreal, Canada and a joint concert performance at Pearl Harbor with the U.S. Marine Corps Band Pacific Force, Hawaii.

Toups has served as ATSSB 3A Representative, ATSSB State President, TMAA Marching Band Vice President and on multiple UIL state committees. Under TMEA guidance, Rob advocated in person, to the Texas state legislative committees on behalf of music education to preserve music curriculum’s place and standing in Texas schools.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Texas UIL Sponsor Excellence Award and the TBA Exemplary Bandmaster Award. Toups is a member of Phi Beta Mu and Central States Judges Association (retired).

As a music educator Rob’s work ethic was second to none. The awards, ratings, level of literature performed by his marching bands and concert bands are indicative of the caliber of work he produced, always expecting the very best from his students.

Through his love of teaching music, Toups molded dozens of his former students to become music educators, conductors and performers. Over the span of his career, Rob provided music enrichment for his students as well as band programs across Texas through mentorship, consults and clinics. He inspired his students and taught them how to play and love music. Dozens of his former students have become music educators, conductors and performers.

Rob and his wife, Carolyn (Khaki) have three children, Leah Adele, Lindsey Rae and Mark Ducré-Louis. Lindsey and their son in-law Christopher William Sarangoulis (Chris) blessed Bop Bop and GiGi with three precious grandchildren, William Robley, Catherine Rae and Anna Grace Sarangoulis. Rob Toups is grateful to be inducted into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame and is humbled to be included with this elite group of outstanding colleagues whom he considers true heroes of Texas music education.

The Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame is sponsored by Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame is currently housed in the Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Since initiation of the Hall of Fame in 1975, 280 Texas band directors have been so honored.