Bob Parsons

Bob Parsons recently retired after a thirty-five year career as a Texas hand director. He served most recently as the head director at West Ridge Middle School in the Lanes Independent School District in Austin. His career spans three decades of active involvement in music education in Texas, serving as a high school director in Jacksonville, Richardson, at Bishop Dunne High School (Dallas), and New Diana, Texas.

The West Ridge Symphonic Band fared extremely well in concert band events, placing in the top ten in three consecutive appearances in the Texas Honor Band competition. The West Ridge Symphonic Band earned numerous First Divisions in the Texas' University Interscholastic League competition, as well as numerous spring festivals. In 1986, Mr. Parsons' Jacksonville Band performed as the Texas Honor Band in Class AAAA at the annual convention of the Texas Music Educators Association. During his tenure the band was also selected as the outstanding band in its class at several music festivals in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, as well as Texas.

Mr. Parsons is active as a clinician and adjudicator, and has served in numerous offices of the Texas Music Educators Association. He has also served on special committees of the University Interscholastic League, and in May of 1991 he was named to the Legion of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. He is a member of Phi Beta Mu and is a charter member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. In 1993 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Texas Bandmasters Association and served as President of the association in 1998.