Kerry Taylor

Class of 2026

Kerry Taylor recently concluded a distinguished forty-two-year career as a public school music educator, retiring after 35 years as the Director of Bands for Westlake High School and Fine Arts Director for Eanes ISD in Austin, Texas. A double alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, he holds both a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music in Conducting.

Kerry’s roots in music run deep; born in Three Rivers, Texas, where his father Bryce (1992 Hall of Fame honoree) directed the state’s first 2A Honor Band. He later moved to Alice with his parents and his three siblings: oldest brother and Hall of Fame honoree Scott, brother David, a retired project manager for the City of Austin and sister Cindy, a retired physician. After graduating as salutatorian from Alice High School, but not making the TMEA All State band as each of his siblings had, he attended the University of Texas. It was there, during his senior year in the Longhorn Band, that he met his wife, Valerie. Although he jokingly remembers himself as a "Big Man on Campus" and Valerie as a naive freshman, she made such a profound impression on him that he pivoted his career goals from collegiate conducting to high school band directing. The couple married shortly after he completed his master’s degree in 1982.

Kerry’s professional journey began as an assistant in Eanes ISD, hired by Gerald Babbitt, where he taught everything from beginning classes, the second middle school band, and the high school jazz band and percussion - including the drumline! He then served as the Director of Bands at the newly opened Mayde Creek High School in Katy ISD, where he was confronted with all the challenges of starting a new school as the only band director. Kerry then returned to Westlake High School in 1989 as Director of Bands. He was excited, daunted, and surprised to have been offered the position! He took great pride in following in the footsteps of his four predecessors—James Hejl, Lee Boyd Montgomery, Gerald Babbitt, and Van Ragsdale—all members of the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame.

Under his leadership, the Westlake program achieved international acclaim, earning "Best in Class" honors at major festivals and touring the British Isles, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. In 2002, 2015 and 2022 his ensemble performed at The Midwest Clinic. The Wind Ensemble also gave notable performances for the American Bandmasters Association and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. In 1997, the program was awarded the Sudler Flag of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation for sustained excellence in concert band performance.

The Westlake Chaparral Marching Band also saw unprecedented success during Kerry’s tenure. They were a perennial finalist at Bands of America competitions and the Texas state marching contests, where they secured six top-ten finishes. The band also represented Texas globally with three appearances in the Tournament of Roses Parade in 2003, 2017, and 2024. The program's comprehensive excellence was further recognized with the Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Shield for marching and the inaugural Earl D. Irons “Program of Distinction Award” from Phi Beta Mu in 2016. Kerry has long known the benefits of surrounding oneself with competent, outstanding colleagues, and a strong support system. This was perhaps most evident during the year his band performed at the state marching contest, a state semi-final football game, the Midwest Clinic, and the Rose Parade—all while he served as the Chairman of the TMEA Band Division!

Beyond the podium, Mr. Taylor is a highly respected clinician and adjudicator who has held major leadership roles, including President and Chairman of the Board for the American Bandmasters Association and President of the Texas Music Educators Association. His accolades include the 2025 NBA Presidential Medal of Distinction, the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award, and the 2016 TBA Meritorious Achievement Award. He also belongs to a storied family of educators; remarkably, Kerry, his father, and his brother Scott have all served as presidents of both the ABA and TMEA. He shares his life with his wife, Valerie, a prominent English language arts educator pursuing a PhD, and their two sons and daughters-in-law: Brian, the Director of Athletic Bands at UNC-Charlotte, his wife Zoe, and Sean, an architect in Austin and his wife Sarah.

Kerry would like to thank the PBM Hall of Fame Committee for this singular recognition, and he is grateful for the support of his family and close friends. He also has been blessed to work alongside his previous and current colleagues, too numerous to mention individually here, but who have been significant in his growth as a musician, educator and person. Finally, he would like to thank all of his former students, their parents, and the administrators and communities who have been a part of his career over the years.

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