Robert L. Grace collection
Collection
0434-SCPA-RGRACE
Robert L. Grace (1940-2019) was an American band director and audio recording engineer. He served as a band director for twenty-two years beginning in Killeen, Texas and later at Burleson High School. Concurrent with his teaching career, he founded Vestige Custom Records, which evolved into Vestige Audio/Video. In 1985, he took a position at Louisiana State University School of Music to establish a recording studio and create a curriculum for recording techniques. In 1990, he became a full-time recording engineer for his own Vestige label, specializing in live recordings of band and jazz groups.
The collection contains documentation of each stage of Grace's career. It contains the master recordings of performances done at the American Bandmasters Association and the College Band Directors National Association conferences, in addition to recordings of the Burleson High School Band and Louisiana State University ensembles. The collection also includes memorabilia from early American Bandmasters Association and Music Educators National Conference meetings.
The collection is open for research use. Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room during SCPA’s operating hours. Please contact the curator for an appointment or if you have questions related to digital access of the materials.
Copyright was not transferred to the University of Maryland with the gift of any copyrighted materials. All rights remain with the creators and rights holders. The University of Maryland Libraries is granted permission for the use in scholarly research by the Libraries’ patrons under fair use in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
To inquire about duplication of materials for research or for publication, please contact SCPA’s curator.
10.0 Linear Feet
The Robert L. Grace collection covers the period from 1932 to 2022. The collection contains documentation of Grace's career as a band director, involvement in band organizations, and the owner and sound engineer of the Vestige Record label. It also includes 403 compact discs and 14 LPs of recordings made on the Vestige label.
Robert L. Grace (b. July 1940-d. September 25, 2019) was an American band director and audio engineer.
Born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri with his family and attended Brentwood Public Schools. During his school years, Grace began to develop his musical knowledge. Grace participated in the MENC Golden Anniversary Conference student ensemble in 1956. In 1959, the St. Louis Symphony granted Grace the Young Artist Award. He earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas, where he majored in woodwinds.
Following his graduation, Grace served as a band director for twenty-two years, beginning in Killeen, Texas, and eventually at Burleson High School. During this time, he founded a recording label, Vestige Custom Records, which eventually became Vestige Audio/Video. In 1985, he took a position at Louisiana State University’s School of Music to establish a recording studio and create a curriculum for recording techniques.
In 1990, Grace left LSU to become a recording engineer with his own Vestige label, where he specialized in live recordings, particularly of band, classical, and jazz ensembles. His clients included high schools, university, and professional groups including the Fort Worth and Baton Rouge Symphonies, Van Cliburn Piano Competition, NPR, PBS, and others. In 1995, Bob was invited to bring Vestige into Associate Membership of the American Bandmasters Association. He recorded concerts at annual conventions and prepared audition CDs.
In 2012, Grace was named an Honorary Life Associate Member of American Bandmasters Association. He was also a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Audio Engineering Society.
Gift of Jan Grace, received in two shipments on July 6 and 21, 2022.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library