ROUNDUP — A couple in Roundup made the decision to un-retire this year and return to their positions as band teachers in an effort to help save the program.
After the school couldn't find someone to fill the position by the end of the summer, the band room was going to be turned into a study hall most days with a student organized pep band two or three times a week.
That was before Gary and Peggy Toombs stepped in.
"Music has always been my first love," said Gary Wednesday afternoon. "Ever since I was elementary, middle school and high school. I just loved it."
The Toombses said the decision to come back stemmed from their passion for music.
"Music fills a void like nothing else in my life," Peggy said. "It can make me happy, it can get me over sad times and it can help me have an emotional release. Good or bad. It fills my soul."
Their love for music is evident with a quick glimpse at their past. The couple ran the band program for 40 years. Gary was the band director and Peggy was his assistant, though she gave herself a special nickname.
"I'm the band aide," Peggy said with a smile. "I try to fix what's wrong."
They were a perfect duet for the program until they decided to retire in 2018 with the hopes of spending more time with their seven grandchildren.
But when the job search for a new band teacher wasn't going well for the school district this summer, students made sure to find the Toombses around the community and begged for their return.
"We couldn't go from one end of town to the other, whether it was to get a donut at the grocery store or a sandwich at the sandwich shop," Peggy said. "They were good."
Eventually, that relentless pursuit worked.
"I was getting donuts at IGA and the little girl behind the counter started crying," Gary said as his eyes welled up with tears. "It kind of gets to me. But she said, 'You've got to come back.' That night, I went out to dinner and there was more. So yeah, when the kids are like that, I'll do it for them."
Now the Toombses are back in the classroom, even though the decision to return came with some risks. Gary is a COVID-19 long hauler and the long days of teaching are often challenging.
"It's a lot harder than it was 40 years ago," Gary said with a smile. "I don't have the energy that I had 40 years ago."
Fortunately, his band aide is with him every step of the way. One of her main priorities this time is to constantly monitor Gary's health. Even with the risks, she said the decision to return was easy.
"It was a no-brainer," Peggy said. "You watched him work with the kids, he comes alive. I can't take that dream away from him. It's who he is. It's who we both are."
Gary and Peggy agreed to serve as band teachers until December or until the school finds a permanent replacement.
"I hope that someone comes in and treats this program like it's their heart and soul," Gary said.
Until then, the Toombses are committed to keep the program alive one song at a time.
"We both love to make a difference in young people's lives," Peggy said. "That's what music can do."
