By Ryan Chalk ,

With more than 50 years of teaching between them, a Vacaville couple who have been a big part of the local school music community are set to retire at the end of the school year.

John and Patty Phillips have taught for a combined 50 years in the Vacaville Unified School District from elementary, to middle school and high school band. Through those years they have seen the number of students who participate in learning to play an instrument in elementary school and carry on to middle school and beyond, grow.

The two met at California State University, Hayward, where both were majoring in music and playing clarinet in the band.

John, who received his teaching credential upon graduation, began teaching music in Castro Valley. After seven years, the two were lured to Vacaville.

via Husband and wife music instructors to retire from Vacaville Unified School District.