Photo courtesy of Rachel Poss

The newest faculty member of the Perry School District has been on the job since the start of 2020, and there’s a general feeling that the band department is headed in a good direction.

Rachel Poss took over as the high school instrumental music director on January 2nd, succeeding Brad Sparks who accepted a college band position in California. Poss had served as the assistant band director at Lincoln High School in Des Moines for three years before coming to northern Dallas County, and she’s now tasked with rebuilding a program that’s seen participation dwindle recently. When asked where she sees the Perry band in the near future, Poss outlines lofty but attainable goals.

“Well, I would be happy with being able to grow the numbers by 10 or 15 kids a year. I really want to get back into the marching band scene, because the band’s really set up for success. There’s great equipment, fantastic new uniforms, (and) I feel like the community is really rooting for us. So hopefully in five years we’re about back to that place, and also working on maintaining a pep band that can provide great entertainment, and a jazz band, too, that can go to competitions. So hopefully we can get there!”

Her first big challenge is only about a month away, with the 2020 Perry Band Olympics to be held Saturday, February 22nd. Poss says she’s familiar with the event, and is excited to see what she can add to it this year and moving forward. However, she adds that she’ll be grateful for help from former band director Steve Cook, as well as the experience of returning students. To learn more about Poss, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.