Riley Berens has been named the Assistant Band Director and Percussion Specialist for the Washington High School and Washington Middle School Band Programs. He will begin his new role this summer.

Berens will serve as the Percussion Specialist of the School District of Washington band family. He will teach the symphonic band, jazz band, and percussion studio at Washington High School, along with seventh- and eighth-grade percussion at Washington Middle School.

Previously, Berens taught K-5 music as Gibson Elementary’s first music teacher in five years in the Riverview Gardens School District. He taught vocal music, bucket drumming, orff ensembles, boomwhacker arrangements, and the recorder.

Berens has taught marching band at Freedom Percussion, Lafayette, Francis Howell North, Hickman, Camdenton, Holt, and Washington High school over the past four years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Missouri, where he studied percussion under Dr. Megan Arns and involved himself in many aspects of the university’s band program- including holding a senior recital.

Berens grew up in the St. Louis area. He graduated from Lafayette High School, and did his student teaching for certification at Fox High School. He performed with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps for three years, and with Freedom Percussion for five years. He was just a junior in high school his first year.

Dr. Gretchen Pohlman is completing her first year as the Director of Bands at Washington High School and Middle School.

Riley Berens has been named the Assistant Band Director
and Percussion Specialist for the Washington High School
and Washington Middle School Band Programs.