Inspiring students through song
Wilmer Hutchins High School choir teacher Regiss Richards is growing the school’s choral program and shares a lifelong love of music rooted in early memories of hearing her father sing and growing up in Dallas ISD. Now, as an educator, Richards aims to ignite a similar spark in her students, teaching them self-expression, harmony, and confidence through song.
“My former teacher at Charles Rice Elementary School saw something in me, and I was appointed student director,” Richards said, reflecting on her childhood in South Dallas. “I was in elementary school waving the baton, conducting kids my own age and teaching my peers how to sing. It was an experience that stuck with me for a lifetime, and here I am today.”
That early start in choir led Richards to explore more within the performing arts, including playing clarinet in middle school and later at band at James Madison High School, her alma mater. She continued to pursue music in college, singing in the Collegiate Choir at Philander Smith University, a historically Black university in Little Rock, Ark., while completing her bachelor’s degree.
In a full circle moment, Richards began her career with Dallas ISD as the choir teacher at Billy Earl Dade Middle School, returning to the same community that shaped her.
“I am Dallas ISD proud,” she said. “I’m from South Dallas, and I would not want to teach anywhere else in the state of Texas.”
Richards connects with her students by teaching musical principles through songs they are familiar with, making choral concepts more engaging and relatable. She is not only introducing students at Hutchins to the art of choir but also reaching into the feeder pattern’s elementary and middle schools to begin nurturing their interest in choir.
“The band here at Wilmer Hutchins has a rich history, but the choir is just developing,” Richards said. “I hope the choir here can represent a culture of harmony where we can share this passion for singing and using our voices to communicate emotions and feelings.”
She said her goal is to open the door to creative opportunities that students may not have imagined were possible.
This year, Richards took students to see their first Broadway production, The Wiz, during its national tour in Dallas. This experience expanded their sense of possibility and highlighted the exciting travel opportunities that can come from participating in the performing arts.
“This experience helped grow our program,” she said. “After seeing this show, students started to join the choir. I was grateful to provide an experience for them to travel beyond just their home and school communities.”
There are three choirs that provide students with opportunities to perform locally throughout the year and even compete at the state level. Students learn to read in parts, develop sight-singing skills, understand harmonies, and blend their voices as an ensemble.
The program is already off to a strong start. Four students have participated in school competitions this year, and one is preparing for the final round that leads to the TMEA All-State Choir, after placing fifth and sixth in regional competitions.
Understanding the opportunity that performing arts can create, her goal is simple: to inspire students so they can pursue their passions for music and imagine futures beyond what they may see today.
As a music educator, Richards draws motivation from her parents, who were both Dallas ISD teachers.
“My parents are the reason I am a teacher,” Richards said. “Like them, I want to ignite a spark within my students that shows them who they can possibly be one day and to give back to the community where I am from.”
