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Micah Peck returns home to lead MPCHS band program
Mt. Pleasant alum and longtime music educator brings energy, experience, and hometown pride to the Panther band program
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MT. PLEASANT — For Micah Peck, returning to Mt. Pleasant High School as band director isn’t just a career move — it’s a homecoming nearly 30 years in the making.
Peck, a 1996 graduate of Mt. Pleasant Community High School, began his first season with the Panther marching band this week as the newest high school band director. He launched into the season with band camp beginning Monday, Aug. 4
Though new to the position, he’s no stranger to the Panther music community — or to the community itself.
For years, Peck has remained closely tied to Mt. Pleasant’s music scene. He previously directed the high school show band, supported his children’s involvement in the district’s music programs, and collaborated with local educators, including Middle School Band Director Adam Creager.
Even before becoming co-workers in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District, Creager praised Peck’s work during various opportunities for collaboration.
Peck’s return to Mt. Pleasant marks the next chapter in a life-long relationship with music education rooted in his hometown. After successful tenures leading band and choir programs at Wapello Jr./Sr. High School and WACO, where he taught for the past three years, he’s coming back to the same hallways and rehearsal rooms where his own musical journey began.
“Micah is from Mt. Pleasant and he is really fun and funny,” said former music educator and friend Jenny McClenahan. “His wife is a music teacher there too so I’m just excited for them. Very dedicated teacher. Will pour his heart into it. He also did REALLY well at WACO.”
Peck and his wife, Monique Peck — who teaches vocal music in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District — have lived in Mt. Pleasant with their three children for the past three years. The couple met at Iowa Wesleyan University and have been married for 24 years. The couple has three children, Evelyn, Addison, and Ethan.
Now, Peck brings his passion, leadership, and experience home — not just to raise the baton, but to reinvest in the very program that once shaped him.
The Panther Marching Band’s fall season opens with a new field show titled Flavor of the Street (Sabor De La Calle), under Peck’s direction. The band’s first performance will be Aug. 23 at the Salem Old Settlers Parade, followed by appearances at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion on Aug. 27, 28, and Sept. 1.
Their football debut comes Aug. 29, with the Mt. Pleasant Marching Band Invitational set for Sept. 20. Competitions at Linn-Mar, Davis County, and Muscatine will round out the season through Oct. 11.
Peck’s guiding philosophy— “focus, intensity, energy, and pride” — reflects a mindset he’s instilled in students across multiple school districts.
At WACO, his commitment was not only felt in rehearsals and performances but in personal gestures of support. In one instance, he partnered with the Broken Strings Foundation to help present a new guitar to a sixth-grade student, reflecting his deep belief in the power of music to change lives.
Now leading the band in the town that first inspired his musical path, Peck embodies a full-circle moment — bringing his career, his family, and his heart back to Mt. Pleasant.
For the Panther community, it’s more than a staffing change. It’s the return of a native son — ready to lead with passion, purpose, and pride.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
