Marching Panther Band 

Tabitha Smith, Director

Molly Mccoy, Assistant Director

Rick Reinzan, Percussion Instructor

Carolyn Petty, Drill Design

The Marching Panther Band is a dancing band similar in style to the Ohio University Marching 110.  Band camp and practices are extremely demanding and physical.  Students must be physically prepared for the demands of the LM style of marching band. The Marching Panther Band will learn and perform several different shows in a season which require learning many field drills and memorizing 15 to 20 songs.

Middle School 7th & 8th grade Bands - Molly McCoy, Director

Open to 7th and 8th grade students with at least one year of playing experience on a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument. Private instruction is not required, but highly recommended.  Members of the LMMS Band will continue to develop their playing skills and musicianship through daily exercises and the study of selected pieces from the concert band repertoire. A variety of styles will be studied, learned, and performed. Students will be expected to participate in at least 3 out-of-school concerts throughout the school year

Tabitha Smith graduated from the University of Dayton in 1995 and has a Bachelor of Music in music education.  Mrs. Smith has been teaching music and band for 29 years.  She started her career at Valley View Local Schools in 1995 where she taught general music, junior high band and assisted high school band.  In 2001, she came to Little Miami where she taught elementary music at Butlerville Elementary, Morrow Elementary and assisted the high school bands.  Mrs. Smith became the high school band director in 2009 where she directs the marching band, pep band, concert band, and symphonic band.  She assists the bands at the middle school in grades 6-8. Since becoming band director the marching band has continued to grow and is involved in many activities throughout the community and beyond.  The symphonic band has gone to OMEA large group adjudicated events at the district and state level and have received many superior ratings.  Mrs. Smith was awarded the Project Excellence Foundation Award in 2017 and thanks God for the many blessings in her life. Mrs. Smith enjoys spending time with her husband, Brandon, son, Brady and labs, Piper and Ivory.

Tabitha Smith graduated from the University of Dayton in 1995 and has a Bachelor of Music in music education.  Mrs. Smith has been teaching music and band for 29 years.  She started her career at Valley View Local Schools in 1995 where she taught general music, junior high band and assisted high school band.  In 2001, she came to Little Miami where she taught elementary music at Butlerville Elementary, Morrow Elementary and assisted the high school bands.  Mrs. Smith became the high school band director in 2009 where she directs the marching band, pep band, concert band, and symphonic band.  She assists the bands at the middle school in grades 6-8. Since becoming band director the marching band has continued to grow and is involved in many activities throughout the community and beyond.  The symphonic band has gone to OMEA large group adjudicated events at the district and state level and have received many superior ratings.  Mrs. Smith was awarded the Project Excellence Foundation Award in 2017 and thanks God for the many blessings in her life. Mrs. Smith enjoys spending time with her husband, Brandon, son, Brady and labs, Piper and Ivory.

Symphonic Band - Tabitha Smith, Director

Symphonic band is a graded ensemble that requires students to audition for the ensemble. This performing group will consist mainly of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This ensemble plays more advanced music than the concert band.  The symphonic band will also participate in O.M.E.A. adjudicated events.

Little Miami Middle School Band, 6th Grade

Mrs. Molly McCoy, Director

Molly McCoy is a graduate of Miami University and the University of Louisville, where she holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Master of Music in Wind Conducting, respectively. She has performed internationally as an oboist for the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Casalmaggiore, Italy, and the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt and Vienna, Austria. This is Molly's sixth year at Little Miami where she has taught general music, beginning choir, and bands at every grade level. Molly currently directs the bands in grades 6-8 and is the assistant director for the high school bands. In her free time, she loves to bake cakes for local weddings, play disc golf with her husband and 2-year-old son, and perform with local theater companies and the Cincinnati Wind Band. 

Concert Band - Tabitha Smith, Director

Concert band is a non-auditioned, graded ensemble that consists mainly of freshman and sophomores.  Students will perform four concerts per year.  They will become better prepared musicians so they can audition for symphonic band.

 Percussion Camp:

• Takes place 2 weeks prior to the full week of Band Camp.
• Attendance is mandatory for all percussionists.

Pre-Camp:

• Pre-camp consists of the Marching Band being divided between high winds, low winds, and percussion.  One wind group meets in the morning; one in the afternoon & percussion meets in the evening.
• Music and basic Marching Band fundamentals are learned during this week.
• Attendance is mandatory. 

Band Camp:

• Band Camp takes place every day for all members of the Marching Band
• Runs from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• This is the week where Marching Band members learn the drills/shows for pre-game & half-time.
• Attendance is mandatory.   
• Lunch Provided by the Band Boosters 

Regular practice:

• 3 days/week: 
• Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 pm
• Wednesdays, 2:30-4:00pm.

Performances:

• Begin in August.
• All home football games. - Friday nights.
• Parades - St. Patrick's Day (Cincinnati), Reds Opening Day (Cincinnati), Morrow Memorial Day Parade
• Band Festivals
• College Band Days
• Walt Disney Trip every 4 years 

Uniforms:

• Summer Uniform: 
  • Dinkles
  • SHORT black socks
  • Black band shorts
  • Green polo shirt
  • No hair accessories, no jewelry.

• Formal Band Uniform
  • Dinkles
  • LONG black socks
  • Band shorts
  • Band T-shirt
  • Bib pants
  • Formal jacket
  • No hair accessories, no jewelry. 

• Black Band Jacket (optional)

Participating in concert/symphonic band is an expectation of Marching Band Membership.

Mandatory Parent/Guardian Meeting in Spring - Typical discussion items include marching band fee structure, summer uniform sizing, and an introduction to the Little Miami Band Boosters organization, which outlines who they are, what they do, and what volunteer opportunities are available.