Lakota East High School Band Directors

William ThomasWilliam Thomas (Director of Bands)

.. is currently in his 29th year of teaching and his 14th year at Lakota East High School. His teaching responsibilities include three concert bands at Lakota East (Concert Band, Symphonic Band & Symphonic Winds) assisting two East Freshman concert bands, the Marching Thunderhawks Band and the pep band. Prior to coming to Lakota, he spent 12 years as the Director of Bands, grades five through twelve, in the Minster Local Schools, Minster, Ohio. Mr. Thomas’ junior high and high school bands consistently earned superior ratings at OMEA adjudicated events. He is a graduate of Willoughby South High School and received his Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University. Mr. Thomas is a member of Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha, American School Band Directors Association, Ohio Music Education Association and Muse Educators National Conference. He is a past Marching Band Adjudications Chairman for the Ohio Music Education Association. Mr. Thomas is currently the Band Affairs Chairman for Ohio and is an active OMEA adjudicator in the fields of marching and concert bands. He was also named 2004 Lakota East School Teacher of the Year. Mr. Thomas resides in Liberty Township, Ohio, with his wife Kathy, a third grade teacher in the Lakota Schools, son Chris, a senior at The Ohio State University and daughter Brittany, a junior at Ohio University.

Robert Tanis (Associate Director)

… holds a bachelors degree in trumpet performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music and a master’s degree from the Schwob School of Music in conducting and music education where he studied with Dr. Robert Rumbelow.  Mr. Tanis is in his sixteenth year of teaching and prior to his appointment as associate director of bands at Lakota East High School, he was the director of bands for two years at a high school in Brownsville, Texas.  Mr. Tanis’s current responsibilities include directing the Lakota East Freshman Concert Bands, assisting with the three concert bands at Lakota East and the Marching Thunderhawks, directing all brass ensembles, and conducting the pit orchestra and pep band.  Mr. Tanis’s students have consistently received superior ratings and numerous other awards at the district and state level in small ensemble, concert band, and marching band competitions.

Mr. Tanis has performed with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the Castle Festival Orchestra in Heidelberg, Germany, the Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band, the Ohio Valley British Brass Band, the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

Todd HartmanTodd Hartman (Director of Jazz Studies)

… instructs three jazz big bands at Lakota East High School, two jazz big bands at Lakota West High School, and Eastside Jazz Combos I, II, and III.  A member of the Music Educators National Conference, the Ohio Music Education Association, and the CCM Music Education Public School Partners Board, Mr. Hartman has been the director of the Lebanon High School Jazz Ensemble and the Mason High School Jazz Ensemble.  He has taught jazz improvisation and jazz combo workshops in various public schools in Butler and Warren counties.  He has been the guest director for and is currently the chairman of the OMEA District XIII Honor Jazz Bands.  Mr. Hartman hosted and coordinated the Lebanon Jazz Festival, which showcased jazz bands from Butler, Warren, and Hamilton Counties.  He is the co-founder/co-coordinator of the Lakota Summer Jazz Band Clinic.  He was the jazz events chairman for the 2008 Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference.  Jazz ensembles under his direction have been selected to perform at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, the University of North Texas Jazz Festival, the Savannah Music Festival Swing Central Competition, and the OMEA State Conference.
Mr. Hartman has performed with the Queen City Big Band, the Queen City Combo, and the After Hours Big Band.  He actively performs with the Todd Hartman Jazz Quartet/Quintet, which features Drews Mitchell on drum set.  Mr. Hartman has been a guest performer/clinician with the Lakota West Jazz Ensemble, the Fairfield High School Jazz Ensemble, and the CCM Jazz Explosion Jazz Ensemble.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Mr. Hartman earned a degree in Music Education with a specialization in Jazz Studies.  He played trumpet in the CCM Jazz Ensemble in each of his four years at CCM.  He holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Miami University.  Mr. Hartman resides in Liberty Township, Ohio with his wife, Susan, and their two children.