Meet Mrs. Peck and Ms. Smith

Tabitha Peck is the Director of Choral Activies at Leon and FineArts Department Chair, where she teaches Capital Singers, Madrigals, Melodears, AP Music Theory, and two classes of Technical Theatre. She is a proud graduate — and former marching band Drum Major — of Tallahassee’s James S. Rickards High School, and holds a B.M.E. (Magna Cum Laude) and M.M.E. in Choral Music Education from the Florida State University College of Music. She studied voice under Janice Harsanyi (undergraduate) and Roy Delp (graduate).

Under her direction, ensembles have performed at the Florida ACDA conference, the FLACDA President’s Concert, the FMEA President’s Concert, and the Southern Region ACDA Conference. Under her direction, choirs have received “Choir of Distinction” titles at the State Music Performance Assessment. She has presented sessions at the FMEA State Conference on the topics of Music Theory and a cappella music. Each summer, Mrs. Peck produces and music directs the Leon Summer Musical, and is active in Leon’s Thespians, selecting and assisting with musical numbers that perform at District and State. The musical numbers are frequently chosen “Critic’s Choice” and “Best in Show” at the District and State level.

While at Leon, Mrs. Peck has founded the national award-winning pop a cappella group “The Mane Event”, as well as the Theatre Tech program, which develops the skills necessary for facilitating all productions and performances in the District’s most comprehensive Performing Arts program. She manages the Leon Performing Arts theatre, which oversees approximately 120 events in “LPAT” each season.

Students from Mrs. Peck’s programs have consistently gone on to place in collegiate voice, music education, music therapy, musical theatre, and technical theatre programs. Former students have performed on Broadway, Broadway National Tours, and in Opera Houses throughout the United States and Europe.

Mrs. Peck has been active in leadership with FMEA, FVA, and ACDA throughout her professional career, along with membership in USITT and NAFME. She is currently serving as FVA District 3  Treasurer, and is a member of the Executive Board as State Treasurer and Webmaster for Florida ACDA. Mrs. Peck enjoys adjudicating choirs, performing as a soloist (her favorite roles to date are the Witch in Into the Woods and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast) and raising her two beautiful daughters with her husband Tim.

Maggie Smith is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Leon, where she teaches Prelude, Overture, Opus, and Lions United Music. She received her B.M in Vocal Performance and B.M. in Music Education from the University of Kentucky where she graduated cum laude and studied voice with Dr. Noemi Lugo. In 2018, she graduated with her M.M in Vocal Performance from Florida State University where she served as a Teaching Assistant in one-on-one voice instruction and studied voice with Dr. Chuck Chandler and conducting with Dr. Andre Thomas. Prior to her appointment to Leon High School, she served as the Director of Choral Activities at Elizabeth Cobb Middle School (Tallahassee, FL) for two years and Victory Charter School (Kissimmee, FL) for 1 year.

Along with her engagements in music education, she has maintained an active interest in performing. Most recently, she made her Handel’s Messiah debut as the alto soloist with First Presbyterian Church (Quincy, FL) where she serves as the alto section leader. Other recent solo appearances include the alto soloist for Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, The First Ladies in Bernstein’s A White House Cantata, and the alto soloist for Bach’s St. John’s Passion with Tallahassee Community Chorus.

Her operatic role experience includes Mrs. McLean in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, Madame Flora (The Medium), the Grandmother (Little Red Riding Hood), Old Lady (Candide), 2^nd Witch (Dido and Aeneas), the Mother (Hansel and Gretel), and Annina (La Traviata) with FSU Opera, and Tisbe (La Cenerentola) with Bayview Music Festival. With a shared love of musical theatre, she has been seen in the roles of Bloody Mary (South Pacific), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd), and Madame Thénardier (Les Misérables) with University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast) with Emerging Artists Studio.

She is the proud recipient of the KY District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement award in 2017 and 2018, the Carlisle Floyd Endowment for Opera in 2016 and 2017. She also received recognition at NATS Mid-South Regional as 1^st place in the Junior Women division in 2014, 2^nd place in the Senior Women division in 2015, and at NATS Southeast Regional as 2^nd place in the Lower Advanced College Women division.

In addition to her love of music education and performing, she is a full-time wellness coach, micro social media influencer, three time full marathoner, Disney fanatic, and proud dog mom!