The Wildcat Band @ South Miami Middle School

The Wildcat Band strives to create community, nurture growth, and promote discipline and excellence through a rigorous, structured music education program for students in 6th to 8th grades. Engaging around 80-100 students per year, our program is part of the performing arts magnet at South Miami Middle Community School, a Miami-Dade County public school. The Wildcat Band supports students’ intellectual and cultural development, and prepares them to advance as future civic leaders. Your support ensures high quality music education for students from across Miami-Dade County! 

South Miami Middle Community School, home of the Wildcat Band, currently serves around 700 students. Of these, nearly 50% are students from low income families. The demographics of the Wildcat Band mirror those of the larger middle school. For many students, the Wildcat Band provides a singular and cost-supported opportunity for access to high quality music education. The band is often their first time training on an instrument and they progress from beginner to advanced level in middle school. The Wildcat Band also supports students’ academic success, and provides them with community building, mentoring, and networking opportunities that will be beneficial far beyond middle school.

The Wildcat Band benefits from the consistent, strong and sustainable leadership of its Director, Francisco R. Williams, who has led the band since 2011. Mr. Williams holds advanced degrees from Florida A&M University and the University of West Florida in Music Education and Educational Leadership, respectively. Mr. Williams himself is an alumnus of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He is supported by the Band Parent Association, a 501(c)3 organization that assists with coordination and funds management for band programming.