At the start of the 1996/97 school year Mr. Rukavina came up with a sketch of a concert band with ideal instrumentation and decided that this band would be open to 7th and 8th grade students - by audition only. This "honors band" would meet after school, play freshman level music, focus on higher level musical concepts and travel to a national music festival each year.
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The 1997 Symphony Band had 61 students and traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to participate in the Heritage Music Festival. Sightseeing included shopping at Union Station, Six Flags Over Mid-America, Grant's Farm and the Gateway Arch. The Symphony Band scored an average of 82 out of 100 points and placed higher than three high schools.
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The 1998 Symphony Band had 64 students and traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to participate in the Heritage Music Festival. Sightseeing included a dinner at "Planet Hollywood", shopping at the Mall of America, the Minnesota Science Museum and the Minneapolis Planetarium. The Symphony Band took second place and also received the "Spirit of Minneapolis Award".
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The 1999 Mitchell Symphony Band had 63 members and traveled to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in April for the Heritage Music Festival. The Symphony Band competed against two high schools and came in second place, earning a silver trophy. Highlights of the trip included a visit to Niagara Falls, the Eaton Centre Mall, the CN Tower, the Ontario Science Center, the Hard Rock Cafe, and Medieval Times.
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The 2000 Symphony Band had 66 students and traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia for the Heritage Music Festival. The Symphony Band, competing against two high schools, came in first place and earned a gold award. They were the only instrumental group at the festival to earn a gold award and, because of their high score, were invited to the National Invitational Band & Orchestra Festival (Festival of Gold) in Dallas, Texas in 2001. In addition to the festival, the students toured the Gettysburg National Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Nauticus National Maritime Center and Museum, Busch Gardens - Williamsburg, and Colonial Williamsburg.
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The 2001 Symphony Band had 60 members and travelled to Atlanta, Georgia for the Heritage Music Festival. The Symphony Band competed in the high school division and came in third place while earning a silver trophy. In addition to the festival - students visited Underground Atlanta, World of Coca-Cola, Hard Rock Cafe, Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum, Six Flags Over Georgia, Stone Mountain National Park, Centennial Park, and the famous Varsity Drive-In.
Stone Mountain
Coming in 2002: Dallas, Texas (April 17th - 22nd)
