Sept. 10, 2026 - San Diego Road became Broadway Street as Douglas Anderson School of the Arts' Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra celebrated "A Night of Broadway." The concert benefited the ensemble's invitation to the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band & Orchestra Conference this December in Chicago, with proceeds going towards travel costs for the trip. Leaders say this is the first time Douglas Anderson’s Symphony Orchestra has been invited to the clinic, where it will be the only high school symphony orchestra from the United States slated to perform.

Symphony co-directors Ted Shistle and Brian Griffin transported audiences to Manhattan with a program celebrating legendary showtunes, featuring numbers from "West Side Story," "Hamilton," and "Wicked," among many others.

Audience members sang along as students from the school's Theatre Department were invited onstage to perform memorable solos and duets. A rousing rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" even encouraged audience participation, with members of the percussion section holding up signs to cue farm animal noises from the crowd.

One of the world’s leading gatherings for instrumental music education, the Midwest Clinic draws more than 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and over 40 countries. High school musicians are given the opportunity to perform before leading educators and professionals from across the field.

“Being selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic is an extraordinary honor for our students and an opportunity to represent Douglas Anderson and Jacksonville at one of the most significant gatherings in music education,” said Brian Griffin, co-director of the Douglas Anderson Symphony Orchestra. “Our students have worked at an exceptional level to earn this opportunity, and we are excited to share that achievement with our community.”