They've come a long way. Last year, The Opti-Mystics took second out of 54 bands in a national competition. They've played for President Clinton and Bob Dole. They've performed at Disney World and for Tommy Thomas' funeral. They are an excellent group.
Members hail from all four Bay County high schools.
They practice every Sunday and have a repertoire of 98 songs. The band performs at more than 20 events each year. As the school district brings back jazz bands, competition has gotten stiffer to get into The Opti-Mystics. If the kids aren't dedicated, they don't last very long. But the hard work pays off.