Various orchestra students will be off campus for the next three days as they take part in three different UIL competitions Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at R.L. Turner High School.

“UIL is a formal evaluation of our concert and sight reading skills,” assistant orchestra director Chase Fickling said.

The orchestra will be taking five different orchestra groups to compete; one varsity, one non-varsity and three non-varsity teams. All five teams have been practicing pieces at school, yet will have to perform a new piece during the competition.

“They are all the same process,” Fickling said. “We play three pieces on stage and then we go to a formal sight reading portion of the evaluation in which a judge will evaluate our skills on playing a piece from never having rehearsed it before.”

For the orchestra program, competing in UIL is just another way for the groups to show off the skills they have been practicing since the start of the school year.

“UIL is a way for the orchestra to prove their skills and the technique they have built over the year,” Fickling said. “We are looking forward to hearing their beautiful performances.”