Orchestra students are gearing up for their UIL competitions Feb. 26-27 with a Pre-UIL concert for orchestra parents in the auditorium Monday from 4-8 p.m.

“[Pre-UIL] is a check point to see our progress and preparation for the state assessment,” associate orchestra director Madison Waggerman said. “[It] helps students to remember the process and teaches students who have moved into our program that have never gone to this assessment before”

Pre-UIL provides an opportunity for students to practice their pieces and sight reading skills, while also getting feedback and constructive criticism from judges.

“Pre-UIL is where high school orchestras practice their UIL pieces in front of a couple of judges and they should receive feedback prior to the actual UIL performance,” orchestra librarian, sophomore Saanvi Patel said. “During Pre-UIL, the fake judges give you criticism and advice for improving your performance overall and it helps you in the end.”

In addition to helping students prepare for UIL musically, Pre-UIL also allows students to familiarize themselves with the process of UIL, making things go much more smoothly on the big day.

“Pre-UIL is basically like a dress rehearsal for the UIL competition,” freshman Garv Choudhary said. “It basically shows all the new students and some of the old students what to do on the actual thing and helps them get prepared for some of the new things that are being implemented this year.”

Much of the process students go through on the actual day of the UIL competition is mirrored in this Pre-UIL event, with orchestras first performing their prepared pieces and then learning a new piece.

“We play our three concert pieces for a judge and then sight read a brand new piece learned in 7-8 minutes then judged by a professional,” Waggerman said.

For many students, Pre-UIL serves as an opportunity to find areas for improvement and get ready for competing at UIL.

“I’m excited for performing at Pre-UIL and seeing how we can improve overall as an orchestra and then finally performing our pieces that we worked so hard on at UIL,” Patel said.

But for other students, Pre-UIL is just another chance to perform as an orchestra.

“[My favorite part is] probably just the whole experience and having fun doing what I love with all my friends in orchestra,” Choudhary said.