Before spring break, all five orchestras received a division one at UIL on March 5. In order to prepare for this competition, the students spent several months practicing, attended sectionals and completed a pre-UIL concert.

 The competition consists of a concert portion in which the students prepare and play three songs for a set of judges. During the sight reading part, students receive a sheet of music that they have never seen before, then partake in seven minutes of private practice time before playing the full piece for the judges. 

“I practice a lot, and I make sure I know the pieces,” senior Bradyn Gilbert said. “I take into consideration what Ms. Parker and the judges of pre-UIL tell us to improve on.”

Each year, all the students receive UIL music in mid-December and practice in and out of class to make improvements. They then perform in a pre-UIL concert in order to receive feedback from practice judges, allowing students time to perfect and refine the music they later play in the concert portion of the real UIL competition. 

“I feel that being able to keep the streak going is really nice, and I’m really appreciative that we got to do that,” sophomore Jude Selman said.

Breanna Parker has taught high school students for four years now and has received division ones all four years of teaching. This is seen as quite the accomplishment as she is the one and only director of four orchestras and the co-director of the full orchestra, which includes both band and orchestra students. 

“It feels a little bit surreal that I’ve been at Amarillo High for four years and that we have been blessed with really doing sweepstakes,” Orchestra Director Breanna Parker said. “The best way to explain it is all the kids who worked hard for it.”