For McCallum orchestra students, UIL is one of the most important events of the year. Months of rehearsals, sectionals and after-school practices all lead up to one performance. This year, those preparations paid off. All three McCallum orchestras earned sweepstakes at their UIL concert and sight-reading evaluation, marking a major accomplishment for the program. Sweepstakes is the highest rating at UIL and is awarded when a group receives top scores from all judges in both performance and sight reading. 

Co-orchestra director Ricky Pringle said the process of preparing for UIL is more complex than it may seem.

“For orchestra, we do UIL in two rounds,” Pringle said. “What we just did was the first round, which is actually the harder round. That’s a full orchestra, which means it’s all of the string kids, plus some of the band kids play with us.”

Because orchestra and band students don’t typically rehearse together, combining the two groups created an extra challenge this year. Students had to adjust not only to new music, but also to different playing styles and even different conductors.

Sophomore violist Maggie Linnen said the adjustment was noticeable during rehearsals.

“I think working with the band was the most challenging part, because we don’t usually do that,” Linnen said.

Students also had to prepare music that pushed their technical abilities. Senior orchestra president Imogen Hendrickse said one piece in particular stood out.

“We played more difficult music this year, including a really challenging piece by Mendelssohn,” Hendrickse said. “It took a lot of time to learn and master because it was technically demanding.”

Hendrickse noted the orchestra worked together to meet expectations. As president and a section leader, she helped guide other students through the process.

“I mostly helped people if they had trouble learning the music or needed help with things like fingerings,” Hendrickse said.

Even with preparation, nerves were still a major factor leading up to the performance. Linnen said the atmosphere before going on stage was a mix of anxiety and confidence.

Hendrickse explained that while UIL is something students get used to over time, each year still brings pressure.

“Since we’ve done UIL for so many years, people kind of get into a routine, but there’s always some anxiety at first,” Hendrickse said.

Part of that stress came from the full orchestra setup, which required more coordination than usual. Students had to focus on staying together as a larger group while also adjusting to unfamiliar elements.

“That made it a little nerve-wracking, making sure we were all together as a full orchestra,” Hendrickse said.

Despite those challenges, the performance itself was a success. Pringle said he was especially impressed with how students handled the sight-reading portion, where musicians must perform a piece they have never seen before.

“Our youngest group had to sight-read something very hard, and they did a very good job,” Pringle said. “I was very pleased with the sight reading from our younger group.”

The results reflected that effort. All three orchestras received sweepstakes, the highest possible rating at UIL. According to Pringle, McCallum was the only high school in AISD to bring three groups to the event.

“We did great,” Pringle said.

For students, the accomplishment was the result of both individual preparation and group effort. Linnen said she focuses on staying prepared leading up to performances.

She also said certain pieces made the experience more enjoyable, even during stressful rehearsals.

“I think my favorite was Bacchanal,” Linnen said. “It was just the most fun to play.”

Beyond the performance itself, many students say the orchestra program stands out because of its sense of community. Hendrickse said that connection plays a big role in keeping students motivated.

“Orchestra is really like a team, so everyone is already pretty self-motivated and wants to do well,” Hendrickse said. “I just tried to be the best version of myself and lead by example.”

As president, she also works to bring students together outside of rehearsals, helping different groups within the orchestra connect.

“We focus a lot on building community,” Hendrickse said. “It feels like a family where people can be themselves, joke around and feel comfortable.”

Linnen shared a similar perspective, saying one of her favorite parts of orchestra is being around others with the same interests.

“I like being around other people who are involved in the same extracurricular,” Linnen said.

Pringle said that sense of collaboration is essential to building a strong ensemble.

“In a strong ensemble, you have to have good student leadership,” Pringle said. “The students have to be willing to work together.”

He also emphasized that events like UIL go beyond just performance scores. They help students develop discipline and attention to detail.

“It teaches students how to really polish something and bring it up to a very high standard,” Pringle said.

For many students, that process is just as important as the final result. Hendrickse said her favorite memories from orchestra aren’t tied to a single performance, but rather the everyday moments spent with her peers.

“Honestly, it’s all the little moments—like the laughs we have every day,” Hendrickse said. “Those friendships and fun moments are definitely my favorite part.”

As the year comes to a close, Pringle hopes students walk away from UIL with a sense of pride in what they accomplished together.

“The main thing I would like the kids to take away is a sense of accomplishment—that they put something together and their hard work paid off,” Pringle said.

After months of preparation, challenges and long rehearsals, McCallum’s orchestra completed their goal.