The Emerson High School Orchestra has been practicing since December for their annual pre UIL concert which will be held on Tuesday, February 6.
This concert is held every year to help students prepare for UIL, one of the most important competitions for high school musicians. Orchestra students share how they have been preparing and how they feel about the upcoming concert.
“I feel decently well prepared for this concert,” Chamber orchestra member Junior Saimanasaa Viswanathan said. “This is professional music that we’re playing and to see our orchestra increase the difficulty of our music over the years, I feel grateful to be a part of such a disciplined group and to be able to play at this level as high school students.”
The Chamber Orchestra will be performing pieces composed by Tchaikovsky, Bela Bartok, and David Bobrowitz for their family and friends this Tuesday.
“Often times during rehearsals, we would split up into groups with our respective instruments to ensure everyone was playing their part correctly,” Viswanathan said. “This ensured that when we came together as a full orchestra, we were more efficient in practicing.”
The Symphonic Orchestra will be performing “Night Errand,” “Song of the Winter Moon,” and “Rhosymedre.”
“Our orchestra has been preparing for every class period for this concert,” Symphonic Orchestra member Junior Parnita Avala said. “We spent a lot of time trying to coordinate between the different instruments in our orchestra.”
The Philharmonic Orchestra will be playing “Child Grove,” “King of Stone,” and “Labyrinth” for Pre UIL and UIL taking place in late February and early March.
“The Philharmonic Orchestra has been putting extra effort on two main things: improving their listening skills and practicing techniques that work well for a big group like theirs,” Orchestra Director Sandra Mour said. “It’s a bit tricky to make sure everyone plays in sync, especially when the balance isn’t perfect. So, they’re focusing on making sure each musician can hear and play well together, even with a large ensemble.”
Mour says that she hopes that this concert will determine what needs to be improved by the orchestras before UIL.
“We have been practicing listening more to each other as different sections to sound more together as an orchestra,” Philharmonic Orchestra member Senior Shriya Kesaraju Venkata said. “I personally feel prepared but I do think I would benefit from a few more rehearsals.”
Lastly, the Symphonia Orchestra will be performing “Prairie Lullaby,” “I Spy,” and “Primula” for the upcoming concert.
“We’ve been working hard towards UIL this past month,” Sinfonia Orchestra member Junior Ashwika Rajanikanth said. “I think we’ve improved a lot as a group.”
Ashwika says she looks forward to showcasing her skills at the concert and utilizing the experience to hone in on her skills for UIL.
“This concert is a great way to practice playing the music as a group in front of an audience,” Avala said. “Through this concert we will be able to practice being more attentive with an audience which prepares us for the UIL competition.”
