The combined Central Heights high school and middle school band competed in the UIL contest and sightreading evaluation on April 17 at Troup High School. Students had a clean sweepstakes, which means they got all six 1’s on the music that they played.
This is Central Heights’ third time winning sweepstakes with the help of band director Brittany Yates and determined band students. At the beginning of the competition, the students played three pieces of music: “March Phantasma,” composed by Randall Standridge; “Golondrina,” by Jorge Vargas; and “Dragon Run,” by Chris M. Bernotas.
For the sightreading part of the competition, students are given a piece of music that they have never played before. They have seven minutes to practice before playing it in front of three judges.
The band students look forward to this competition every year. After the competition, they always ride back on the bus singing the rhythms of the songs they played. Competitions like these are what bring Central Heights band together.
“My favorite part of preparing for the UIL competition is when I challenge my students with higher-level music,” Yates said. “I love seeing the excitement on their faces when they succeed in getting all 1’s.”