Carver High School Orchestra Makes History at UIL Contests

Disponible en: Español

Carver High School’s orchestra program set a new benchmark for excellence this year, achieving several historic firsts during the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluation.

Led by directors Grace Lewis and Gabriella Garces, the program brought 100% of its orchestra students to the contest for the first time in school history — a milestone that highlights both the program’s growth and student commitment.

This year also marked the first time Carver sent three separate ensembles to UIL, including the debut of a varsity orchestra. The varsity ensemble earned a Superior rating on stage and an Excellent rating in sight-reading. The non-varsity orchestra, under the direction of Garces, earned a “clean sweep,” receiving straight 1s — the highest possible rating — in both categories.

“Water the students and they will grow,” said Garces, who led the Symphony (non-varsity) orchestra in preparing for both stage and sight-reading components.

Lewis said the process of preparing for UIL taught students to think outside the box and hold one another to high expectations. “We have watched our students develop into independent, critically thinking artists who collaborate and problem-solve in rehearsal to present a performance they each can own,” she said.

Among the standout stories are Linyatta Garrett and Devin Burton, who began playing violin for the first time in August 2024. “Beginning players attending contests are rare and take special effort,” Lewis added.

The transformation of the program has been years in the making. When Lewis and Garces inherited the orchestra, there were only two classes and no formal leveling system in place. Working with school counselors, they established three separate orchestras based on experience and performance ability, allowing more personalized instruction and musical growth.

“Our vision was to empower every student to fully participate in the array of orchestral opportunities available at Carver High School, and to equip them with the tools to progress independently,” said Lewis. “Their success at UIL demonstrates their commitment to the task and to one another.”

The momentum is only growing. “The Carver Orchestra is developing as a beloved community centerpiece,” Lewis said. “We look forward to sharing our music in spaces around the Houston community as we grow.” The group will present its upcoming spring concert at POST HTX in collaboration with the Houston Professional Musicians’ Union and the Houston Symphony.

Lewis extended heartfelt thanks to the school community, including the Performing Arts team at Carver, Shabrittney Graham for coordinating travel, Principal Williams “for having a heart for our students,” and Stacey Smith “for being a mouthpiece for our program.” She also credited Christian Harvey and the Houston Symphony for their partnership through the Community-Embedded Musician Residency program.

As for UIL day itself? “Each year we invent a new way to share the great news with them,” Lewis recalled. “In 2023, we pretended to return from the contest office with bad news, before surprising them with the trophy. This time, our chaperones queued up a drumroll — when we entered the room with their trophy, the cheers of ‘We did it!’ could be heard at both ends of the hallway.”