On Saturday, February 19, McDade Bulldog Band members traveled to Smithville to participate in the annual UIL Solo and Ensemble contest. This contest requires students to learn a solo with a piano accompaniment or play with a small group of students in an ensemble, and they only have one opportunity to play it through for a judge. The judge gives them a rating from 5 to 1, with 5 meaning that the students need improvement and the 1 being an above average or “superior” performance. McDade has participated in this competition every year since 2019, with more and more students ...