While Republicans caucused in the cafeteria, orchestra students were performing solos Saturday morning for the annual Solo Festival. Students performed solo pieces for one judge and four of their peers, and were then given a score on a scale of one to five, one being the highest.

For this festival, students were required to select a solo, prepare it, and perform for a judge and four of their peers. The judge then acted as a clinician and gave the students advice and critiques for about 10 minutes. It was similar to the structure of a master class.

“The clinician was really helpful and gave a lot of good feedback and tips,” sophomore cellist Cassandra Awad said.

This year, orchestra director Jonathan Wiebe had the other students in the room write down what the clinician told each performer so that the student could to refer to their critiques later.

“It was a lot less pressure because you were in the room with people you knew and it was easier to perform in front of them,”  Awad said.

Students who receive a one at this festival have the option of continuing on to the regional solo festival, and then to the state festival if they do well at regionals.