NCO 2018

I think they will work towards that. Must be an organisational nightmare to get to that point though.

If I were them... I'd just send them all out at the same time!

If I were them, I would completely randomise the whole set of names. I bet they do.

Thanks waffle - I'm sure that's right. Just human nature to look for patterns, I suppose.

Surely we should have our first yes sometime today?

They said there was no pattern. It won't be all no's released first, or all younger ones or anything else. As someone said to me the other day, you really would try to be as random as possible, to avoid people drawing the wrong conclusions just because they might be last to hear.

Snowbellina - the scientist in me likes that example, as it simultaneously controls for born surname (presumably) and audition date.

Still snowed in here with too much time for checking mumsnet/email...

I know of siblings who auditioned on the same date for different orchestras.
They have had a 'no' for the dd (training orchestra on violin) and not heard for the older dd (under11 on violin) yet. We're waiting still too.

Don't know about patterns but DS is close to beginning of alphabet but one of the later audition dates.

Chocolate he has done very well to get to this point with just 2 years playing! For sight-reading being part of a band or weekly area orchestra has helped my DS a lot. My brother-in-law is a musician and he has dyslexia. I know reading in general (incl. sight-reading) was a struggle for him when he was young and not much know about it. But he says that having different colours also helped him.

I've only heard of those unsuccessful and for U12s too so not just the younger ones.

string I have heard of no's from a few places now but nothing else.

double I don't think it's littlies first, my 7yr old hasn't heard xx

Sorry to hear about those who didn't get in. You must be proud though for the good feedback; how far they have come; and how maturely they have taken the news.

Still waiting here... now pessimistic. DS2, having previously said the sight reading was 'easy' - yesterday, added on the news, 'apart from the bit where I played crochets instead of quavers'

If there is any pattern, it might be in order of audition? Obviously not instrument/orchestra.

Not sight reading, I'm afraid, but my two have AS, and we have found that being seated for the aural tests is the only way they can concentrate well enough (DD was spending so much effort on standing still she couldn't recall the questions!).
They both get really high marks on the questions in grade exams (usually full marks on those sections) so it's definitely something to consider next time an exam comes round (you write the request on the sheet that you put the pieces on).

Sorry to hear your DS didn't get in either Chocolate. To get to the point of NCO audition in just 2 years is an amazing achievement. DS sight reading is definitely one of his weak areas and we have worked on his by just picking a line from a piece DS hasn't seen previously during practice and having a go at it. I've found the 8notes website really useful as you can find loads of music on there for all instruments and skill levels and print out the music completely free (it's all pieces that are out of copyright). You can also play back, I think 3 pieces a day for free, so once you've had a go at the sight reading you can listen back to it to have a listen and see how accurate you were.

Sunset, but that sounds lovely regarding the other orchestra, hopefully your DS will really enjoy the experience and get a lot out of it! Chocolate, I am so sorry, it sounds like he is doing amazingly though. I am sure wiser people will come along re the sight reading, but I remember a stand in teacher for DD using different coloured pens for different things (dynamics, fingering, etc) and encouraged DD to use that when she was practicing as she found that the colours focused the attention of some children. Maybe something to ask your teacher?

Can't work out if there are any patterns in how they are sending the e-mails. Have they started with younger children, or is it alphabetical, or just completely random?

Violinistmum, I think we are! I'm afraid DD did as little SR as possible and even managed to play the 30s sightreading piece in the wrong key signature (well, she was nervous and got confused with the time pressure), so I assume she got it wrong. There are so many talented children out there, so I think competition is beyond fierce. So many bad news re the audition yesterday even though they seemed to play so well...

DS was absolutely fine about it and says he'll just have another go next year. I think in many ways he's lucky that he hasn't been involved in NCO previously so has no idea what he might be missing. It must be so much harder for those who have been before and have friends that they will miss if they don't get a place. MusicDoc, no they didn't offer an associate place to DS either.
DS had a really good month last month though as he was offered a place in a new local orchestra which is entry by audition only. I hadn't put him forward because I felt that he had already done so much in the run up to NCO audition not just with the practice for that but with some other concerts and competitions too. Unbeknownst to us, the lady running the new orchestra watched DS get 1st with distinction in the open grade 4-5 strings class at a local affiliated music festival and approached us afterwards to offer him a place. We asked her if we could wait until after NCO results to make a decision because we felt that doing both would be too much and clashes might be an issue as well and she was absolutely fine about it. I rang her last night and she was (in the nicest possible way) pleased to hear that he would be joining her orchestra not the NCO.

So sorry Chocolate - but to get to that standard in just 2 years of playing is amazing - he should be very proud of himself. I don't have any advice about sight reading with SpLD but I'm sure someone else will be able to help.

My little boy didn't get in :-( under 10's. He only been playing the instrument for 2 years but he got some really lovely feedback about the quality of playing and the character of his pieces. He struggles with sight reading, but even this he got good comments on. My son has dyslexia and dyspraxia - so amazing that he can even get to an NCO audition. If anyone has any tips on how to help on the sight reading with children with SpLD I would be much appreciative. Many thanks x

Coffee, it sounds like my mini and yours are in the same age band. He was told at audition that the first line of sight reading was for Training Orchestra and the first 2 lines were to audition for Under 10's. They told him to play on for 2 lines if he was happy to, (before having heard him play so that wasn't a clue that the audition went well!). I assumed that it was most likely he was auditioning for training but that it wouldn't hurt to hear how well they can sight read for the next orchestra incase there was room. We've never been through the process before, but that's how it appeared to me.

I don't think I'd realised the banding had changed.

Floot and sunset- commiserations I hope your children don't dwell on it, and throw themselves into their next project with gusto (a good time of year for it!)