NCO 2018

Welcome, Michael! My DD1 was in Under 12s this year as a year 6 (and Under 11s and Under 10s before that) and we're hoping she will repeat the year. She reckons she had her best ever audition by some way, so this is the first time we've ever been quietly confident! 50% of the children audition unaccompanied and that's absolutely fine. I accompanied DD2 for two auditions, which means that I know she's unfortunately out of the running. She's bounced back pretty quickly though.

A very very entrant here, but only just found you! Ds was in the U12s last year, having got in unexpectedly on a "let's try for experience" punt when he was in a 3.5 month gap between teachers. Inevitably this year's was rather more stressful!

He's U12 again this year which pleased me - I think the social mix last year, with tiny feral year 6 boys and statuesque year 7 girls was a bit of stretch - moving to big school makes such a difference. Not that my little toad seemed to notice much.

The sight reading protocol peculiarities are evidently quite general. He sat in London on October 15th and he too was asked if he wanted to do the whole sightreading. To which he said "well, I haven't prepared the last line at all because you didn't ask me to and it looks harder so no thank you ". He can be a bit literal.... a lesson learned I guess to practice it all whatever they say. Does seem odd though.

He was unaccompanied because we don't have a pet pianist and with the late date notification it was all too tricky - hopefully that won't matter. But it does mean that I have no idea how it went!

Well done miniPauls!!
Is that everyone done now?

Two auditions all done,
One percussion, one violinist.....both seemed to have gone well- but we shall see. under 10’s and under 11’s

Fantastic news for Rara for both south west music school and the swimming club

Good luck for round 2, MiniString.

Rara won't have got in this year, but getting into SWMS means she's forgotten all about it. She also tried out for a swimming club tonight - I didn't know if she was good enough for the first group, but she has jumped straight into the third! I also wasn't sure if she would like it, but she loved it! She even spoke to the lady in charge, who was SO sweet and really looked after her. Shame it's miles away, but oh well!

Well done mininiggle- we got an email a few days after her audition apologising for some chaos at the auditions and the state of the piano. They wanted to reassure people it was in their awareness and children's performances won't be unfairly disadvantaged by it, so I won't be surprised if the same happens for you.

ministring good luck!

Nuggle, sounds like she did very well! Good luck to ministring this weekend! Trumpet, I know what you mean. It's nice to be in of course, but there is no huge emphasis on it as so many other exciting things going on at the moment. I'm relieved with this way as it will save DS from massive disappointment in December. I'm afraid I'm quite sure DS won't get a place. The competition is just so sky high and I really think his audition pieces were not met to the standard. He would have had to work much harder if he had hoped any chance really. But it's one of those things he can learn from experience.

Glad it went well niggle good luck mini string . Ds has now almost forgotten his NCO audition having had an amazing and inspiring week with AYM I know he's still hoping to get in but the fact that he's enjoying AYM so much takes the pressure off - which is good

Done!

Went to Cambridge for this audition and DD's teacher was there to play piano for her. Her first piece went really well and was a good choice. There were a few small issues with Romance from the Gadfly - not really her fault. Her teacher tuned the violin in the practice room and they played the piece together. All sounding good. But the piano in the audition room was out of tune! Apparently the tuner turned up just after they had started the auditions so they sent him away. So DD's teacher had to totally retune all the strings to that piano, and I think it threw DD's tuning on some parts a little. A bit of a shame but there was nothing we could do. Everyone was lovely and welcoming, and I believe DD might have even smiled!

DD was happy to get it done and actually enjoyed playing the first piece. So we will just have to wait and see.

No time to mull; g5 theory in 12 days so will work on that.

Although having said no mulling - I wish they had heard her play Romance in the practice room instead!

Would be happy to get a spot in the regionals (Easterly), but apparently record applications this year - 1,500. And each orchestra has 36 violins, so the maths is not fabulously positive.

Anyone still to audition?

folkmamma your cakes were on the NCO twitter feed back in September

Ds said his panel were really nice this year and last year asked him why he wanted to be in nco but I don't think they're particularly chatty so shy children shouldn't worry. Good luck mini niggle

Rara is nine, but tiny. She won't have made the cut this year, but I am super proud of her. She has another audition for something unrelated today. Onward and upward!

Best of luck to MiniNiggle. I'm sure she'll be fine. Rara didn't really talk to the panel, but I warned them she probably wouldn't. If they chat to the children, they're just being friendly and trying to break the ice.

String, your DD must be very advanced to pick up a piece and play it at an audition. Do you think being in NCO for a few years has really helped with this?

Wow, Waffle, going back in for the second audition, when you're only eight, shows real strength of character, and a love of music.

Taggie, that made me laugh. Now imagining audition panel as toddlers...

One last emergency session today. DD has done a lot of work on her pieces and feels more confident. I don't know, but maybe her chances are 50/50.

I do hope she smiles and is chatty. But with her stutter, she is rarely forthcoming in front of strangers. Particularly men, as her village primary has all female teachers (the only male is the caretaker). And she is in no other teaching environment with male figures. Luckily her teacher will be with her, so this will help her be more relaxed. Also, for me, I will get a more detailed and observational feedback report!

Waffle - super well done to both your DDs, especially to Rara. You must be very proud!

We had a run through both DS's pieces for family today (youngest being age 2). He did really well, and I am anticipating that the NCO panel will be less noisy and squirmy . It is amazing what difference a few days of regular practice can make.

Rara was SO brave. A very large factor in not sharing before is the fact that I felt the chances of her going through with it all, not messing up and crying/ throwing a tantrum, and then actually completing two auditions, was around 0%. We are just starting the SEN process with her. So I'm very, very proud.

I'm also gutted for her. She had a really decent first piece on each instrument. She played the Earnshaw Tarantella and it was amazing... then she lost her place in the music (using a spike retainer for a change, and said the music was too far away) and stopped for around 10 seconds. She finished strongly and said the sight reading was great, so that might have been fine, except that her other piece wasn't. She played a brand new composition called Changing Tides, which was atmospheric, but every one of the four shifts (to 3rd and 4th position) was flat, so that's the end of that.

Bravely, she went back in later, but her "Let's try anyway, it doesn't matter, I won't get in so it's just a bit of fun" attitude had kind of morphed into "What's the point?". She played prelude from l'Arlesienne (not knowing at the time that it's Bizet's birthday!) pretty well, then Sicilienne by von Paradis, which is usually set for Grade 4. All the usual squeaky areas were fine, but she really messed up on the home straight. There were two mistakes in the prepared sight reading, and I didn't have the heart to ask about the unprepared.

I really wish she had played two pieces well on one instrument, instead of one on each!! She said she won't be trying again. Tomorrow is another day though... she has another audition, and it's a formality. A bit like getting back on the proverbial horse.

Been following this since DD auditioned right back at the beginning of Oct and just wanted to say WOW and well done to Rara - 2 auditions on different instruments is seriously impressive and to keep going after a little wobbly bit in the first auditions is so very courageous - go girl!!

Well done Goo and Rara! Special to Goo for feeling so positively confident, and another special to Rara for taking the challenge so bravely!

Super well done miniwaffles clever girlies

Trumpet, I think niggle is Friday?

Waffle so pleased that Rara auditioned too well done to both of them and fingers crossed for everyone- who else is left to go ?

Having a well deserved meal at Pizza Express with my two! They have just done three NCO auditions between them. Goo played a flute concerto and the gorgeous Hypnosis, and is very happy with her performance. Rara tried out on the cello and clarinet, and didn't want me to share publicly until it was all over. She did some excellent sight reading and played everything with wonderful expression. It didn't all go her way today though. She had a stop, some wobbly shifts and some squeaks, so we think her NCO journey is probably over now. I am so proud of her for going back in there after the problems with cello, and also for managing to order her own food in the restaurant just now. Quite a day for a shy child with suspected Selective Mutism.