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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Anyone auditioning for NCO?

195 replies

Wafflenose · 13/09/2014 22:07

Just that, really. I thought we could do with a supportive thread!

It will be DD1's first time, and it will be on her second instrument (flute), which I know will be very competitive. We are well aware that she might not get in, but this is possibly her best shot - it would be her first and last chance at Under 10s. She'll still be 8 when she auditions, but will be 9 by the end of the year. I did ring up a few months ago to check what the standard is likely to be, and the person I spoke to wasn't sure yet, as it's a new orchestra. He said probably similar to Training Orchestra. As a lot of 8 year olds won't have started the flute yet (or only just started), he said it would be worth her while trying out this year. I imagine this window of opportunity will slam shut in a year or two though.

If you've had a child who's done it before, what instrument do they play, and what level were they when they got in?

OP posts:
janet41 · 04/10/2014 17:58

Early dec!

butterfly2 · 04/10/2014 18:12

thanks janet.

Original poster
Wafflenose · 04/10/2014 19:58

Yes, ours is on Wednesday! Sight reading and the brand new (been learning for a couple of weeks) piece are going brilliantly... and the sonata peaked too soon. We have an easier one on standby.

OP posts:
butterfly2 · 04/10/2014 20:18

They were saying to me on Friday if they dont get enough at a good enough standard then they wouldnt do a under 10's.

Sound like yours DD is a high standard so blessing her way for the audition xx

Original poster
Wafflenose · 04/10/2014 20:51

Thank you butterfly, that's very sweet. Your DD sounds just ahead of her actually. I expect flute will be fiercely competitive, and would be surprised if they don't get enough to run an orchestra. I have told MiniWaffle that if she doesn't get in, I'll try and scrape the money together to send her on the NYRO Easter course instead.

OP posts:
butterfly2 · 04/10/2014 21:18

I hope they both get in.it all depends on the audition and my DD said she played some wrong notes......so it depends on the day!!

whats the NYRO?

Original poster
Wafflenose · 04/10/2014 21:41

National Youth Recorder Orchestra. Their Easter course is open to Grade 4+ and is not auditioned - in April 2013 when she was 7, we went on one of their play days and they invited her to apply for Easter 2014, but we felt she was still just that bit too young to stay away from home for so long. They also do an auditioned summer course (Training = Grade 5+, Main = Grade 8+) which I think she could probably get on to (she plays Grade 6+ descant, and currently Grade 4ish treble), but she can do it until she's 25, unlike NCO! So we decided to try for NCO this year and possibly next, and then she can do NYRO for years if she wants.

OP posts:
janet41 · 04/10/2014 22:19

I would be a bit surprised if they don't get enough to run it but it does sound like your two (butterfly and waffle) are ahead of where most 8-9 yr olds might be on wind and brass? But then the whole children-music thing is a bit of a mystery to me still!

Heels99 · 04/10/2014 22:23

Waffle nose

Hope you don't mind me crashing your thread. Been teaching my six year old recorder descant myself for 18 months. She loves doing it but we struggle to find 10 mins here and there to actually do it. Any advice re finding a recorder teacher or did you teach your dd yourself?

Thanks

Original poster
Wafflenose · 04/10/2014 22:33

Heels I am currently working full time (for the first time in years) so I'm not really giving them lessons - just semi-supervised practice. In fact, I've only ever done a few minutes here and there with them both. DD2 is more willing to be taught; DD1 is pretty much teaching herself now, though will ask for help (sometimes!) and we discuss exams, auditions and festival entries together. Neither has ever had a formal lesson on recorder... I'm just making it up as I go along really. When the time comes, I plan to pass DD1 on to a friend of a friend, who did a performance degree in recorder (I certainly didn't - I'm mostly self taught, though I did do a music degree, and Grade 8 recorder in my 20s). My only advice is to find someone who is willing to take it seriously, and whose personality suits your DD.

Having said all this, I don't think either of mine will be want to be musicians. DD1 is academic and especially good at language, and DD2 has a real passion for art. We'll see!

OP posts:
Heels99 · 05/10/2014 10:50

Thanks waffle nose appreciate the reply

butterfly2 · 05/10/2014 11:49

hI janet, thanks for your comment, I think your DD may ahead of the game aswell, but it seems they all are!!

How does yours feel after there audition?

janet41 · 05/10/2014 21:04

Hi Buttefly - she thought they went ok and better than last year on cello (she has been an associate and training orchestra reserve this year); she did say she wished she could have chosen something 'safer' to play on the cello.....

janet41 · 05/10/2014 21:05

I should add she insisted on starting quite a big piece 4 weeks ago....

Original poster
Wafflenose · 06/10/2014 10:44

Hmm, I wish my DD was playing something safer too. Her brand new one is lovely, but the fast, exciting one she's been doing since the end of the summer has peaked too soon, and now we're picking up the pieces. She is determined, and is refusing to entertain the idea of doing her easier 'reserve' one, but is being very hard on herself.

OP posts:
janet41 · 06/10/2014 20:59

Good luck to our DD, waffle - my DD announced today that she is now playing the Treble recorder at school!

Original poster
Wafflenose · 06/10/2014 21:21

I love the treble!

DD1 is stressed and anxious. I have offered to withdraw her from the audition, but that made her even less happy. She doesn't seem to understand that getting in isn't just a matter of doing a good audition - so much depends on the general standard across the country. She just doesn't get it, and thinks it's her personal responsibility to get in. Like it's her job to be best at everything at school. I think she is going to learn a lot of hard lessons this year, sigh.

OP posts:
janet41 · 06/10/2014 21:57

Oh dear poor thing - they really are very lovely at the audition and the organising staff too, so I am sure they will make her smile and relax straight away. Worth making sure she remembers that they will take a photo and video it - just so it doesn't suprise her. I do hope that she ends up enjoying the experience rather than worrying about getting in - as you say, depends on many things.

janet41 · 08/10/2014 20:19

Hi Waffle was it your dd's audition today?

butterfly2 · 08/10/2014 20:35

Hi Waffle, how did mini waffle get on?

Original poster
Wafflenose · 08/10/2014 21:53

Yes, it was today! Thanks for asking.

She did really well. At the end of last week, the older piece (learnt in August I think) was falling apart, and we had an easier one on standby. I gave her a total break on Sunday, and Monday was a bit better. Yesterday, she practised morning and evening, getting better each time, and I filmed her too, to simulate the situation.

Today, I picked her up at lunchtime, and we had to drive quiet a way to the venue. She was scared and asking "what if...", "what if..." all the time. As it turned out, they were running ahead of schedule and she ended up going in early, so not much time to stress about it. Her first piece (the one that had gone pear shaped) was really good, with two tiny slips - she kept going. Her sound was great, but I think that's mostly due to the amazing acoustics of the room. We tuned between the two, as she was going sharp, and the second (3 week old) piece was the best I've heard it. Yay!

She had a good giggle about the sight reading because it was so short. We had no idea of the standard, so she'd been using 5 minutes at home to prepare Grade 3-ish pieces (a whole page). Today, she got 5 minutes to work out one line, and said it was really easy. She's less sure how the unprepared sight reading went, but said it was just as short!

The steward and adjudicator were lovely, and said MiniWaffle was the youngest child they'd seen today.

Before she went in, I told her she could have a treat later. She was pleased and had a think. I thought she'd want a special meal or a trip out... but she wants a certain book, aah! She asked if there would be a treat if she got in. Er, no! I think the treat would be the residential course!!

I'm not sure how we're now meant to forget about the whole thing for two months?! At least I now have a few other mums to hang out and wait with on here!

OP posts:
janet41 · 08/10/2014 21:58

Waffle - that sounds great; giggling is a good sign! Roll on dec :)

Original poster
Wafflenose · 08/10/2014 22:01

Oh, and she has been playing my flute for the past week, and used it today. Guess what... she now prefers it. Funny, that. I'll be hiding it tomorrow!

OP posts:
butterfly2 · 08/10/2014 22:14

Ahh Brilliant!! Looking forward to dec end of Nov to hear thenxx welldone to u guys!!

Ishouldbeweaving · 09/10/2014 08:02

Is that everyone done now? I can't keep my fingers crossed for two months but I hope that everyone gets through the waiting period and gets the happy letter at the end of it. Whether they get in or not the audition experience is a good thing, there will always be auditions and the more you do the less unsettling they are.

I am not good at waiting, DS goes about his life without a second thought and I find myself working out probabilities whilst doing the washing up.