NCO 2018

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The new annual thread for those interested and/or auditioning! Ask questions, update your news - lots of nco parents on board and those hoping to be :)

I hope she goes well.

What are her instruments Waffle?

Clarinet and cello. I think it's a formality tbh... they have pretty much said they'd love to have her.

In case anyone surfs on in to page 10... we were talking about SWMS then, not the NCO! Different kettle of fish entirely!!

My smallest is a cellist too 😊

Aww, how old? Rara is 9 and has a half size cello, which is a little bit big. She started on a 1/8 when she was nearly 6. Clarinet replaced recorder a year ago, and she has just started working on her grade 3.

Mines 7, she got her cello for her 6th Birthday, so has been going about 18 months now. We have a few temperament challenges, so things aren’t as easy as with big sis (although she’s arguably more talented...). Will be taking G2 at Christmas 😊

So, audition is now imminent, and DD has practised twice in last two weeks. She has barely played at all since July, when she had her grading.
Any ideas to get her back into it? I'm not too worried if she doesn't make NCO, she's done it before, and loved it. But it's more the loss of the love of music that she had previously.
She's not even a teenager yet...

Would taking her to a really fun concert, or signing her up for an exciting workshop help to get some enthusiasm back maybe??

That's a bit sad Eroica but not unlike Goo this year (she is 12 next week). She played for about 50 hours at NCO, then gave herself a few days off, then we went on holiday, then she went to my mum's etc. She's only just getting back into the swing, two months later, and that's because she had a sudden realisation (this morning!) that she needs to pull her finger out if she wants to get back in.

I would recommend some fun playalong books such as the Guest Spot series, or duets if she has a friend/ sibling/ parent who can play an instrument with her. Also, the concert suggestion is very good, and setting some short- and longer-term goals.

Ooh, and Christmas music?

Even at 10 my DD is still very reward focussed, so when she’s going through a bad patch I tend to up the stakes a bit. We do still use reward charts (although they are more sophisticated these days with mini- rewards at certain milestones and big ones at the end - perhaps a trip to See a musical). It could just be she’s gotten out of the routine and is enjoying the extra time she finds she has? I’m sure if you can find a way to get the routine back, the love and enthusiasm would return. Noo professes regularly that she wants to be a musician but HATES practice. Even though she knows one won’t come without the other... I can almost see the turmoil inside her little head! We’re having a rest this week as audition was Tuesday - I know next week will be hell on earth when the hard work starts again!!! So it’ll be double rewards next week...

Hehe, Goo and Noo! Love it.

😊😊😊

And mine, I swear, has the nickname Moo.

😂

Mini mine also answers to Moo!

And my younger DD used to be Boo!

Mine is also a Moo! (Moomin)
Well, it went better than I thought it would, I think it helped that the centre is somewhere she knows really well, as she goes there weekly
She did say the mess up last year (couldn't get a local audition, had an awful drive, 100 mile round trip, and it just threw her badly) had put her off. Despite being extremely stressed and anxious this morning, after a day at school she was relaxed and happy and was calm for the audition.
Just need to rekindle the music love now. She's in a new ensemble now she's switched schools, which she really enjoys... it's just trying to get back in the swing of practice when she has so little time that isn't taken by sports training or homework.

We've never had to push practising, it's something she's always just got on with.

Well done eroicamoo!

Thank you!

I'm glad it went so well!

My Goo is short for Kajagoogoo. Her nickname used to be Kaj, and it sort of grew from there...

Did she have Lamaal's spiky, fluffy hair as a baby then Waffle? Better than coming from Mr McGoo.

Just got back from DD2's run through with her accompanist before next Saturday's audition. Everything is suddenly coming together with tone, dynamics, cues etc. It was sounding lovely. Hope she can get the same out of it next week.... Must remind her to blow her crook out between pieces though as it can get a build up of water which then makes a strange intermittent bubbling sound. Must check and see if I can get the accompanist to remind her. Is that allowed?

Yep, that's allowed... she can do what she likes. I changed reeds during my diploma exam (planned).

Lol at Lamaal... no, her nickname came from her initials.

Goo is about to change piece for NCO. The safer one she now wants hasn't been played at all since June, or regularly since March. I am not athe all surprised. This is her usual style.

Waffle - dd also changed pieces last night to something old; also not a surprise. Not sure that she is going to do both auditions - last night she def wasn't.....