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Extra-curricular activities

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

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Original poster

NCO 2018

991 replies

stringchild · 23/08/2017 19:07

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 :)

OP posts:

Nigglenotes · 26/10/2017 09:32

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!

Nigglenotes · 26/10/2017 09:35

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?

Wafflenose · 26/10/2017 09:35

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.

Trumpetboysmum · 26/10/2017 09:52

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

Doubleup · 27/10/2017 18:57

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

Nigglenotes · 27/10/2017 19:15

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?

Original poster

stringchild · 27/10/2017 19:25

Niggle - sounds great and I am sure they will take into account the Piano (the tuner turning up is a pretty big clue!) Last year we shared an accompanist who had a lot of pupils entered and she regularly pointed out the not do great piano through the two days. Lots still got in

Second audition this weekend for dd

OP posts:

Trumpetboysmum · 27/10/2017 20:14

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

Kutik73 · 27/10/2017 21:23

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.

Minimusiciansmama · 27/10/2017 21:33

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!

Wafflenose · 27/10/2017 22:46

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!

Trumpetboysmum · 27/10/2017 23:51

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

Paulweller11 · 28/10/2017 19:24

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

Minimusiciansmama · 28/10/2017 19:30

Well done miniPauls!!
Is that everyone done now?

Michaelahpurple · 28/10/2017 20:05

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!

Wafflenose · 28/10/2017 22:51

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.

Michaelahpurple · 29/10/2017 06:28

Wafflenose - I have t admit that I have very mixed feelings about his accompaniments having got so far out of my reach - whilst in abstract I would love to know what went on, I don't think I could stand the stress of actually witnessing the performance , let alone participate in it. All that stomach muscle clenching as they reach the tricky run, or dying inside as they yet again miss those dynamics ! I am filled with awe for parents who tackle it.

Does anyone know how many examiners they have at each session? Ds2 is a horn player and was heard by a horn player and another brass player (trombone I think) which seemed awfully convenient (or not, possibly!) but I had a good peek at the list and there were only two other brass players up for that half of the auditions that day, so presumably these people were otherwise assessing strings etc?

schooling123 · 29/10/2017 06:46

( if my DS does not get in to NCO?) What are the regional orchestras ?

Trumpetboysmum · 29/10/2017 07:08

Schooling the regional orchestras meet about once a month and are for all ages who live in an area who are either offered a full NCO or just regionals place . They all prepare for concerts around November time each year. Hi Michael !! Ds also had a bit of a weird time with the sightreading- who knows what they were thinking he was also asked to play to the end - but declined as he hadn't been asked to prepare it. Then he also got some transposition which other under 13 potentials didn't ( he just had an unlucky day I think) he played unaccompanied I can't play piano but could never be in the same room as him at audition I had to stand outside( and also do this for exams) so I can't hear and then stress about things!! At the end of the day it's his performance not mine and I don't want to form my own opinion of how it went if he's happy then that's fine by me ( whether he gets in or not) . I also hate going to watch him perform but can't get out of that one

Michaelahpurple · 29/10/2017 08:58

Totally with you trumpet boy - I give him all the talk about "it is only a school informal concert;it's for experience; just enjoy it" etc and then sit in the audience with heat pouring up and down my body and my nails dig into my hands. How sports parents get through it watching matches weekly I don't know.

Ds2 is in the London regional so we are slugging up to Highgate this afternoon for the penultimate practice before the concert. Having. Spent 13 hours yesterday driving down from north scotland I am dragging my heels a little!

Trumpetboysmum · 29/10/2017 09:55

Enjoy ds missed his last regional rehearsal as he had an AYM course need to remind him to practice before the concert next month - there's no where to hide when you play trumpet it's quite loud and noticeable if you make mistakes !!

Wafflenose · 29/10/2017 11:34

Michael there are two assessors at each venue for the whole day. They write reports and mark performances on their musical merit (they tend not to comment on the ins and outs of technique!) but they are NOT the panel making decisions about who gets in, or not. That is left up to experts in each instrument, who will watch the videos side by side to check the marking is consistent, and make the selections later on.

Michaelahpurple · 29/10/2017 13:20

Ah - that makes sense

Pollymalex104 · 29/10/2017 14:57

Hello everyone, another late-comer here, but very interested to read this thread...mine auditioned yesterday, presumably for Under 13s as he had been in Under 12s last year and is 12. The steward asked him to prepare three lines but was then asked in the audition to go to the end of the piece, at which point he told them he had only been told to prepare the first three lines. He was also given transposition for the unseen sight-reading. Definitely seems to be a common feature...

Trumpetboysmum · 29/10/2017 15:45

Polly hi glad it wasn't just ds then . I'm sure they'll sort it all out when they review the films

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