Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

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

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:
CoffeeTeaChocholate · 11/12/2017 17:12

Guess that's all for today....?

CoffeeTeaChocholate · 11/12/2017 17:15

Our posts crossed Niggle.... ok, back to laundry and dinner and start over tomorrow morning

WindMum · 11/12/2017 17:19

DDs friend just texted to say she didn't make U12s and she was in U11s last year (violin). There are no guarantees for any of the DC.

Floottoot · 11/12/2017 17:26

Commiserations, Sunset but well done to your DS for good feed back. Vibrato etc will come with time, so fingers crossed for him for next year.

Nigglenotes · 11/12/2017 17:41

Just counting the number of years, as DD is only just 10, we will have to survive this pre-Christmas drama... not easy being the parent of a musical mini; but at least, Kutik, we get to keep our feet warm and don't have to brave the elements for match days!

Nigglenotes · 11/12/2017 17:45

Windmum, I heard that it can get harder at the higher age bands as the children who have gone off to specialist music schools in Year 7 can have an impact.

TrumpetVoluntary · 11/12/2017 19:06

Sorry to see your DS didn’t get in Sunset. Good feedback though!
No news here. Hope not too many more days to wait.

Musicdoc · 11/12/2017 19:47

Sorry to hear that floot and sunset. But great feedback Smile Out of interest, with such good feedback were either of them offered associate membership?

WindMum · 11/12/2017 22:38

Niggle - I've also heard that there are some children who don't audition until they are older as they/their families don't want younger ones on residential courses. Not sure how true that is though.

It's all a bit different this year though because of the age banding changing and some children repeating an orchestra (potentially) so there are less spaces than usual for all the previous members to move up.

Original poster
stringchild · 11/12/2017 22:43

WindMum - yes the age band changes will impact some sections/orchestras, plus the larger number of applicants

i guess most of us will hear tomorrow and weds given the message updates, so good luck to those dc waiting

OP posts:
CoffeeTeaChocholate · 12/12/2017 07:04

Good morning, and good luck today everyone! A couple of questions for the experienced parents, if my DD is 8, turning 9 in February, which orchestra is she auditioning for (I think the training orchestra). But next year, which orchestra is it then? Sorry, the age banding suddenly got me terribly confused 🤷‍♀️

Piperdrum · 12/12/2017 07:21

Training, unless your DD is a wind player, then under 10s as training just strings.

CoffeeTeaChocholate · 12/12/2017 07:43

Thank you piper, so for a violinist, she is competing against older children this year? Hmmm.... remote chance just got smaller I think!

Original poster
stringchild · 12/12/2017 07:49

Coffee - i think Training as she is a violin?

OP posts:
CoffeeTeaChocholate · 12/12/2017 07:55

Thank you string, I think you are right. This is so confusing! Fingers crossed for today everyone!

Wafflenose · 12/12/2017 08:01

String players in years 2-4 go into training. Year 5 would be Under 10s.

Eroica · 12/12/2017 08:03

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

Floot and sunset- commiserations Flowers 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!)

violinistmum · 12/12/2017 08:22

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.

ChocolateFryingPan · 12/12/2017 08:44

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

bassclef · 12/12/2017 08:48

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.

Original poster
stringchild · 12/12/2017 09:04

Chocolate - sounds like DS did really well after 2years of playing; i am surer wise people will be along re sight-reading

OP posts:
SunsetBoulevard · 12/12/2017 09:11

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. Smile

CoffeeTeaChocholate · 12/12/2017 09:12

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...

Doubleup · 12/12/2017 09:16

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?

CoffeeTeaChocholate · 12/12/2017 09:18

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?