Just wondered if anyone knows how long before we find out the individual audition times?

Thanks

Nope! But have had notification of a place on the free taster day.

We're feeling less confident about the audition now because of the time being spent on his technique. He could produce his two G5 pieces playing in his "old" style but I don't want that so if he may not sit for it now. In saying that if they know he will be doing a year at the RCM before joining then they may give him the benefit of the doubt. He is currently working on a G5(Galliard), G6(Mozart) and G7(Weissenborn) piece but the focus is on technique so we'll be taking it very slowly. What pieces is Violaboy hoping to do?

Usually not until after the closing date, unless the centre you apply for is full before then. For the last 2 years we've applied in September and have found out times by the end of the month I think. DD wants to wait until after this year's Under 11 course before commiting to apply again (wants to make sure she enjoys it as much as Training Orchestra last year!), but given the reduced fee this time I'll probably put her in soon anyway.

As technique is an ongoing process I wouldn't let that focus prevent him auditioning unless there are other factor that make it bad timing.

Sounds like JMNW is playing some pretty heavy stuff!!!

Violason's teacher is 'thinking about' what pieces would be suitable. He's started him with The Entertainer, but I wonder if that is a bit twee or predictable! But I suppose it does contrast any other piece he may play. I'm not sure if he's also thinking of one of his G5 pieces. DS played La Cumparsita at the school concert last week which he played beautifully and went down very well, but that is a G4 piece!! DS decided against going to the NCO Taster day.

I'm sure that JMNW will be OK with the audition, surely some of the technique problems will have been sorted out by the time he actually started with the NCO anyway? I missed what actually went wrong. Is it that he has a new teacher who disagrees with the technique he's been taught so far? Being so naive and ignorant about these things, we don't know whether DS is being taught the correct technique or not.

Baboon boy has decided on Mozart Concerto in Bb (Andante ma dagio) and Weissenborn Op 8 Vol 2 No. 17. The problem is that he won't have a lesson until he goes to the RCM at the end of September so he I have no idea if he is playing it correctly. That aside I would be keen to understand if the Weissenborn is a suitable audition piece for an orchestra.

DD returned from Under 11s course on Saturday. Concert was out-of-this-world brilliant, showing how hard they worked them all week! She found it a very big step up from the training orchestra, in which they did choir and chamber music as well as orchestral rehearsals and sectionals, and there was a big focus on fun ie one day was 'Wild West' day. This year, however, they had intensive rehearsals all day (8.45 a.m.-7.15 p.m) with the exception of the 2 hr recreational period in the afternoon. Having said that, she LOVED it (and this is a child that usually gets bored after 20 mins practice!), and really wants to go again next year so is fired up to work for the audition. NCO is an amazing, unique experience that really does have a big effect on children.

That's lovely to hear.

Claudia has decided to give it another go too. We would be going for the Under 13s.

Does it get progressively more difficult to get a place as you go up the age groups? I'm thinking that as they get older less children are worried about being away from home as in our case so there may be more applicants?

It certainly seems to be easier to get into the training orchestra than the under 11s- only 4 out of 14 of last year's training orchestra cellos were re-selected for the under 11s and, when she found this out, my DD was surprised that she had got in. However, I think that things even out after that particular jump. What I think may be the case is that after age 11 those children going to music schools or junior college have a big advantage over those who don't. My 2 do not but they are still auditioning for under 12s and main orchestra (will be oldest DDs 1st try, has taken me this long to persuade her!) so we'll see what happens.

Hey Purplesam it sounds like your DD had a fantastic time, I really hope that my DS gets in for next year!

We received our Audition letter last week, so we know when we are aiming for now!! Had a big panic as it looked like neither DH nor myself could take him! AAAAHHHH! But DH managed to jiggle his work around so will be able to take him! Phew!

HELP!!!!

We are having problems deciding on DS' pieces for his NCO audition. He is due to take G5 Viola in December, so we thought that a couple of his exam pieces would be OK. However, none of the G5 pieces are longer than 2m 46 sec, his Teach says that some of the G5 Violin pieces are much longer than this. Anyway, Teach timed one of the pieces we had lined up and it was only 1 min 10 seconds! This sounds too short, but we just don't know.

Then we had a discussion about whether the pieces each needed to be upto 5mins or whether the 5 mins was for both! I seem to recall that it is 5 minutes each, but I'm not sure.

Any advice please?

I don't think it matters if the pieces are shorter as long as they are contrasting in styles, and I think the 5 minutes would be for each piece. Daughter's pieces that she has chosen for this year are about 3 and 4 minutes each (I am guessing - we haven't timed them yet - I hadn't thought to!) If the pieces are too long they will probably stop them playing part way through so they don't run over time, but it's not a problem.

Thanks Horseplay.
Could I ask what instrument your DD plays, what Grade she is and which orchestra she's applying for? Sounds like she's already plays in the NCO?

I double checked the Viola Grade 5 pieces and the longest is actually 2m 53sec, but that's on the ABRSM CD, DS tends to play faster than they do! The longer piece that we suggested to DS tonight, he has played a little before, but he never liked it and now he says that he hates it, so that's probably a nonstarter!

I also found it on the website - the pieces are upto 5 mins each!

It's a bit more important that DS gets onto the NCO as the secondary school which it looks like he'll go to doesn't do much on the music side of things! So we're starting to feel the pressure again!

The length of the pieces you have is absolutely fine. Sight reading needs to be GOOD for NCO. Very good would be even better!

Daughter has played violin in the U11s but thinks she might like to play viola this time round, so is auditioning for the U12s on both instruments She is working for G8 on violin and G7 viola, making final decisions about audition pieces (although knowing her she'll change her mind several times just to freak me out and make me learn more piano accompaniments!).

The lengths of the pieces you have chosen will be fine. I think they are better off playing something that they are comfortable with (and like - so probably not the one that you have suggested to DS if he hates it!) and that shows off their playing, rather than something too difficult that they might run into problems with under pressure. Having said that daughter and teacher have decided that one of her violin audition pieces will be one of the G7 exam pieces that they didn't choose for the exam because it was too difficult, not sure of the logic in that one but I am relying on her changing her mind as usual so won't worry about it yet! I'd like her to play the piece that she got the best marks for at G7, she knows it really well and not much work to do on it, but she says she doesn't want to! The other one is a random Telemann sonata that she loves.
Viola pieces, one is definitely from the G7 syllabus, that's fine, other one might be from the syllabus if she can get to grips with it, or we will fall back on something easier (that she can play in tune )

Sightreading is really important, they are told to play up to a certain point, and further if they want to, but I really don't know if it's important that they continue past the point. Daughter did but she's lucky in that she finds sightreading really easy.

Daughter's new secondary school isn't rumoured to be great on music either, but her favourite part of the NCO is the regionals anyway, which she can continue to do whether she goes for an actual orchestra place or not, so the pressure is off a bit this year.

Good luck with choosing DS's audition pieces - keep us posted!

Violamum- you really don't need to worry! My DS played pieces that were 2 mins and 1 min long last year and got in. Her sightreading was fairly good but not perfect. Also, they were still looking for more viola players in the Spring leading up to the course as they hadn't filled all the places at audition, so your DS has a very good chance!

Thanks Guys!

Starting to feel a bit better about it all now. With a bit of 'encouragement' DH phoned the NCO office and asked their advice. They said exactly what you guys have been saying! Phew!

I think that we've decided to stick with a couple of the G5 pieces that he's doing in his December exam. He has so many other things on at the moment so that suits us really well. NCO did say that the length isn't too important but the contrast is, so we may get him to work harder on, and swap to, his weaker Mozart piece which contrasts better with the both of the other 2.

I didn't realise that you could do the regionals without being in the orchestra - is that when you've already been accepted in a previous year? A friend told me this year that they were short of Violists and that we could 'get him in the back door', but he was only 9 at the time and the short notice of him being away from home etc, was a bit too much for us to want to take on (OK so I didn't want my baby away from me so quickly! ).

His Teacher says that his sight-reading is good and doesn't seem concerned about it at all, but I will get him to practise so that he's more ready. I also heard that they sometimes ask about the composer or background of the pieces, so a quick read on Gossec and Mozart may come in handy too!

Good luck to HorseyGirl When are her auditions?

Glad you are happier about what they are after for audition - best of luck to ViolaBoy - which orchestra is he auditioning for?

The regionals are open to anyone who is a current member of, or has been previously been in one of the orchestras. They are great fun, really good repertoire and my daughter loves them - she would rather do them than the actual courses! Makes we wonder why we are going through the stress (and possible future expense) of auditioning, but she did enjoy the U11 course even through it was a long week and very hard work, and her playing had improved no end by the time the course was finished!

They tend to be short of violists for the Training orchestra, and to a lesser extent the U11s, the older orchestras usually have more applicants, so we will just have to see how it all goes! Will be very glad when it's all over. No definite times or dates through yet but they are mid October, 18th/19th I think.

Daughter had her first day at new school today and came home with her timetable, not much sign of music anywhere on it

Horseplay- our children probably know each other then- my dd is Ariane on cello. Which regional orchestra does yours go to? We haven't managed any the last 2 years because sundays difficult but might try to go this year.

We go to the Easterlies in Cambridge - while it's probably not our closest it's easy for us to get to, and we have family there so a good excuse to see them once a month Lots of friends made there too so daughter wants to carry on with that one. She played in the U11s 1st Violins in 2010, so might not have met Ariane then, U11s was her first year in NCO as she never did the training orchestra. Now they've changed the age cut off date she will be going for the U12s for 2012 (if she doesn't change her mind!) Which regionals would you go to?

Just got our audition times through - we asked for violin first mid-afternoon then viola later afternoon so that she could have a gap and get into "viola mode". We only have a one audition slot time between them, not quite what we had in mind! Means she will come straight out of violin audition and straight into warm up for viola - wondering if I need to contact the office and ask if they can give us more of a break?!

Cambridge is our nearest one so might see you there if we can manage to get there! Not sure which balls will fall this term when we try to juggle starting secondary school and keeping up ballet, tap, modern, gym, guides, cello, music theory and the youth football team... (and that's just one child of my 3...)

That sounds busy, especially if that's only one child!! I struggle with 2, you know the setup, various music lessons at different ends of the county, rehearsals etc etc, and chauffering about for son's social life (which is going to be put on hold as it is final A Level year, and conservatoire auditions are fast approaching so he is going to have to do some work! Daughter's new secondary school this term should actually make things a little easier as the two schools are closer together and finish 10 mins apart, couldn't have timetabled it better myself! and then we can get to Tuesday orchestra on time for a change - result! etc. Just a bit worried about the amount of hw they are rumoured to get so will wait and see - think we might have to become very very organised to get everything done!
Hope you manage to make it to the regionals and might see you there!

We're struggling to pick a second audition piece. The first is baroque and slow so ideally I guess we want something modern and upbeat but we everything Claudia wants to play is also slow albeit from either the romantic period or 20th century. Would a contrast in style be sufficient or do we need to find a fast piece?

Could we pick a second movement from the baroque sonata which goes at a fast pace and still have the two movements count as one piece do you think? The two movements come to about four and a half minutes together. And then pick a romantic piece as well? Or would they count this as three pieces?

It's so difficult choosing - gives us no end of stress! I think it would OK to pick contrasting movements from the Baroque sonata, and they would count as two contrasting pieces. Sure I read somewhere 2 contrasting pieces, OR 2 contrasting movements.

Thanks for that Horseplay. It's going to be stressful this time as Claudia wasn't bothered either way last time two years ago (and didn't get in because of poor technique which we hope has now been resolved) but really desperately wants to get in this time.

Best of luck to Claudia with her audition, hope she gets in. The whole thing is stressful! It's a bit scary how many very very good young violinists there are, there is a serious amount of competition. Daughter now can't decide if she really wants to audition on both instruments as she says she would rather play violin, and suspects that if (IF) she does get offered a place, it would be on viola, even if her violin had been equally good. Not quite sure what to do, but for now we'll probably carry on preparing for both.

Thanks Horseplay. Good luck to juniorhorseplay too.

Yes, we know so many good violinists too but I'm guessing it's even more competitive on flute and clarinet?

Good plan to do violin and viola - we don't have that option unfortunately - but you are bound to get selected for viola even if they would offer you violin as well, given their relative scarcity?

You mentioned the change in cut off for age? How has it changed and will it make it better or worse for which birth months?

There was an interesting article in the Times yesterday about how September to December born children do much better in school and sport because they have more months practice although it evens out by age 18. Music wasn't mentioned but I am guessing this organisation doesn't use the 1 September cut off as well?

The new cutoff date is 31st December. Daughter's birthday is January when she will be 12, and the new date means that she goes for U12s instead of U13's. Means that those with or Jan/Feb/March birthdays get an extra year!

Yes, must be ultra competitive for those instruments with fewer places!

Has everyone sorted out their pieces yet? How's everyone getting on?

We thought that we had ours sorted, but it would appear that Teacher was still worrying about the length so suggested a Concerto by Rieding which he recalls playing at about DS' age! Anyway, we'd also listened to the G5 pieces on the CD and had come up with another piece, which DS was happy to have a go at. With only 4 weeks to the audition I was getting very tense about starting new pieces and not deciding yet. But at the last lesson teacher decided to go with the new G5 piece (at least that gives DS another option for his exam in December!).

Not sure which of the other pieces it will be though - both his List A and C pieces sound very good!

Now got to get him going on his sight reading practise! All on top of the 11+ work, which that tutor has increased significantly - that one is 9 weeks away!!! Aaaahhhhhh

The summer hols seem so far away already

Still stuck on second piece. Not seen the teacher for 2 months now!

Us too! We have definites for the faster pieces for both viola and violin, but undecided on 2nd contrasting pieces. I think the ones that daughter and teacher have sort of settled on are too difficult, I would rather she played something a bit easier but what do I know - I am just the parent, albeit the parent who has to play the piano accompaniment!

You've just reminded me that we have no accompanist either. Can't decide whether to go unaccompanied or try to hire a proper accompanist.......

The baroque piece will be fine unaccompanied but whatever else we choose probably won't.

I was toying with the idea of doing it myself but an unfamiliar piano would just freak me out totally and I am sure it would just go horribly wrong!

Did not mention that have finally persuaded older daughter to apply for Main orchestra as will be the last year she can; she remains unconvinced that music can be a fun social activity as at her school only the 'geeks' go to the music ensembles (in her eyes) but I'm hoping that this would change if she did NCO. Ironically she agreed to audition if I let her miss lunchtime orchestra this year... You would think that her sister's wonderful NCO experiences of the last 2 years would help, but she doesn't think her sister is particularly 'cool' either so it doesn't!!!!

On a different note, have asked daughter's piano teacher to play accompaniments but the fast piece she has chosen has a piano part suited only to a concert pianist; piano teacher very keen to play for her audition but not sure if she can manage it the part; do you think that simplifying the awful bits is fine for audition purposes?

Good luck to both, and I am sure that simplifying the awful piano accompaniment bits is acceptable - I certainly hope so as that is what I will be doing, and I quite often do it in exams etc too! Daughter plays one of the pieces so fast I will be unable to keep up otherwise, as long as the main parts are in there it is fine, after all they are listening mainly to the child and hopefully not the accompanist!

We have decided to go without an accompanist! I think I read somewhere that 50% were accompanied, so it shouldn't make much difference!! The accompanist we have used for exams is wonderful, but very busy and I'd rather let him play unaccompanied rather than try to find someone he's not used to.

That was part of the problem with choosing pieces, Teacher wanted DS to play The Entertainer, but there are huge piano sections. So that was a no go!!

At a recent concert one girl was accompanied by her father (who is a music teacher), but he didn't seem to listen to her and they ended up playing separately! On the other hand, another dad accompanied his step-daughter and he paid very close attention to her so when she went a bit wrong he was able to adjust to her perfectly! I imagine accompanying children is VERY hard!

LOL! Lucky we haven't got to that stage yet but I'm sure it will come!

It is - very hard! The only way I am happy to do it is if I know the piece really well, i.e. have practised it "ad nauseum and then some"!

Not sure how DS audition is going to go now. He's just got a new bassoon and has been boarding for three weeks so hasn't picked it up. He learnt his pieces on the rental bassoon and this one is standard length with more buttony thingys. He can only see a teacher twice in the run up so I'm not hopeful now. He's going to play Telemann sonata in F minor second movement and Mozart in Bb second movement. I haven't even timed him so they may be out!

Nice to see you back, MNW

I've abbreviated my name and my effusiveness!

Sure he will be fine, whatever happens it is good experience! (ps - nice to have you back!)

Don't be too sure - your child may end up being one of the music geeks who couldn't care less what the others think of them because they like music so much.

Indeed, oh yay, oh yay! Does this mean bassoons will get serious numbers of mentions again?



Not the latter, please, I need some lightness in my life

Some of them go to college and end up hanging out with a bunch of other musical geeks and having great fun jamming with them. The fact they are all lads from the year above doesn't seem to bother any of them

I bet she's picking up more admirers without even realising it

Not sure she would notice. Only music geeks need apply

Musicstand just said to me: "there is no such thing as music geeks, music is the coolest thing there is".

Haha, I think you may be right, she probably is one of the geeks!

geekNoun/gēk/
1. An unfashionable or socially inept person.
2. A person with an eccentric devotion to a particular interest: "a computer geek".

Definitely not a 1. but most probably a 2!

DS came home from school a while ago and said that he thought the other boys thought he was a Geek, but he didn't seem bothered. I'm not sure whether he meant a Musical Geek or just an all-round-general-geek!!!

Anyway, with 3 weeks to the audition we have now decided on his 2 pieces, Berceuse by Frank Bridge and Tambourin by Gossec!!! Both are sounding pretty good (esp since he only started Berceuse a couple of weeks ago). This evening I started going on at him to start doing some Sight-reading, he told me he had his S-R book in his bag. About 40 minutes later after not hearing any S-R, but lots of the pieces he likes, he told me he couldn't find the book!!!

Anyone bought their tickets for the NCO Christmas Concert at Queen Liz Hall? We're going to the afternoon one, U13s I think! DH took DS to the Night at the Proms at Richmond last week and he loved it. This weekend we're off to see Grimethorpe Colliery Band at Richmond too!!! I hope I don't cry - reminding me of home! Eeee when I wur a lass.....