Unit 1: Organisation of music

In this unit students explore and develop their understanding of how music is organised. By performing, creating, analysing and responding to music works that exhibit different approaches, students explore and develop their understanding of the possibilities of musical organisation.

They prepare and perform ensemble and/or solo musical works to develop technical control, expression and stylistic understanding on their chosen instrument/sound source. At least two works should be associated with their study of approaches to music organisation. They create (arrange, compose or improvise) short music exercises that reflect their understanding of the organisation of music and the processes they have studied.

They develop knowledge of music language concepts as they analyse and respond to a range of music, becoming familiar with the ways music creators treat elements of music and concepts and use compositional devices to create works that communicate their ideas.

Area of Study 1
Performing
In this area of study, students focus on practical music-making and performance skills by preparing and performing solo and ensemble works, one of which should be associated with a music approach studied in Area of Study 3. They develop their individual instrumental and musicianship skills through regular practice and develop group skills through rehearsal and performance with other musicians.

They perform and demonstrate technical skills specific to an instrument or sound source of their own choosing. Students may present on a variety of instruments and/or sound sources, and also sing as part of their program.

Area of Study 2
Creating
In this area of study, students create a folio of brief creative responses. At least one exercise should demonstrate their understanding of musical organisation and characteristics of at least one work selected for study in Area of Study 3. They develop appropriate methods of recording and preserving their music. Students reflect on their creative organisation by documenting their approach to creating the music, and identifying and describing their use of music elements, concepts and compositional devices.

Area of Study 3
Analysing and responding
Students analyse the treatment of specific music elements, concepts and compositional devices in music that have been created using different approaches to musical organisation. They develop skills in identifying how music is organised and the components of this organisation. They develop skills in aural analysis and respond to a range of excerpts in different styles and traditions. They develop their auditory discrimination and memory skills through identifying, recreating and documenting music language concepts, for example chords, scales, melodic and rhythmic patterns.

Unit 2: Effect in Music

In this unit, students focus on the way music can be used to create an intended effect. By performing, analysing and responding to music works/examples that create different effects, students explore and develop their understanding of the possibilities of how effect can be created. Through creating their own music, they reflect this exploration and understanding.

Students prepare and perform ensemble and/or solo musical works to develop technical control, expression and stylistic understanding using their chosen instrument/sound source. They should perform at least one work to convey a specified effect and demonstrate this in performance.

They create (arrange, compose or improvise) short music exercises that reflect their understanding of the organisation of music and the processes they have studied.

As they analyse and respond to a wide range of music, they become familiar with the ways music creators treat elements and concepts of music and use compositional devices to create works that communicate their ideas. They continue to develop their understanding of common musical language concepts by identifying, recreating and notating these concepts.

Area of Study 1
Performing
In this area of study, students prepare and perform solo and group works, one of which should demonstrate their understanding of effect in music. They convey meaning and/or emotion to an audience through practical music-making and further development of performance skills.

They develop their individual instrumental and musicianship skills through regular practice and develop group skills through rehearsal and performance with other musicians.

They perform and demonstrate technical skills specific to an instrument or sound source of their own choosing. Students may present on a variety of instruments and/or sound sources, and also sing as part of their program.

Area of Study 2
Creating
In this area of study, students assemble a folio of brief responses using a variety of sound sources demonstrating their understanding of the possibilities of creating effect in music. They develop appropriate methods of recording and preserving their music. Students reflect on their responses by documenting their approach to creating effect in their music, and identifying and describing their use of music elements, concepts and compositional devices.

Area of Study 3
Analysing and responding
In this area of study, students develop skills in analysing how effect can be created in music and how the treatment of elements of music, concepts and compositional devices contribute to this effect. They respond to a range of excerpts in different styles and traditions, building understanding of how effect is realised. They continue to develop their auditory discrimination and memory skills through identifying, recreating and recording common musical language concepts and their effect, for example chords, scales and melodic and rhythmic patterns.

Unit 3

In this unit students begin developing the program they will present in Unit 4. Students should refer to the examination specifications to make sure that the works selected allow them to best meet the requirements and conditions of this task. They use music analysis skills to refine strategies for developing their performances.

Students analyse interpretation in a wide range of recorded music, responding to and analysing music elements, concepts, compositional devices and music language. Students also learn how to recognise and recreate music language concepts such as scales, melodies, chords, harmony and rhythmic materials that relate to contemporary music.

Area of Study 1
Performing
In this area of study, students perform regularly in a variety of contexts and use these performances to explore and build on ways of developing technical skills and interpretation approaches relevant to the style(s) of the selected works. They investigate the possibilities of exhibiting personal voice by reimagining at least one existing work.

Students develop their individual musicianship skills through regular practice and develop group skills through rehearsal and performance with other musicians.

Area of Study 2
Analysing for performance
In this area of study, students focus on the processes of analysis and practices that they undertake to develop their performances. This includes investigating how interpretation and a sense of personal voice may be developed in performance. Research materials may include musical scores, recordings and live performances, texts, digital sources and critical discussion with other musicians.

As students develop strategies for practice and performance, they trial the use of a wide range of techniques and instrument-specific conventions. Students analyse the strengths and weaknesses in their performance capabilities and develop a planned approach to address challenges.

Students investigate and implement approaches for developing a command of their instrument, presentation skills and strategies for reimagining an existing work.

Students prepare for a school-assessed dialogue with their teacher. Through discussion and performance, students demonstrate a selection of practice strategies. This task should focus on approximately half of the program of works being prepared in Area of Study 1 for the performance examination.

Area of Study 3
Responding
In this area of study, students develop their understanding of the ways elements of music, concepts and compositional devices can be interpreted and/or manipulated in contemporary performance. They demonstrate this knowledge through aural analysis and comparison of the ways in which different performers have interpreted and/or reimagined works in performance.

They develop their auditory discrimination and memory skills in relation to the works they hear by identifying and re-creating music language concepts related to contemporary performance. They use documentation to transcribe these concepts as appropriate to genre/style.

Unit 4

Students continue to work towards building a performance program they will present at their end-of-year examination in line with their Statement of Intent. The program will contain at least one performance that is a reimagined version of an existing work and an original work created by an Australian artist since 1990.

Students continue to study the work of other performers and their approaches to interpretation and personal voice in performing music works. They refine selected strategies to optimise their own approach to performance.

Students further develop strategies to address the technical, expressive and stylistic challenges relevant to works they are preparing for performance.

Students listen and respond to a further range of recorded music by a variety of performers in contemporary styles. They continue to study music language concepts that relate to contemporary music.

Area of Study 1
Performing
In this area of study, students perform regularly in a variety of contexts and use these performances to consolidate their development of technical skills and interpretation approaches relevant to the style(s) of the selected works. They consolidate their approach to reimagining an existing work in performance.

Across Unit 4, students must select a program of works for external assessment, using the performance examination specifications. One of the performed works will be a reimagining of an existing work, and the other will be an original work created by an Australian artist since 1990.

Area of Study 2
Analysing for performance
In this area of study, students continue to focus on the processes of analysis and practices that they undertake to develop their performances, including approaches to reimagining an existing work. Students refine their understanding of how a sense of personal voice may be achieved in performance.

As students develop strategies for practice and performance, they trial the use of a wide range of techniques and instrument-specific conventions. Students analyse the strengths and weaknesses in their performance capabilities and develop a planned approach to address challenges.

Students investigate and implement approaches for developing a command of their instrument, presentation skills and reimagining techniques.

This task should focus on approximately half of the program of works which were not covered by Unit 3, Outcome 2.

Area of Study 3
Responding
In this area of study, students continue to develop their understanding of the ways elements of music, concepts and compositional devices can be interpreted and/or manipulated in contemporary performance. They demonstrate this knowledge through aural analysis and comparison of the ways in which different performers have interpreted and/or reimagined works in performance.

Students continue to develop their auditory discrimination and memory skills in relation to the works they study, identifying music language concepts related to contemporary performance and using appropriate documentation conventions.