All students should have the opportunity to develop their musical abilities and potential. As an art form, music pervades society and occupies a significant place in world cultures and in the oral and recorded history of all civilisations. Music plays important roles in the social, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual lives of people. At an individual level, music is a medium of personal expression. It enables the sharing of ideas, feelings and experiences. The nature of musical study also allows students to develop their capacity to manage their own learning, engage in problem-solving, work collaboratively and engage in activity that reflects the real world practice of performers, composers and audiences.
What do students learn about?
In both the Mandatory and Elective courses, students study three interrelated focus areas: Performing, Composing and Listening. Within the three focus areas, teaching and learning is organised into three content groups: Music in Practice, Music in Context, and the Musical Elements. Music in Practice refers to the active application of knowledge and skills across the three focus areas, whilst Music in Context relates to the contextual 'settings' of music. The Elements of Music (Structure, Pitch, Duration, Texture, Performing Media & Timbre, and Dynamics & Expression) are used to communicate musical ideas in the three focus areas.
The Mandatory course requires students to work in a broad range of musical contexts, including an exposure to art music and music that represents the diversity of Australian culture. The new Elective course requires the study of the compulsory topics: Australian Music, Art Music, Jazz, Popular Music, and Global Music Culture as well as a number of other topics that represent a broad range of musical styles, periods and genres. In Stage 5 Music students also complete a depth study for 8-10 hours of class time by studying in a focus area of their particular interest (either Performing, Composing or Listening).
In Music, students learn to perform music in a range of musical contexts, to compose music that represents the topics they have studied and to listen with discrimination, meaning and appreciation of a broad range of musical styles.
If you enjoy playing, composing, and listening to music then this is the course for you. You do not have to be a great musician for this course, but you do need to be willing to be fully involved in classroom activities including exploring music of different styles and be prepared to learn to read music.
Topics:
Year 9
Year 10
Jazz
Nineteenth-century Music
Australian Music
Rock Music
Other details
Reading music will help you to complete the course, but it is not essential. You will learn how to read and notate musical pitch, rhythms and dynamics during the music course.
Do I need to have private lessons? No, but everyone completing music has to nominate an instrument to perform on in the classroom, for example; marimba, xylophone, ukulele, guitar, bass guitar etc. Voice is also regarded as an instrument.
You must be prepared to ‘have a go’ in classroom activities on an instrument.
School music is designed to develop different areas to those developed in private music lessons.
Even if you are doing 7th Grade Piano you will still learn new skills in elective music, and it will help you become a more skilled musician on your chosen instrument.
Studying music helps you to speak a language that everyone understands.
Performing music with others gives you skills in group/team work.
Research shows that studying music helps both maths and literacy development.
