Music Performance

Learning Area Leader: Mr Hambly

Students who wish to study Music Performance may need to undertake an audition. It is assumed that students would enter this subject with an ability to read notated music and have completed 4-5 years formal tuition on the main instrument/voice.

Career Paths / Future Directions:

Education, Music Industry, Music Performance, Music Therapy

Units 1 and 2 – Music Performance (Code: MUSP11, MUSP22)

Description

Studies in Music Performance are designed to develop the technical, musicianship and performance skills of instrumentalists. Students present performances of selected group and solo music works. They study the work of other performers and refine selected strategies to optimize their won approach to performance. They identify technical, expressive and stylistic challenges relevant to works they are preparing for performance and devise methods to address these challenges. Students develop their listening, aural, singing, theoretical and analytical musicianship skills and apply this knowledge when preparing and presenting performances

For Unit 1 and 2 students please note

For performance, students select, in conjunction with instrumental and classroom teachers, solo and ensemble works. The works should include a range of technical, stylistic and interpretative demands.

• Prepared Performances (Repertoire presented in Unit 2 for assessment should be different from Unit 1)

• Preparing for Performance (technical work) presentation

• Music Language test (Theory, Aural and Analysis)

• Practical Aural Assessment

• Composition Work (Unit 2)

Units 3 and 4 – Music Performance (Code: MUSP33/44)

Description

Unit 3 focuses on building and refining performance and musicianship skills, while unit 4 focusses on further development and refinement of performance and musicianship skills. Students focus on either group or solo performance and begin preparation of a performance program they will present in the end-of–year examination (external). Students will identify the technical, expressive and stylistic challenges relevant to the works they are preparing for performance, and construct methods to address these challenges. Students also develop their listening, aural, theoretical and analytical musicianship skills and apply this knowledge when preparing and presenting performances.

There are three outcomes each semester unit

1. Performance: prepare and perform informed interpretations in a program of group and solo works, and demonstrate a diverse range of techniques, expressive qualities and understanding of a wide range of music styles and performance conventions.

2. Performance Technique: demonstrate and discuss techniques relevant to refining the performance of selected works.

3. Music Language: identify, re-create, notate and transcribe short excerpts of music, and discuss the interpretation of expressive elements of music in pre-recorded works.

Assessment

• Preparing for performance (Technical Presentation)

• Musicianship (Theory, aural and analysis) examination

• Practical Aural assessment

• Group and Solo Performance

For Unit 3 and 4 students please note

For performance, students select, in conjunction with instrumental and classroom teachers, solo and ensemble works. The works should include a range of technical, stylistic and interpretative demands. Students who elect to present their final program as a soloist, must select their program from the Units 3 and 4 Prescribed List of Notated Works for their instrument. Students who elect to present their final program as a group player must include within their program a minimum of two pieces from the Units 3 and 4 List of Group Pieces. These lists are published annually by VCAA on its website, www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies.html.