Subject description

Stage 1 Music (Music Experience and Music Advanced) is a 10‑credit subject or a 20‑credit subject. At Stage 2, Music Studies and Music Explorations are 20‑credit subjects, and Music Performance — Ensemble and Music Performance — Solo are 10‑credit subjects.

Music is a creative and expressive response to experiences and feelings, using sound as a medium. Music is the systematic organisation of sound patterns that have the potential to transform perceptions, emotions, and thoughts.

The study of music enables students to appreciate the world in unique ways, through aesthetic treatments of sound across cultures, times, places, and contexts. It forms a vital part of the transmission of histories, knowledge, and stories among generations.

Through synthesising and applying their understanding of musical elements, students learn to manipulate sound and create musical works that express their ideas and emotions.

Students develop their critical and creative thinking, and their aesthetic appreciation of music, through exploring and responding to the music of others, and refining and presenting performances and/or compositions. These performances and/or compositions may include original works and/or presentations or arrangements of existing compositions.

Students experiment with, explore, and manipulate musical elements to learn the art of constructing and deconstructing music. They develop and extend their musical literacy and skills through understanding the structural and stylistic features and conventions of music, expressing their musical ideas, and reflecting on and critiquing their learning in music.

Through their learning, students engage with, gain insights into, and are inspired by the transformative powers of music.

Capabilities

The capabilities connect student learning within and across subjects in a range of contexts.

The SACE identifies seven capabilities.

Literacy

In this subject students extend and apply their literacy capability by, for example:

• applying their knowledge and understanding of the use of musical elements, including musical conventions and styles, to create and refine their musical works
• developing their musical literacy through responding to and discussing their own and others’ works
• refining their aural perception and notation skills to identify and apply musical elements in creating and responding to music
• understanding the characteristics of musical styles, structures, and techniques to inform the processes they use to create performances or compositions
• analysing, discussing, and manipulating musical elements to create musical works, respond to the works of others, and extend their musical literacy
• commenting on how their understanding of the style, structure, and conventions of the repertoire informs their performance
• extending their understanding of music theory, conventions, and skills in score reading
• understanding and incorporating appropriate terminology in their discussions and responses.

Numeracy

In this subject students extend and apply their numeracy capability by, for example:

• understanding, analysing, and using numbers, patterns, and relationships in a musical context
• understanding the relationship of standard and graphic notation to sound
• exploring and applying musical conventions in their creative works
• applying their understanding of the measurements of duration, pitch, volume, and tempo
• using measurement to quantify intervals, chords, scales, beat, and rhythm.

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

In this subject students extend and apply their information and communication technology (ICT) capability by, for example:

• performing, creating, and recreating music using audio and MIDI recordings
• creating and performing music using technology and found sounds
• notating music using software programs
• exploring and experimenting with sources of music and sound production, and ways of making and recording music
• using digital technologies in timing, sequencing, synchronising, experimenting with, and recording the creation and/or performance of musical works.

Critical and creative thinking

In this subject students extend and apply their critical and creative thinking capability by, for example:

• thinking critically and creatively about the nature and scope of creating and performing music
• applying their understanding of the nature and scope of music to make innovative choices in developing their own creative works
• expressing their ideas creatively through performances and/or compositions
• expressing their ideas critically in responding to their own creations and those of others
• synthesising musical understanding, skills, and techniques
• critiquing strategies for improving and refining their musical skills, technique, and accuracy
• using initiative in collaborating with other musicians
• applying their understanding of musical elements to deconstruct, analyse, and discuss how composers manipulate musical elements
• exploring and experimenting with how music is made.

Personal and social capability

In this subject students extend and apply their personal and social capability by, for example:

• enriching their aesthetic appreciation of music
• collaborating with others to perform music
• reflecting on the appropriateness of their creative works to the intended purpose and context
• reflecting on learning and feedback in making refinements to their creative works
• reflecting on live music performances
• reflecting on and critiquing their own performances or compositions and those of other students
• refining their skills and understanding of their creative works to build confidence through diverse opportunities to practise and perform, and experiment and create
• being responsive to other musicians
• understanding and appreciating the aesthetic, stylistic, and technical dimensions of creating music
• exploring how the music of others influences their experimentation with music.

Ethical understanding

In this subject students extend and apply their ethical understanding capability by, for example:

• understanding the appropriate use of recorded works and compositions
• respecting the intellectual property rights of composers and performers
• considering ethical strategies for working with individuals and groups
• presenting the creative works of others with integrity
• respecting the composer’s intent when interpreting music
• discussing and evaluating the ethical issues surrounding recording and the use of recorded works
• increasing their critical understanding of the appropriate and ethical uses of digital technologies.

Intercultural understanding

In this subject students extend and apply their intercultural understanding capability by, for example:

• understanding and appreciating that all music is a form of cultural expression
• exploring, analysing, and interpreting genres, styles, and influences in music across times, locations, and cultures
• exploring, discussing, and evaluating how music from different cultures influences their own creations
• understanding and discussing the function of music in social and cultural contexts
• identifying and analysing intercultural influences in music
• interpreting and applying a variety of notations from different cultures and traditions.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures, and perspectives

In partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and schools and school sectors, the SACE Board of South Australia supports the development of high-quality learning and assessment design that respects the diverse knowledge, cultures, and perspectives of Indigenous Australians.

The SACE Board encourages teachers to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives in the design, delivery, and assessment of teaching and learning programs by:

• providing opportunities in SACE subjects for students to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and contemporary experiences
• recognising and respecting the significant contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian society
• drawing students’ attention to the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and perspectives from the past and the present
• promoting the use of culturally appropriate protocols when engaging with and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.  

Learning requirements

The learning requirements summarise the knowledge, skills, and understanding that students are expected to develop and demonstrate through their learning in Stage 1 Music.

In this subject, students are expected to:

1. develop and apply knowledge and understanding of musical elements
2. explore and apply musical skills and techniques in developing, refining, and presenting creative works
3. develop musical literacy skills
4. analyse, discuss, and interpret musical works and styles
5. communicate musical ideas
6. reflect on own learning in music.

Notes: For the purposes of this subject, ‘presenting’ refers to performing and/or composing music. Compositions may be original works or arrangements that are represented in notation or digital audio format. A performer is an instrumentalist and/or a vocalist. A composer is a generator of original compositions or an arranger of existing compositions.

Content

Stage 1 Music is a 10‑credit subject or a 20‑credit subject.

A diverse range of music programs may be designed to cater for student interests, backgrounds, and possible future studies in Music.

Students are able to enrol in Stage 1 Music Experience and Stage 1 Music Advanced. These programs should be planned to encourage the sequential development of musical knowledge, understanding, and skills.

Music Experience programs are designed for students with emerging musical skills and provide opportunities for students to develop their musical understanding and skills in creating and responding to music. Music Experience programs provide pathways to Stage 2 Music Performance — Ensemble, Music Performance — Solo, and/or Music Explorations.

Music Advanced programs are designed to extend students’ existing musical understanding and skills in creating and responding to music. They provide pathways to Stage 2 Music Studies, Music Performance — Ensemble, Music Performance — Solo, and/or Music Explorations.

Music Experience and Music Advanced programs may be taught concurrently to accommodate the range of musical experience across the student cohort.

The subject consists of the following strands:

• understanding music
• creating music
• responding to music.

The strands are interconnected and are not intended to be taught independently. Students develop an understanding of the elements of music and apply this understanding to create their own music as performances, arrangements, or compositions. They develop their musical literacy through responding to and reflecting on their own and others’ musical works.

Understanding Music

Students develop and extend their musical literacy and understanding of the musical elements that underpin the creation of music through the exploration of musical works. They apply their understanding of musical elements in the creation of their own music.

Students develop an understanding of structural and stylistic features of music through exploring, analysing, and discussing works from diverse social and cultural contexts.

Suggested teaching and learning strategies may include, but are not limited to:

• activities that provide opportunities for personalised learning (e.g. investigating the stylistic elements of their own repertoire)
• aural perception practice
• reconstructing music through an aural source (playing by ear)
• relevant theory exercises
• sight‑reading or sight‑singing ensemble parts or simple solo pieces
• interpreting selected score excerpts
• identifying and notating rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns
• transposing simple melodies
• transcribing a section of a work
• comparative studies of musical works
• engagement with external musical resources
• engagement with musical technologies to understand and create music.

Creating Music

Students explore and develop their practical music‑making skills through performing, and arranging or composing works for instrument(s) and/or voice. They explore and apply their musical skills and techniques through developing, refining, and presenting their creative works. Through these processes, students reflect on and appraise their own learning.

Students develop, extend, and apply their knowledge and understanding of musical elements to their performances, arrangements, and compositions.

They create and present music for a range of purposes and select instruments (which may include technology and found sounds) and notation appropriate to the focus of their learning. Students create and present music using digital audio and MIDI recordings as appropriate.

Suggested teaching and learning strategies may include, but are not limited to:

• taking part in workshops and masterclasses (e.g. with externally sourced clinicians)
• engaging with community resources (e.g. a symphony orchestra education program)
• attending performances and engaging with recorded performances
• undertaking personalised learning activities (e.g. arranging pieces for students’ own instruments)
• providing regular feedback on own creative work from teachers and peers
• providing opportunities for students to improvise
• exploring, planning, and structuring creative ideas
• engaging with and learning from exemplar compositions and performances.

Responding to Music

Students develop their musical understanding and musical skills and techniques through engagement with and interpretation of the works of others. They identify, analyse, and discuss musical elements, and structural and stylistic features. Their analysis and discussion enable students to extend their understanding of musical concepts and develop their musical literacy. Students build on their musical literacy by making connections between theoretical concepts and music performances. They interpret, analyse, and discuss genres and influences from a range of social and cultural contexts to inform their own musical creations.

Students reflect on their understanding of music and on the music they create. They develop their ability to appraise and refine their creative works in response to their musical understanding, skills, and techniques.

Suggested teaching and learning strategies may include, but are not limited to:

• attending live performances and discussing structural, stylistic, and aesthetic aspects
• analysing and discussing selected works
• maintaining a reflection journal on development of musical skills
• identifying rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns
• analysing and discussing standard musical structures
• taking part in personalised learning activities (e.g. comparison of others’ interpretations of their own repertoire).

Evidence of learning

Assessment at Stage 1 is school based.

The following assessment types enable students to demonstrate their learning in Stage 1 Music:

• Assessment Type 1: Creative Works
• Assessment Type 2: Musical Literacy.

For a 10‑credit subject, students should provide evidence of their learning through four assessments. Each assessment type should have a weighting of at least 20%. Students undertake:

• at least two creative works
• at least one musical literacy task.

For a 20‑credit subject, students should provide evidence of their learning through seven assessments. Each assessment type should have a weighting of at least 20%. Students undertake:

• at least three creative works
• at least two musical literacy tasks.

Assessment design criteria

The assessment design criteria are based on the learning requirements and are used by teachers to:

• clarify what their students need to learn
• design opportunities for the student to provide evidence of their learning at the highest possible level of achievement.

The assessment design criteria consist of specific features that:

• students should demonstrate in their learning
• teachers look for as evidence that students have met the learning requirements.

For this subject the assessment design criteria are:

• understanding music
• creating music
• responding to music.

The specific features of these criteria are described below.

The set of assessments, as a whole, must give students opportunities to demonstrate each of the specific features by the completion of study of the subject.

Understanding Music 

The specific features are as follows:

Creating Music

The specific features are as follows:

Responding to Music

The specific features are as follows:

School assessment

The school assessment component for Stage 1 Music consists of two assessment types:

• Assessment Type 1: Creative Works
• Assessment Type 2: Musical Literacy.

Assessment Type 1: Creative works

For a 10‑credit subject, students present at least two creative works. One of these should be a performance and one should be an arrangement or composition.

For a 20‑credit subject, students present at least three creative works. At least one of these should be a performance and at least one should be an arrangement or composition.

Students explore and apply their musical understanding, skills, and techniques to develop, refine, and present their musical works.

A performance may be as a soloist, or as a member of an ensemble, or as an accompanist. Students can perform using instruments (including technology and found sounds) and/or voice. The creative works may be in a variety of styles.

A performance should be between 2 and 5 minutes.

An arrangement or composition may be notated (standard or graphic notation), a notated lead sheet, or an audio recording in digital format.

An arrangement or composition should be between 1 and 3 minutes.

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning primarily in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• understanding music
• creating music.

Assessment Type 2: Musical Literacy

For a 10‑credit subject, students undertake at least one musical literacy task.

For a 20‑credit subject, students undertake at least two musical literacy tasks.

The tasks should enable students to demonstrate their musical literacy skills, communicate their musical ideas, and use appropriate musical terminology.

The musical literacy tasks should be designed to develop students’ ability to make informed judgments about their performances and arrangements or compositions and reflect on their own creative work.

Musical literacy tasks could include (but are not restricted to), for example:

• aural recognition/identification (e.g. melodic or rhythmic dictation)
• sight‑reading
• an analysis and discussion of style, structure, and musical elements in one or more selected works 
• a reflection on the development and refinement of the students’ own creative work.

A musical literacy task should be to a maximum of 650 words if written, or a maximum of 4 minutes if oral and/or in multimodal form. 

For this assessment type, students provide evidence of their learning primarily in relation to the following assessment design criteria:

• understanding music
• responding to music.

Performance standards

The performance standards describe five levels of achievement, A to E.

Each level of achievement describes the knowledge, skills, and understanding that teachers refer to in deciding how well students have demonstrated their learning on the basis of the evidence provided.

During the teaching and learning program the teacher gives students feedback on their learning, with reference to the performance standards.

At the student’s completion of study of a subject, the teacher makes a decision about the quality of the student’s learning by:

• referring to the performance standards
• taking into account the weighting of each assessment type
• assigning a subject grade between A and E.

Performance standards

Stage 1 performance standards for Music can be viewed below. You can also download in Word format [DOC 238KB].

To learn more about what performance standards are, how they are used, and other general information, see performance standards and grades. 

Subject changes

Any changes to this subject will be recorded here.