Rationale
Rationale for Music in the Stage 6 curriculum
The purpose of Music in Years 11 and 12 is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire, develop, extend and refine the knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the Music 7–10 Syllabus (2024). Music in Years 11 and 12 may also be accessed by students who have not studied Music in Years 9 and 10.
Music is an aural art form enabling personal and cultural expression that occupies a significant place in the oral and recorded histories of global cultures. It can define and express identities, shape and communicate values, and convey meaning through sound in diverse ways. Music employs unique symbol systems, which can be used to shape, organise and communicate musical ideas.
Music fosters an appreciation of continuity and change, connecting cultures, times and regions. As students develop a deeper understanding of music, they draw on histories, practices, technologies and personal experiences to perform, create and appreciate music. Students explore and experience Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, and the diversity of influences and styles in Australian music.
Students engage with Music context and Music language through performing, listening to and composing musical repertoire from ever-widening styles, genres and musical conventions. Engagement with the expressive, cultural and aesthetic value of music enriches students’ musical knowledge and supports them to appreciate music more deeply. Students use creative thinking and expression, and they explore and communicate musical ideas through a range of traditional and contemporary mediums.
Rationale for Music 1
The Music 1 11–12 Syllabus is designed to develop musicianship through informed listening and engagement in creative practice. It provides opportunities for students to engage in practices such as improvisation, digital and technological experimentation, and community or cultural music-making.
Students develop a broad musical understanding through engagement with diverse repertoire, strengthening their ability to adapt their knowledge and skills to support them in situating their own practice within the broader cultural landscape. Students engage with music through aural, oral and symbolic forms, making use of digital technologies to create, explore, shape and communicate musical ideas. Music 1 enables students to develop skills through critical listening, analysis and creative practice encouraging exploration, collaboration, and problem-solving.
In Music 1 students engage with the practices of musicians as performers, creators and listeners. The syllabus provides pathways to further study, education, vocational training and careers in music-related areas such as performance, music creation, music production, sound design, creative technologies and arts management. It also develops collaborative, creative and technological competence, relevant to the wider creative industries, including media, communication and digital design.