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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

11–12Music Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Implementation from 2027
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Content

Life Skills

Life Skills for Stage 6

Through collaborative curriculum planning, it may be decided that Life Skills outcomes and content are the most appropriate option for some students with intellectual disability.

Music across cultures, traditions and time

Students explore how music reflects and communicates cultural, historical and regional identities through one of the following contexts:

  • Music of a style
  • Music of a region
  • Music of a culture
  • Music of a tradition
  • Music of a religion
  • Music of a historical period.

Students perform, create, listen and respond to music to identify key characteristics of the selected context, including conventions and practices. They explore how music is organised and conveyed through the use of sounds, vocal techniques or instrumental techniques. Students communicate how the Elements of music are used to communicate ideas in music of the selected context.

Music context and Elements of music should be integrated with this focus area as appropriate to the needs, abilities and prior learning of students.

Performing
  • Experiment with making sounds that reflect music of the selected context

  • Experiment with vocal and/or instrumental techniques

  • Experiment with melody or harmony

  • Perform music of the selected context, using vocals or instruments

  • Use dynamics and expression when performing music

  • Participate in a group performance appropriate to the selected context

Listening and responding
  • Engage with live and recorded music to recognise music from the selected context

  • Identify the Elements of music that are unique or interesting

  • Explore vocal or instrument-specific techniques

  • Identify the structure of a piece of music

  • Explore how the Elements of music are used in a piece of music

  • Identify the purpose for a piece of music

  • Explore how music is represented and documented

Creating and composing
  • Make choices about sound sources to create music in the selected context

  • Improvise when creating music

  • Make structural choices when creating music

  • Participate in creating lyrics for a piece of music

  • Respect and acknowledge cultural significance and protocols when composing music

  • Participate in documenting aspects of a composition

Safe and ethical practices
  • Demonstrate safe practices when listening and responding, creating and composing or performing music

  • Demonstrate hygiene protocols when sharing instruments and resources

  • Demonstrate respectful and cooperative behaviours when working with others

  • Demonstrate appropriate protocols when engaging with live or online music

  • Acknowledge composers, arrangers and/or collaborators when performing, creating or composing pieces of music

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