Unit 3
In this unit students design and conduct an investigation into performance practices that are characteristic of a music style, tradition or genre. They describe and explore their selected Investigation Topic and its practices through critical listening, analysis and consideration of technical, expressive and contextual issues, and through composition, improvisation or arrangement and performance. Students begin by researching a representative sample of music and related contextual issues. They develop their knowledge and understanding of techniques and ways of achieving expressive outcomes and other aspects relevant to performance practice in the style, tradition or genre they are investigating. In this study research involves critical listening, analysis of live and recorded performances and study of scores/charts and other texts as appropriate to the Investigation Topic. Students develop and maintain a portfolio to document evidence of their research and findings. The portfolio also includes exercises, sketches or recorded improvisations that demonstrate their developing understanding of the Investigation Topic. Concurrently, students select, rehearse and prepare to perform a program of works that are representative and characteristic of their Investigation Topic. Through performance, students demonstrate knowledge and understanding of expressive and instrumental techniques and conventions and other relevant aspects of performance practice. As they learn and practise each work in the program, students use findings from their research to trial and make decisions about interpretative options and develop their ability to master technical and expressive features of the music.
Areas of study
- Investigation
- Composition/arrangement/ improvisation
- Performance
There are three outcomes:
- Demonstrate understanding of practices and issues that inform performance of works that are representative of a selected music style, tradition and/or genre relevant to the Investigation Topic.
- Compose, improvise and/or arrange original music exercises and document and discuss music characteristics and performance practices relevant to the Investigation Topic.
- Present a performance of music works and communicate knowledge and understanding of a specific music style, tradition and/or genre relevant to the Investigation Topic.
Assessment tasks for this unit are:
- A report that includes written, audio and visual components. The report will be based on research undertaken for Outcome 1 and be presented in a multimedia format.
- A presentation that includes performance of exercises created by the student for Outcome 2, demonstration of material from a technical work program developed for Outcome 3 and commentary that describes relevance to the Investigation Topic of the exercises created for Outcome 2 and the material from the Outcome 3 technical program.
- Responses to questions about material presented in the report and the presentation.
Unit 4
In this unit students refine the direction and scope of their end-of-year performance program. They also compose, improvise or arrange and perform a work that is characteristic of the music style, tradition or genre they are investigating and continue developing their understanding of relevant performance practices. Students continue to listen to the work of other performers and develop their ability to execute technical and expressive demands and apply performance conventions to realise their intended interpretations of each work.
Areas of study
- Preparing a Performer’s Statement
- Composition/arrangement/improvisation
- Performance
There are three outcomes:
- Explain and justify their interpretative approach to performance of a program of works.
- Compose/improvise/arrange and perform an original music work and explain how it is characteristic of a music style, tradition and/or genre relevant to the Investigation Topic.
- Demonstrate artistic intent and understanding in a cohesive and engaging performance of music works.
Assessment tasks for this unit are:
- Compose, improvise or arrange, document and perform an original music work that demonstrates understanding of a music style, tradition and/or genre.
- Explain how the work is representative of the music style, tradition and/or genre. The explanation may be in an oral or multimedia formats.
- The level of achievement for Units 3 and 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year performance examination. For the end-of-year performance examination the student will present a live performance of at least four contrasting works that are representative and characteristic of the music style, tradition and/or genre investigated across Units 3 and 4. They will also submit to the assessors a Performer’s Statement that describes their interpretative approach to the works.
