Handout 1

HSC Music 1

An overview of course
requirements.
1: Concepts and Contexts
In Music 1, students will study the concepts of music through the
learning experiences of performance, composition, musicology and
aural within the context of a range of styles, periods and genres.

1a) Concepts

 duration
 pitch
 dynamics and expressive techniques
 tone colour
 texture
 structure.

1b) Contexts

Students will study music in a variety of contexts. These musical contexts (styles, periods and genres)
will be studied through specific topics.

An instrument and its repertoire

Australian music
Baroque music
Jazz
Medieval music
Methods of notating music
Music and religion
Music and the related arts
Music for large ensembles
Music for radio, film, television and multimedia
Music for small ensembles
Music in education
Music of a culture (HSC course)
Music of the 18th century
Music of the 19th century
Music of the 20th and 21st centuries
Popular music
Renaissance music
Rock music
Technology and its influence on music
Theatre music

Students will study at least THREE topics from this list. It is best to choose 3 that were not studied
during the Preliminary course.

Topics I will study: ___________________________ _____________________________ _________________________________

2: Core and Elective study

Students will complete a Core topic. This will be the topic for the Core (Mandatory) Performance, Core
Musicology (Viva Voce) and Core Composition.

Students must also choose THREE electives made up of any combination of performance, composition
and/or musicology. These three electives must reflect the three topics studied in the HSC course.

SO: You choose an option as follows…

option core elective 1 elective 2 elective 3

a Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Performance Performance
b Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Composition Composition Composition
c Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Musicology Musicology Musicology
d Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Composition Composition
e Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Musicology Musicology
f Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Composition Composition Musicology
g Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Musicology Musicology Composition
h Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Performance Musicology
i Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Performance Composition
j Compo.Aural.M’cology.Performance Performance Musicology Composition

While more than three topics may be studied during the HSC course, only three topics are to be presented
for the HSC examination.

Candidates must provide brief details on a ‘Certification of Course Topics Studied’ sheet of the
Performance, Composition, Musicology and Aural activities undertaken in each of the three topics
presented for examination in the HSC course.

*To prepare for this process, we will be consistently recording all topic work in a topic journal.

**Highlight your chosen course structure on the table above.

3: Course Outcomes
Objective 1: to develop knowledge and skills about the concepts of music and of music as an art form
through performance, composition, musicology and aural activities in a variety of cultural
and historical contexts.

HSC Outcomes (H)

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and
aural, a student:
H1 performs stylistically, music that is characteristic of topics
studied, both as a soloist and as a member of an ensemble
H2 reads, interprets, discusses and analyses simple musical scores
that are characteristic of the topics studied
H3 improvises and composes music using the range of concepts for
familiar sound sources reflecting the cultural and historical
contexts studied
H4 articulates an aural understanding of musical concepts and their
relationships in a wide variety of musical styles

Objective 2: to develop the skills to evaluate music critically.

HSC Outcomes (H)

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and
aural, a student:
H5 critically evaluates and discusses performances and compositions

H6 critically evaluates and discusses the use of the concepts of music

in works representative of the topics studied and through wide
listening

Objective 3: to develop an understanding of the impact of technology on music.

HSC Outcomes (H)

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and
aural, a student:
H7 understands the capabilities of performing media, incorporates
technologies into composition and performance as appropriate to
the topics studied
H8 identifies, recognises, experiments with, and discusses the use
and effects of technology in music

Objective 4: to develop personal values about music.

HSC Outcomes (H)

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and
aural, a student:
H9 performs as a means of self-expression and communication

H10 demonstrates a willingness to participate in performance,

composition, musicology and aural activities
H11 demonstrates a willingness to accept and use constructive
criticism