
Music
Music is an aural art form that involves the exploration, organisation and manipulation of sound and silence. Music has the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich students, stimulating imaginative and innovative responses and fostering critical thinking and aesthetic understanding. Music is processed through aural discrimination, memory and emotional response, all of which interact with each other and with physical processes as a means of perceiving, learning, composing and performing. Music is an expression of human experience and has a universal place in every culture across the globe and throughout history.
Students listen, perform, improvise, compose and analyse music, developing skills to confidently engage with a diverse array of musical experiences both independently and collaboratively. Through continuous sequential music learning, students develop music knowledge, skills and understanding to create, communicate and evaluate music ideas with increasing depth and complexity. Students are encouraged to reach their creative and expressive potential, communicating ideas with current and emerging technologies. |
-
Music General
WACE Breadth & Depth Requirement:
List A
Prerequisite
Currently playing or learning to play an instrument.
The Music General course encourages students to explore a range of musical experiences through different musical contexts. The course consists of a written component and a practical component, incorporating the following content areas: Aural and theory, Composing and arranging, Investigation and analysis, and Performance. Students can choose to perform on voice or instrument, submit a composition portfolio or complete a production/ practical project to fulfil the requirements of the practical component.
The Music General course provides an opportunity for creative expression, the development of aesthetic appreciation and the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from listening to and making music independently and collaboratively with others. Studying music may also provide a pathway for further training and employment in a range of professions within the music industry.
The Music General course is designed to facilitate achievement of the following outcomes. Outcome 1: Performing
Students apply musicianship skills, techniques and conventions when performing.
Outcome 2: Composing/Arranging
Students apply music language, stylistic awareness and knowledge of instrumental and performance techniques when composing or arranging.
Outcome 3: Listening and Responding
Students respond to, reflect on, and evaluate music.
Outcome 4: Culture and Society
Students understand how social, cultural and historical factors shape music in society.
Covering two units over the year the Music General course encourages students to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding to listen to, compose, perform and analyse music. They develop aural and music literacy skills and learn how the elements of music can be applied when performing, composing and responding to music. Students learn about how music is created and performed, analysing musical works and exploring how social, cultural and historical factors shape music in the specific context(s) selected for study.
Unit 1
Rock and Roll
This unit explores rock music and the transition away from swing music in the 1950s. Musicians studied include Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and The Beatles. Students will learn the stylistic elements of music from this era through the four outcomes listed above. They will create original musical works using the recording studio and software, including Logic Pro X and Mixcraft 9.
Unit 2
Music of the 1980's
This unit looks at contemporary music made in the 1980s. The iconic sounds of the 80s were shaped by the adaption of the drum machine and synthesizer. The technological and elemental changes to songwriting in the 1980s have influenced the music of today, and students will explore this in a theoretical and practical sense. They will also learn about digital recording and processing, using audio software.