Understanding Music

Musical understanding underpins student learning in this subject. Students:

• understand and apply key musical elements of their chosen repertoire
• think creatively and critically about solo music performance
• express musical ideas.

Understand and apply key musical elements of their chosen repertoire

Students develop and extend their musical understanding and musical literacy by:

• applying appropriate terminology to discuss key musical elements in their chosen repertoire
• developing and applying their knowledge and understanding of the style, structure, and conventions appropriate to their repertoire.

In this subject, elements for study include:

• rhythm
• pitch
• dynamics and expression
• form and structure
• timbre
• texture.

Refer to the Music Performance supporting document for articulation of the musical elements.

Students apply their knowledge and understanding of the style, structure, and conventions appropriate to their chosen repertoire, in developing and refining their musical performances, their musical imagination, and their own ideas about and appreciation of music.

Students develop and extend their musical understanding and musical literacy through interpreting creative works, and discussing key musical elements in their chosen repertoire.

Thinking creatively and critically about music performance

Students think creatively and critically about the nature and scope of music, and apply this understanding to make informed and innovative choices in developing their own solo performances.

Students:

• develop and apply a critical understanding of style, structure, and conventions in performing as a soloist
• refine their aural perception and/or notation skills to consider, discuss, and apply their understanding of key musical elements in their performances
• extend their understanding and appreciation of the aesthetic, stylistic, technical, and expressive demands of creating music as a performer (instrumentalist and/or vocalist)
• enrich their appreciation of music and its transformative powers.

Express musical ideas

Students synthesise their learning through music to express their ideas:

• creatively, through their solo performances
• critically, in critiquing and evaluating their own performances.

They develop and extend their understanding of how learning in music is an iterative process, and how the knowledge and skills developed through interpreting and performing music can refine their musical thinking and inform the choices they make as a soloist.

Students reflect on and critique the specific skills, techniques, and strategies required to create and present music through solo performance, and evaluate their development, application, and refinement of musical skills in the learning process.