Music
Course Summary
For 2023, we have a new, re-imagined course for Year 9 & 10 Music.
This new program goes hand in hand with the redevelopment of our performing spaces and newly appointed recording facility. Students will have access to premium instruments and equipment and will be able to participate in relevant music-making in the following areas:
- Performing (both in groups and as individual soloists)
- Improvisation
- Composing and arranging music (e.g., writing and performing your own cover songs)
- Listening (across a broad range of styles)
- Live sound and mixing
- Production and recording
- Concert preparation and event design
We will shift focus from previous iterations of the course and will be looking more at performance and production style projects over the two-year program.
Music in Years 9 & 10 provides the opportunity to extend musical knowledge as a potential pathway for further formal study in Music 1 in the HSC.
Aim
Music as an art form plays an important role in the social, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual lives of all people. At an individual level, music is a medium of personal expression. It enables the sharing of ideas, emotions and experiences.
The nature of musical study also allows students to develop their capacity to manage their own learning, engage in problem-solving, work collaboratively and engage in activity that reflects the real-world practice of performers, composers and audiences.
Students will engage in a range of increasingly sophisticated musical experiences, developing an understanding of the concepts of music and how composers have worked with these concepts within a broad range of styles, periods and genres.
What, if any, skills are needed?
Students in Stage 5 Music range from those with basic (beginner) instrumental and/or vocal skills to those with already developing performance skills in various musical styles, including popular music.
The course assumes no prior knowledge of music beyond the mandatory study they have done in Years 7 & 8.
The course is designed for students who are passionate about learning more about all aspects of music including performance.
* We do recommend that students start to focus on an instrumental area of choice and pursue learning on this instrument in their own time and potentially with a private tutor.
Guest Artists
We endeavour to bring in people from a wide array of music industries to talk to students about performance and composition skills.
Some of our past guests have included; Darren Percival (artist), James Morrison (trumpet), Ray Thistlethwaite (Thirsty Merc), Jess and Matt (artists), Lindsey Jackson (composer/producer), Andy Mac (composer/producer), New Empire (band), The Sea Gypsies (band), Blake Robinson (film composer), Michael Griffin (music educator).