HSC Music 1 (NSW) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Core Performance duration

Core Performance requires 2-3 pieces or excerpts with a total duration of 3-5 minutes. It is worth 20 marks and is mandatory for all Music 1 students.

Performance elective program

The Performance elective requires 2-3 pieces or excerpts with a total duration of 3-5 minutes. The program must demonstrate contrast in style, period, or genre.

Technical proficiency criteria

Assessment of accuracy of pitch and rhythm, control of tone and intonation, fluency and coordination, and appropriate instrumental or vocal technique for the repertoire performed.

Interpretative understanding criteria

Assessment of phrasing, dynamic contrast, tempo choices, articulation, and expressive tone colour used to communicate the character and style of the music.

Stylistic awareness in performance

Demonstrating idiomatic performance practice for the genre, such as swing phrasing in jazz, terraced dynamics in Baroque, or rubato in Romantic music.

Presentation criteria

Assessment of stage presence, deportment, communication with audience and ensemble, and the ability to recover from errors without disrupting the performance.

Sight-reading in performance

A component of the Performance elective that assesses rhythmic and pitch accuracy, continuity, and musical shaping when performing an unseen excerpt under time constraints.

Program notes content

Program notes include title, composer or arranger, duration, and brief contextual information. They support the viva but are not directly marked for performance.

Composition elective requirements

A portfolio of original works totaling 3-5 minutes, plus a composition process diary and a recorded realisation. The portfolio is worth 20 marks.

Composition assessment criteria

Stylistic understanding, structural coherence, thematic development, harmonic and melodic inventiveness, and technical craftsmanship in notation and orchestration.

Thematic development techniques

Manipulating motifs through sequence, inversion, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, and variation to create unity and interest in a composition.

Structural coherence in composition

Clear formal design such as binary, ternary, rondo, or verse-chorus, with logical transitions and balanced proportions between sections.

Harmonic inventiveness

Use of non-diatonic chords, modal interchange, chromaticism, extended chords, and contrapuntal devices to enrich harmonic language and expression.

Technical craftsmanship in composition

Accurate notation including clefs, key and time signatures, articulation, dynamics, appropriate range and idiomatic writing for instruments or voices, and clear score layout.

Composition process diary

A document recording initial ideas, drafts, revisions, research, and reflection on compositional decisions. It supports the viva and evidences the creative process.

Realisation of composition

A recording submitted with the score, either a live performance or digital rendering, that accurately reflects the notated composition and its intended sound.

Musicology elective requirements

A research project of 3-5 minutes duration (or 1500-2000 words) on a topic of musical significance, with a bibliography and referencing.

Musicology assessment criteria

Research and investigation, musical analysis, synthesis and argument, and presentation or communication of findings in oral or written form.

Musical analysis in musicology

Identifying musical elements such as pitch, duration, dynamics, tone colour, texture, and structure, and explaining their function in the repertoire studied.

Synthesis and argument

A coherent thesis with logical development, integration of musical evidence with contextual information, and critical evaluation of sources used.

Research and investigation

Use of primary and secondary sources, accuracy of information, depth of inquiry, and acknowledgment of sources through consistent referencing.

Presentation and communication

Clarity of expression, appropriate musical terminology, organisation of ideas, and effectiveness of oral or written delivery in the musicology project.

Viva voce in musicology

An oral discussion where the student explains the project, answers questions, and demonstrates understanding of the musical examples and context.

Referencing in musicology

Consistent use of a recognised system such as APA, MLA, or Chicago for all sources, including scores, recordings, and written texts.

Aural Skills elective format

A written examination of about 1 hour and/or a practical component assessing aural perception and analysis of musical excerpts.

Aural assessment criteria

Pitch and rhythm perception, harmonic and melodic discrimination, stylistic and structural awareness, and musical memory.

Pitch perception skills

Identifying intervals, scales, chord qualities, and pitch direction, and notating melodies from dictation.

Rhythm perception skills

Identifying metre, tempo changes, rhythmic patterns, syncopation, and note values, and notating rhythmic dictation.

Harmonic discrimination

Identifying chord progressions, cadences such as perfect, imperfect, plagal, and interrupted, and modulations from aural examples.

Melodic discrimination

Identifying contour, sequence, repetition, ornamentation, and notating a short melody from dictation.

Stylistic and structural awareness

Recognising genre or style from aural features such as instrumentation, articulation, and phrasing, and identifying form.

Musical memory

Recalling and reproducing short musical excerpts, such as clapping rhythms or singing melodies, after one or two hearings.