2013 Notes from the Marking Centre – Music 1
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Music 1 course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2013 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Music 1 Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2013 Higher School Certificate Music 1 examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for students attempting HSC music examinations and Music FAQs
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Music in Stage 6.
Written examination – Aural skills
Question 1
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding pitch, making reference to harmony and tonality
- understanding the style and features, including 12-bar blues, walking bass, blues scale and bends
- structuring a clear and concise answer
- using appropriate terminology
- identifying examples of instruments to support the description of pitch.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- describing pitch rather than other concepts
- discussing pitch in relation to the excerpt rather than in a generalised form
- providing a key or notation to graphic notation
- making specific references to the excerpt
- providing more detail with discussion of concepts such as register – not simply high or low.
Question 2
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the concepts of structure and texture
- providing well-chosen examples
- responding to both parts of the question
- structuring concise responses that specifically address the question.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- using relevant musical terminology
- referring to textural layers and density
- annotating diagrams where necessary to clarify meaning.
Question 3
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- exploring stylistic features by referring to a range of concepts
- comparing and contrasting stylistic influences
- including appropriate musical examples
- including optional musical notation and labelled graphic notation
- using musical terminology appropriate to the styles explored
- making structural references to accurately identify observations.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- exploring stylistic features rather than identifying and discussing performing media
- providing supporting examples
- applying and referring to terminology accurately
- considering all styles rather than focusing on one style at the expense of others.
Question 4
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding how contrast is achieved with specific reference to the excerpt
- organising a succinct response, referring to a range of concepts in relation to contrast
- supporting observations with clear and concise explanations
- using clear graphic representation and/or music notation to support responses.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- applying appropriate music terminology to the excerpt
- labelling graphic notation and/or diagrams
- understanding the extent to which each concept can be applied to the question.
Performance – core and elective
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating technical and interpretive skills
- demonstrating personal engagement throughout the performance
- using balance and variety effectively within each performance (solo/ensemble)
- displaying an awareness of the overall musical structure
- maintaining momentum
- displaying expressive and dynamic contrasts
- demonstrating familiarity with and understanding of the performance space and equipment
- providing a supportive and integrated accompaniment that was secure in intonation and blend and re-tuned when necessary.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- presenting musical content that has detail, variety and depth
- choosing a repertoire that provides opportunities to demonstrate technical and interpretative skills
- sustaining engagement and momentum for the duration of the piece
- using good quality backing tracks
- rehearsing in the chosen performance space.
Musicology elective (viva voce)
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- demonstrating an engagement with the topic
- presenting a clear and consistent musicological focus
- making links with the broader topic area
- demonstrating evidence of wide listening
- entering into a detailed discussion relevant to their chosen topic
- presenting aural examples, practical demonstrations on instruments, and scores where relevant, to support and enhance the discussion.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- not presenting a scripted viva voce
- presenting outline summary sheets in summary format rather than an essay
- using correct musical terminology
- making specific musical observations
- referring to musical examples that support the discussion.
Composition elective
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- composing stylistic works with an excellent understanding of the chosen topic
- composing melodies that were supported by an understanding of instrument roles and textural interplay
- writing idiomatically for the chosen performing media
- using accurate, perceptive and fully detailed performance directions
- presenting a clear and accurate score that provided keys/legends to explain unconventional scoring
- demonstrating knowledge of traditional musical conventions, with stylistic use of performance directions and dynamic shadings
- demonstrating an intrinsic understanding of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic development
- demonstrating an awareness of how balance and contrast provide interest in their works, especially through texture and structure
- using a variety of compositional devices.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- considering all the concepts of music when composing
- demonstrating direction and development of ideas within the structure
- not using repetitive ideas that clutter the texture and harmony
- understanding lyric scansion (vocal works)
- sustaining melodic interest
- using new material with linking ideas
- composing works that can be reproduced accurately (eg guitar TAB with rhythmic notation, improvisations with notation, graphic scores with an appropriate legend)
- understanding score conventions and editing
- producing electronic scores with detailed or final editing.
NSW Government