Music 2 2019 HSC exam pack

Students should: 

• present repertoire demonstrating stylistic interpretation, sense of musical expression and sensitivity to the chosen repertoire
• present programs that demonstrate balance and communication between the accompaniment and/or ensemble
• explore and convey their musical understanding of the chosen genre
• ensure that tuning, combined with tonal and pitch control are an integral part of the performance. 

In better performances, students were able to: 

• perform repertoire with secure and consistent intonation, combined with sustained technical facility
• sustain their personal engagement and interpretation throughout the performance
• demonstrate confidence in their role as a soloist or within an ensemble
• demonstrate stylistic understanding and musical interpretation of the repertoire.

Areas for students to improve include: 

• performing repertoire appropriate to their level of technical and expressive capability
• demonstrating stylistic understanding and musical sensitivity
• ensuring performances and overall programs comply with the examination guidelines including time limits and original year composed. 

Sight singing

Students should: 

• know where in their program they want to complete the sight singing
• confidently identify whether they want to read the treble or bass clef melody
• use the two minute preparation time effectively to establish the tonality, to repeat bars or intervals which prove more challenging, and to ensure accurate pitch and rhythmic interpretation. 

In better performances, students were able to: 

• establish the key and tonality
• use the preparation time to rehearse challenging intervals and rhythms
• use an effective strategy for rehearsing the melody. 

Areas for students to improve include: 

• using the preparation time to practise singing aloud
• establishing a beat or pulse whilst singing to ensure rhythmic accuracy.

Core

In better responses, students were able to:

• create a cohesive structure with seamless transitions
• present a detailed score which provides clear, accurate and meaningful performance directions
• successfully explore tonality
• create idiomatic and highly effective stylistic compositions
• sustain interest throughout by successfully balancing unity and variety of ideas
• demonstrate development of high quality thematic material. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• study of notation and score conventions, for example, correct groupings of beats and correct ordering of instruments on the score with an adherence to range and register of instruments
• exploration of textural balance and variety
• harmonic awareness
• a wider exploration of compositional techniques which support the chosen style
• ensuring compositions are playable by the performing media
• considering the overall structural direction, such as unity and contrast, of the composition.

Elective

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of instrumental ranges and idiomatic capabilities
• utilise textural changes to clarify the structure
• include detailed dynamics, articulation and performance directions in a consistent and integrated way that aided accurate score interpretation
• demonstrate an effective balance and interplay of parts
• structure the composition with seamless transitions, a clear sense of direction and a thoughtful and economical pacing of ideas.

Areas for students to improve include:

• making sure that ideas are not overstated and overworked,
• ensuring that texture has parts that complement each other rather than competing
• having an overall plan that incorporates effective transitions
• incorporating an appropriate number of ideas that can be developed in the given timeframe
• engaging in immersive and extensive listening to help fully develop an understanding of the stylistic features.

In better responses, students were able to:

• present a strong idea with a clear musicological focus
• structure a logical idea by incorporating complex and detailed analysis of the concepts
• include highly relevant and sophisticated musical examples to strengthen the idea
• ensure score excerpts are accurately referenced
• use of a wide variety of sources
• demonstrate a perceptive stylistic understanding.

Areas for students to improve include:

• a bibliography of all sources including scores
• selecting an appropriate topic which allows for in-depth analysis
• including a progressive word count every 100 words
• using clearly scanned high resolution musical examples which include all clefs, list of instruments and key signatures
• indicating a concert pitch score where applicable
• avoiding long introductions which focus largely on historical information
• limiting a discussion to too few concepts or discussing concepts in a superficial manner structuring extended responses that are analytical rather than descriptive.

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• discuss the entire excerpt in depth
• use correct musical terminology
• correctly identify instruments and score directions
• include more complex examples of musical devices, including cross rhythms and hemiola.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding repetition and rewriting of the question
• developing a greater understanding of tone colour as it is often misunderstood such that students are resorting to emotive descriptions rather than focusing on describing the sound being produced (b). 

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• write a detailed response, discussing a number of concepts and including score references throughout (a)
• understand and use the correct groupings for compound quadruple time (b)
• display a strong sense of tonality (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring that each point references the score, stating exact bar numbers (a)
• including analysis which focuses on the relationship between instruments and or layers (a)
• using accidentals and correct rhythmic groups for compound quadruple time (b). 

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to:

• link specific score details, including music terminology and music symbols to various forms of musical tension (a)
• refer to three distinct concepts of music (a)
• explain how contrast is achieved between two or more musical events (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding how musical tension is achieved in a variety of musical styles (a)
• ensuring all observations are concept-focused and are not subjective (a and b). 

Question 4

In better responses, students were able to:

• use the stimulus quote to form an argument
• discuss musical features of the chosen works which addressed the question, and reinforced the argument
• use specific and concise musical observations with relevant musical terminology. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding the use of a pre prepared response which does not address the question
• presenting a succinct and concise line of argument
• ensuring that Additional Topic works are studied in depth
• avoiding the use of irrelevant musical quotes which do not address the question ensuring that a detailed discussion of ‘silence’ is used in their response.