Music 2 2024 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• choose repertoire that is appropriate to their level of technical ability
• ensure accuracy of intonation by tuning carefully and checking between performances
• practice performing on a regular basis in the exam venue, where possible
• preplan soundchecks to ensure balance and consider the positioning of markers in relation to the student
• ensure repertoire fits within the prescribed time limits, and mandatory and additional topics.

In better performances, students were able to:

• sustain a strong demonstration of the chosen repertoire through use of contrast and musical exploration
• explore and convey musical understanding that reflects the marking criteria, for example, contemporary or jazz repertoire at a highly developed technical and expressive level
• present programs that demonstrate balance and/or communication with the accompanist, ensemble and/or backing track, for example, being actively involved with tuning, setting of sound levels and/or ensemble organisation
• ensure they have the required stamina and technical capabilities to confidently deliver the program.

Areas for students to improve include:

• building performance confidence through engagement in a variety of opportunities over time
• carefully selecting accompaniment that best supports the student, especially when working with larger ensembles or backing tracks
• preparing performances that avoid repetitive interpretation, especially when choosing contemporary or popular styles
• choosing repertoire that suits the technical capabilities of the student
• timing performances accurately, in advance and under examination conditions
• adhering to the earliest original composition dates for HSC Music Examinations when selecting repertoire, as per the NESA Assessment and reporting in Music Stage 6 advice, especially with regards to the mandatory topic.

Sight singing

Students should:

• decide where in their program they want to complete the sight singing
• know whether they want to read from treble or bass clef
• decide which register they want the tonic chord and starting note sounded in (treble or bass)
• use the two-minute preparation time effectively, including vocalisation, for example, singing the triad, scale and intervals
• practise past HSC sight singing examples.

In better performances, students were able to:

• use an effective strategy to rehearse the melody during the two-minute preparation time
• choose an appropriate tempo to maintain fluency of metre and rhythm
• confidently sing with accurate pitch and duration. For example, being ready to render the full range of rhythmic subdivisions in both simple and compound times from the syllabus
• maintain a strong sense of tonality and demonstrate the ability to recover from small mistakes.

Areas for students to improve include:

• practising regularly the skill of sight singing, for example, as part of a weekly routine
• using the two-minute preparation time to identify the tonality, tonic and triad, and sing through difficult passages, for example, using scales and triads to work on a difficult intervallic section
• maintaining a sense of tonality and melodic shape, and return to the tonic, even if mistakes are made
• using tempo choice to moderate the approach taken to render the given sample
• singing confidently for examiners to clearly hear the student, that is, being comfortable and using adequate breath support to sing through the phrase.

Students should:

• create a cohesive work demonstrating knowledge of the chosen performing media and musical style
• ensure scoring is detailed and accurate with inclusion of performance directions and expressive techniques
• craft the structure of their composition to demonstrate cohesion, unity and contrast
• consider the score layout and arrangement of parts in appropriate score order
• listen widely to music that is representative of the topic to help shape and inform their musical choices
• ensure they have a thorough practical understanding of the chosen instrument or ensemble
• provide an appropriate audio recording that best supports the intention and detail of the work.

Core

In better responses, students were able to:

• use seamless transitions within a coherent and often organic musical structure
• explore extended performing techniques appropriate to the chosen style
• present a musically detailed score observing appropriate score conventions
• consider structural cohesion including successful harmonic and rhythmic transitions, meaningful pauses, and the relationship between musical climax and resolution
• manipulate duration in creative ways, for example, cross-rhythm, hemiola, and multi-metre
• demonstrate sophisticated ensemble writing through a variety of textural devices and interplay between parts
• demonstrate an idiomatic understanding of the chosen instruments and ensembles with effective voicing and scoring
• develop musical ideas in a sophisticated framework, sustaining musical interest through the expansion and development of thematic material
• demonstrate creative risk taking in keeping with the mandatory topic.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing and sustaining musical ideas and interest in the chosen style
• ensuring that contemporary musical features such as dissonance, extended techniques and metre changes are not used in a tokenistic manner, but to achieve a deliberate musical outcome
• editing scores carefully, including consolidating rests, checking key signatures and using accidentals correctly and consistently
• understanding instrumental/vocal ranges and capabilities and checking for playability
• creating a structurally cohesive work
• avoiding unnecessary repetition, for example, altering or developing musical material rather than repeating a whole section
• adding a key or appropriate score indications when writing for non-traditional or unusual instruments.

Elective

In better responses, students were able to:

• create and use the musical material to show a development of ideas rather than relying heavily on repetition
• include detailed articulations to enhance the communication of the compositional intention, for example, accents on jazz horn parts in solo lines, or nuanced pedalling for piano parts
• represent the style and ideas relevant to the chosen additional topic
• highlight their understanding of the capabilities of instruments and voices, for example, breathing points for voice, woodwind and brass, playability of double-stops on strings.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a clear understanding of structure in the available time, for example, motivic development instead of direct repetitions or abrupt and unrelated changes of sections
• considering the range, register and capabilities of performing media, as appropriate to their chosen style. For example, flute parts that are too low to carry over other instruments, rhythmic material that is too fast for a tuba, or muddy textures when writing in a low register for piano
• taking into account style that has considered structure
• showing a clear understanding of how the musical concepts and a range of compositional devices can be used and connected to create cohesion.

Students should:

• demonstrate in-depth analysis, drawing on appropriate primary source material
• analyse sources that enhance the overall discussion, ensuring selected scores and audio excerpts are supportive
• use concise musical language supported by evidence from scores and listening references
• show an engagement and connection to the chosen works
• develop a sustained discussion in a cohesively structured extended response
• use a range of reputable sources, clearly acknowledging and referencing both the bibliography and body of the extended response.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate understanding of the selected topic by making clear how the concepts of music have been used, explicitly evidenced in the sources. For example, in the topic Music of a culture, ‘melodies are typically characterised by a pentatonic mode with disjunct motion, contrasting small steps with large leaps in melodic contour, and gradually ascending in pitch with each repeat … were passed down through oral tradition, they are often rhythmically complex and naturally syncopated’
• logically organise their musicological research, showing coherence in a sustained response
• select appropriate repertoire for in-depth analysis, with a focus on findings from the analysis
• organise the discussion in a well sequenced manner, by developing the presented ideas throughout the extended response
• use clearly annotated scores with detailed analysis within the score.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on using primary sources such as scores and audio examples to draw discussion from, and avoiding an over-reliance on secondary sources, particularly historical and biographical information
• selecting works that fit the date range of the chosen topic, for example, 19th century music referencing Haydn is not representative of the topic, showing a weakness in understanding
• presenting an extended response, that adheres to the word count, in an organised manner. For example, consistent labelling of scores, with clefs to indicate accurate notation, a progressive word count, double spacing and consistent font size
• ensuring the extended response remains consistently on topic, avoiding generalisations and repetition of points
• including either time stamps or descriptions for aural examples that place the relevance of the aural in the extended response
• reaching the point quickly, and not spending a large portion of the word count on a wordy, generalised introduction.

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure important components are not missed
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent and its requirements
• develop a plan for an extended response assisting with the logical sequencing of information
• use relevant concepts and terminology, where appropriate
• present a logical and cohesive response addressing the question
• engage with any aural and visual stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• review the response ensuring it addresses the question requirements
• practise and develop skills in melodic dictation
• demonstrate knowledge of works representative of the mandatory topic, Music of the last 25 Years (Australian focus), and their chosen additional topic.

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• accurately describe the meaning of the signs using appropriate definitions and terminology using the audio where necessary (a)
• describe the use of dynamics in detail with references to bar numbers and instrument parts (b)
• refer to interest using detailed tone colour language and terminology, making reference to the score (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the audio to determine the meaning of the signs aurally (a), the dynamics (b) and tone colour (c)
• focusing on the use of dynamics and supporting this with reference to the score (b).

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• discuss all instrumental families of the orchestra, identifying how the roles of specific instruments change in the excerpt, and use the English translation of the German instrument names, for example, viola rather than bratsche (a)
• describe the roles of the instruments using terms such as melody, harmony, countermelody, rhythmic accompaniment, and provide appropriate detail. For example, the violin melody is accompanied by a syncopated double-stopped repeated pattern in the violas played against the crotchet pulse of the cellos and the sustained notes of the double bass (a)
• provide clear and specific examples with bar numbers and use musical terminology appropriately. For example, the violins I and II are doubled, rather than the violins are playing in unison an octave apart (a)
• discuss the whole excerpt rather than only the first page of the score as instrumental roles vary in the following two pages. For example, in bars 3 to 12 the violins double the melody in octaves, however they play in unison in bars 13 and 14 and are in antiphony with the celli and basses (a).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding what the question is asking rather than discussing unnecessary elements, such as the tone colour of the instruments or the expressive devices and dynamics that are used (a)
• being able to make specific references to the score, rather than giving general opinions or observations that may apply to many other pieces of music (a)
• using correct terminology that is relevant to both the musical excerpt and concepts being discussed (a)
• using clear and precise notation on the stave in the melodic dictation section and revising answers to make sure the correct number of beats are in each bar (b).

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to: 

• identify and discuss significant compositional devices in the excerpt such as cross-rhythm, polytonality and the development of musical material, rather than focusing on score markings such as extended techniques and dynamics (a)
• explain in detail how devices were manipulated throughout the excerpt. For example, the opening piano ostinato returns in bar 13 with the addition of perfect fifths in the left hand, followed in bar 17 by fragmentation of the right hand ostinato and additional quavers interpolated into the left hand pattern (a)
• analyse how compositional devices help to create structure in the excerpt, including the development of new melodic material from bar 49 (a)
• draw on multiple concepts to describe compositional devices in excerpt (a) and the creation of tension in excerpt (b)
• locate and discuss short sections of the score that best exemplify a particular point. For example, the combination of irregular rhythms and metre changes in bars 72–80 create tension, or the ascending atonal passages in bar 89 bring dissonance to a climax
• accurately identify complex musical details, such as, polytonality created by the C major chord against the C# minor chord in bars 96–98
• show how several musical features work in combination, for example, dissonant harmony and rhythmic diminution in bars 69–72 combine with ascending contours and crescendo dynamics to exaggerate the tension.

Areas for students to improve include:

• listening carefully while following the score to identify significant moments and the best examples to discuss
• discussing the ensemble as a whole, rather than describing the individual parts separately
• considering the effect or purpose of a musical feature, for example, the use of multimetre to create irregular phrases and rhythmic instability
• describing and explaining musical features in detail rather than listing observations
• considering the whole of each excerpt, not just the first page
• using accurate and specific terminology to describe musical features, demonstrating experience studying and analysing works within the mandatory topic.

Question 4

In better responses students were able to:

• respond to the question by comparing pitch and texture features of the given work, with a work studied from the mandatory topic, using appropriate analytical detail
• identify, using musical terminology, similarities and differences of significant pitch and texture treatment in both works
• support musical statements with well-chosen quotes and/or musical descriptions relevant to the question
• present a cohesive response, demonstrating detailed knowledge of pitch and texture, highlighting how the composer of each work uses the concepts on various levels. For example, the use of tension and release, modulation, melodic development, textural unity and variety
• use features of the given work to draw out a comparative argument. For example, harmonic features of the given work compared to harmonic features of own work, textural features of vocal layers in given work, compared to textural features of own work.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying specific pitch and texture features of the given work, with appropriate musical terminology, and use these features to compare to the chosen work from the mandatory topic
• providing appropriate musical examples that allow for a comparative discussion on pitch and textures features, rather than comparing more general features of both works
• discussing how each composer uses pitch and texture features, and to what effect. For example, how the given work uses dissonance through suspensions, compared to the work studied from the mandatory topic, using dissonance in a similar or different way.