Music 2 2025 HSC exam pack

General feedback

Students should:

• choose repertoire that is appropriate to their level of technical ability
• ensure accuracy of intonation by tuning carefully and checking between performances
• preplan soundchecks to ensure balance and consider the positioning of markers in relation to the performance
• 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 and/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, including being actively involved with tuning, setting of sound levels and/or ensemble organisation
• demonstrate the required stamina and technical capabilities to confidently deliver their chosen 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
• presenting performances that avoid repetitive interpretation
• 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 2-minute preparation time effectively, including vocalisation, for example, singing the triad, scale and intervals
• be familiar with technical requirements, such as simple and compound time, and major, minor and modal tonalities
• practise past HSC sight singing examples.

In better performances, students were able to:

• use an effective strategy to rehearse the melody during the 2-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:

• using the 2-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 returning 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.

General feedback

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:

• develop musical ideas in a sophisticated framework, sustaining musical interest through the expansion and development of thematic material, for example, use of inversion, augmentation, and rhythmic variation across sections
• demonstrate sophisticated ensemble writing through a variety of textural devices and interplay between parts
• use seamless transitions within a coherent and often organic musical structure
• consider structural cohesion, including successful harmonic and rhythmic transitions, meaningful pauses, and the relationship between musical climax and resolution
• demonstrate an understanding of contemporary composition practice, for example, harmonic or rhythmic complexity, and the appropriate use of extended performing techniques
• demonstrate sophisticated ensemble writing through a variety of textural devices and interplay between parts
• demonstrate effective innovation in keeping with the mandatory topic, for example, experimentation with unconventional instrument combinations
• present a musically detailed score observing appropriate score conventions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing and sustaining musical ideas and interest in the chosen style
• creating musical cohesion without the need for a lengthy non-musical explanation
• 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
• creating variety in texture and avoiding the overuse of unison
• editing scores carefully, including consolidating rests, using accidentals correctly, and ensuring that all necessary information is included to perform the piece as intended
• understanding instrumental/vocal ranges and capabilities and checking for playability
• ensuring that works are fully notated, including all solos and the rhythm section in jazz compositions
• including a brief key or appropriate score indications when unusual instruments or performance techniques are used
• avoiding unnecessary repetition, for example, altering or developing musical material rather than repeating a whole section.

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 compositional 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
• demonstrate an understanding of score conventions for the chosen instrument or ensemble
• demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the relationships between the concepts of music and manipulate these concepts appropriately to the style of the chosen additional topic
• organise ideas into a structure that demonstrates clear planning and consideration for balancing of unity and variety in the musical outcome.

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 concepts of music 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 and allowing demonstration of the connections between the concepts of music
• 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
• support their analysis with carefully selected audio excerpts.

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, referencing Haydn for the 19th century music topic is erroneous
• presenting an extended response, that adheres to the word count, in an organised manner. For example, consistent labelling of scores, with clefs and instrument names to indicate accurate notation, a progressive word count, double spacing and consistent font size
• ensuring the extended response remains consistently on topic and engaged with the concepts of music, 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
• editing audio examples so they demonstrate the intended point and do not include material not discussed.

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 their intent and requirements
• develop a plan for an extended response to assist with the logical sequencing of information
• use relevant concepts and terminology, where applicable
• 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
• practice 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:

• identify the instrument: bassoon, and the given note: F (a)
• describe in detail the features of the music that were specifically characteristic of the Classical period, such as the instrumentation, homophonic texture, and features of pitch such as scalic passages, use of motifs and cadenza (b)
• identify the relationship between the solo instrument and orchestra and the changes across the excerpt, using detailed concept language and terminology, for example, counter-melody, imitation, question-and-answer phrases and the development of musical material (c)
• draw on multiple concepts to describe Classical features in the excerpt (b) and the relationship between solo instrument and orchestra in the excerpt (c)
• identify and discuss short sections of the score that best exemplify a particular point, for example, identifying imitative writing between flute and oboe at bar 156, fragmenting the bassoon theme, or noting that the rhythmic motif introduced by the bassoon in bars 140–144 is played by the oboe and violin 1 in bars 177–178, creating unity (c)
• engage deeply with the score and recording by identifying compositional, harmonic and rhythmic devices.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying instruments aurally in parts (a,c)
• listening carefully while following the score to identify significant moments and the best examples to discuss (b,c)
• maintaining a clear focus on the relationship between the solo bassoon and the orchestra throughout the response, considering the whole of each excerpt, and not just the first page (c).

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a high level of rhythmic and melodic dictation skills and accurate application of accidentals (a)
• demonstrate an understanding of pulse, rhythm and pitch, providing clear and concise notation in every bar (a)
• show an understanding of the scalic and non-scalic passages, maintaining correct intervallic relationships (a)
• judge the intervals correctly, and give mostly correct melodic shapes (a)
• use correct conceptual language to link texture types to density descriptions, consider the musical material and its contribution to texture, and align score knowledge with aural understanding (b)
• include all textural changes in the excerpt, and provide clear and succinct examples of the changes and how texture is used, providing bar numbers/score references of examples (b)
• explain and identify the three entries, explaining monophonic and homophonic texture, including canonic/antiphonal entries of instruments with accurate use of terminology (b)
• recognise double-stopping (or entry of a second violin) relating to texture (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the tonality of the excerpt to assist with intervallic recognition and maintaining melodic contour (a)
• ensuring all bars of the dictation are attempted, with notation on the stave provided, including approximate melodic contour, and understanding of both rhythmic pulse and subdivisions of beat (a)
• developing and maintaining a practice regime for melodic dictation, exploring diverse material from instrumental/vocal works (a)
• being familiar with score reading techniques and being well-versed in conceptual language and its application to a variety of repertoire (b)
• understanding the glossary of key words and being able to respond appropriately, for example discuss, describe, explain (b)
• referring to the score and including bar numbers when referencing examples to identify the different layers and the roles of each instrument (b)
• highlighting the changes within the texture and revise their understanding of the different phonics, for example, monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic and heterophonic (b)
• supporting explanations with explicit musical analysis, rather than giving unnecessary introductory, generalised or broad statements (b)
• using features of the musical period to guide their response by using the audio excerpt as an additional source of analysis (b).

Question 3

In better responses students were able to:

• recognise appropriate expressive devices from the score and describe their specific use in the excerpt. For example, accents highlight syncopation, trumpet mutes vary tone colour (a)
• provide a balanced response of both unity and variety using a range of duration features and rhythmic devices, such as rhythmic unison, recurring rhythmic motifs, changes in tempo and metre (b)
• refer to duration features in individual layers and in the interaction of layers. For example, rhythmic unison of strings against the syncopated brass motif, polyrhythms and imitative rhythms
• discuss well-chosen examples of duration with reference to specific bar numbers, and instruments, using accurate musical terminology.

Areas for students to improve include:

• describing how an expressive technique is used, rather than merely identifying a sign, symbol or term
• providing a cohesive response with reference to specific bars in the score, and in the correct section of the excerpt, for example, part (a) bars 1–12, part (b) bars 13–40
• using appropriate musical terminology and avoiding generalisations
• addressing the question and referencing duration as the focus concept, rather than a discussion of other concepts and irrelevant musical examples.

Question 4

In better responses students were able to:

• support tone colour descriptions with detailed reference to how the sound is produced, including performing media, register, articulation, dynamics and relevant playing techniques
• compare how tone colour is used in the three required works, for example, creating tension or unity, separating texture layers, contrasting between sections, or for programmatic purposes
• demonstrate understanding of how a specific combination of instruments can produce a distinctive tone colour, for example, glockenspiel paired with pizzicato violin creating a light, clear timbre
• demonstrate understanding of how tone colour combines with other musical features, such as tonality, texture or melodic contour, to achieve an overall mood or effect
• identify the use of tone colour in Memoirs of a Snail, including unity and contrast between layers and sections through vocal and string techniques, articulation and register
• demonstrate understanding of a range of tone colour use within their selected works, using precise and detailed musical terminology.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on how different tone colours are used, rather than listing multiple examples without discussion
• ensuring that other concepts and features are consistently linked back to the question, to demonstrate a broad understanding of tone colour
• providing appropriate tone colour information, such as performing media, register, dynamics and expressive techniques, rather than subjective descriptions of mood
• writing in a concise and succinct manner, avoiding a long introduction or conclusion, irrelevant non-musical detail, or unnecessary repetition of ideas
• using musical quotes with accurate and complete notation, including clef, key signature and instrumentation, and with clear relevance to the question
• selecting appropriate works for the question, for example, avoiding pieces with narrow or highly conventional use of tone colour, or works from outside the mandatory topic
• developing the skills to analyse an aural excerpt without a score, including using appropriate terminology to identify sections and layers to support the discussion of tone colour.