Thursday, September 27, 2012

sMAG collective response to ACARA shape paper

Following the meeting at the ABC centre, where well over 100 attendees representing Heads of Music from all over Victoria, Anne has collated all of the responses and submitted them to the ACARA consultation process.

Here is the submission:



Consultation questionnaire


ACARA Draft of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts (with a specific focus on Music)  

The comments below are an edited compilation of responses received from about 70 delegates who attended the sMAG (School Music Action Group) and AMUSE  (Association of Music Educators) consultation meeting in Victoria.
At the meeting, there was full agreement that the Draft Curriculum should be re-written and rejected it in its present form.
Important note: Although there is a fair degree of repetition in the comments sections above, many of the respondents from the sMAG/AMUSE Consultation meeting indicated that there comments applied to all of the Band Descriptions. As much as possible, editing of responses has been kept to enable the views of the contributors to be expressed in their own way.


ORGANISATION

DIVERSITY OF LEARNERS
15.       The explanation of the ways in which the Australian Curriculum caters for the diversity of learners is clear

Comments:
v Although there is mention of ‘the different abilities of students, there is no explicit recognition within the section entitled ‘Diversity of learners’ of gifted and talented students.  In the case of music, The Arts curriculum does not recognise, either in Section 15 (pp. 12-13) or within the Band Descriptions for Music, the need to support or overtly complement the specialist instrumental (including vocal) studies of gifted and talent students that occurs both within and outside school settings..

CROSS-CURRICULUM PRIORITIES
The relationship described between the learning areas and each of the following cross-curriculum priorities is evident in the curriculum content
16.           Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
17.           Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
18.           Sustainability

Comments:
v Although it is vital that the histories and cultures of the Australian indigenous communities and Australia’s engagement with countries within the Asia-Pacific region are fully acknowledged, there is also a need to recognise, particularly in the case of Western Art music, that the cultural and artistic focus of both Australian-born and immigrant Australians is predominantly on the European tradition. Moreover, what is important is to consider the past and present context of a variety of musical styles and genres which reflects the cultural diversity of the Australian community. To prioritise the focus on Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Asian may not refect the reality of cultural diversity in Australia.
v The curriculum should cater for the full range of student needs and should accommodate students who demonstrate the potential to become future artists and provide them with a foundation to build a career in the arts industry. The lack of focus on aural training and developing music literacy (i.e. skills of being able to read and write music) in the Music Curriculum will not produce future musicians—nor will it develop students with the skills to explore music independently and with others. Thus we question whether this curriculum will provide the next generation of musicians and performers, composers and arts industry workers to sustain our industry.

IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

19.           The ways in which teachers can implement the Arts curriculum to support student learning are clear
20.           The ways in which teachers can implement the Arts curriculum to support assessment of student learning are clear.
v While it is encouraging that the document states‘The Australian Curriculum is unique in that it entitles all Australian students to learn in, through and about the five Arts subjects throughout primary school’, being ‘entitled’ to this learning does not in any way guarantee that students will indeed receive this opportunity. Currently as many as 63% of Australian school children do not have access to music education during their schooling (Music Council of Australia, 2012, p. 5). If a rigorous and concept-specific curriculum were in place, at least there would be some incentive for tertiary education institutions to address the issue of dwindling opportunities to specialize in music at undergraduate level. As things stand, until this issue is addressed, music teacher shortages will continue to be a major reason for schools to legitimately decline to offer music to their students.

MUSIC

RATIONALE AND AIMS
1.              The Music rationale provides a clear foundation and direction for the draft Australian Curriculum in Music
2.              The aims describe the intended learning in the subject

Comments:
v Paragraph 4, page 4 states in part, ‘From the beginning of secondary school, year 7 and 8 students will continue to learn ONE or more of the Arts subjects, with the opportunity to specialise in one or more subjects in year 9 and 10’.
It is a concern that schools (particularly in states which have or are moving towards school-based management) will respond to this statement by reducing the number of art forms presently offered to one arts subject to accommodate time and money restrictions. Indeed this has already happened.
v sMAG and AMUSE strongly recommend that the statement be replaced with the following which is consistent with the position taken by the National Advocates for Arts Education: ‘In Years F-8 students will be provided with in-depth learning in two or more of the Art subjects, and have opportunities to experience and enjoy learning in and about all five Arts subjects, and have the opportunity to specialise in one or more subjects in Years 9 and 10’.
v The whole section of the document covering music would be more appropriately called a ‘Framework’ and reads as a poor attempt to define music education at it lowest denomination. It provides a poor roadmap for how music education might look in the future.
v As such it will probably lead to a further eroding of music in schools, especially given that education leaders outside the discipline (such as principals) will not have a document which powerfully and convincingly advocates for music education. If the result is that only limited rigour is demanded and the status accorded to music is low, the document would also serve to discourage parents and students from choosing music as an elective subject in years 9 to 12. Even now in many schools music is often considered as a waste of a subject and one which represents more entertainment value than academic value and not to be taken seriously.
v The music’ framework’  needs to be re-written by someone who is passionate about music and understands the benefits to the whole child. It needs to contain passionate and inspirational statements such as: ‘Performing music nurtures the integrated development of cognitive, affective, motor, social and personal competencies, enhances intellectual domains as well as the acquisition of language, literacy, numeracy and creative skills. Music has the power to transform lives. Listening to music is the most preferred leisure activity of most young people.’
v Any curriculum statement that is limited to 23 pages in length does not provide enough scope to put together a comprehensive document, especially as the Arts Standards need so much more detail.
v Enthusiastic, supportive language in government education policy and curriculum documents are commendable and an excellent start. However, the curriculum in its current format does nothing to convince practicing music education teachers that the subject area is being taken at all seriously by ACARA or the government.
v Repertoire—the emphasis on Indigenous and Asian cultures is a curriculum priority. However, the repertoire taught and performed in Australia is largely based on Western Art music. This is not recognised in the music document and a preferable base for considering repertoire would be to focus on the past and present context of music found across the full range of cultural diversity in Australia.
v There needs to be 100 hours mandated in the 3rd paragraph on page 4 from Foundation to Year 8 – i.e. ‘students will have the opportunity to experience and enjoy learning in the Arts for a minimum of 100 hours’.
v At 2.6 on page 95, how does ‘exploring shapes and animal tracks through paintings or other visual arts works that tell a story’ relate to music? (Should this be in the visual arts?)

2. The Music Aims describe the intended learning in the subject.

v The draft reads as a poor attempt to define music education at the lowest denomination, and provides a poor roadmap for how music might look in the future. As such it will probably cause a further eroding of music in schools, especially given that music education leaders outside the disciplines (such as principals) will not have a document to read which powerfully and convincingly advocates for music education.
v Containing limited rigor and therefore not reflecting the possible status of music in the curriculum, this document could discourage parents and students from choosing music as an elective subject in years 7 -12.
v This draft does not treat Music as a serious study nor provides detail for the musically-uneducated teacher. As such, its vagueness and lack of specificity is more designed to address the political situation than the pedagogical task.
v It is a framework rather than a curriculum and its lack of detail results in the document becoming meaningless.
v The documents neither support the classroom teacher without musical training, nor gives specificity to the specialist teacher.
v It is in no way a document based on the best music curriculum from each of the states as was reported by the Minister Garrett.  The adoption of the Queensland primary music curriculum would have been a significant improvement. In fact the ‘Frameworks’ developed in each of the States would be preferable to this document.
v Schools with a good creative arts program have far better learning outcomes than are found in this draft
v Focus on aesthetic learning—the curriculum should avoid ‘pitting’ culture against culture.
LEARNING IN MUSIC
3.      The two-strand structure Making and Responding is clearly explained for Music.
4.      The elements of music are clearly explained

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content in the Learning in Music section

Making
v The two-strand structure is fine but it is the content that fails to implement the recommendations of the shaping paper and reduces the draft to a time-wasting soft-option that required limited musical literacy, low-level performance skills, and low-level cumulative and sequential development of knowledge and skills. Moreover there is no provision for the development of higher-order thinking skills.
v There is an uneven emphasis on the affective domain, with specific cognitive knowledge such as aural skills and theoretical knowledge hardly present in the draft.  Content descriptors do not include the important elements of the development of aural skills and theoretical understanding enabling students to notate music and engage in music performance. Elaborations are activities, not how and what to teach, and the achievement standards are a joke!!
v A section on page 4 reads ‘Learning in the Arts and the development of aesthetic knowledge are sequential and cumulative. The new content, skills and processes specified in each band will be revisited in increasing complexity and sophistication in later bands’.  But this document is essentially not a content document but an activities document, where there is no attempt to present anything sequential or cumulative. It states that by Year 10 students should improvise, trial, select, extend, manipulate and evaluate music ideas to compose and arrange music.  As they have not been given a course in aural skills and music theory, students may know nothing about texture, bass-lines, chordal progressions, the compositional devices that relate to different musical styles, nor the use of traditional notation. Accordingly the outcome of their attempt to compose and improvise is likely to be ‘clueless’! Where is the sophistication? There is certainly none evident in the Achievement Standards.
v The Band descriptions should detail the specific content and learning of each band, and therefore should be quite distinct from each other.  Four of five paragraphs in each band are a direct cut and paste, with the remaining paragraph expressing almost exactly the same ideas—e.g., ‘Students make and respond to music’.
v There is a discipline of knowledge specific to music. Music is an intrinsic subject that has a language all of its own. However, the language used is not music-specific—i.e. it is all too general.
v Key knowledge has been neglected – also, cross reference from skills is required.
v Use acquired skills for particular artwork.
v Higher expectations are required from F – 10 such as are found in established pedagogies such as Kodaly and Orff.
v Rigor is missing at each band level.
v Specific rigorous and explicit content in a sequential F – 12 format is required for an Australian curriculum document in music.
v Music literacy should cover a good  understanding of conventual (staff) notation as well as other ways of notating music.
v Aural training is a key skill for a developing musicianship and is essential for music performance at all levels.  This is missing from the curriculum.
v There should be a plan to enable sequential development of singing.
v There is no clear proposal for learning music notation in the document, nor the development of aural skills or theoretical concepts.
v The development of fine motor skills needed for music performance is missing.
v The need to practice and develop fine motor skills and coordination continuously, preferably from a young age, is missing.
v The value of singing has been inexplicably minimized.
v There is need for a larger amount of content and course description—see other studies such as History and Science.
v The curriculum needs to describe a sequential, developmental and continuous progression from F – 10 describing standards that would serve students who wish to wish to specialise in years 11and 12 and possibly proceed to music studies at a university.
v In music education, the issue of pedagogy is vitally important, particularly in the area of musical performance. The development of music concepts and skills in the early years through singing is hardly even identified within the vague statements relating to singing and playing.
v At 11, the shaping paper states: ‘Learning in the Arts and the development of aesthetic knowledge are sequential and cumulative. The new content, skills and processes specified in each band will be revisited in increasing complexity and sophistication in later bands.’ Yet the ‘band descriptions’ across the curriculum vary only by as much as a sentence here and there in the middle. They are otherwise identical !!
v The content description organisers in all levels of the ACARA document need to be further refined so that there is clarity across levels, with only additional qualification statements being uses, rather than totally different statements.
v The Shape of the Australian Curriculum – The Arts document clearly states the intention of exactly what this curriculum document was to provide. I believe none of the following expectations have been achieved in the current draft Australian Curriculum and as such this Draft Curriculum document has been rejected by the 70 + delegates at the Consultation meeting organised by The Victorian School Music Action Group (sMAG) and the Association of Music Educators (AMUSE). The following statements are examples of the significant lack of detail and overall meaningless nature of the music curriculum:
o   page 3, point 5: ‘students will develop specific knowledge, skills and processes’;
o   page 4, point 11: ‘Learning in the arts…are sequential and cumulative. The new content, skills and processes specified in each band will be revisited in increasing complexity and sophistication in later bands’;
o   page 5, point 14: ‘Each subject in the Arts is unique, with its own discrete knowledge, symbols, language, processes and skills’;
o   page 5, point 16: ‘…each subject in the Arts will have specific terminology, concepts and processes that serve as subject organisers’;
o   page 5, point 17: ‘Students will learn to use art form specific concepts, skills and processes’;
o   page 5, point 18: ‘Through disciplined practice, students will learn to …’;
o   page 14, point 47: ‘In music, students will use the concepts and materials of music to compose, improvise, arrange, perform, conduct and respond to their own and others’ work. They will learn the elements of music including duration (rhythm and tempo), dynamics, form, pitch (melody and harmony), and timbre (sound texture and quality). ….They will learn forms of notation to record and communicate music and musical ideas…..Students will research traditions and contexts of music and music practices, and develop the skills and techniques to critique their own and others’ music practices’;
o   pages 14 & 15, point 50: ‘Years 5–6…  Students’ musical practices will be underpinned by a developing use of music notation, aural skills and music terminology’;
o   page 15, point 52: ‘Years 9-10 Students will develop a deepened understanding and use of music concepts and languages, practices, technologies and techniques….. As audience members, students will respond to music, demonstrating a command of the language and concepts of music’;
o   page 25, point 92: ‘Teachers in schools are the key to providing students with rich, sustained, rigorous learning in each subject  in the Arts’.
Additional comments from delegates at the Consultation Meeting
v As a general comment, I would say that this document offers some useful ideas for making music in the classroom. The language and concepts involved however, are far too general to be called a curriculum as such. When people use the word curriculum, they are generally referring to the content of a subject area.
v At 14 of the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts, it is stated: ‘Each subject in the Arts is unique, with its own discrete knowledge, symbols, language, processes and skills’. This is particularly true of music which is in fact a unique language of symbols and terminology.
v After the initial statement of ‘The Elements of Music’ on page 92, there is not a single reference made to any music-specific term – not rhythm, melody, crotchet, quaver, ‘ta, ti-ti’ … nothing!!
v Learning activities include composing, listening, performing with some reference to recording music, but this  leaves it open to the teacher’s interpretation whether or not a student must learn how to transcribe or notate music!!
v The rationale statement lacks clear statements of the importance and value of music education and its purpose and benefits for students.
v Music literacy and performance develops the brain like no other subject.
v Music is a language. It needs continuous practice with ongoing presence in the curriculum in the same way English and languages.

Responding
v There is little reference of progression from F-10.
v There need to be statements about students attending performances and concerts by top practitioners if we are to support students to experience best practice and become and become audience members.
v Content structure needs to include the term ‘creating’ rather than ‘making’. Also replace such words as ‘manifestations’ which are altogether too vague.

FOUNDATION TO YEAR 2
BAND DESCRIPTION

The band description:
5.          is clear, that is explains in understandable language the breadth of learning to be covered in the band

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the band description.
v There is a lack of expectations/specificity in the guidelines.
v Non-specialists would find it difficult to teach and any rigour involved as a subject could be tokenistic contribution to what music is.
v The material here needs to be more in alignment with the Scope and Sequence document.
v The curriculum needs a larger amount of content and course description—see History and Science for example.
v The curriculum needs to describe sequential, developmental and continuous progression from F – 10 describing standards that would serve students who wish to specialise in years 11 and 12 and proceed to University.
v Lack of expectations/specificity in the guidelines.

CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS
The draft content descriptions:
6.              are clear, that is explain in understandable language what is to be taught and learned
7.              are pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students in this band level.

Comments: Please identify any content using the content description number that you believe should/should not be included in the draft curriculum. Give reasons for your selection such as specific and/or areas for improvement.
v Mostly reads like Foundation level, without reference to expectations after three years of music lessons from Foundation to Year 2.
v At 2.8,  page 95—w at is meant by ‘acknowledging that other world cultures use the same repertoire of sounds and rhythms’? Surely other world cultures use many different sounds and rhythms? 
v The focus is on creativity, exploration and play and ‘learning by doing’. The material here does not support these activities with skills and knowledge so that students may engage in music meaningfully.
v Please refer to the USA National Standards for Music Education document for examples of sequential learning contained in their Content and Achievement Standards.
v Some would say that this Content Description is beyond the grasp of the average generalist and I do not dispute this, but this is a problem and not one that should result in a curriculum that caters to the ‘lowest common denominator’. Research shows that the majority of generalist teachers are ill-equipped in both skills and confidence to administer a music program with any kind of discipline or rigour (Andrews, 2004; Sharp & Metais, 2000; Temmerman, 2006). Realistically, it is not these teachers who will be looking to a national curriculum for what to teach in the way of music in their classrooms—they will be looking to put a CD on as background music to work. Music programs are taught in Australian primary schools largely by teachers in a role of music specialist. These are either teachers with music-specific training or generalists with an interest in and some level of skill in music but no specific qualifications in the area as such. Either of these two types of teachers need a curriculum that is concept- and language- specific to music with proper, graduated outcomes and assessment tasks that reflect the uniqueness and complexity of the subject area.
v Music notation and literacy should be included at every level.
v Where is the engagement with ICT?

CONTENT ELABORATIONS
The draft content elaborations
8.              illustrate the content descriptions effectively
9.              are clear, that is explained understandable language 
10.           are relevant to the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content elaborations.
v The document should be more aspirational and make it possible for most students in Australia to actually achieve something. The achievement standards and the content elaborations for music should reflect the very best at both a basic level of attainment and a higher level of attainment.
v The Elaborations need to be re-written so they can exploit high quality examples including ICT and innovative pedagogies.
v While the language of the document is accessible to the generalist teacher (class teacher), there is too little detail and unless the class teacher has some personal experience of music, the actual implementation of, for example ‘exploring ways to record the music that they create, for example creating a graphic score using symbols to show loud and soft, long and short, and the order of sounds within the piece’ (F–2 Content description), will present a major problem for the teacher in implementing this curriculum.
v Pedagogy is really important in all curriculum areas. Explicit statements should be included in the curriculum document. While it is an extremely unfortunate reality that much music is  currently being taught in Australian primary schools by teachers without music-specific background or education, it cannot be acceptable to present a document of such a generic nature as to be completely useless for planning and assessment and to call it a curriculum. Could the outcry be imagined if something as general as this were to be presented as the curriculum for mathematics, with no specific terminology—no addition, subtraction, multiplication etc?.. and with no outcomes, no assessment tasks, etc. It would be regarded as a joke.
           
ACHIEVEMENTS STANDARDS
The draft achievement standards:
8.      is clear, that is explains in understandable language what students should know and be able to do in music by the end of year 2
9.      Is pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students at that band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the achievement standards:
v The crucial statements which should be present in the Achievement Standards are incredibly short and vague in relation to student outcomes. Linear progression is missing. The opening paragraph states that the sequence of Achievement Standards describes progress in the learning area as providing a broad sequence of learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. It also states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills. At this stage, they are brief and vague, and certainly do few of these things. There is no clear picture from one level to the next. In fact, the music achievement band for F – 2 seems more suitable for F than 2.
v Please consult the USA National Standards for Music Education for a model.
v Despite what is mandated in policy documents, individual school principals will determine whether or not music programs are implemented.
v There is a gulf between what is mandated in policy and what happens in schools.
v Given that we now have a generation of teachers and principals who themselves have had non-existent or poor music education experiences, many of them need to be convinced through appropriate professional development of the value of music education. The document needs to focus more on this.
v To be taken seriously as a discipline in its own right, music educators need to demonstrate that music education is not just entertainment, nor is it just about fostering instrumental skills of talented, individual children. It must include every child in meaningful and enriching programs whilst complementing the studies of those students wishing to specialise in practical music studies.
v In order to address the deficiencies in teacher competence, we need to be very pro-active in offering Orff or Kodaly professional development for primary music teachers and generalist teachers.
v It is important that every child is engaged in active music-making which is one way of demonstrating the value of music education. Equipping specialist and generalist teachers with programs where they actively perform on instruments, such as marimbas, for example, is one step in turning around the near demise of music in many schools.
v The time available for tertiary music educators to train the next generation of teachers has been eroded in the last few years, which underscores the need to maximize the time available by offering practical, skill-based training to teacher education students.
v Tertiary music educators need to empower pre-service primary teachers with a repertoire of songs, dances, singing games and marimba pieces that they can use immediately in schools.
v The implementation of ‘The Singing Classroom’ developed by AMUSE is highly recommended as a means of ensuring basic provision of music education in school and could be used as a model for the curriculum..
v There is a need to establish expectations. The document is so vague that young teachers don’t have achievement points to ‘hang their hats on’.
v There is a lack of linking with development standards of child learning
v There is nothing definite in relation to content—expansion of language doesn’t mean depth of content.
v There is a lack of specific skills mentioned. More use should be made of specific language (key learning) and sequential learning patterns (skills and details)— e.g. singing in particular pitches that suit young voices.
v Pedagogy is really important in all curriculum areas. Explicit statements should be incorporated into the curriculum document. As previously stated … while it is an extremely unfortunate reality that much of the music is taught in Australian primary schools is undertaken by teachers without music-specific education, it cannot be acceptable to present a document of such a generic nature as to be completely useless for planning and assessment and call it a curriculum. Could the outcry be imagined if something as general as this were presented as the curriculum for mathematics, with no specific terminology – no adding, subtracting, multiplication etc? No outcomes, no assessment tasks. It would be regarded as a joke. An example of what might be asked of students in a prep music class could be:
            ‘By the end of prep, students will be able to distinguish between beat and     rhythm. They will understand the words and be able to perform each             separately on their body and on small, unturned percussion instruments like           rhythm sticks and tambour drums. They will be able to distinguish between           high and low sounds and demonstrate their knowledge through simple games         and songs using movement and gesture—e.g. ‘Butterflies go high’ and ‘Up        high, down low’. They will be able to read and perform patterns using simple         rhythmic figures such as ta, ti-ti and sa and to sing the intervals of a major 2nd     and minor 3rd in tune using sol fa hand-signs and note names (mi, soh,       lah).’


YEARS 3 AND 4
BAND DESCRIPTION

The band description:
11.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language the breadth of learning to be covered in the band

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the band description.
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir


CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS
The draft content descriptions:
12.           are clear, that is explain in understandable language what is to be taught and learned
13.           are pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students in this band level

Comments: Please identify any content using the content description number that you believe should/should not be included in the draft curriculum. Give reasons for your selection such as specific and/or areas for improvement.
v The focus is on creativity, exploration and play and ‘learning by doing’. It does not support these activities with skills and knowledge so that students may engage in music meaningfully.
Of nine content descriptions, only 4.4 is concerned with the development of performance skills. Where are the content descriptions and elaborations which develop these skills? Music literacy, aural development and performance skills are obviously a very minor part of the musical development of students in years 3 and 4 in this curriculum, yet research shows that ‘Playing a stringed instrument at this time in a child’s life (Grade 3) develops neural pathways connecting to fine and gross motor skills. Ear, hand, eye coordination is refined as they learn to sense, feel, hear and observe the correct pitch of each note on an unfretted instrument. The quality of sound production is a major   focus as students learn to move the bow across the strings with grace and flow to produce a rich, warm and appealing tone. Students are essentially learning to fine tune and resonate themselves as much as the instruments they are playing.

v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir



CONTENT ELABORATIONS
The draft content elaborations
14.           illustrate the content descriptions effectively
15.           are clear, that is explained understandable language 
16.           are relevant to the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content elaborations.
v While the language of the document is accessible to the generalist teacher (class teacher), there is no detail. Unless the class teacher has some experience—e.g. ‘exploring ways to record the music that they create, for example creating a graphic score using symbols to show loud and soft, long and short, and the order of sounds within the piece’ (F–2 content description), they will have problems in teaching this curriculum.
v The focus is on creativity, exploration and play and ‘learning by doing’. The material here does not support these activities with skills and knowledge so that students may engage in music meaningfully.
v There are eight content descriptions and elaborations about listening and experimenting, describing, imagining, exploring and reflecting and only one for performing and skill development and this is extremely vague. A generalist teacher could in fact design a program where there was very little music making with almost no musical skills being developed.  Yes, children could listen and talk a lot; however music is a performing art and children want to play instruments and sing, but they would probably proceed to Years 5 and 6 with very few musical skills.
v The perception and cognition of pitch and rhythmic patterns are fundamental to our understanding of music, a fact noted in many authorities on music. One clear proof to the syntactical nature of pitch and rhythm is that pitch and rhythmic phenomena can be presented to learners in a logical sequence— there is no comparable, cognitively-valid learning sequence for music form, instrumental timbre or interpretative nuance. The Australian Curriculum for music should incorporate a sequence of notated pitch and rhythm concepts. The sequence should serve as a minimum standard for student attainment.
v Pedagogy is really important in all curriculum areas. Explicit statements should be included into the curriculum document.

ACHIEVEMENTS STANDARDS
The draft achievement standard:
17.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language what students should know and be able to do in Music by the end of Year 4
18.           is pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students at the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the achievement standard.
v Page 11—the opening paragraph here states that the sequence of achievement standards describes progress in the learning area, demonstrating a broad sequence in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. Also, it states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understandings and the sophistication of skills.  At this point of time they certainly do few of these things. Maybe achievements standards should be a separate document with developed statements in relation to growth, development, quality, depth of conceptual learning and conceptual leading to the development of assessment and reporting expectations and tasks—not just two short paragraphs.  It is difficult to evaluate the various bands of the curriculum document without these achievements statements which are meant to give meaning to the sequential development, quality of learning, depth of conceptual understanding and sophisticated skills required in each of the Bands.  I understand the addition of portfolios and annotated students work samples will be developed at a later date but these should not take the place of in-depth and quality achievements standards.
v The document is so vague that young teachers don’t have achievement points to ‘hang their hats on’.
v There is a lack of linking with development standards of child learning.
v There is nothing definite in relation to content— expansion of language doesn’t mean depth of content!!
v There is a lack of skills mentioned here. Use specific language (key learning) and sequential learning pattern (skills and details)—e.g. singing in particular pitches that suite young voices.
v Two short paragraphs only are provided to inform teachers regarding the breadth of leaning required for nine content descriptions and elaborations. The first expectation is that students sing and play music, demonstrating pitch and rhythmic accuracy, and improvise. Where are the specifics of what exactly students are meant to learn and achieve with only one content description out of the nine dedicated to this? 

YEARS 5 AND 6
BAND DESCRIPTION

The band description:
19.     is clear, that is explains in understandable language the breadth of learning to be covered in the band

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the band description.
v The added dimension to Years 5 and 6 is for students to use of elements of music and musicianship skills to organise their ideas into compositions using notation systems. The mention of musicianship skills would assume that the content descriptions and elaborations included specific aural and theoretical components so students would have the knowledge and skills to compose and improvise. It does not. It would also be expected that the elements of music would be a focus study and be linked with a study of musical styles.
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir

CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS
The draft content descriptions:
20.           are clear, that is explain in understandable language what is to be taught and learned
21.           are pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students in this band level

Comments: Please identify any content using the content description number that you believe should/should not be included in the draft curriculum. Give reasons for your selection such as specific and/or areas for improvement.
v Section 6.4 is the only practical content description out of nine descriptions.
v  It is good to include Australian works and also world music including the Asia region but this needs to be in addition to the Western music traditions which form the basis of music performed in Australia
v ‘Select and organise music ideas to create their own music’—this will be very difficult for students who have no basic skills or knowledge of theoretical concepts.
v These content descriptions can only be achieved after a three years of sequential and development study of skills and techniques. These content descriptions suppose this has taken place.
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir

CONTENT ELABORATIONS
The draft content elaborations
22.           illustrate the content descriptions effectively
23.           are clear, that is explained understandable language 
24.           are relevant to the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content elaborations.
v Where is the reference to, and appreciation of ICT which is a major influence in students’ lives?
v There is a great deal of experimenting, exploring, identifying, explaining, recognising, describing etc, and quite of lot of composing. There needs to be more emphasis on aural, theory and performance skills (playing and singing).

ACHIEVEMENTS STANDARDS
The draft achievement standard:
25.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language what students should know and be able to do in Music by the end of Year 6
26.           is pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students at the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the achievement standard.
v These are not standards but activities which are impossible to measure and assess.
v Page 11—the  opening paragraph states that the sequence of achievement standards describes progress in the learning area, demonstrating a broad sequence in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. Also, it states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understandings and the sophistication of skills.  At this progression  point , students could certainly do very few of these things.
v The document is so vague that young teachers wouldn’t have achievement points to ‘hang their hat on’.
v There is a lack of linking with development standards of child learning.
v There is nothing definite here in relation to content— expansion of language doesn’t mean depth of content!!
v There is no mention of skills here. Use specific language (key learning) and sequential learning pattern (skills and details—e.g. singing in particular pitches that suit young voices.

YEARS 7 AND 8
BAND DESCRIPTION

The band description:
27.   is clear, that is explains in understandable language the breadth of learning to be covered in the band

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the band description.
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir How is it possible for students to: learn to use art form-specific concepts, skills and processes in their making and responding. (Structure of the Australian Arts Curriculum no. 17) when they are to emerge from primary school without knowing the basics of music language?
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v  

CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS
The draft content descriptions:
28.           are clear, that is explain in understandable language what is to be taught and learned
29.           are pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students in this band level

Comments: Please identify any content using the content description number that you believe should/should not be included in the draft curriculum. Give reasons for your selection such as specific and/or areas for improvement.
v As one teacher (supported by her group at the consultation meeting) commented, ‘At this time, students entering Year 7 come with almost no skills to build upon, whereas the students who are having instrumental lesson come with skills and understandings. This results in Year 7 classes being incredibly difficult to teach as you have students with no knowledge of music right through to advanced level performers and composers. Wherever you pitch the lesson you are not meeting the needs of about 70% of the class and so students lose interest. With the new curriculum, nothing will change.’
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir

CONTENT ELABORATIONS
The draft content elaborations
30.           illustrate the content descriptions effectively
31.           are clear, that is explained understandable language 
32.           are relevant to the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content elaborations.
v Greater reference needs to be made to ensure that the elaborations provide specific to attainable, yet clearly articulated examples of tasks, rather than being quite general throughout and lacking distinction and clarity at the various syllabus levels. (Suggest referring to an existing taxonomy such as Bloom, or research /teacher suggestions from the UNSW Generic Gifted and Talented Resource package, so we can offer appropriate extension and enrichment.
v Students want to perform and so there should be more emphases placed on the teaching of music notation, rhythm, aural and musical styles. Computer music labs are great and students can learn at their own rate and they are comfortable exploring and experimenting with sounds.

ACHIEVEMENTS STANDARDS
The draft achievement standard:
33.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language what students should know and be able to do in Music by the end of Year 8
34.           is pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students at the band level
Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the achievement standard.
v These need to be greatly expanded with specific achievement levels.
v Page 11 – the  opening paragraph her states that the sequence of achievement standards describes progress in the learning area, demonstrating a broad sequence in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. Also, it states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understandings and the sophistication of skills.  At this point of time they certainly do few of these things.


YEARS 9 AND 10
BAND DESCRIPTION

The band description:
35.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language the breadth of learning to be covered in the band
Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the band description:
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir
v Elective music subjects should be developed by schools to cater for the particular areas of music interest; ensemble performance, choir, composition, electronic music, study of music styles, performance, music theatre etc. 


CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS
The draft content descriptions:
36.           are clear, that is explain in understandable language what is to be taught and learned
37.           are pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students in this band level
Comments: Please identify any content using the content description number that you believe should/should not be included in the draft curriculum. Give reasons for your selection such as specific and/or areas for improvement
v Generic knowledge defies the uniqueness of this subject !!
v Page 4 – here there is the statement ‘Learning in the Arts and the development of aesthetic knowledge are sequential and cumulative. The new content, skills and processes specified in each band will be revisited in increasing complexity and sophistication in later bands.’  However it is essential that this documents is not just  a content document but an activities document, but currently there is no attempt to present anything sequential or cumulative. It states that by Year 10 students improvise, trial, select, extend, manipulate and evaluate music ideas to compose and arrange music.  As students have not been given adequate preparation in aural skills and music theory, and thus may know nothing about texture, bass-lines, chordal progressions, the compositional devices relative to different musical styles, music technology or use traditional notation, the outcome from their attempts to compose and improvise is lively to be clueless. Where is the sophistication in this? There is certainly of these aspects in evidence in the Achievement Standards.
v There is need for greater connection between earlier preamble statements with the included content descriptions—i.e. musicianship—linked to theory, notation etc, at some time during the document. Linear progression of ideas and thinking is not always present.
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir
v Elective music subjects should be developed by schools to cater for the students’ particular areas of music interest; e.g. ensemble performance, choir, composition, electronic music, study of music styles, performance, music theatre, film music, writing a show or musical, music craft etc.  The ongoing development of music literacy (aural skills, notation, improvisation, elements of music) should form part of this study.

CONTENT ELABORATIONS
The draft content elaborations
38.           illustrate the content descriptions effectively
39.           are clear, that is explained understandable language 
40.           are relevant to the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement with particular reference to specific content elaborations.

ACHIEVEMENTS STANDARDS
The draft achievement standard:
41.           is clear, that is explains in understandable language what students should know and be able to do in Music by the end of Year 10
42.           is pitched appropriately, that is realistic yet sufficiently challenging for students at the band level

Comments: Please indicate specific strengths and/or areas for improvement in the achievement standard:

v Page 11 – the opening paragraph states that the sequence of achievement standards describes progress in the learning area, demonstrating a broad sequence in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. Also, it states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understandings and the sophistication of skills.  At this point of time, they certainly do few of these things.
v These standards (Years 9 and 10) demand nothing of the students other than vague creativity, free from a knowledge-based context. For example, ‘students manipulate sound and silence to achieve aesthetic outcomes when they perform and create music’. There is little difference between this statement and that included in Foundation to Year 2.  What is the expectation at year 10 with regard to level of difficulty, use of compositional techniques and level of musicianship?
v The document is so vague that young teachers won’t have achievement points to ‘hang their hats on’.
v There is a lack of linking with developmental standards of child learning.
v There is nothing definite in terms of content—expansion of language doesn’t mean depth of content !!
v There is a lack of skills mentioned in this section. Specific language (key learning) and sequential learning patterns (skills and details)—e.g. singing in particular pitches that suits young voices—should be mentioned.
v The achievement standards contained at the end of each band level are brief and not sufficiently descriptive enough of the type of behaviour, skill and understanding that is required. This deficiency needs to be remedied so that there is a clear distinction in the curriculum overview so that it is tightly aligned with the scope and sequence anticipated at this level.


MUSIC ACROSS FOUNDATION TO YEAR 10

Across the band levels for Music, draft content descriptions:

43.           cover the important learning for this subject
44.           show appropriate progression of knowledge, understanding and skills
45.           provide coherence and continuity

Comments:
v The document is long, repetitive, full of general statements and presents only a vague framework of activities for each subject area.
v In music education the issue of pedagogy is vitally important, particularly in the area of musical performance, The development of musical concepts and skills in the early years through singing is hardly identified and there are only vague statements relating to singing and playing.
v The design of the syllabus and the way it has been structured is likely to be very difficult for generalist teachers to access and interpret.
v The document needs to be clearly assessable to all. However, it does not provide insight for teachers into the depth, complexity and intellectual rigour that music offers.
v There is no music content or language included—e.g. what sort of rhythms and pitch and other music concepts should be introduced to ensure age-appropriate sequential learning.
v Learning activities include composing, listening, performing with some reference to recording music leaving far too open to an individual  teacher’s  interpretation as to whether or not a student should earn how to transcribe or notate music.
v The material here does not recognise cognitive skills, developmental process, logical learning sequence, all of which underpin good music programs.
v The material does not provide even minimal guidelines (or indeed any guidelines) which demeans the study of music, demeans its practitioners and consigns it to such a poor level of importance and value that results in it ultimately not being worth teaching.
v The material does not represent a progressive course which has stages that can be assessed along the way.
v The material has no core language content !!
v There are no actual elements of music or explanations of these elements or suggested sequential approaches to the teaching of these elements.
v There is a lack of age-appropriate musical vocabulary, content, skills and language references.
v The material is not teacher friendly !!
v There is no evidence of specific course content, such as music specific knowledge, skills and processes, for specialist music teachers to deliver a quality inspirational program and generalist teachers would only be confused by what is included.  Teachers require content and structure and a glossary has these items – the curriculum doesn’t fulfil these expectations.
v There is insufficient detail here.
v There are no references to music notation (functional musical literacy) when musical notation is a core skill for all music teachers. This denial of a thorough grounding in musical notation is directly equivalent to denying students of the right to functional literacy in their own language subjects.
v There is a lack of recognition of the importance of singing which is the physical embodiment of the musical language.
v There is no sequence for introducing pitch and rhythm. The perception and cognition of pitch and rhythmic patterns is fundamental to our understanding of music, a fact noted by many authorities on music.
v No reference is made to Western traditional music and yet this it the foundation of quality programs.
v The material here does not prepare students for Year 11 and 12 music and for further study if desired.
v The curriculum does not provide a foundation for potential vocational involvement learning to the sustainability of music as a vocation in Australia.
v There are no guidelines for secondary teachers regarding what primary school are teaching and therefore what the new year 7 students should know.
v The crucial statements which should be present in the Achievement Standards are incredibly short and vague in relation to student outcomes. Linear progression is missing. The opening paragraph states that the sequence of Achievement Standards describes progress in the learning area as providing demonstrated a broad sequence of in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. It also states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills. At this stage, these statements are too brief and vague and certainly achieve few of these things. There is no clear picture from one level to the next. In fact, the music achievement band for F – 2 seems more suitable for F than 2.
v The achievement standards contained at the end of each band level are altogether too brief and not descriptive enough of the type of behaviour, skill and understanding that is required. This needs to be developed further so that there is a clear distinction in the curriculum overview, which is also tightly aligned with the scope and sequence.
v Need to add that students should have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and perform in an ensemble
v Students have the opportunity to sing in a choir


ICT
The definition of ICT needs to be more expansive, considering digital literacy of students and the emergence of technology. In the teaching of music, ICT is taking on a more significant role with new programs being developed at an increasing rate. These range from the teaching and creation of composition, aural training, class and group singing, the teaching of instruments and ensembles.  Performance and repertoire is abundantly available on YouTube where students can compare and contrast performances.  It also accommodates the needs of classes where the students are at working at a wide range of standards, interests and abilities. Online tuition is also developing. The curriculum needs to take into account the shift in pedagogy, related curriculum design and the way technology facilitates different modes of learning.

Instrumental and Vocal Instruction
While the document refers to performance skills on instruments and voice and the need for practice, there is little sense of the need for physical skills—fine motor skill development and coordination—which must be developed continuously, preferably beginning at a young age.

The document needs to provide a framework which will ensure that schools embrace the responsibility of providing some form of instrumental tuition, starting with a financially-viable classroom instrumental approach and moving to provision of instrumental tuition to enable the solo and ensemble performance already referred to.

Students are increasingly learning instruments outside the formal school musical curriculum through private instrumental tuition or through self-taught on-line programs. Both these means of instrumental music learning need to be encouraged and supported by the music curriculum.  There are presently no overt references to these studies nor to the externally-assessed achievements of students despite the recognition and encouragement that most music educators already accord to these and the use that students make of their instrumental learning in classroom music.


Across the band levels for Music, draft achievement standards:

46.           are sequenced appropriately, that is in an order consistent with your experience
47.           present increasingly complex understanding and skills.

Comments:
v Please refer to the USA National Standards for Music Education document for examples of sequential learning contained in their Content and Achievement standards.
v The crucial statements which should be present in the Achievement Standards are incredible short and vague in relation to student outcomes. Linear progression is missing. The opening paragraph states that the sequence of Achievement Standards describes progress in the learning area as providing demonstrated a broad sequence of in expected learning, and providing teachers with a framework of growth and development. It also states that achievement standards describe the quality of learning and show the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills. At this stage, they are brief and vague and certainly do few of these things. There is no clear picture from one level to the next. In fact, the music achievement band for F – 2 seems more suitable for F than 2.
v The content description organisers in all levels of the ACARA document need to be further refined so that there is clarity across levels, with only additional qualification statements being used rather than totally different statements.
v The perception and cognition of pitch and rhythmic patterns is fundamental to our understanding of music, a fact noted in many authorities on music. One clear proof to the syntactical nature of pitch and rhythm is that pitch and rhythmic phenomena can be presented to learners in a logical sequence— there is no comparable, cognitively valid learning sequence for music form, instrumental timbre or interpretative nuance. The Australian Curriculum for Music should incorporate a sequence of notated pitch and rhythm concepts. The sequence should serve as a minimum standard for student attainment.
v Pedagogy is really important in all curriculum areas. Explicit statements should be included into the curriculum document.
v The curriculum represents a denial of a thorough grounding in musical notation.  Accordingly this is  directly equivalent to denying students the right to functional literacy in their language subjects. Musical notation, aside from its historical validity, is a core skill for students who wish to continue into upper secondary, tertiary and professional levels
v The Band Description that accompanies each of the discrete levels—i.e K – 2, 3 – 4, 7 – 8, 9 – 10—is currently far too generic with only minor text changes at each level, see pages 93, 97, 101, 105, 109.
v On page 14 there is the statements ‘In Music, students will use the concepts and materials of music to compose, improvise, arrange, perform, conduct and respond to their own and other’s work. They will learn the elements of music including duration (rhythm and tempo), dynamics, form, pitch (melody and harmony), and timbre (sound texture and quality).’  This draft fails to specify any continuum of learning that involves terminology, symbols/notation, aural and visual recognition of a scaffolded sequence of musical elements (eg crotchet, quaver, semiquaver etc). This is the result of the absence of content.  Without this knowledge, how will students be able to compose, improvise, arrange, or perform in any meaningful way.
v On page 14 it states that ‘They [students]will learn forms of notation to record and communicate music and musical idea’. With no content concerning notation covered in the curriculum, students are being denied the opportunity to become musically literate. This is like a school trying to teach a new language for 11 years without teaching the students how to read it.
v On page 25 there is reference to the Arts Industry. The training needed for the Arts industry requires a rich and theoretical, analytical, and conventional understanding of Music. This curriculum fails to develop any of these skills due to the absence of references to music-specific knowledge and skills. Thus this curriculum denies students the opportunity to develop as knowledgeable musicians, and ultimately the opportunity to pursue a career in Music as an ‘appropriately and highly-trained specialist’.

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