Watch now: To find out more about the Arts Foundation to Level 6, watch ‘Understanding the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0, The Arts Foundation to Level 6’ on the About the Arts page. To find out more about Music Levels 7–10, watch ‘Understanding the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0, Music Levels 7–10’ on the Resources page.

Rationale and Aims

Rationale

In music, sounds are combined and shaped into a meaningful form. Music has the capacity to motivate, inspire and enrich the lives of all students. Students participate in music learning individually and collectively as listeners, composers and performers. Music learning is embodied learning. It has a significant and unique impact on the creative, sensorimotor, cognitive, emotional, sociocultural and personal competencies of students.

Music exists distinctively in every historical and contemporary culture, and is a basic, shared expression and communication of human experience. Sharing music and ideas about music across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts builds knowledge and enhances empathy, and fosters understanding of other cultures, times, places and contexts. Engagement with music from diverse settings develops an understanding that the same music can be deeply moving for many people and yet have different meaning for each.

Music is a significant element in the diversity and continuity of local and global cultures, particularly the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Through music, they express connection to Country and Place, challenge the impact of other cultures on their ways of knowing, being, doing and becoming, contribute to the global music community and advocate for change.

Students’ active participation in music, through continuous and developmentally sequential music learning, encourages skills and aesthetic knowledge of increasing depth and complexity over time. Through performing, composing and listening with intent to music, students have access to knowledge, skills and understanding that can be gained in no other way. Music learning enhances students’ capacity to perceive and understand musical concepts, and to recognise music’s contribution in shaping their identity and their ability to explore personal, local and global issues and ideas. Learning in the Music curriculum is aurally based and can be understood without any recourse to notation; learning to read and write music in traditional and graphic forms enables students to access a wide range of music as independent learners. Through the study of Music, students increasingly value the power of music in its ability to transform the heart, soul, mind and spirit of individuals and communities.

Aims

The Music curriculum aims to develop students’:

• confidence to be creative, innovative, thoughtful, skilful and informed musicians
• skills to listen, improvise, compose, interpret, perform and respond with intent and purpose
• aesthetic knowledge and respect for music and music practices across global communities, cultures and musical traditions
• understanding of music as an aural art form, its relationship with other art forms and contributions to cultures and societies.