Mangere College Mangere College

9 Music

9MUS
Course Description

Music classes in year 9 involve an introduction to practical and performance study either as a solo performer or as a member of a group. Students learn pieces from a range styles and genres and begin to realise these ideas onto the piano keyboard. Students explore how to create their own musical ideas and compose simple melodies as well as developing their understanding of basic music theory. This course leads on to studying Music at Year 10 which can further develop your interest, skills and knowledge in the subject in NCEA Lv1, Lv2, and Lv3 at years 11, 12, and 13.

In Music you will learn:

  • Performance & Musicianship
  • Basic Composition
  • Notation and basic harmony
  • Different styles and genres of Music
  • Listening: Music appreciation

Music is a unique way of organising and making sense of sound. It is a way of knowing that influences how we see the world, express our views of the world, and come to know the world. 

In music, emotion, intellect, and imagination are articulated through sound. Music allows us to express our feelings and ideas about ourselves and our place in the world. It can directly evoke emotional responses and capture the elusive essence of who and what we are. 

Music encompasses a wide range of sounds, from natural and found sounds through to those generated by conventional musical instruments and electronic technologies. We organise these sounds by manipulating pitch, rhythm, dynamics, harmony, timbre, texture, and form to develop musical ideas and create musical works. 

Music is a fundamental form of both personal and cultural expression. As social and historical texts, musical works use a range of traditional and alternative signs and symbols, both heard and seen. Through music, we can appreciate and understand our diverse New Zealand heritage as well as that of other cultures. 

Learning Areas:

Performing Arts


Assessment Information

Achievement Objectives:
Developing Practical Knowledge in Music:
In this strand, students explore and respond to the elements and expressive qualities of music through such activities as listening, moving, singing, and playing. They develop a vocabulary in music by learning and using symbols and systems for representing sound, and they use focused listening to develop aural skills and sensitivity.
Students investigate ways of creating sounds, using conventional and unconventional sound sources. They experiment with the elements of music and discover structural devices for shaping sound into music. They recall and transcribe increasingly complex rhythm patterns, melodies, and harmonies, and they explore techniques for creating sound with instruments and voices.

Developing Ideas in Music:
In this strand, students draw on their experiences and perspectives to develop and refine musical ideas. They develop an awareness of different sounds and the potential of sound for resourcing and generating ideas and for communicating feelings. They use aural skills, imagination, and a developing knowledge of structural devices, musical instruments, technologies, and the elements of music to improvise, compose, and notate music with increasing sophistication and refinement.
Students draw on their developing knowledge to inform their compositions, arrangements, and improvisations. They manipulate materials within particular styles, genres, conventions, and cultural forms, and they compose and arrange music for specific purposes.

Communicating and Interpreting in Music:
In this strand, students develop fluency, musicianship, and technical control as they rehearse and present individual and group performances. They play and sing individually and in groups, using appropriate techniques and performance practices. They reflect on and evaluate their own performances and make critical judgments about the interpretation of music in others’ performances.
Students prepare, rehearse, refine, present, and direct musical works. They listen to, read, and interpret music, and they develop understandings of composers’ and arrangers’ intentions and of cultural protocols. They explore how technologies contribute to performance, and they record their own and others’ performances.

Understanding Music in Context:
In this strand, students develop knowledge and understanding of music in past and present contexts. They share the music of their homes and communities, and they investigate musical works as social texts that deepen our understandings about people and environments.
Students recognise music’s contribution to, and significance in, contemporary cultures. They associate music with particular events, times, places, and feelings. They compare and contrast styles and genres of music in relation to past and
present contexts, and they investigate and celebrate traditional Màori music and the multicultural musical heritage of New Zealand.