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The Music 1 11–12 Syllabus (2025) includes:

• changes in the organisation and content of the focus areas and the content groups
  • the content groups are now performing, listening, analysing and responding and creating and composing
  • the focus areas are shown in the dark blue boxes in the diagram below

• a change from the ‘Concepts of music’ framework to the ‘’ framework which is integrated as appropriate throughout each focus area across Year 11 and Year 12
• prescribed focus areas for Year 11 and Year 12
  • – Contexts of music; Creative practice; and Music in focus
  • – Music of the last 25 years (Australian focus); Music across cultures, traditions and time; and Music for screen, stage and story
• taught across Year 11 and Year 12, must have:
  • music of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • music of contemporary popular styles
  • Western art music
  • jazz
  • music of global music culture
  • electronic music
  • a range of vocal, instrumental, solo and ensemble music
• fewer outcomes in both Year 11 and Year 12 (6 outcomes in each)
• changes to the mandatory weightings for Year 11 and Year 12
  • Knowledge and understanding of course content – 50%
  • Skills in performance, composition and musicology – 50%
• changes to the specification
  • written paper – aural skills (40 marks)
  • core performance (20 marks)
  • core submitted composition (20 marks)
  • elective (20 marks)
• a requirement to submit an original composition that must represent the focus area – Music of the last 25 years (Australian focus)
• in the , if time limit is exceeded, HSC markers will stop the performance
• have significantly changed to align with the new Music 1 11–12 Syllabus (2025) outcomes.

The organisation of the outcomes and content for Music 1 11–12 Syllabus images is from the © NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA), for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025.

Prior to implementing the Music 1 11–12 Syllabus (2025), leaders will need to consider the following:

• The complexities for staff teaching 2 different syllabuses simultaneously to Years 11 and 12. Syllabus differences include structure, language, outcomes and content.
• The implications of multiple syllabus release dates across the subjects within creative arts and implementation structures staggered across multiple cohorts and subjects.
• Building teacher understanding of protocols and cultural sensitivities when working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander content in designing and delivering music content and assessment.
• Developing school processes and systems for effective task design and valid assessment of reduced number of outcomes.
• Supporting teachers’ understanding of the principles of inclusive education, adjustments and access to the Music 1 curriculum for all learners.
• Resource and budget implications including
  • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations and build their skills and understanding to effectively teach and plan for syllabus requirements across 11–12 to implement in 2027
  • equipment that enhances learning and supports all students to access the curriculum such as screen readers, audio-visual material and other inclusive learning tools
  • all decisions about curriculum options for students with disability should be made through the process.
• The eligibility of students for a pattern of study.

The syllabus for Music 1 11–12 Syllabus (2025) is based on evidence summarised in the published by NESA. The evidence base highlights that:

• the depth and complexity of the musical knowledge base is derived from an evolution of musical conventions and language over an extensive time frame. Western ‘classical’ music is an amalgam of traditions and styles encompassing broad contexts, practices and forms
  • The inclusion of the study of repertoire from Western classical traditions in the proposed syllabuses provides an opportunity for students to link the past with present and emerging cultures (Jorgensen 2003; Subotnik 1987)
  • It also provides an opportunity for students to attain deep musical knowledge and apply understandings that enrich creative music-making
• improvised performance characterises the musical practice of most of the world’s traditional music. Improvisation is also an essential feature of performances of contemporary, popular music (Berliner 1993; Burnard 2012)
  • Improvising, arranging and composing music can be sound or notation based. Sound-based undertakings can then be recorded or ‘notated’ in some form for revisiting and sharing (Bogunovic 2019; Hartmann 2021)
• contemporary music-making provides a vehicle through which musical knowledge and understanding can be applied to highly creative musical undertakings (Hartmann 2021)
• music technology provides tools to facilitate students’ creativity and provides opportunities for students to access creative environments (Lam 2023)
• new models of creative performance and composition have emerged with the availability and use of new digital technologies (Burnard 2012; Crawford 2022)
• music from different places should be studied with cultural integrity. The musical conventions of different cultures should be explored, experienced and investigated (Dunbar-Hall 2005; Campbell 1991)
• functional musical literacy provides the means by which musical intentions can be recorded, intellectualised, propagated and learnt
  • The use of digital technology in the performing and creating of music expands students’ access to ‘notated’ forms to record musical intentions. (Pitts and Kwami 2002).

© NSW ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025.

• To what extent do staff understand the syllabus changes and have familiarised themselves with the new syllabus?
• To what extent do staff understand how the changes to the syllabus focus areas and prescriptions will impact their programming?
• How have change management considerations been embedded into the School Excellence Plan (SEP) to support teachers and sustain and strengthen curriculum implementation?
• What structures are in place for tailored professional support for all staff to strengthen curriculum implementation? What else might be required for this syllabus?
• What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
• How has the school engaged with department resources and support for curriculum implementation, for example, Curriculum networks, curriculum resources, professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?

• Planning, programming and assessing Creative Arts 11–12 NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Creative arts K–12 curriculum NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• Curriculum Reform NSW Department of ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
• NESA
• NESA