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3.Nailing the CONTENT

  • 3.Nailing the CONTENT

What Direction? 

For a subject that does not have a textbook, the approach for teachers and students can be daunting. It is our recommendation that you are guided by skills. Yes, there are assessment components and there are essential frameworks that you need to consider in the design of the course, but these areas should act as guidance, as you shape a curriculum that will be most beneficial for your students. Further, the input that you receive from them should be equally important in helping you to navigate the direction that you will ultimately take. 

 Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

What To Cover?

Getty Images via Unsplash 

The course has no prescribed content or material. This does not mean that musical skills and proficiencies are not addressed. Quite the contrary, students should be researching, creating, and performing relevant material that can connect across contexts. In other words, students must apply their skills and proficiencies in imaginative and useful ways. Through this process, they make their learning personal. 

It's like combining ingredients. One still has to know the material, but combining it to create and perform something unique and personal must be demonstrated. This will most likely vary from student to student. After all, we have our tastes and backgrounds.

What you will find in this Chapter 

Here are some of the important aspects of this chapter:

Essential Features of the Syllabus: 

  • Musical Roles
  • Musical Contexts
  • Areas of Inquiry

Four Components of the Course: 

  • Overview 
  • Musical Processes 
  • Differences between Exploring and Experimenting 

Identifying the Skills Needed: 

  • For Exploring Music in Context 
  • For Experimenting with Music 
  • For Presenting Music 
  • For the Contemporary Music Maker
There is also considerable material on each of the four components, including a detailed summary for each, lesson ideas, student work, units of work, and other lesson tips you may wish to adopt. 

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