VCE Music (Year 12) · Your Units 3–4 Music Study · 10m read

The Four Units 3–4 Music Studies — Which One, and How It Is Assessed

From 2023, VCE Music Units 1 and 2 are common, then branch into four separate Units 3–4 studies. Knowing exactly what your study assesses helps you spend your practice time where it counts.

Learning objective: Understand the four VCE Music Units 3–4 studies, what each focuses on, and how to plan your year around its assessment.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe Music Contemporary Performance, Repertoire Performance, Inquiry and Composition.
• I can identify the types of assessment in my study.
• I can plan practice and preparation across the year.

Four tracks from one station. Everyone leaves Units 1–2 together, then takes the track that suits them: performing contemporary music, performing repertoire, investigating music, or composing.

The four studies

• MUSIC CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE — performing a program in contemporary styles, often with personal interpretation and arranging; includes analysing performances and an end-of-year performance examination.
• MUSIC REPERTOIRE PERFORMANCE — performing a program of repertoire (often from prescribed lists) with stylistic understanding and technical control; includes a performance examination.
• MUSIC INQUIRY — investigating music through a focus area, combining listening, analysis, creating and performing; assessed through school-based tasks, an externally assessed task and an aural and written examination.
• MUSIC COMPOSITION — analysing works and composing original music, developing ideas into finished compositions.

All studies use the elements of music, aural skills and analysis.

Planning your year

• Read your study design’s assessment section and the current VCAA examination specifications (weightings and formats change between studies).
• Build a weekly routine: technique, repertoire or composition work, aural practice and listening/analysis.
• Record yourself regularly to track progress.
• Set milestones: program chosen, drafts complete, mock performances, final polishing.

Worked example (Easy)

A guitarist who loves arranging songs in their own style is choosing a study. Which fits best and why?

1. Match interests. Personal interpretation and arranging of contemporary songs.
2. Choose. Music Contemporary Performance.

Answer: Music Contemporary Performance — it rewards personal interpretation of contemporary styles.

Common mistakes

• Assuming all four studies are assessed the same way Each has different tasks and weightings. Fix: Check your own study’s specifications.
• Neglecting aural and analysis skills in performance studies Written/aural components count too. Fix: Practise aural skills every week.

Practice questions

1. Which Units 3–4 study focuses on creating original music?

   1. Music Repertoire Performance
   2. Music Composition
   3. Music Contemporary Performance
   4. None

   (1 marks)

2. List two weekly habits that support any VCE Music study.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Four Units 3–4 studies: Contemporary Performance, Repertoire Performance, Inquiry, Composition.
• Each has its own assessment — check the specifications.
• Aural and analysis skills matter in every study.
• Plan milestones backwards from assessment dates.