The Music 2 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 outlined in the dark blue boxes in the diagram below

• a change from the ‘Concepts of music’ framework to the ‘Music context and Music language’ framework which is integrated as appropriate throughout each focus area across Year 11 and 12
• the focus areas have varied indicative hours in Year 11 and Year 12
  • Year 11 – Music of Western art traditions 1 (60 hours), Music for drama, movement and entertainment (30 hours), Music of the 20th and 21st centuries (30 hours)
  • Year 12 – Music of the last 25 years (Australian focus) (60 hours), Music of Western art traditions 2 (30 hours), Elective project (30 hours).
• changes to the school-based assessment weightings for Year 11 and Year 12. The new weightings are mandatory and are the same across Year 11 and Year 12
  • Knowledge and understanding of course content – 50%
  • Skills in performance, composition and musicology – 50%.
• fewer outcomes in both Year 11 and Year 12 (6 outcomes in each)
• Protocols for collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and engaging with Cultural works
• changes in the course requirements and HSC examinations
  • Repertoire requirements taught across Year 11 and Year 12 must include Music of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, a range of music created by Australian artists, a range of vocal, instrumental, solo and ensemble music and music created or performed using electronic, recording and digital technologies
  • in Year 12, students undertake an Elective project in either performance, or composition or musicology in addition to the core performance, core composition and written paper
  • in Year 12 Elective project – Performance project, students perform one piece of music of up to 6 minutes which must be in contrast to their core performance
  • in the Performance examination, if the time limit is exceeded, the HSC markers will stop the performance
  • Performance Band Descriptions have significantly changed to align with the new Music 2 Syllabus outcomes
  • in Year 12 Elective project composition, students will submit one original composition of up to 3 minutes which must contrast their core composition
  • in Year 12 Elective project musicology essay, students will prepare and submit an essay between 1000 – 1500 words based on an independent musicological investigation in their chosen area of study.
• changes to the Music 2 examination specification
  • written paper – aural skills (40 marks)
  • core performance (20 marks)
  • core composition (20 marks)
  • elective project (20 marks).

The organisation of the outcomes and content for Music 2 11–12 Syllabus images is from the Music 2 11–12 Syllabus (2025) © NSW Education 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 2 11–12 Syllabus (2025), leaders will need to consider the following:

• The complexities for staff working across 2 syllabuses to teach Music 2 11–12 and the complications of a staggered implementation structure. (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 learning activities and assessment.
• Building teacher understanding about the changes to the organisation of the syllabus and the implications that this will have on programming.
• Developing school processes and systems for effective task design and valid assessment of reduced number of outcomes (6 outcomes in Year 11 and 6 outcomes in Year 12).
• Supporting teachers’ understanding of the principles of inclusive education, adjustments and access to the Music 2 curriculum for all learners.
• Resource and budget implication, 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
  • determining what resources are currently available to address new course requirements and purchasing additional resources to address areas of need
  • exploring ways to adopt and adapt the sample materials provided by the department and curriculum materials developed in school to support consistency of syllabus enactment
  • equipment that enhances learning and supports all students to access the curriculum such as screen readers, audio-visual material and other inclusive learning tools.

The syllabus for Music 2 11–12 (2025) is based on evidence in the bibliography published by NESA. The evidence base highlights that:

• intuitive musical understanding develops through active exploration (Bamberger J 2003 'The development of intuitive musical understanding: a natural experiment', Psychology of Music, 31(1):7–36)
• musical understanding is fundamentally shaped through emotional expression and embodied musical action, suggesting music education should centre expressive music-making as the primary pathway to meaning (Elliott DJ 2005 'Musical understanding, musical works, and emotional expression: implications for education', Educational Philosophy and Theory, 37(1):93–103)
• students develop musical understanding through descriptive, experiential language and personal meaning-making, rather than through formalised ‘elements of music’ terminology alone (Stewart Rose L and Countryman J 2013 'Repositioning “the elements”: how students talk about music', Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, 12(3):45–64. https://act.maydaygroup.org/volume-12-issue-3/)
• musical understanding is best demonstrated through interconnected activities of composing, performing, and listening, rather than through isolated theoretical knowledge (Swanwick K and Cavalieri Franca C 1999 'Composing, performing and audience-listening as indicators of musical understanding', British Journal of Music Education, 16(1):5–19)
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples music holds strong educative power when included respectfully, ethically, and in ways that honour Culture, context, and Knowledge (Holders Webb M and Bracknell C 2021 'Educative power and respectful curricular inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music', in Kallio AA, Westerlund H, Karlsen S, Marsh K and Sæther E (eds) The politics of diversity in music education. Landscapes: the arts, aesthetics, and education, vol 29, Springer)
• musically gifted students achieve at high levels when teachers intentionally provide differentiated, challenging, and authentic learning experiences that extend beyond the curriculum. (White R 2022 'High achievement and the musically gifted: how music educators across New South Wales, Australia develop and extend their most capable students', Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 31(1):37–53).

Music 2 11–12 Syllabus (2025) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2025.

• To what extent have staff familiarised themselves with the new syllabus and understand how the changes to the focus areas, content groups and written examination requirements 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 Education
• Creative arts K–12 curriculum NSW Department of Education
• Curriculum Reform NSW Department of Education
• Music 2 11–12 Syllabus (2025) NESA