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

• a change in the structural organisation from specialisation to focus areas and content groups
  • new focus area – Interpretative practices addressed through the content groups: Musical sources, Musical practices and Musical contexts
  • changes in terminology from ‘specialisation’ to focus area – Major work
• a change from the ‘Concepts of music’ framework to – Music context and Music language, inclusive of theoretical, compositional and notational language integrated as appropriate throughout each focus area and content group
• significant changes in course structure indicative hours:
  • Interpretative practices – 20 hours
  • Major work – 40 hours
• course description advice and content when engaging with repertoire of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural and creative Practices in Music Extension
• the introduction of investigating and analysing complex repertoire for one (1) significant composer or style through the comparison of shorter works and extracts
• a change in title from portfolio to Major work journal, that can be multimodal
• a reduction from 6 outcomes for each specialisation to 4 outcomes in total for an individual student across Interpretative practices and Major work
• a change to the mandated school-based assessment component weightings
  • Knowledge and understanding of Music context and Music language – 30%
  • Skills in extensive, independent Performance OR Composition OR Musicology – 70%
• significant changes to the Music Extension HSC examination specifications including the addition of a written examination and new maximum time limits or word count, which have been reduced
  • Written paper – Interpretative practices (20 marks)
  • Major work – (40 marks)
• 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 Extension Syllabus outcomes.

The organisation of Music Extension Year 12 content image is from the Music Extension 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 Extension Syllabus (2025), leaders will need to consider the following:

• the complexities for staff during the planning and implementation phases where old and new syllabuses are delivered for both Music 2 and Music Extension simultaneously. Syllabus differences include structure, language, outcomes and content
• the implications of multiple syllabus release dates across subjects within creative arts and implementation timelines staggered across multiple cohorts and subjects
• 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 the reduced number of outcomes (4 outcomes)
• resource and budget implications, including
  • providing time for staff to engage with the syllabus and build skills and understanding to effectively teach and plan for Music Extension syllabus requirements for implementation in Term 4, 2027
  • determining what resources are currently available and acquire additional resources to address areas of need
• exploring ways to adopt and adapt the sample materials provided by the department into curriculum materials developed in school to support consistency of syllabus enactment.

The syllabus for Music Extension 11–12 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 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 Extension 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 Music 2 and Music Extension syllabuses 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 for updates and additional information NSW Department of Education
• Music Extension 11–12 Syllabus (2025) NESA