Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard

This Standard supports ākonga as they learn to compose original music by focusing on creating, shaping, expanding, and structuring music ideas. It is not only about creating original ideas but growing and developing them through applying various creative tools and techniques. This Standard also encourages ākonga to consider overall design as they refine and connect their ideas to create their original composition.

Ākonga will consider how they can express their ideas within a consistent music style. They may also choose to experiment with conveying emotions, ideas, identities, or perspectives through their music.

This Standard relates to the following Big Ideas:

• music is a sensory language that organises sound and can be visually represented with signs and symbols
• music expresses emotions and communicates ideas and intent 
• music is an expression of, and a way of connecting with, culture, identity, place, and time 
• music is a craft that can be continually developed and refined.

It also aligns with the following Significant Learning, where ākonga may:

• engage in different ways of creating original music 
• experiment with music tools and concepts when composing or performing music, for intended effects 
• explore how music styles from different contexts are expressed in unique ways through combining and shaping music concepts  
• explore visual representation styles and aural systems to preserve or pass music on
• experience how music can communicate stories, knowledges, and ideas    
• engage in creating and performing music within a range of contexts and settings.

Assessment will flow from a teaching and learning programme that is rich in diverse listening, wānanga, creative activities, and opportunities to explore music grounded in a range of contexts, including forms and techniques within Māori and Pacific music. Such experiences will build understanding of different musical structures, as well as ways that compositional tools and expressive devices can be used to create and develop music ideas.

Making reliable judgements

To achieve this Standard, ākonga will compose an original piece of music by creating, shaping, and organising music ideas in a music style.

At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will expand and further shape their ideas by using compositional tools and expressive devices, such as repetition, contrast, and phrasing. Their piece of music will have a clearly identifiable structure and style that connects music ideas cohesively.

Students can create music individually or as part of a small group. However, they will be assessed individually so each student’s contribution must be clearly indicated and identifiable, and meet all of the requirements of the Standard.

Collecting evidence

Ākonga will present their original music as a recording and also create a visual representation as appropriate to the style of music. For example, ākonga who create an electronic piece using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) may visually represent their piece using an annotated screencast. If ākonga have chosen to do a pop or country song, they can represent this as a chord-lyric sheet. Ākonga composing music in a classical tradition may hand-write a full notation or use notation software to create a music score.

For this Achievement Standard, the original composition must be recorded. When creating the sound recording, ākonga can perform the composition or closely direct the performance of it. If it is an electronic piece, ākonga can submit the DAW sound file.

Ākonga will also supply a short descriptive statement as supporting evidence, where they can identify the intent of the composition, possibly with reference to the creative process, music concepts used, and the overall structure of the piece. The statement should not exceed 150-200 written words or spoken equivalent.

Ākonga composing in a group need to provide individual evidence of their contribution to the creative process and to clearly identify and describe their role in the composition’s creation. This explanation will be included in their own descriptive statement.

The submission needs to be long enough to provide evidence for assessment to take place. A maximum of three minutes of original music is appropriate.

Possible contexts

Ākonga could choose to draw from music styles that are of personal cultural significance when creating their original music ideas.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has exclusion(s). Standards that recognise the same or similar learning outcomes as other Achievement or Unit Standards need to be excluded to prevent ‘double dipping’. Where two or more Standards assess the same learning outcome, those Standards are specified in the Exclusions List. You can only use credits gained from one of these Standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Click here for the exclusions list for the new NCEA Level 1 pilot Standards.