Supports a review to the proposed changes to the HSC syllabus by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
Members, educators and industry are encouraged to write to their local MP in support
APRA AMCOS has thrown its support behind the Australian Society for Music Education and Drama NSW's request for a new review of the music and drama Years 11-12 syllabuses in New South Wales schools in response to the proposed changes to the HSC syllabus by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), which will cut down on musical performances in favour of longer written aural exams.
APRA AMCOS is also urging the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Arts and Music Education to delay its final report to ensure that the voices of a broader range of industry stakeholders in the music and education sectors are heard, and these proposed changes can be interrogated.
Should NESA’s proposed changes be implemented, assessable performance opportunities for young people in Year 12 studying Music 1, a course designed for contemporary and art music students focusing on skills development, would be significantly reduced, with a further blow to the sector via the removal of composition and musicology electives. They would also diminish the perceived importance of performance and songwriting, potentially reducing enrolment rates and compounding impacts on the health of the NSW music sector.
In addition, the proposed changes do not align with the recently released Contemporary Music Plan for New South Wales. By de-emphasising performance and creative expression in favour of longer written exams, the syllabus changes directly contradict the plan's objectives of supporting contemporary music and ensuring that young people have access to the tools, skills and experiences needed to succeed in today’s music industry.
Singer/songwriter, Gordi, explains: “I finished high school in 2010, and by any standard I was extremely lucky that my school offered music as a subject. Most don’t, and those numbers are falling.
“The mandated curriculum left me completely uninspired and doubting there was any way I could make a living from music out in the real world. I was desperate to find my own musical voice, but was only encouraged to mimic the voices of men that had been dead for centuries.
“Imagine the head start I might’ve had if someone had actually taught me how to do that; how to find my own voice and be a successful musician in today’s world.”
APRA AMCOS currently operates a two-day program, SongMakers, which gives students in years 10-12 with a passion for music the chance to compose and record original music with highly acclaimed artist and producer mentors in a supportive environment.
Since launching in 2013, the program has taught over 5,000 young people and their teachers at more than 280 high schools nationally and created more than 1,000 original songs. Notable SongMakers alumni include Taka Perry, Tean Jesus and the Jean Teasers and Tia Gostelow.
Earlier this year, the program received $2 million in funding from the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, which has ensured the continued support for the program and the students it teaches.
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, adds: “As a former music teacher myself, these proposed changes to the curriculum are deeply saddening. By further reducing the HSC music and drama syllabus and restricting students to very dry, uninspiring course content and exam structures, we are setting kids up to fail.
“If we’re serious about creating the next generation of Australian songwriters who will go on to take on the world, then we need to start at the grassroots level and support them in school through both the curriculum, as well as specific, curated programs like SongMakers.
“We urge educators, songwriters, composers and the music industry to add their voice to the significant concerns around the draft syllabuses and write to their local MP to ask for a review, so we can ensure the next generation of music stars from all walks of life have the strongest possible start.”