IB Music
Nature of Subject
Music is an essential part of the human experience and a unique mode of creativity, expression and communication. Music is both functional and meaningful, and its vitality and complexity enriches our lives. Though music is rooted in specific societies and cultures, it also transcends—and often connects—them. Music not only offers a way of understanding the world, but also a means by which we can express and share our understanding of it with others.
What do students do in a music classroom? How are music students assessed?
Students at SL and HL submit the following common assessment tasks.
An exploration portfolio: Written work demonstrating engagement with, and understanding of, diverse musical material, along with practical exercises in creating and performing
An experimentation report: Written work in the form of a rationale and commentary that supports practical musical evidence of experimentation in creating and performing
A musical presentation: Finished works in creating and performing, supported by programme notes.
In addition, HL students will submit the following project:
A collaborative project: A continuous multimedia presentation documenting a real-life project, containing evidence of the project proposal, the process and evaluation, and the realized project, or curated selections of it.
By the end of the course students will have:
broadened their musical horizons through engagement with diverse musical material
analysed a wide range of music
engaged with music technology as a compulsory part of the course
gained confidence in the essential processes associated with music-making
developed as holistic musicians with experience as creators and performers
developed both independent and collaborative working skills
honed their inquiry, reflection and critical thinking skills.
The Role of Music Technology in the Course
The music curriculum reflects the substantial global increase in access to digital technologies. Different uses of music-related technologies include recording music or sounds, synthesis of new sounds, sampling and programming, using apps and specific software to create and/or perform music.
Distinction between SL (Standard Level) and HL (Higher Level)
The syllabus differentiates between SL and HL. The greater breadth and depth required for HL is reflected through an additional assessment task, that of the Contemporary Music Maker (see Syllabus Outline).
SYLLABUS OUTLINE
This practical course fosters students’ musicianship and shapes their musical identities as researchers, creators and performers.
The course defines musicianship as comprising three, intrinsically connected aspects:
Knowledge and understanding of diverse musical material through different Areas of Inquiry
Engagement with the musical processes of exploring, experimenting and presenting
Competencies and skill in the musical roles of researchers, creators and performers
Areas of Inquiry (AOI)
Music for sociocultural and political expression
Examples of relevant musical materials may include: protest songs, liturgical music and national anthems
Music for listening and performance
Examples of relevant music materials may include the following genres: Chamber music of the Western art tradition, Cool Jazz, Experimental music.
Music for dramatic impact, movement and entertainment
Examples of relevant music materials may include the following genres: Music for film, Music for ballet, Musical theatre.
Music technology in the electronic and digital age
Examples of relevant musical materials may include the following genres: Electronic dance music, Elektronische Musik, Technology in popular music production
Musical Processes
Exploring Music in context: When exploring music in context, students will learn how to engage with a diverse range of music genres that will broaden their musical horizons and provide stimuli to expand their own music-making.
Experimenting with Music: When experimenting with music, students connect theoretical studies to practical work and learn to experiment with a range of musical material, improvising, creating and performing music in diverse styles.
Presenting Music: When presenting music, students learn to practise and prepare finished pieces that will be performed or presented to an audience.
The Contemporary Music Maker (HL only): Music at higher level (HL) builds on the learning of musical competencies and challenges students to engage with the musical processes in settings of contemporary music-making. For the HL component, students plan and collaboratively create a project that draws on the competencies, skills and processes in all of the musical roles of the music course, and is inspired by real- life practices of music-making.
Musical Roles
The development of students’ musical roles as researchers, creators and performers is central to the music curriculum as students develop their musical identities through these roles.
The Researcher: students learn to investigate music in authentic ways, including aural, kinaesthetic and scholarly research.
The Creator: students make music by composing, improvising and arranging.
The Performer: students develop their skills in practical music-making and delivery, including interpretation, expression and technical proficiency.
All three musical roles are of equal value and should not be taught in isolation throughout the course. In different components, attention may be drawn to certain roles while others play a supporting role.
Assessment
External/ internal
SL
HL
Exploring Music in context
Students select samples of their work for a portfolio submission (maximum 2,400 words). Student submit:
written work demonstrating engagement with, and understanding of, diverse musical material
practical exercises:
creating: one creating exercise (score maximum 32 bars and/or audio 1 minute as appropriate to style)
performing: one performed adaptation of music from a local or global context for the student’s own instrument (maximum 2 minutes)
supporting audio material (not assessed).
External
30%
20%
Experimenting with Music
Students submit an experimentation report with evidence of their musical processes in creating and performing in two areas of inquiry in a local and/or global context. The report provides a rationale and commentary for each process. Students submit:
a written experimentation report that supports the experimentation (maximum 1,500 words)
practical musical evidence of the experimentation process
three related excerpts of creating (total maximum
5 minutes)
three related excerpts of performing (total maximum
5 minutes)
Internal
30%
20%
Presenting Music
Students submit a collection of works demonstrating engagement with diverse musical material from four areas of inquiry. The submission contains:
Presenting as a researcher
programme notes (maximum 600 words)
Presenting as a creator
composition and/or improvisation (maximum 6 minutes)
Presenting as a performer
solo and/or ensemble (maximum 12 minutes)
excerpts, where applicable (maximum 2 minutes)
External
40%
30%
The Contemporary Music-Maker (HL only)
Internal
30%
Students submit a continuous multimedia presentation documenting
their real-life project. Students submit multimedia presentation (maximum 15 minutes), evidencing:
the project proposal
the process and evaluation
the realized project, or curated selections of it.