Concepts of Manipulation
I've been trying to develop a good practice question to give to my HSC Music 2 students, and so in the process I read through every HSC paper from 2016 back to 2001. I was particularly interested in Question 4, since it is the most open, essay-style question and so is a good place to start for question modelling.
I made a bullet point summary of some of the key terms in questions, and here's what I came up with:
Key Statements from Question 4:
“...develop their musical ideas”
“...concepts of music have been manipulated”
“compositional techniques similar to those used…”
“compare the use of duration and one other concept”
“compare… treatment of musical ideas”
“...manipulated the concepts of music to achieve unity”
“explored the concepts of music… reflect a distinctive style”
“concepts of tone colour and texture”
[statement about rhythm] “to what extent does this statement apply to…”
“Composers break with and maintain musical conventions”… discuss
There are a number of interesting themes that the questions take: composers and tradition, the treatment of musical ideas, comparing the use of two concepts, unity and contrast, and distinctive style. Probably the one that confuses me the most is "manipulating the concepts". What does that mean? And what does that imply? Does Nigel Westlake really sit in his chair thinking about how he's going to create his next work by manipulating the concepts? By bending the concepts to his will? By standing over the concepts and making them obey him? If Nigel Westlake has to fight the concepts then I don't think he's really in charge at all.
Maybe I'm getting too hung up about language. But I do think there's always a danger that the tools of analysis become weapons of power. Because you can use the concepts as weapons, when you sit in your armchair and say, "Yes, there was excellent use of duration and expressive techniques, but I only filled half a page of notes about texture. 6/10." That's so far away from any music I want to be a part of. I want music to move people!
Perhaps I should take this up with the board...