Listening Beyond the Stave: Context, Curriculum and Continuity of Musicology in NSW Senior Secondary Schools

Abstract

This qualitative multi-case study examines the relationship between school-based musicology in the NSW senior secondary curriculum and the practices of tertiary music researchers. While school teachers have become accustomed to syllabi and external assessment requirements that have remained unchanged since 1999, NSW tertiary institutions have engaged in continuous revision of course structures, responding to increasingly diverse and culturally relevant representations of music scholarship. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with school teachers and tertiary music researchers, the study seeks to identify the pedagogical and methodological gaps between the two sectors, proposing strategies to promote a more inclusive interpretation of musicology in schools. With the NSW senior secondary music curriculum currently undergoing a period of revision, the perspectives tabled in this study are particularly timely. Ultimately, this study endeavours to provide a foundation for increased collaboration between sectors, highlighting the potential for more coherent, culturally responsive, and innovative frameworks to music research education.