Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91951 about?

Accepted Answer

You need to write an original piece of music and show exactly how you made it. You'll submit the finished recording, a visual representation of your music (like a score or chord chart), and a written explanation of your creative choices and how your musical ideas came together.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91951?

Accepted Answer

1. Create a complete, original piece of music with a clear structure that shows ideas are developed and organised, not just repeated 2. Choose and stay consistent with a recognisable music style or genre throughout your composition 3. Use music concepts (like melody, harmony, rhythm, or cultural features) intentionally to shape your ideas 4. Provide a visual representation of your music (a score, annotated screenshot, or lyric-chord chart) that accurately matches what you've recorded 5. Write a clear statement explaining how you created the piece, what musical decisions you made, and how your ideas were developed

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91951?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You write a short piece (around 2 minutes) with some basic structure and a musical style, include a simple visual representation, and briefly explain how you created it. Merit: You create a well-structured piece (2–3 minutes) in a clear style, develop your melody and harmony in interesting ways beyond basic repetition, provide a detailed visual representation, and explain your specific compositional choices. Excellence: You compose a sophisticated, stylistically consistent piece showing creative use of musical conventions, combine and contrast musical elements skillfully, provide a detailed visual representation that shows high musical literacy, and explain your individual compositional voice with specific musical references.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91951?

Accepted Answer

1. Submitting music that is too short, too simple (just repeated ideas with no real development), or mostly using loops or pre-made material from a DAW without original student input 2. Not submitting all three required parts (recording, visual representation, written statement) or providing a written statement that is too brief or describes the process in narrative terms rather than explaining actual musical decisions 3. Not clearly stating your individual contribution if working in a group, or failing to declare if AI tools were used to create the music or written component

Compose music · AS 91951

4,428 students sat this in 2024 · 85% passed

Documents (18)

The standard itself

Exam papers & schedules

Exemplars (student work samples)

Reports & guidance

Bundles

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