BETHLEHEM COLLEGE
MUSIC
2015
Level ONE
Achievement Standard MUSIC 1.1
AS91090
Perform two pieces of music as a featured soloist
6 credits
Assessment: Internal
STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS
Performing as a soloist helps you develop and consolidate fundamental skills as
you develop as a musician. The only way you can become a confident performer
is by performing as much as possible. This achievement standard is a valuable
part of your musical journey!
Read this information sheet carefully and discuss anything you’re unsure about
with your classroom teacher.
Show your instrumental teacher this document too. It will be helpful for them as
they assist you in your choice of repertoire.
Keep in mind that your assessors are going to grade you in relation to the
standard of performance that would be expected from a student who has been
learning an instrument for three years.
Assessment Activities
This achievement standard involves performing two pieces of music as a
featured soloist.
To gain this standard:
You need to give a live performance of music as a featured soloist to an
audience. This means that you perform as a soloist, perhaps with an
accompaniment / backing. If you are accompanying yourself as you perform, then
the assessment is holistic. (You will be assessed on your accompaniment also.)
Your performance must demonstrate technical, musical, and presentation
skills appropriate to students in at least their third year of instrumental
study through group itinerant tuition. Each piece must be of sufficient
length to demonstrate these skills.
 Technical skills refers to techniques specific to the instrument being
used for the performance, for example, bowing, embouchure, breathing,
consistency in changing registers, playing techniques, consistency of
tone.
 Secure technical skills refers to appropriate techniques that are
consistent throughout the performance.
 Accuracy refers to the degree of precision as communicated from the
written score or the aural transcription, with the understanding that
performances are seldom completely accurate.
 Musicianship refers to musical awareness and understanding of the
musical style. This includes phrasing, dynamics, rhythm and feel.


Presentation refers to the sense of performance appropriate to the genre
and style of the music, appropriate posture and stagecraft, and, for
achievement with excellence, communication skills.
Communication skills refers to committed rapport with the music,
instrument and audience.
Improvisation in the performance will be assessed.
The performance of each piece will be assessed holistically. This means not
placing emphasis on minor inaccuracies.
The assessment criteria will be applied to provide an overall judgement based on
the weight of evidence across all performances.
Assessment Conditions
Assessment dates: You will have three scheduled opportunities to perform at
school. You are required to perform one or two pieces at each performance
event. All of your performances will be videoed, and you will be given feedback
each time. Your final grade will be generated from those performances that best
represent your performance standard.
There will be three performance evenings which are intended to be friendly and
supportive occasions:
Term One:
Wednesday 18 March
Term Two:
Wednesday 10 June
Term Three: Wednesday 9 September
The first performance in March will be slightly more informal since it is your first
experience of the NCEA solo performance achievement standard. The intention
is to encourage you with helpful feedback and give you confidence as you
prepare for the following two performance evenings. Level 2 and 3 students will
join you in these performance evenings, and so with everyone together, it will be
a festive celebration of developing talent. It is expected that you support your
peers and are part of the audience for the duration of the evenings.
Like any other assessment, if you do not complete your performance at the
agreed time or if you miss it for reasons other than illness or bereavement, you
will receive a not-achieved grade. Extensions cannot be granted for performance
assessments. If you have a prior and unchangeable booking on any of the three
performance evening dates above, you must discuss this with Mrs Graham within
a week of receiving this notice.
Accompanists: If you require an accompanist it is your responsibility to arrange
this well in advance of the performance date. The school cannot accept
responsibility if your accompanist fails to attend your performance on time, this is
a private arrangement between you and them.
Copy of your music: You will need to hand a named manila folder and copies of
each piece of music or aural transcription that you are playing for your
performance to Mrs Graham well in advance of the performance.
Assessment Criteria and Assessment Schedule
You will be assessed performing contrasting pieces on the instrument/s of your choice. Your
assessor will use the criteria noted in bold print in the top boxes of the chart to decide what grade
you should receive for your performances.
To give you a better idea of what these criteria mean, a description of the sort of qualities your
assessor is looking for are given below each of the criteria.
Keep in mind that all of these aspects are assessed in relation to the range of skills one would
expect to find in the performance of repertoire appropriate for use by a student in their third year
of study and that the final grade will be decided using professional judgement based on holistic
examination of the evidence provided against the criteria in the Achievement Standard.
Assessment schedule: Music 91090 Solo Performance
Evidence/Judgements towards
Achievement
Evidence/Judgements towards Achievement with
Merit
Evidence/Judgements towards Achievement
with Excellence
Live presentation of two pieces of music to an audience.
The pieces may be performed on different occasions.
Appropriate repertoire that enables the featured soloist to:
 be easily heard and seen
 have a central or leading role,
 play a separate or uniquely identifiable part.
Each piece of sufficient length to demonstrate skills reflecting at least a third year of study through group itinerant tuition. Accompaniment is optional.
Musical repertoire may include traditional forms of Māori music and improvisation
The performances demonstrate:
The performances are effective by demonstrating




technical skills (e.g. general accuracy
with the music being mostly in tune,
some control of bowing, some control of
embouchure, some control of breathing,
some consistency in changing registers,
some playing techniques appropriate to
the instrument, some consistency of
tone), and
musical skills with respect to phrasing,
dynamics, rhythm and feel, and
presentation skills appropriate to the
genre and style of the music, including
appropriate posture and stagecraft.


secure technical skills (e.g. awareness of
instrumental tuning and pitch appropriate bowing,
appropriate embouchure, effective breathing,
consistency in changing registers, playing
techniques appropriate to the instrument,
generally consistent tone) and
musical skills that demonstrate an appropriate
sense of style including phrasing, dynamics,
rhythm and feel, and
confident communication appropriate to the
genre and style of the music, including
appropriate posture and stagecraft.
The performances are convincing by
demonstrating:

assured technical skills are fluent,
accurate and secure(e.g. controlled
instrumental tuning and pitch, secure
bowing, reliable embouchure, secure
breathing, consistency in changing registers,
secure playing techniques appropriate to the
instrument, consistency of tone), and

musical expression and interpretation
through communicating clear understanding
of the musical style, including phrasing,
dynamics, rhythm and feel.
The assessment criteria must be applied to provide an overall judgement based on the weight of evidence across both performances.
The performance of each piece of music must be assessed holistically. This means considering the musicality and merits of the performance as a
whole and not placing emphasis on minor inaccuracies that do not affect the fluency of the performance.