
The Music Practice major equips students with advanced musical skills through integrated approaches to live performance and the creation of music. Focused on the development and staging of new work through compositional practice, and performance across ensemble, live, and studio domains, the major fosters musicality and artistic expression in real-time musical environments. It emphasises interpretive depth, technical proficiency, and the creative integration of musical ideas into performance. Students are supported in developing their own artistic voice across a wide range of genres—including popular, jazz, classical, and global musics—while refining their ability to perform, compose, and present original work in both collaborative and solo settings. Through sustained live practice, students develop a deep understanding of the embodied, social, and aesthetic dimensions of musical performance. The major emphasises artistic responsiveness, audience engagement, and ethical leadership in both professional and community-based music contexts. It also provides students with the organisational and interpersonal skills essential for creative leadership, ensemble collaboration, and public performance. Students critically reflect on the social and cultural roles of live music, and examine how music practice can contribute to artistic innovation and positive social change. The Music Practice major culminates in a capstone project, where students present a long-form live musical work and articulate their creative methodologies. The major also prepares students for advanced study in Honours and postgraduate research.