2017 will see Songwriting available to high school students as an NCEA standard at level 3.

Adding a missing piece to arts-based music standards, it sits alongside the more theoretical Composition standard which requires a written representation (or score). Songwriting will focus on the practical outcome of marrying chord sequences and lyrics, followed by recording the resulting song – the recording will essentially be the “notation” which is more genre appropriate.

About a year after initial steps with NZQA were taken, a dedicated team made up of University Of Auckland senior lecturer Trevor Thwaites, teachers Jeni Little and Tim Randle, as well as NZQA national moderator of music Delysse Glynn, wrote and submitted a draft for the new standard in winter 2016, which was approved by the NZQA yesterday.

Music teacher Jeni Little has over 28 years experience in the classroom. “I am delighted to see the addition of the new standard which far better acknowledges the creative work that my students are known for producing. The really important thing for me is that the standard is now about the quality of the sound, and not the symbols on paper – after all the beauty of a brilliant song is through the ears, not in through the eyes.”