The position of composition, or the creation of new music, has become increasingly important in secondary music curricula in New South Wales, in other Australian states and in other countries. As part of their responsibilities for teaching composition, secondary music teachers are required to assess student composition products. Research in composition assessment demonstrates a wide range of opinions on suitable criteria for composition assessments. The purpose of this research was to explore criteria that New South Wales secondary music teachers use in their assessments of senior student compositions. Data for this research were collected through a survey and a simulated judging session. Participants in the research were music teachers from New South Wales secondary schools. This article reports results from both research protocols. Results identify assessment criteria survey respondents and judging session participants used in the research. Results have implications for composition pedagogy and assessment in secondary schools.
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