Is it permissible to submit previously-created compositions? (1 Viewer)

[187]

Although this would be excellent for me, I'd like to make sure it's honest first, due to the requirement of a composition diary. I'm not going to fake one, as that would be nothing less than cheating.

A friend of mine says he will probably use a previously-created composition and simply "revise" it, thus being able to write about it in his composition diary as though he had created it just for the assessment. Does that makes sense? It still feels like a form of dishonesty, so has anyone studied composition at school before (Music 1 or 2)?

I hesitate about asking my teacher, as that could give him the impression that I'm some sort of expert who's been composing for many years, which I'm simply not. Thanks in advance.

 

[Phanatical]

Generally, if it's been handed in as an assessed composition before, then no. Otherwise as long as it's a completely original work that has never been assessed there shouldn't be any problems. That said, I'd be hesitant to recommend this course of action, since the best compositions handed in for Music are generally written over a long period of time referencing work studied in the HSC Syllabus.

 

[187]

I have some one hundred percent original works that I have never submitted anywhere. In fact, I'm the only one who knows they exist. Now you do, too. Yay!

Seriously though, what I was hoping to do would be to use these (incomplete) ideas and maybe add a little throughout the course. Basically, I wanted to not submit these compositions exactly as they are, but make a few changes as I learn some composition tips in class.

Thanks, Phanatical. I just wanted to know if this oculd be done as a last resort, in case I really can't come up with anything good during the course.

 

[Phanatical]

One idea I used a few semesters ago was to use lyrics my friend had written, and write completely different pieces around them. You could take some motivic material, and do a sort of variations on a theme by treating the material in different ways. There are plenty of options you could explore.