Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
21/07/2026 11:19 PM AWST
21/07/2026 11:19 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Develop advanced vocal techniques
Develop advanced vocal techniques
Unit of competency
National Code
CUSMPF605A
CUSMPF605A
State Code
D2951
D2951
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
30/09/2014
Field of Education
100101 - Music
Original Release Date
30/09/2014
Nominal Hours
65
Description
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to perform as a vocalist at an advanced level. Vocalists at this level are expected to show a real commitment to improving their skills and expanding their repertoire in ways that allow them to demonstrate higher levels of technical and expressive skills. A willingness to act on feedback from colleagues and mentors is also essential.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Use personal practice time to refine skills
- 1.1 In consultation with appropriate personnel, identify strengths and weaknesses in own performance skills
- 1.2 Develop a practice plan and strategies that incorporate realistic goals as a basis for refining performance technique
- 1.3 Identify repertoire that will help achieve technical and expressive development goals and incorporate them into practice plan
- 1.4 Ensure that practice routine makes best use of resources
- 1.5 Use private practice to continuously develop technical control of voice to enhance musical expression and refine individual style
- 1.6 Experiment with and exploit repertoire and exercises to continuously refine technical accuracy
- 1.7 Listen critically to own performance to assess technical strengths and weaknesses and adjust practice regime accordingly
- 1.8 Ensure that practice is undertaken with due consideration to personal health and safety
2. Plan repertoire to meet performance goals
- 2.1 Research new repertoire to identify pieces or works that advance performance scope and skills
- 2.2 Use opportunities to trial new work for peers and/or mentors and incorporate their critical feedback into private practice
- 2.3 Practise a range of pieces or works that focus on identified areas of technical development
- 2.4 Include new pieces from a range of repertoire for listening and private practice to identify options for repertoire development
3. Use technical skills to convey interpretive and expressive qualities in performance
- 3.1 Enhance the performance and emotional content of songs through creative use of vocal articulation and tone colours
- 3.2 Consistently and reliably demonstrate control of sound production across the range of repertoire for the selected musical style
- 3.3 Continually extend physical coordination and control over the voice to produce a highly accomplished standard of performance
- 3.4 Listen to own work critically to produce accurate intonation and tone colour across the dynamic range of the instrument
4. Present a professional performance program to an audience
- 4.1 Write a program for the performance
- 4.2 Undertake appropriate psychological and vocal warm-up and warm-down activities to enhance short and long-term performance outcomes
- 4.3 Interpret songs from memory, improvisation or reading from charts or musical notation as required
- 4.4 Count in a band as required
- 4.5 Perform a range of songs in a fluent and confident manner to a professional performance standard
- 4.6 Use vibrato for a variety of musical effects as required
- 4.7 Control intonation, rhythm, tempi, expression, phrasing and nuance to a professional performance standard appropriate to the repertoire and musical style
- 4.8 Recover errors in performance with minimum disruption to performance and audience experience
- 4.9 Maintain stage fitness to ensure a professional technical standard in performance
5. Evaluate technical skills in performance
- 5.1 View or listen to recordings of own performance to analyse technical and expressive aspects of own performance
- 5.2 Note areas for improvement and take action accordingly
- 5.3 Seek feedback on performances from appropriate personnel and incorporate their feedback into own continuous improvement strategies
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Appropriate personnel may include:
musical director
performer
mentor
teacher
coach
tutor
conductor
producer
agent
sound engineer.
Strategies may include:
working effectively with an appropriate tutor
practising as a performer
participating in relevant groups or associations
participating in professional development and other learning opportunities
attending master classes
attending performances
listening critically to a wide range of live and recorded music.
Techniques may include:
breathing
messa di voce
articulation, including:
tremolo
vibrato
legato
staccato
accents
doit
gliss
fall-off
plop
ghost note
growl
rip
bend
control of dynamics
rapid figurations
posture
projection.
Repertoire may include:
songs and tunes for solo performance
choral pieces
acapella pieces
improvisations on rhythmic, harmonic or melodic structures
own original work.
Resources may include:
performance space
instruments and equipment
time.
Exercises may include:
scales
arpeggios
breathing exercises to achieve good breath control and tone colour
exercises for developing techniques, such as:
negotiating one's way inaudibly through register breaks
modifying vowels at higher pitches
making informed choices about using glottal stops and diphthongs
embellishing a melody
improvising, e.g. scat singing
producing a constant tone on all vowels
comfortably singing wide intervals
correcting vocal faults.
Technical accuracy may relate to:
memorising repertoire, including:
melody
lyrics
keys and harmonic features, including chord progressions
guide tones
arpeggios
singing with a constant pure tone on all vowels
fluent performance of a variety of scat syllables which are appropriate to the repertoire and reflect the singer's personality and style
consistent vocal techniques in all registers
performing appropriate vowel modification in relation to diphthongs
performing jazz articulation
rhythms
tone colour
pitch and register
dynamics
phrasing.
Health and safety considerations may include:
correct posture to support facility and longevity in practice
ensuring that practice sessions are of reasonable duration to avoid fatigue
hearing protection
protection of body against overuse injury
safe lifting techniques
strategies to overcome performance anxiety, such as:
focussing on a single element or action at a time
relaxation techniques
focussing on patterns rather than individual notes
warm-up routines.
Factors to be considered when writing programs may include:
keys
styles and tempos of songs
musical performance devices, such as:
turnarounds
vamps
playoffs.
Psychological activities may include relaxation techniques, such as:
mind to muscle:
meditation
imagery/conscious visualisation
affirmations
stretching
deep breathing
light aerobic exercises.
Appropriate personnel may include:
musical director
performer
mentor
teacher
coach
tutor
conductor
producer
agent
sound engineer.
Strategies may include:
working effectively with an appropriate tutor
practising as a performer
participating in relevant groups or associations
participating in professional development and other learning opportunities
attending master classes
attending performances
listening critically to a wide range of live and recorded music.
Techniques may include:
breathing
messa di voce
articulation, including:
tremolo
vibrato
legato
staccato
accents
doit
gliss
fall-off
plop
ghost note
growl
rip
bend
control of dynamics
rapid figurations
posture
projection.
Repertoire may include:
songs and tunes for solo performance
choral pieces
acapella pieces
improvisations on rhythmic, harmonic or melodic structures
own original work.
Resources may include:
performance space
instruments and equipment
time.
Exercises may include:
scales
arpeggios
breathing exercises to achieve good breath control and tone colour
exercises for developing techniques, such as:
negotiating one's way inaudibly through register breaks
modifying vowels at higher pitches
making informed choices about using glottal stops and diphthongs
embellishing a melody
improvising, e.g. scat singing
producing a constant tone on all vowels
comfortably singing wide intervals
correcting vocal faults.
Technical accuracy may relate to:
memorising repertoire, including:
melody
lyrics
keys and harmonic features, including chord progressions
guide tones
arpeggios
singing with a constant pure tone on all vowels
fluent performance of a variety of scat syllables which are appropriate to the repertoire and reflect the singer's personality and style
consistent vocal techniques in all registers
performing appropriate vowel modification in relation to diphthongs
performing jazz articulation
rhythms
tone colour
pitch and register
dynamics
phrasing.
Health and safety considerations may include:
correct posture to support facility and longevity in practice
ensuring that practice sessions are of reasonable duration to avoid fatigue
hearing protection
protection of body against overuse injury
safe lifting techniques
strategies to overcome performance anxiety, such as:
focussing on a single element or action at a time
relaxation techniques
focussing on patterns rather than individual notes
warm-up routines.
Factors to be considered when writing programs may include:
keys
styles and tempos of songs
musical performance devices, such as:
turnarounds
vamps
playoffs.
Psychological activities may include relaxation techniques, such as:
mind to muscle:
meditation
imagery/conscious visualisation
affirmations
stretching
deep breathing
light aerobic exercises.
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
confidently present at least two performance programs of songs to a professional standard
do thorough vocal warm-ups and warm-downs
perform a 20-second messa di voce
plan and monitor progress in own skill development
respond positively to constructive feedback on own performance.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
opportunities to present performance programs before an audience
access to suitable acoustic space
use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed
opportunities to demonstrate improvement in vocal techniques.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are appropriate for this unit:
observation of practice or performance sessions where the candidate is singing
written or oral questioning on technical development strategies, planning and goals with respect to refinement of vocal techniques
video and/or audio recordings of performances or practice sessions where the candidate is singing
self-evaluation sheets
written or oral questioning to test knowledge as listed in the required knowledge section of this unit
samples of work plans for private practice sessions
case studies and scenarios as a basis to discuss issues and challenges that arise in the context of refining vocal techniques and performing before an audience.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
CUSMPF501A Prepare a program for performance
CUSMPF601A Present a music performance
CUSMPF602A Manage stagecraft aspects of performances
CUSMPF604A Extend improvisation techniques.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
confidently present at least two performance programs of songs to a professional standard
do thorough vocal warm-ups and warm-downs
perform a 20-second messa di voce
plan and monitor progress in own skill development
respond positively to constructive feedback on own performance.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
opportunities to present performance programs before an audience
access to suitable acoustic space
use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed
opportunities to demonstrate improvement in vocal techniques.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are appropriate for this unit:
observation of practice or performance sessions where the candidate is singing
written or oral questioning on technical development strategies, planning and goals with respect to refinement of vocal techniques
video and/or audio recordings of performances or practice sessions where the candidate is singing
self-evaluation sheets
written or oral questioning to test knowledge as listed in the required knowledge section of this unit
samples of work plans for private practice sessions
case studies and scenarios as a basis to discuss issues and challenges that arise in the context of refining vocal techniques and performing before an audience.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
CUSMPF501A Prepare a program for performance
CUSMPF601A Present a music performance
CUSMPF602A Manage stagecraft aspects of performances
CUSMPF604A Extend improvisation techniques.
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWH93 | CUAMPF605 | Develop advanced vocal techniques | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| D363 | CUS60109 | Advanced Diploma of Music | Qualification |
| J703 | CUA50213 | Diploma of Musical Theatre | Qualification |