The Years 3–4 program builds the musical vocabulary and skills that Years 5 and 6 will put to increasingly sophisticated use. In Years 5 and 6, the SKILLS strand develops listening and aural skills for manipulating elements of music to achieve expressive effects — extending naturally from the notation literacy and element manipulation work of Years 3 and 4. The COMPOSE strand introduces compositional devices and asks students to notate, document and record their compositions — building on the notation and creative confidence developed across the band. Students who have worked through the Years 3–4 program arrive at Year 5 well prepared for that step up, and students who are newer to the program will find the Years 5–6 curriculum equally accessible — the same philosophy of meeting students where they are carries right through to the end of primary school.