This is a very easy GE! The professor is really nice and sometimes there are in-lecture performances. There is also a weekly writing assignment, but it is totally doable as long as you go to lecture.
His lectures were pretty boring to me but he is very pleasant person and is clearly passionate about his teaching. There are writing assignments that you have to do every week but they're really easy and fast. The papers that make up your whole grade are two pages double spaced and don't take long at all. Can't recommend more for a GE.
Professor Jurkowski is the best. His lectures are really easy to digest and he is very accommodating and accessible. I had a family emergency during the quarter and the professor along with my TA Benny was extremely accommodating and helpful. I would definitely take this class again if I could. The performances during class are an added bonus :)
he is really nice, the lectures are pretty fun and very important for writing every weeks papers. the grading isn't harsh and u get to listen to cool music (sometimes there r performances), the required concert can be a hit or miss depending on whats showing but the class is pretty easy and interesting overall.
Great writing credit fr. He is a nice professor and seemed very accommodating. They revamped the class in '22 so now it's much more subjective writing. I'm a soc major & band nerd so lowkey I liked hearing abt social issues connecting to music. Only a few papers due and you could pick which to write-- short too. 1 outside performance to attend.
Easy class, 3 two page papers (lightly graded) across the quarter mixed with small writing assignments that are graded based on completion. Katz is funny, accessible at office hours, and very friendly. My only critique about this class is that his slides are not very informative, so lecture attendance and attentive listening can be very important.
No midterm, no final. Grade solely based on paper assignments of three types: informal response (one or two per week, low-stake grading), forum post (weekly, low-stake), short paper (biweekly, 4 in total, letter grade, lowest dropped). Prof. Katz is a great lecturer. I went to all his lectures although attendance is not mandatory. Highly recommend!
Very easy class if you need a GE would recommend this. The lectures are a bit boring and the class is more about history than music. There is no exams only 1-2 page papers and little writing assignments throughout the course.
Great professor and person. I really enjoyed his lectures, although they can sometimes be repetitive. He says really funny jokes, but says them super monotone and no one really pays attention to hear them.
Professor Katz is a good professor, although his lectures are a little gnarly sometimes but that may just be because I don't love the material. Overall and interesting(and very low work) GE that frames music and its evolution in a new way.
Literally loved him. I only came to lectures to hear him talk, he's clearly passionate and the class is interesting. Only 1 required concert that you have to pay for (discounted student price) and you have typically 2 writing assignments a week (extremely easy and is merely graded with a check mark) and 3 papers you have to write (so easy).
Your MUS 15 grade consists of 4 short papers that are spread throughout the quarter and only 3 of them matter toward your grade. Depending on participation in section along with low-stake assignments your grade will be increased or decreased. The class is interesting and extremely manageable.
I enjoyed this class - not too difficult, but you do have to put in a good amount of effort. Attend lectures and keep up with the notes! Lengthy readings, but I didn't always complete them. They do provide more context for the lectures. Nathan was a great TA - always reviewed the readings and was understanding and easy to talk to for help.
Class wasn't that interesting, but prof was very passionate about material so I managed to pull through. Class was work heavy, many readings, and notes to take. Forum posts every week as well. Also a final paper, but TA helps out a lot! Midterm and final exam were 3 short essays each. Would recommend if you're ready to put in the work!!
I had to take this class for my major. It's dry as you might expect, Prof tries his best to make it interesting, but the material is still pretty boring. Overall it wasn't too much work, very predictable, well-structured course that's not going to give you any grief. Some readings that weren't entirely necessary but not too long
Overall a pretty good professor with good lectures and a good personality. Was not a big fan of the class itself as it was pretty writing heavy and overall just a little bit too much work for a class that people only take as a GE. Not terrible at all though!
Super nice guy! Keeps lectures fun, and the weekly homework is a 10 question quiz that comes directly from his posted slides from each lecture. Midterm and final are 3 short essay questions pulled directly from a study guide that he hands out the week before. If you plan your studying right, this along with the final essay should be no problem!
Be warned: you do have to put in a decent amount of work and take notes during lectures. I probably spent around 2-4 hours a week doing the assignments. But Professor Jurkowski is very clear about how to get a good grade & I found the class interesting. I'd recommend it if you need a GE with arts and a writing credit.
Do NOT take this class for a GE, its not an easy A. TA is such a tough grader and you are expected to just brain dump on the midterm and final to get a good grade. There is also a final paper and a final which is so unnecessary. Material is also just so boring as well. Sections are a waste of time but mandatory. Horrible grading.
Professor Jurkowksi genuinely just loves what he does and he reduces the content you have to learn to very specific artists and pieces so there's not a lot to memorize and if you just pay attention you don't have to study at all.
If u took AP music theory the entire 5 series is review. I don't know what this course, or the other 5 series class would look like to someone learning theory for the first time. Got a B because I didn't try very hard lol Talking theory with him is fun. My impression is a laid back person.
Most items are from lectures and weekly readings. His PowerPoint is not recorded so you have to go to the lecture. He is passionate about his work but with so many students, it's hard to find a connection. It does get boring after a while and drags on. The grade is based on section attendance and mostly midterm/final.
The homework is very light and usually only one thing every week or every other. The lectures can be a bit boring but not hard to understand, he doesn't post the slides online. Only 1 final essay that's 3-4 pages and midterm and final are just 3 short answer questions. The final is not cumulative. Pretty easy GE.
Really fun class! Lectures could get dull, but you can tell how much he cares about what hes which makes it a lot better. Few short writing assignments and 1 paper over the quarter, good choice of a class!
