Very organised and interesting lectures. The unit assignments require some reading but they are manageable. The papers are long yet they aren't difficult since they are based on lecture material. The exams are essay tests but he gives a study guide that prepares you well for them. Great and fairly easy GE and I really enjoyed it.

No background in music needed to do well in this class. McBrien is a fantastic lecturer and really tries to be engaging w/ video examples & TA performances. I hate writing, but found the papers to be very manageable. Midterm & final are timed writes but the questions are very expected. Highly recommend if you want an easy and fun GE

Professor McBrien is really understanding and all of his lectures and assignments are super straightforward. Not too many assignments and they're definitely doable. Really easy A if you just show up to lecture and do the assignments. Really interesting and easy GE.

His lectures were pretty boring and there definitely was a lot more reading than I would've liked. However, the class was otherwise pretty easy and straightforward. He was especially accomodating and understanding when it came to restructuring the class because of both COLA and COVID-19

Loved this class! Really easy, fun, and interesting. If you copy down all his notes, and do all the homework, you shouldn't have to study for more than 1 or 2 nights before the exams to get an A.

One of my favorite classes I've taken at UCSB. Super organized with clear grading instructions. As long as you take good notes, you should be fine. TAs were all great in this course too. Explains/outlines info in a really easy to understand manner and the structure of the class was pretty straightforward. Overall great instructor!

Music 15 w/ Kevin was amazing for a GE. Kevin is very clear in his expectations for the papers and exams. My TA was excellent and from what I hear all the TAs were great as well. In terms of difficulty, as long as you take notes during lecture and do the reading, you will be well-prepared for midterms/papers.

Pretty good class. Don't bother doing the readings unless you need it for the paper (he'll tell you which ones you need) since everything is basically reviewed in lecture anyway. Lectures can get pretty boring, but some information he states in lecture but not on the notes can be in the midterm/final so it's worth to show up sometimes.

Although he's a good teacher, the lecture can be quite dry/boring, and depending on your TA, grading can be tough. The majority of your grade comes from papers, a midterm, and a final. Many readings assigned but there's no point reading them, as lectures cover the exact same material (although he doesn't post lectures).

Kevins MUS 15 class was genuinely one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. His lectures are easy to follow and organized beautifully, and he makes them interesting by including video examples and even occasionally live performances by our TAs. I can not recommend this class highly enough. Lecture attendance necessary, readings not.

This class is amazing. I can't say enough good things about Kevin. He is funny, clear, specific, and this class was the highlight of my day.

Loved this professor! Even if classical music isn't your thing you can still find the class material interesting. There are no surprises on the midterm or the final, just study the study guides he gives you and you should be fine. Overall a pretty chill class that I would take again.