This prof actively participated in my passion for music wilting and perishing.
140 total points but you are only graded out of 100 so you can decide which assignments to complete. 10 extra points if you miss no more than 1 class. Expectations are simple and clear. Nathan is pretty nice but his TA is not. Tbh most difficult part is the participation grade. You don't get 100% even if you participate lol.
HIs TAs are the worst and him. They are both insufferable. Making people feel bad about not knowing jazz. Truth is that I do not care about Jazz, taking the class for GE. Who do these guys these they are? Waste of societal resources
professor nathan needs to talk with his ta zachary hamilton the grading for section is so inconsistent
professor nathan was pretty nice but his ta (Zachary hamilton) is absolutely horrible. i hope he reads this so he can have a good talk with him. he sucks out all the joy about jazz and makes beginners feel bad about themselves for not knowing as much as advanced jazz musicians when this is a beginner class and GE.
TA ZACHARY HAMILTON IS HORRIBLE. HONESTLY PROFESSOR NATHAN IS PRETTY NICE BUT HIS TA IS THE WORST.
TA Zachary Hamilton is WORST TA EVER Grade for sections are based on participation and you would think that if you PARTICIPATE you would receive full credit He literally only gives full credit to people who already know a lot about jazz which is frustrating bc this is a beginning to jazz class TA singlehandedly made class not enjoyable and fun.
Agreeing with all his one star ratings, UCSB needs to fire this guy. He is horrendous. His class does not inspire but burns out passion. I know so many people who switched out of music major because of him. He's got the highest ego for a Jazz teacher. He is closeminded, if you say smth He disagrees with he gonna give you a 0
0 respect for him, huge ego, no empathy. My friend missed a deadline because of family issues, he made him CRY for AN HOUR STRAIGHT and would not take his paper. For me, all the work were busywork and unreasonable, but hey he thinks he's top in Jazz. HORRIBLE as a person and a teacher. Hope He reads feedbacks but his ego is too fragile. -5 stars
Hear me out-- he is the most insufferable, annoying professor you could get. But if you want an easy A, not a lot of work like other GE's? Go for it. He only grades 100/140 points available, and if you go to class it's extra credit. Grading is pretty easy as well.
Probably the most unpleasant person you will ever meet.
jazz die-hard fan
Will you learn the fundamentals of jazz? Yes. Will you enjoy it? Unless you're a masochist, absolutely not. Jazz used to be a fun break from my other classes, though this quarter it became something that added more stress.
At first, Jon seems like a likable and charismatic professor, this is a misconception. He is uncongenial and monotonous to interact with on a weekly basis. Jon seems to think that UCSB is the Julliard School of Music. I believe he has watched the movie Whiplash one too many times and taken on the personality of Terence Fletcher (probably his hero).
The lectures are pretty boring but the class itself is very easy. If you do all the work and show up to class, you're pretty much guaranteed an A. Nathan does seem to care a bit too much about jazz but at least he's passionate.
Not great, seems very set in his ways and unwilling to respect the diversity of his student's opinions. Willing to name-call his students, witnessed him calling an ensemble student of his a "tall glass of water" in front of an entire audience to her visible discomfort.
Save yourself. This guy really likes jazz
Switched to classical studies after how sour my experience w/ Nathan was. Initially seemed tough but fair, but realized he's just a milder version of Fletcher from Whiplash minus the part where the students actually get better after being yelled at. He created a hostile environment that produced the most deflated & discouraged group I've ever seen.
you have to show up and take notes. you had to do papers and go to concerts. you dont have to be super into jazz but if you do all the work youre literally guaranteed an A
Enjoyed the material so much & learned a lot! Kind of uses labor based grading which was refreshing. He gave a lot of great feedback which inspired me to improve. Wish I could take this class every quarter. Maybe I just love jazz. Besides that, it was a lot of opinion based writing. Lots of reading too, but still an easy A I feel.
You have to write a lot but the grading system is very clear and is an easy A. He really cares about students and put effort on commenting paper. He can be intimidating but overall he was an amazing professor and highly recommend (only) if you are into jazz.
Jazz is tough but I think anyone wanting to play the music should expect that beforehand. MUS16 was my favorite course at UCSB so far, hard not to get an A with the grading system. Beyond the grading it was incredibly informative, and transformed the way I listen to jazz now. Professor Nathan is a cool dude, who really cares about music.
Lovely jazz appreciation course. It will help you clear many misconceptions about this music. The teacher is so genuine and passionate. There are many extra credit opportunities to boost your grade.
Tough but fair. Exceptional feedback for someone who respects the course.