This class was very interesting and very fun. A class where have of the days all you have to do is go and watch a live performance is always going to be easy. I have past experience with music, but for those who don’t some of the earlier lectures might be a bit challenging at first, but the tests, quizzes, and essays are not at all hard.

Easy A. Didn't show up to half the lectures and slept in half of the ones I did attend. This can be risky if you don't have extensive knowledge of music theory, though. Tests are dumb easy if you listen in class (the material is really cool and interesting). Professor Court is an amazing lecturer and has a way with words that really engages you.

Roughly every other lecture is a musical performance, and there are two pop quizzes in discussion section that are based on these performances. The questions are super easy as long as you listened during the performances (which are often amazing).

Discussion is mandatory, and you should go because you don't want to miss a pop quiz. You also have to do two "concert reports" (one on-campus musical event and one off-campus musical event) which are pretty simple and take no time. Don't procrastinate on it because it can be difficult to find an off-campus event on short notice.

Grades are determined very generously:

10% Pop quiz 1
10% Pop quiz 2
10% Concert report 1
10% Concert Report 2
15% Participation
20% Midterm
25% Final

Basically 40% of free points (55% if you participate).

Honestly only got an A- because I had to shit so bad as the midterm started that I did the test super recklessly in 10 minutes and ran out of the lecture hall. It didn't occur to me that I could come back...

I took MUSC 15 with Professor Court in Winter 2019.

The class itself is extremely interesting, even to those without any musical background. As long as you have at least a sliver of interest in music, you'd likely enjoy this class. At least once a week, there is a musical performance during scheduled lecture time. We watched a crazy variety of musical performances, including Chinese classical, jazz, Chicago footwork, techno, etc.

The lectures taught basic music fundamentals that were key to being able to analytically listen to music, such as rhythm, meter, and pitch. It was still basic enough that anybody without a background in music could still understand it.

There were 3 pop quizzes during the quarter, but they were only related to the musical performances (basic questions like "what brass instrument was not used in the brass ensemble" or "which of the following was not a genre of klezmer," all of which are easy to answer so long as you attended the performances.

The midterm and final were easy. The study guide prepares you well and a majority of the content is based on the lecture slides that taught basic music theory that relates to musical listening.