The content of this class was pretty interesting to me, although it did get a little boring in the middle of the semester. I thought that was fun listening to music that was familiar and applying the music history to what you listen to today. However, this class only had a few assignments, which were all mostly essays. Like the other comments said, this class is heavily reliant on your TA. Compared to my friend's TA's, mine was not a very easy grader, so it's really important to make sure you are describing music in a very detailed way and you mention everything that the essay asks for (mine was very picky on what she wanted). I still ended with an A, but I was also surprised on how harsh she graded the project as well. So be careful of the TA's since they are the ones who grade every assignment. Other than the assignments, the readings were fairly interesting and be sure to at least skim through them so you can participate in discussion. But overall, Prof Miller was a nice guy and seemed to be passionate on music, so he made the lectures interesting!

Although the professor is fantastic and energetic, that happiness does not apply to the TAs.. everyone is warning you about them for a reason. There are only 4 assignments (plus discussion attendance) however they’re all writing assignments. The midterm and final both consist of writing two essays. As much as I love learning the content in class, if you don’t have a music background and can easily list and explain terminology or are super poetic about describing what you hear, you will struggle. I could never please my TA so be prepared. Was it awful? No. You can survive, you’ll just be agitated every time you write. #tCFF24

So basically... don't take this class. Is it terrible? Definitely not. It's a good class, the professor is great. Professor Miller is a sweet guy and he makes classes entertaining. The problem lies with the TA's. For Spring 24' we had 3 TA's, I believe. My friend ended up with a chill one, and I ended up with a harsh grader. This TA's name is Dilshan Weerasinghe. He was very nitpicky, and wanted overly detailed essays for a very introductory music class. I got straight B's on my essays, which resulted in me getting a B in a class that should be an easy A. When people tell you that a class is heavily reliant on TA's, listen. This class is one of them. It wasn't until today that I realized that I didn't scroll all the way down to see the reviews people made about the exact same thing I'm complaining about. If I had seen those reviews I could've possibly save myself from this class. Overall, this class isn't not that bad, just be mindful of the sick TA's.

This was a very interesting class. I learned a lot about the history of popular music in the United States.
I thought some of the content was boring in the middle of the semester, but that could just be my take.
Some of the readings were long, but pretty doable. The TAs were good and discussion sections were easy points.
We got to skip the final paper if our grade without it was good enough (they provided a scale for us to calculate it), which was great.
There were only about 4 other assignments the entire semester, so very manageable workload. It isn't too hard to get some form of an A.

interesting and easy! i was hesitant to take it at first since i'm not one for artistic classes, but i stuck around - lectures are really engaging, but not necessary in order to complete the 4 assignments. two assignments are literally about your personal taste in music, and the midterm is based on the readings (which you can usually skim). the final was also optional! there is a discussion, but as long as you show up, you'll be fine. overall, one of the best classes at uva-- fun and low stress, definitely recommend.

This was by far my favorite class this semester. Professor Miller is such a boss and makes lectures really interesting. While attendance wasn't mandatory, the notes you take in class are crucial when it comes to writing your papers. I rarely missed class because lectures were actually interesting. Some of the reviews on here suggest that TAs grade papers harshly, but I went into this class with no prior music theory knowledge and did really well. My TA, Emily Mellen, was super awesome and helpful whenever I met with her about my work. I would not recommend this class for anyone who isn't passionate about music. It would be hard to get into the material if you don't have any real interest in what he's talking about. I can't say enough good things about this class!

Karl Miller is a really engaging professor and makes the lectures very interesting. I found it was very hard to get anything higher than a B on any of the papers, no matter how much effort I put into it. If you are really interested in the history and development of music then I would encourage you to take this class.

I have no music background and decided to take this class to fill my fine arts requirement. However, I fell in love! Professor Miller is so engaging and really cares about what he teaches. He also picks up to date music mixed with some popular music of the past to make this class super engaging. I went to one lecture a week and every discussion section, and I pulled off an A- with minimal music knowledge and reading. The class has 4 take home assignments, including the midterm and final, and is doable and also a lot of fun! HIGHLY recommend!

If you're trying to take this class for an easy A, do not take it. If you're actually interested in learning about popular music, learn it elsewhere. Miller is a very fun professor but the lectures are very dry. Ended up not going to lecture half of the semester, TA will give you B's on every assignment no matter how much effort you put into it.

I really recommend this class for music lovers or people who want to expand their knowledge about genres and culture. The professor covers a wide range of genres and loves to listen to music and watch videos. There's usually a pretty sizable amount of of reading every week. If you want to get a decent grade in the class, I'd recommend doing the reading so you can tie it in with your argument for papers. Also, going to office hours in no joke. I'd highly recommend having your TA revise your work as many times as possible, as it is pretty tough to get anything higher than a B+. My TA was pretty welcoming and always invited students to email him or attend office hours if need be, and was always willing to provide critical feedback. Since there are very few assignments, you really have to work hard for each one.