Charles McGuire - Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Professor: Charles McGuire

Department: Music

College: Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor McGuire is seriously a genius - he knows everything there is to know. However, the class' lecture style does not allow for much learning, even though his lectures are structured extremely well. Information overload at times, and it isn't easy - keeping up is the most important thing. You can expect a fair grade if you put in the work.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Charles McGuire is a master of music history - great professor who goes out of his way to be available to all students despite the large class enrollment. Just stay up to date on your listening quizzes and you will be fine. Makes the material interesting and engaging. Cool guy

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

McGuire is one of the best professors here, hands down. He wants, more than anything, for his students to do well. His lectures are always clear and interesting. Take his class, you won't regret it!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

really bad class. not so great teacher. homework is a waste of time. i didn't open the textbook except for the day before the final. really unfortunate this is required; also a shame it has to meet 4 days a week. overall just obnoxious and not worth the time.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MHST255
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great professor, really knowledgeable and passionate. Really easy to understand in lectures, although sometimes there's a bit of information overload. Despite what many people have said, you totally can get away with skipping a FEW classes (not many though: maybe two or three in a semester), as long as you do well on everything else.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MHST255
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Such a badass. Very very passionate about romantic music. Demands participation from class and if you don't show up you have a good chance of failing. Would recommend taking if you have an actual interest in the subject, "Easy A" seekers might want to steer clear.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Not too bad. The worst thing is the super strict attendance policy. The readings are definitely not mandatory, but it helps to have the textbooks for assignments and to review terms for tests, but you don't need to do all the readings.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great, challenging professor. Extremely knowledgeable.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Simply brilliant. Extremely engaging and comprehensive lectures. Deep knowledge of subjects presented is very apparent. I'm frankly baffled by some of the previous ratings. Perhaps the difficulty of his class has influenced peoples' opinions?

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Taking "CMcG's" class has made me appreciate music at an unfathomable depth. Initially, I was unsure of my interest in the material, but now I am in awe at the end of almost every lecture. Clear, passionate, providing copious opportunities for help, I want to have him as a professor again. Connies just aren't used to working, hence the poor reviews

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MHIST01
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The assignments are frankly insulting (like LISTING CALL NUMBERS for about 50 books) and a waste of time. I actually did find his lectures clear, but lacking in the most basic areas , for example Pythagoras and Guido de Arezzo were never even mentioned(!). Took a full week of lecture to tell us how he's better than other history professors...

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Although there are many negative ratings on Mr. McGuire, I really think many of them are related to the fact that the class is attended by music kids who aren't always the most academically gifted - the class isn't that hard so long as you know how to study: don't read the textbook, memorize simple info for quizzes, and ignore piece names for tests

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: FYSP148
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He seemed scary and strict, but turned out to be a nice guy with a great sense of humor. His lectures are interesting and informative; he knows his stuff and has the degrees to prove it. He's a fair grader, and provided materials free, so no textbook fees! Also has a facebook fan club. I enjoyed the class even though I'm not a Connie. Loved him.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: FYSP148
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

At first he seemed scary and strict (especially his syllabus!) but he turned out to be a nice guy with a great sense of humor. His lectures are engaging and he often asks students for input (although being College rather than Con, I didn't have much). He's a fair grader and obviously intelligent; he knows his stuff and has the degrees to prove it.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I am so glad to see students are no longer worshipping him. I found his class terribly unhelpful. He was pretentious and inaccessible, and accusatory when I questioned his grading (the difference between an A- and a B-) because he lost several of my quiz grades and insisted that I'd missed 3 classes, when I only missed one. my only negative prof...

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

While I'm sure McGuire would attribute all of these negative comments on the small minority of disgruntled students, those looking to take this class should not be so thick. While his knowledge of Western music history is good, his knowledge of jazz, pop, and new music is a joke. He presents all of this history in entertaining but shallow lectures.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MHIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is arrogant, seems to have contempt for his students (read his online blogs), and is petty in the way he grades assignments -- like middle school revisited. He is probably smart enough to teach at a good college like Oberlin, but his tone and pretentiousness make the class painful and is enough to turn one off music history.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

All I can say is DO NOT take Music History 101 if you are a freshman. you will have no time whatsoever to practice. Other than that, he is a great lecturer but a bit superfluous in assigning homework. Lots of homework.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Terrible. His lectures are standoffish and often incomprehensible, plagued by his penchant for neologisms, misused latin phrases, and other linguistic crimes. His coverage of the material is superficial at best. The mandatory "Library Project" was an insult to my intelligence. I can't believe they just gave him a teaching award. What a blowhard.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MHST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Like listening to a very loud, walking coma. This class is beyond dull, his projects are insulting and barely related to music history. It makes me think the worst of my middle school history teachers formed an evil consortium and designed a professor. You'll maybe learn how to color inside the lines, maybe only the depths of frustration.