Kevin Austin - Concordia University, Montreal, QC

Professor: Kevin Austin

Department: Music

College: Concordia University, Montreal, QC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Kevin Austin may be a genius in his field, but he isn't in the field of human understanding, which makes him a fairly bad teacher. His charisma hides his arrogance to the less perceptive. Perhaps he supplies tough love, but if I had to learn off people's caprices I wouldn't pay them tuition, I'd take up a job in retail.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: EAST 205
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Kevin Austin is a living resource and has fundamentally changed my life for the best! He has inspired the will to learn within me and that is the pinnacle of an ideal educator. Those who despise him are undoubtably ignorant, this will be obvious to one who considers. You have to be INTERESTED to study with a master like Kevin, it will reward.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

One of the most life changing people I've met. A fascinating and brilliant person and teacher.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Inspirational and fantastic professor. The course had everything an undergrad could ask for: frustration, joy, insanity, depression, and massive amounts of useful material. He has roundabout ways of teaching, but after 7 months, the stars align and it all adds up. Harsh and seemingly condescending at times; but it's not meant to harm, only to help.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Kevin is a brilliant professor that has vast knowledge of his field and any related field. This is reflected in his class, he does not stick to music. His large (understatement) workload can be valuable if taken seriously.Amazing lectures! That being said, he is a rambler, with harsh criticisms.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: INC
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

disclaimerEA=awesome / KA=not. I put the difficulty at 3, not because the content is intrinsically challenging but because Austin makes it, unnecessarily so. I've had the pleasure of studying with a bonafide musical genius who has 10x the humility, ability and resources. KA is a grumpy, irrelevant, and incoherent prof who pales in comparison.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: EAST205
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He doesn't seem to be able to understand people's reactions to his behaviour. Thus he has no reason to stop being unhelpful, rude, etc. He is knowledgeable on the subject of sound, but he simply can't teach as well as most.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: EAMT205
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's as crazy as he looks. Incomprehensible rambling.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: EAMT205
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

All you complainers just don't know how to play the game. PAY ATTENTION... do the work. Accept the challenge. It can be fun and easy, if you are willing to Adapt.What you need to examine is your own level of focus. Not all information can be delivered on your terms. True learning can be achieved without jumping thru hoops. Be an Adept, or drop out!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: EAMT205
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not mistake enthusiasm for good teaching. Completely directionless rambling. Apparently he chooses favourites- he also chooses the opposite. Unfortunately I am of the latter type, where from the beginning of the year, he has chosen to answer my emails with irrelevant one-word responses. The program is amazing - this guy is ruining it.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: EAMT398F
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Kevin is a cosmic prankster with impressive depth of knowledge and engaging delivery/student interaction. Some people get him, some don't. Like all of us, he is imperfect, but his presence at Concordia valuable and distinctive.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: EAMT398F
• 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:

Loved him at first, began to hate his guts, but once I finished the course and encounter his quirkiness elsewhere around the department, i've come to appreciate his irrelevant tangents and idiosyncrasies since he is truly focused on student learning, rather than reciting a curriculum. Lots of fun if you're not expecting anything from the class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: EAMT203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

i had him as a sub for one day in my digital audio editing class, when prof c. calon was out. and man! what an amazing class. he's such an enthusiastic guy, and you can tell he really really wants to share and teach amazing things to what he sees as amazing people. if i could have had an entire semester as his student, i wouldn't have hesitated.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MUSI200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I followed a few full year classes with him. Some people like him, I didn't, I think we basically wasted our time in the classroom, like when he made a demonstration how he was able to "power sleep"... (proving his point by using 25 minutes to fall asleep (or faking?), then waking up). Lots and lots of work that was pretty useless to me in the end.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: EAMT305406
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

As many have said - some people love him, some hate him. I was definitely on the disliking side, but I've been stuck with him several times. Makes lots of random asides, can't really stay on topic, really rambly. I never did ANY of the required written work for his classes but still managed to get B's so take that as you will.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HISTORY350
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is condeceding and an acid head. I didn't think he class was that great. I thought that he could have been more claer about several things.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: 305406
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Kevin Austin is the best lecturer ever. His only problem is his constant side tracking and polyamourousness towards every subject. Be prepared to learn about stuff completely unrelated to the class, but totally related to learning.

Rating # 18

Overview:

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

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Anybody who takes these comments to heart should not be in university. Take the class for the class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MUSI200
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

best teacher i have ever had. most intellectually satisfying class i ever took.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MUS200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

people either love him or hate him.i think he;s one of the best teachers i've ever had.