Thomas Winters - West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA

Professor: Thomas Winters

Department: Music

College: West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The class was lecture heavy like everyone else is saying, but there really isn't much room for discussion when talking about jazz history. Show up on time and pay attention and you won't have any problems.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Winters is rather stern, but stay on his good side and you'll be fine. The class itself is really easy. Show up, pay attention, study from notes, and the quizzes and exams are easy peasy, even if you don't have any knowledge of music. The textbook is referenced, but not needed. Just do what you're supposed to, and you'll enjoy his class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MHL201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

While I did learn things, it was only because I had previous knowledge of topics. Quizzes on the material almost every week. Extensive midterm/final exam, included questions we never really touched on. Purposefully embarrasses students, calls them out even if they are paying attention. He knows what he is teaching, but isnt good at teaching it.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MHL201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very boring and challenging class. If your opinion was different from his, you were wrong. If your answer was correct but you said it before he thought of it, you were wrong. I found myself wondering what the heck was the point? A lot of the class was completely irrelevant. His quizzes never matched what we learned in class. Don't take this class!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Winters is dry and monotone. His classes are run like clockwork-- following the powerpoint to the word. He is very smart, has an abundant vocabulary, and you WILL learn a lot about jazz. However, he has a huge problem with tardiness, phones, and any sort of deviation from proper decorum. Can be very boring at times.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I wouldn't recommend this class if you are not a music major or passionate about music. Jazz could be an exciting topic - but he managed to make this the most boring subject ever. I took a whole binder of notes and studied for hours yet didn't enjoy any of it or learn anything.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I loved the content of this course, but I don't think that Winters taught it well. He was very lecture heavy with lots of content to copy from each slide & biographical videos. There were many small quizzes and 3 exams. All of these were very in-depth and required a lot of studying (years, bands, names). For a Gen-Ed course it was demanding.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Quizzes and tests decide your grade. Must attend to get the notes for them. Quizzes are moderate, tests are information heavy. Need to be able to identify what genre/era the song is, notable artist, and why you think so on tests. 60% is biographical facts, 40% is focused on music. Final isn't cumulative.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MHL125201
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is really smart and very precise.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Wouldn't take him, its all notes and goes really quickly. Quizzes are easy, tests are hard. Don't really like going, and wouldn't suggest you take him. You have to get a packet and textbook and honestly I haven't used the textbook once, you don't need it. But get the packet

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Just let him teach. If you take notes and study you'll be fine, there's a few quizzes and exams, but no essays or homework. Participation is a little risky because if you say something wrong he's likely to snap at you. He doesn't take attendance but doesn't post the slides either.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Kind of a strict guy, gets mad if you have your phone out. Pretty straight forward though; if you study the material, tests and quizzes should be pretty easy. I did nothing outside of class (no listening, reading, studying) and managed just fine. If you're into music its a plus, you listen to different jazz pretty much every class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class has been, without a single shred of doubt, the most time consuming, god-awful excuse for a 50 minutes, 3 times a week class I have ever committed to. If you want a class where you'll forget everything you learn in a week and have no actual use for in the real world, by all means take Thomas Winters' MHL125 Perspectives of Jazz course.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

hardest class Ive ever taken

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Winters is a really nice guy but i definitely don't recommend taking his class. It's about jazz and he expects you to be able to listen and identify certain instruments and other musical aspects of old songs. The class is very boring and the tests are fairly difficult so don't expect to take it and get an easy A. Study hard and you should be ok

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hes a great guy. I had him for perspectives of jazz and i would take it again. theres a lot of lectures but i find jazz rather interesting. If you show up and watch his powerpoints and study like 15-30 minutes for tests you will pass. Would take again

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MHL121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class as an Art Gen Ed and I really wish I hadn't, or switched out of it when I had to chance. He just reads from the power points and and overall is a very dryboring teacher. I would not recommend taking this class unless you have an interestbackground in music. If you're looking for an easy A this is not the class for you.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MHL121
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Winters is a good man but this class is extremely difficult unless you have classical music training. Passing is possible but you really have to work for it, you have to show up to every class, take notes, read the textbook and STUDY!! The questions he puts on quizzes and tests are ridiculously specific and if you're failing he'll blame it on you.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Personally, this class isn't that easy. You really need to be there to get the notes. The quizzes are easier than the tests but the tests aren't that bad. He seems a little strict and really isn't that outgoing. The class is very interesting with facts he presents. Overall, he's not that bad.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MHL125
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

do not take this class looking for an easy A. The quizzes are easy and the tests are impossible. Unless you plan on putting hours of studying time in DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!