Leslie Gay - University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Professor: Leslie Gay

Department: Music

College: University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

First, he's a terrible lecturer. He reads directly off the slides like we can't read it ourselves. Second, he treats his students like we're in high school. So if you want to be talked down to like you're a child, this is the class for you. Lastly, the weekly homework assignments are absurd. Get ready to watch a useless 1+ hour video weekly.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MUCO380
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a actually a nice guy. I suspect some of the comments are from people who don't put much effort into school. His classes aren't as hard as people claim in terms of material, but he does have unrealistic standards for workload. That said, if you make an effort, he's pretty accommodating. And his class is definitely thought-provoking!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Gays teaching style may work for some students, but not for me. He reads every slide word for word, and does nothing to help explain the concepts. Add to this the amount of work he expects you to complete out of class and you have a recipe for disaster. He seems to completely disregard any other work you might have for other classes.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MUCO380
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Leslie Gay's Ethnomusicology course is not easy, nor is like any other music class required at UTK. For me, it was the most rewarding and thought-provoking course I took there in my four years, and there is perhaps no professor as passionate about their subject matter than him. Don't be a baby, be ready to discuss, and you'll have a good time.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I really hated this class and that has the most to do with Dr. Gay and his teaching style. He would read word for word off the slides and skip through at least half of them and expect you to do all the reading later. Also, he would get super annoyed if we weren't participating and call out people for being late and on their phones. DONT DO IT!!!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MUSIC290
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Leslie Gay's teaching style challenges students to speak up and share thoughts andopinions about audio and visual examples. Class sessions are organized in a fast paced manner and be ready to have class discussion an anything that he assigns to read. If you read and particpate in class discussions you will pass, no doubt.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class as an elective. I consider myself a good student. I showed up to every class except for two and that was not very much help. He is very knowledgable about the material, and props to him for that. However, when there is no understanding of students' ignorance about the material, this is a recipe for disaster. Very inflexible, too.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• 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:

Really fantastic professor. He really cares about the course material and really makes an effort to know you as a person.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: 2500LEVELS
• 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:

After seeing such negative feedback, I felt obligated to post. This professor played a pivotal role in my academic development over the years and I have taken multiple classes with him. I suspect that much of this negative feedback comes from undergrads who lack the skills andor motivation to work for their grade. He's one of the best!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MUCO115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Tests are a bit confusing while trying to study as there is so much information covered in a small amount of time. Gives opportunities for extra credit and revisions of some assignments. Teaches mainly from slides but also throws in extra info. Name recognition and being able to identify music from small clips are the main portion of the tests.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

What a waste of time. The class should have been interesting but he assigned the most useless things, like making us draw and color and present to the class. He doesn't like any opinion that's not his own and his test questions are very unspecific and allow him to take off points whenever he feels inclined. Two thumbs down.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MUCO595
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This professor has no sense of how to teach and has impossible expectations of the non-majors in the course, particularly those not on a research track. He casually dismisses opinions that aren't his own rather than having reasonable arguments. He is condescending, egotistical, and pretentious, and is exemplary of the problems with ethnomusicology.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ETHNOMUSICOLOGY
• 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:

I see some things haven't changed. I had this professor in his first year at the university, and it appears he doesn't take much interest in his yearly evaluations, because we had many of the same complaints about his demeanor and teaching style in the late 90s. I don't even think musiciology majors enjoyed his class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MUCO380
• 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:

Teaches class entirely from slides. Not open to opinions that differ from his own. Very unrealistic work load since most people in the class are not musicology majors, and will never need or use the material covered class. Does not respond to e-mails in a timely manner. Not willing to talk one-on-one very much.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MUCO595
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He was late for class consistently (has office hours prior to it) and he often misplaced the handouts we did. Students run the class by leading discussions on the readings and he didn't run a single class. There were way too many readings to cover and they were outdated. Don't expect to get your papers back in a timely manner and don't expect an A

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I'm a sweet person, but ugh. Don't take this class. Especially if you think it will be as easy as history of rock. The tests are impossible, he assigns outside reading assignments or hour long videos almost every night. I try hard in classes, but he was just too demanding. Take jazz or history of rock if you can-- you won't make an A in this class!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MUCO115
• 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:

Hard class overall. His lectures consist of powerpoints which he basically reads word for word. If you want an A on tests, you need to study about 4 hours minimum. Lots of outside work. If class wasn't mandatory then I wouldn't go. He posts all slides on blackboard.I usually find myself zoned out and on facebook the entire time. Got an A though...

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MUCO290
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Pretty much everything you just read is true. I almost stopped liking music because of this class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MUCO115
• 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:

THIS CLASS WAS AWFULLLL!!!! He didn't know how to teach he read straight from the powerpoints that are online... He has the most useless assignments EVER!! Don't take this class you will not learn a thing about music. If you want a fun easy music class take MUCO 125 with Vance Thompson! That class was awesome! DO NOT TAKE LESLIE GAY! HE CANT TEACH!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MUCO380
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Tests are ridiculous and assigned articles are BORING and LONG. Interesting material in this class but he makes it as boring as possible by reading from the slides. Don't even try to express your opinion; if he doesn't agree with you he'll shoot you down. Although it always was funny to see the overachievers get a slap in the face. hahaha