Howard Irving - University of Alabama at Birmingham

Professor: Howard Irving

Department: TBD

College: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Id take his class again but online instead. In class, all you do is listen to him play random music on youtube. He barely goes over the material thats needed. Get the ebook and all of the quizzes are on quizlet. He allows up to 4 absences. You have to attend 2 classical music concerts and write reports on them.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He does not lecture during class. This class would be a lot better if it was online. Irving does not know how to prepare tests for material covered in class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Irving was the absolute best professor! His tests are based upon quiz files that he releases to you for studying purposes and closes before the exam. He gives you options to take a quiz to make up a missed class, as attendance is graded. He is caring, informative, and have a true passion for music. Online Beatles is easier, but he was great.

Rating # 4

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Very easy class as long as you do the study guide.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MUHIS000
• 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:

My favorite fatalist. He can put you to sleep if you're not careful (voice quality of white noise, it's incredible), and he's there to make you learn minutiae about music you never even wanted to know existed, but the man is a friggin genius. fave quote: life is like a sonata, except there's an a part and a b part, and then you die.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I took Dr. Irving for music appreciation. His tests are 50% listening and 50% information from the book. If you come to class, you should do good because he literally reads the test questions in class. Be prepared to listen to all the tracks on the CDs because he often does not start songs at the beginning during the listening part of the test.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• 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:

Dr. Irving is the worst possible teacher you could ever take for music appreciation. He cares way too much about all of the pointless stuff you have to learn for the class. I am an A student and ended up with a C in the class after constantly studying. NEVER TAKE THIS CLASS!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MU100
• 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:

Dr. Irving is completely obsessed with how much he knows about music. He teaches the class to show off to the students. The tests are fairly easy. If you've had any musical experience before the class you will do much better.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MU100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Take someone different for music appreciation. There are way easier teachers than him. He makes you memorize almost all the music and starts it in random places for the test. funny guy...but not the easiest.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MU471
• 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:

awful....

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MU371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Irving is a highly recognized scholar in his field. I have heard other faculty say that it seems like he knows everything...EVERYTHING. If you are taking Music History, the most important thing you should do to get a higher grade is study the anthology on the pieces you are to be tested on. Studying that book alone is enough to get you an A+.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MU371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Awesome professor! Very full of knowledge. You will need to work hard to keep up in order to pull an A, but what else do you expect....this is college.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MUHIS000
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Effective teacher and a brilliant scholar. Goes out of his way to help students

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MUS341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I add his class for a full year for both music history classes. Great teacher dry sense of humor, knows his material. Some people might mistake his teaching style as boring, but he's great. Very helpful. Show up to class or study the book if you don't go. Irving is awesome!

Rating # 15

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Boring,dull,creepy,strange,disconnected,on another planet.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's great. I have had him for music history too. He knows alot about what he teaches, and he makes it fun. Just go to class and listen to the music and you'll be fine.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I love this teacher. As long as you study, you will do great on the tests. The concert reports also help your grade- you will probably get an A if you just go to one and write something intelligent about it. Great teacher!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

In response to one comment--Music majors are NOT DUMB. I'm not one (not smart enough to be one, actually), but trust me--I'm taking music theory 1 right now, and it's harder than chemistry. I don't know what it is at UAB, but at Samford U., for one, Music is THE hardest major. (And as for Dr. Irving, he rocks.)

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is one of the most interestingly sarcastic professors I've ever had. He has a wonderful sense of humor which he brings into the material which serves to make it that much more interesting. He teaches the coursework with clarity and as long as you study and listen the music pieces, you'll do fine. This is a very enjoyable class to take.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MU120
• 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:

Ignores student e-mails and questions.