Johnson, William  

MU 101 is an EASY class if you have any prior music experience (reading music that is). Take it instead of music appreciation if you have ever played an instrument, and you might learn a thing or two about chords or music in general. 2 or 3 easy HW assignments, 3 activities (concerts of your choice), 3 quizzes, 1 MT, and 1 final. I skipped the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class meetings because he told us he would be teaching the easy beginner stuff like notes and rhythms. Also, Johnson will help any student who has trouble, and is a good guy all-around.

Music 101 is an easy class if you have any musical background. Johnson spent too much time on basics like key signatures and not enough time on more advanced things like chords, though. He was easy to understand and usually nice, although I was disappointed that he couldn't play the piano well. I had no trouble getting an A in this class.

MU 101 is one of those necessary evils which I later found out wasn't so necessary - you *can* test out of this class, contrary to what I was told. If you have basic music training, at least attempt to move on to MU 103, where you'll actually learn something. However, if you don't skip, be forewarned: this will be an agonizingly boring class. That isn't Professor Johnson's fault by any means; the class simply moves too slowly based on what you are expected to learn. Johnson presents the material well, and goes over it again - and again and again. His only real shortcoming was in answering questions - he often misunderstands what you're asking him, and gives an answer which is almost, but not, entirely unrelated to your question. Then when you clarify, he repeats the answer he just gave you. Other than that, I felt he did a good job with the material; homework is optional, which he tells you at the outset, and the composition at the end of the class is fun, low-stress, and a whole lot better than writing a report about a concert (which you must do for Barata's MU 101 class).

Johnson is ok for 101. The class is an easy one for anyone who has already had some theory. It seemed like those who were learning the info for the first time were a little overwhelmed. Johnson didn't realize why most of the class was doing well was because amost EVERYONE ALREADY KNEW WHAT HE WAS TEACHING. It seemed a little unfair that the people who were taking the class to actually learn the theory rather than fulfilling a GE had to compete with many of us who have been playing music our whole lives. That said if you already know a little theory it's an easy class with no big assignments. Just don't join one of his ensembles, he might drive you to quit playing your instrument. I did for a couple years.

this class is pretty hard if you dont have a backgroud in music theory, but if you do, its an easy A. I really enjoyed going to class every day. it was a lot of fun. Johnson really just wants to get everyone interested in music and having a good time. its a fun class, with practically no homework, and just a few quizzes. easy A

An alright guy, but he doesn't know jazz well enough to teach it.

J, as he likes to be called, is the only person I have ever met who makes me not enjoy playing my horn. I dreaded coming to class everyday. He is the ONLY reason I stopped playing for a quarter (until somebody else took over the band.) He makes people cry every rehearsal,and has NO FUCKING CLUE what he is talking about. I apologize to anybody who has take a class from this arogant, ignorant fuck.

J is an all-around swell guy. He's very friendly, and he does an excellent job at making new students in the ensemble feel comfortable. He inspires students to improve their abilities when necessary. He is somewhat of a pitch freak though, and compared to other music instructors I've had, J is easily impressed. He could and should demand more of the students.

I'm surprised this teacher has gotten such positive comments above...he's one of the more aggravating people I've run into. In rehearsals, if he doesn't like something that a player is doing, he can be really abusive; it's never happened to me but it makes me uncomfortable when he asses out some poor freshman. It's an easy A and you're there for the music if your there, but he's not a positive part of the band experience.

I thin J needs to be a salesman by the way he always sells himself and the department. He never approaches music with a loving heart, yet as a critical and crude person. As a conductor he should be willing to work with the students rather than discourage them. He is constantly criticizing and insulting the musicians to the point of tears. I think this tact of teaching is inappropriate and unexceptable. He can conduct and has a well knowlegde of material in music, yet needs to think of how people feel towards his criticizm. We only have 10 or 15 music majors in the ensambles, the other 70 are in it because they enjoy the music... he needs to awknowlege that and stop telling us "in the real professional world" because most of us aren't going to be professionals.

Johnson needs to treat all students with less condescension and more respect. He tries to act caring and understanding, but when it comes down to it, he only cares about his reputation as a conductor. If you have to miss a rehearsal, he fakely claims that you can simply email him and that it will be fine. In reality, though, he yells at you, embarrasses you, and makes you feel terribly for something which may have not even been within your control. He seems to think that wind orchestra is your number one priority, above another job you might have, schoolwork, and even your own health. It makes sense he wants us to sound good, but he also needs to see we don't all aspire to be professionals. He also exaggerates about everything. He claims you are great at your instrument only then to give the solo to someone else.

William Johnson knows his music and cares about seeing his orchestras perform well. Unfortunately his behavior towards you is pretty much entirely a function of how you play. Rather than trying to be helpful he can at times be an absolute jerk and it leaves you wondering whether he's in it just for his own prestige. He can be nice though too, don't get me wrong. He just needs to learn to have some sensitivity in some cases.

Yes, J is a VERY difficult guy to work with. Most students would not be able to tolerate him because of his high ego and abusiveness to anyone who stands in his way. He's an extremely hard person to deal with when he's in a bad mood or pressured before a concert to conduct. I found that it's easiest to get by him by agreeing with him and doing what I could to try to fix the "problem." He requires you to practice a lot for band, which he doesn't realize that most students would not be able to continue in a career in music, and that most students don't even intend to. I got to hand it to him though, that he is very through with what he wants out of the ensemble, and will do whatever he can to get the group there. There is definite progress within the players of wind band; I just wish he would be more considerate of the students and didn't criticize as much.

"J", as he is ahem, "lovingly" reffered to, is one of the most patronizing and stubborn conductors I have ever had the misfortune to work with. He assumes that his students know nothing of music; that all we learned in high school and anything before that was worthless, because they didn't teach us what he expects us to know. He only treats his students with any semblance of respect when he feels like it. This has nothing to do with how well they are currently playing. He also expects us to have no lives. We should be practicing with all free time, and above that, time spent on anything else is pointless. We also should keep all three day weekends wide open for rehearsals, and don't forget friday nights! Another thing, he really has conflicting expectations for WO2. He said that we would play with WO1 in their concert, and then maybe play ourselves (what a big responsibility!) at the end of the year. He also is very surprised when we do know our parts (who would have guessed), in between yelling at us to practice. Overall, he is way too melodramatic, and too big of a pain to waste another year on.

In the world of conductors, J is one of those stubborn types with a bad case of tunnel vision, only seeing their way of doing things. I've been playing music since 3rd grade, and the main thing I've learned along the way is to recognize that each person will interpret pieces the way they see fit. Unfortunately for J, he doesn't recognize this, and every minor detail of every song we did had to follow his strict, formulaic way of playing it. If any person so much as played one note out of tune, they were read the riot act, leaving the room in a state of stress and tension; everybody hoping they would not be the next to slip. The only reason I haven't dropped this class is because I have a strong attachment for music that keeps me going. J may be a good conductor in the conducting sense, but he is completely lacking in bonding with his performers and not making them feel scared.

I took this class one quarter and decited it wasn't worth a second one. I had no problems with any part of the class other than the conductor. Johnson spends 15 minutes tuneing the ensemble individualy while yelling at people for being out of tune. He is patronizing during tryouts but then will insult you in a rehersal. His auditions consist of you playing a peice and nothing else. I have talked to a couple of people who quit wind orchestra and the only reason they gave for quiting was that Johnson was a jerk. He gets his ensembles to sound good, but I think that stems mostly from the talent of the individual players. I'm sure the groups would be even better if there weren't as many people quiting. Take this class if you need to play in a wind ensemble. Everyone in this class really loves music or else they wouldn't put up with Johnson.

Yeah, J can be a rude and single you out, making you feel like an idiot, but he can make our band sound so much better in the matter of minutes. You just have to let him not get under your skin. He may not be a lot of fun, but his class isn't structured to be fun. It is meant to be enjoyable because the group progresses together, while playing good music. While it is different from high school band because there is no time for talking, the group sounds much better than a high school band as well. People take this class to have fun learning and creating university level music, not to be entertained. Whether this is worth it is up to you.

J is a typical conductor...ie he's not there to be your friend, he's there to make the band sound decent by the time the concert gets there. sometimes he's an ass, but sometimes that's what you need. he does single people out, but that's only if you don't practice(which is your fault, not his) i've had better conductors, but he gets the job done.

He definitely likes to tune...that's kind of good, because it drives me nuts when people are out of tune (including myself). However, his mood changes a lot and he can let something go one day and the feel VERY differently about it the next. Just be very aware of that and you'll be fine.

"J" is without a doubt the most supercilious, narcissistic, schizophrenic professor at Cal Poly. I am a 5th year double major (psych/music) and not even the idiots in the English department can hold a candle to Johnson. The main problem is that he believes his own fabricated PR. The previous poster stated that if one is an "arrogant f***" Johnson will take one down. The truth is, Johnson is the "arrogant f***" and he needs to be taken down. He consistently ridicules, embarrasses and humiliates students in front of the whole class. When something happens that is his fault, he will spend twenty minutes pontificating about his abilities and the students

Johnson teaches you several things that you normally would not learn from a typical band conductor: 1. The biggest idiots in the world can have tenure not just in a college, but across the world (many are known as politicians, but conductors fall in this category as well). 2. Nice people are not necessarily good teachers. In fact, nice people can be BAD teachers. 3. People often do not realize their own faults. Even better is when people blame their on mistakes on others. Combine these three concepts and you have a good estimation of Bill Johnson, Director of Bands at CalPoly. The man cannot conduct a steady tempo, and then blames it on the band dragging or rushing. Then he proceeds to shout condescending remarks to various sections and people, with which other band members nod assent and mutter agreements, fostering resentment between the sections. The CalPoly Bands could be extremely good, but they are not because William Johnson is conducting them. The extent to which Johnson contaminates the music program is akin to the dumping of raw sewage into the local reservoir. Each rehearsal was equivalent to having my mouth forcibly opened and having a caber (Scottish for "telephone pole") shoved into it with a piledriver. If you are a musician in any sense of the word, you will avoid Johnson. If you don't believe me, take him for a quarter, and you'll be wanting out like you were in a 6 x 6 jail cell and your roommate "Bubba" just took a bottle of Viagra.

The people who have evalutated this man before me have come up with creative ways to describe why Johnson is bad at his job. They made me laugh when I read them because I know excactly what these people are talking about. Aside from being my teacher for MU-101 and MU-173, Johnson is my department advisor. Some people may say that he's an ok teacher, but believe me when I say he is THE WORST DEPARTMENT ADVISOR EVER!! I'd give him a double f-minus in advising skills. Johnson told me the other day that one time he was at a stoplight and he was so lost in a daydream that he didn't notice when the light turned green, nor did he hear the honking horns behind him. If you go to him for help or something, I gaurantee he will be just as out of touch with reality.

let's see.. what to say about J.. well, he is the nicest and most decent fellow you've met.. that is if your parents or anyone who isn't in band is there... in class it's a whole other story... let's just say you don't want to stick out or be on his bad side because he can, and ususally will, tear you down with belittling and demoralizing comments. I personally do not hate the man, he really does know his stuff and knows how to make the band sound great, and while the ends don't justify the means, the concerts really are a nice pay off for all the crap he gives you... I'm there because I like to be a part of making some damn good music and that's what we do.. yes, these other comments may say he is an evil and horrible little man and you should aviod him at all costs, but come on, there are tons of people out in the world that are just like that and you'll have to deal with some of them sooner or later, so why let this one get the better of you? just take the damn class and do it for the music! (just one tip though.. whenever someone like your parents or other teachers or other conductors come and sit in on a rehearsal, he'll be 100 times nicer to everyone and rehearsal will be so much better ;) just a heads up)

There are many things to say about this failure of a human being. J IS A BIG PHONY. He pretends to be a great conductor by acting like a maestro (by wearing expensive tuxedos and trying to look epic while conducting)traveling everywhere and then bragging about it, and lecturing on all the things that he "knows". The truth is, this man knows little to nothing about music, and makes up most of what he teaches. He treats students like they know nothing about music, when just about everyone has 10 times the musical ability and knowledge he has. This will lead J to belittle, ridicule, demean, degrade, and reduce a student to feeling like a pile of crap. Oh but the irony doesn't stop there, he does all this usually afer HE MAKES A MISTAKE. He personally insulted me on the deepest level, where I am now so resentful that his crime is almost unforgivable. He spreads his BS like bubonic rats in a room full of Englishmen, and perhaps some poor students swallow it hook, line, and sinker. To round out this vicious circle of pure evil, J completely changes when guests appear (in particular parents), and puts on a mask of deception to win popularity with the "respectful" people. In short, J lives a lie by taking credit from other people's talents and exploiting those people for his own gain. I pity the students that he tortures, so I desperately urge all of you to NOT JOIN BAND. It's a price I am willing to pay, and I believe it will save many souls from utter insanity. J I hope you are reading this...

J's a sweet guy who can really fucking conduct. The man's a genius. Fine, if you're an arrogant fuck, then he'll put you in your place. J's fucking great. If you don't like him, then go join choir.

J is... interesting. He really knows a lot about music, and his experience shows quite clearly a musical genius hiding within somewhere. Unfortunately, that "somewhere" is buried so deep within a pile of useless information, time wasting, and some pomp that it never shows itself in class. J is aggressive and offensive to students when he hears something out of tune and always has to stop the entire rehearsal to give a 10 minute lecture on something that is either not helpful, could have been dealt with in 1 minute, or, in the worst case, he's already given us a 10 minute lecture on. Most aggravating is that he fancies himself to know something about woodwinds even though he's a baritone player, meaning that if he hears anything that isn't of quality coming from the Saxophones or Clarinets, he immediately goes off on them for "HOW DARE YOU SUBJECT THIS BAND TO A REED LIKE THAT!" instead of considering the 100 other things that could possibly cause a bad sound on those instruments. If you can put up with him for a full quarter, that bit of musical brilliance will start to show and he'll make a group sound good, but he'll wear you down like a course-grit sandpaper throughout the quarter.

J is a good guy, but patronizing at times. You have to give him credit though, b/c even though he is not exceptionally well versed in Jazz stylings, he recognizes that fact and is very open to suggestions and comments. I was really impressed that he had the moxy to invite a local sax player and poly student in as a guest director so that we could have better insight. A lot of professors I have had would have had too big of an ego to acknowledge their weaknesses and have anyone else, let alone a Poly student, assist in their class.

For years I thought that Dr. Laura was the rudest person on the face of the earth. That was before I endured a class

Yes Prof. Johnson can conduct and does know about music, but he needs a lesson or two in respect for all individuals. Many wonderful musicians have quit playing because of him. He puts on a facade of friendliness and caring about your needs and playing ability when all he really cares about is his tenure and himself. ..do not trust his smiles. When you take this course come into it with the love of music and the ability to ignore and pity the insensitivity of this instructor.

He knows music, he just doesn't have good people skills. If I had a dollar for every student that quit playing because of him, I could pay my own tuition.

William Johnson has some very good conducting techniques. He focuses on important things like pitch, balance, phrasing, and performance practice. His worst quality is rehearsal technique... hands down. The man is old and doesn't know how to deal with the real world. There is definitely a generation gap that easily allows him to be ignorant. Lots of contradictory remarks and many mediocre, repetitive analyzations that gets very tiring to hear ten minutes at a time, and then get yelled at for eating up good rehearsal time. There is no doubt that this musician has developed a profound selective hearing which is not always good if your a music instructor. Beware of his ego and stubborness and remember that he's an old man and take advantage of it by doing the best you can and knowing that what you're doing is right no matter what he thinks he hears sometimes.

I am a marching band member. For the last 3 years (before this last one), the band has been trying to become student run. Our director left last year and who do we get? The Man I have been avoiding....J. Before I go on to tell my honest opinion I must say the man knows his stuff...in his head. He just does not know how to effeiciently use the knowledge and to get the band to react. So Here ya go. No swearing or anything just an honest comment. If you have enjoyed band and you love to play then join band. The joy of playing is what will keep you in the group despite J. His instructional style is the bully mentality. If he doesn't like it, he wont candy coat it. He'll just say that you suck and you need to practice....oh and change this next time. He does not know how to pull the best from people with out pissing them off to the extent that they will play their best just to make him shut up....which he doesn't do by the end. He can ramble on for days about how wasing time is bad for a band (No lie he gave the Marching band a 20 minute lecture about time wasting) SO all in all: If you are a diehard band kid then you'll be in band and play some great music and sound great...though the rehearsals will get on ya. IF you are just someone that is a band kid from high school that enjoyed it but are not that dedicated...I suggest looking into one of the other groups - Jazz or Symphony (non J bands). - Rumor has it Retirement is near for the guy though.

To begin with, I'm not a music major. I just like to play. The class is fun, but the conductor is...difficult, to say the least. Actually, he's just downright mean, arrogant and treats his students like dirt. Unless you happen to be on his good side. However, even this will not save you from the possibility of him yelling at you and spouting false accusations. Avoid this professor at all costs. From what I have heard, there are plenty of other ensembles to join in the music department, with far more humane professors.

You people are hilarious. You think J is an asshole for telling you to practice more, get in tune, or for singling you out in the middle of a group? Get the fuck over it. This is college-level musicianship. If J didn't tell the truth about your shitty performance, there would be 500 of you talentless fucks parading around the music department. I'm glad he scares idiots like you away so there's more room for the people that actually work hard. God forbid a director actually tells it like it is rather than feeding sugar-coated bullshit to a worthless group of players.

Boo hoo, Johnson hurt my feelings because he has high standards. Waaaaaahhhhh. Speaking as one, no student has the right to question whether a given professor is too difficult until they have graduated and tried to make a career. They should really make it more difficult for crybabies to get into Cal Poly.

He\'s a terrible conductor, always slowing down, and the best way to describe him would be that he\'s a 5 year old in a 60-something year old\'s body; he regularly would throw temper tantrums when someone would do something he didn\'t like in class and he definitely played favorites.

J has consistently been supportive of me and my playing. Although I agress he may have some old school ways, he truly wants the best for the band and for the music program. I can see in his face his passion and love for music when he conducts. On a side note, what frustrates me is that there are many people who do not practice the repertoire, and just merely use rehearsal time for their practice. They basically act as \"free-riders\" in the group effort. Those of you who don\'t practice outside of class shouldn\'t whine and complain about how mean J is when he calls you out. If you were a part of a professional ensemble, you\'d be fired if you didn\'t have your part down solid. J treats us like professionals to prepare us for those of us who want to be part of a professional ensemble. You are awesome J and will truly be missed when you retire.

he sure does like his women, wet!!