Russell, Craig  

This little man is hilarious and totally enthralling. His lectures are interesting, except near the end when it gets a little boring, but definitely go to class and get the notes! Midterms and final were pretty straightforward. Just study exactly what\'s on the study guide. Great class. Take Russel!

Craig Russell is one of the most entertaining teachers I could imagine. He is so creative and even though the subject isn't incredible interesting, he makes it fun to go to class. Be prepared for him to do crazy things like sing like a viking, rock like Jim Morrison, play with Gumby and Pokey, stand on his head or cut off his tie as a demonstration (for music?). The class is challenging, but if you study (like any other class), you should do alright. You will have to go to 5 performances, which are something you probably wouldn't go to on your own, but I really enjoyed the experiences (might cost some outside $). If you take the class, take him.

Cool teacher, very energetic! I strongly recommend Russell if you like music.

Russel is the most enthusiastic professor, he made pretty boring material somewhat enjoyable. If you get the chance to take him, do it!

Craig Russell is crazy, but that's not really bad (except for his love of the Barenaked Ladies). As one of many examples, he took out scissors and cut his tie in half to demonstrate a part of a song. He would also stand on his head, run out of the room, etc etc. Needless to say, he was very entertaining! That's good because the class, while extremely easy, isn't all that exciting. He gave two main tests, plus the final, and we had to attend and review two musical performances. I attended the first test highly intoxicated but managed to pass it just fine. One of my two concert reports was rather easy to write, considering it was done on a concert that never existed -- I just made it up the night before. The final was multiple choice, like the tests, and very easy (I don't think I got less than 95%). Just as on the other tests we basically studied the night before. I'd recommend the class.

I have never had a more understanding Professor in my life. It was the best to have a professor that understood my mental limitations as a student with a learning disability. The key to doing well in this class is to go to EVERY SINGLE LECTURE and to GO TO AS MANY OFFICE HOURS AS YOU CAN!! I kid you not, this is where you are going to get the confidence and help that you need. Most students don't even visit him at office hours so usually I had the whole office hour to myself!!!! If you're concerned about taking a GE where the professor will help you to succeed if you have a learning disability, this is the professor to take!!!! I won't lie to you, you have to hold up your end of the bargin and do some reviewing of your notes and a little bit of reading, but I assure you, he will bend over backwards to help you! P.S. **if you are a visual person, He's into that BIG TIME!!! He uses props and many other visual aides. ** He gives out study guides for every exam that are EXTREMELY HELPFUL if you research all of the topics listed. ** His exams are very predictable if you follow the study guides very closely. If you do, they will seem very easy!--this is a great class to take as a freshman if you are looking to get off to a good start. ** This is a GE where you will get out of it ONLY what you put into it. This may sound obvious but trust me, the listening will KILL your grade if you don't stay on top of it.

Dr. Russell is a good professor and an overall interesting human being. He really makes an effort to relate the material to the class and he truly enjoys the subject, which rubs off on his students. The first third of the material, which basically concerns musical definitions instead of history, can be difficult for people who haven't been involved with music, so ask questions. He's really helpful and makes an effort to know names even in a class of 100.

what a nut! This guy is way out in left field. He is awesome guy to talk to about music. He covers a ton of material, but does it pretty well. He gives a study sheet for every exam which is a mirror image of what he tests on. If you know the study sheets, then the class will be cake. However, there is a lot more work involved in the class than you would expect from music appreciation. Russel's class is worth taking.

He is probably the single best instructor that I have ever had so far in my educational career. He is very energetic, very entertaining and his love for the subject transcends into everyone in the class and makes you want to attend every lecture and concert performance. The material is a little overwhelming for the final, but if you study your old midterms and study guides, you should be fine. His a nut ball and he is so funny. I hope that I can take another course from him in the future.

If you decide to take music appreciation make sure you take it with Craig Russell. He is such an enthusiastic teacher, and very funny that it makes class a lot more interesting and sometimes even fun. However he does not give easy tests, you must study hard for them in order to do well. But he does give study guides to each of his midterms and finals which is always a plus!

Dr. Russell is great! He really does care about his students individually, even though his classes are huge. The first few weeks are spent on music fundamentals (if you've ever done band before, this is really easy). The rest of the quarter is spent on music history from the middle ages to the 20th century. If you can't stomach classical music, perhaps this isn't the class for you. To do well in the class, you must be interested in the topic. If you are the least bit interested in classical music, I would definately recommend taking this course.

Russel is the most awesome teacher! Definitely one of the best at Cal Poly. He's entertaining, insane, really funny, and does a wonderful job of teaching the material. Another great quality is that he tries his best to get to know everyone in his classes, even though they're huge. The class is pretty tough though, but you can put in a little effort and pull a C. The tests are really difficult, and he grades tough on the essays. If you take this class you're in for a fun time and you'll learn a lot too.

This professor is the coolest, here are just a few examples of ways that he presents his material: he cuts his tie off in class, brings tv dinners, soda and candy to class, stands on his head and what happens every class period, he runs around like a maniac. He is seriously the coolest guy and keeps you awake for all those early morning classes. BUT!!!!!!!!!! don't think that this is an easy course. The first few weeks were cake for all those who knew music, me I am retarded when it comes to music but i at least was still able to do well. THEN-- reality kicks in and you soon realize (yes even the musical geniouses in the class) that this class is freaking hard. You have to remember every composer and every detail of his like and his music. The final sucks. Plus you have to go to concerts, some are expensive but he gives you a list of so many that you can find more than you need that are free. The trade off for all the work is that you get to experience the greatest teacher ever, i am not kidding some time in your life at CP take him just to see his teaching styles.

This man is amazing! His class was the most entertaining hour of my day. He does give very diificult tests though, but it always willing to help students. Take this class!

Russell, what can I say the man is a riot he had the whole class at the palm of his hands. You waited like a kid at the candy store for what he was going to say next. It's true the test are very difficult but with lot's of work you can pass. For the first test don't worry about the book it's a waste of time, but for the next two exams including the final, attach the book to your face and don't blink. Oh yeah and learn the music, it plays an important role in the tests.

Craig Russell was helpful and his knowledge of music came through in pretty much everything he did. He can play every instrument and likes to play Hendrix as an example of a great musician. I thought he was pretty cool, but I didn't study as much as I should have, which is why I got a C+. If you take this course you had better read the book and go to lectures, because otherwise you're pretty much screwed.

Most fun class i've had yet. His lectures are unbelievable, this guy is a complete nut, and he knows it, and the students know it, and you'll probably never have more fun in a class. He plays the piano, sings along with music on the cd player, jumps on tables, runs up and down the steps in the classroom. He also gives out study sheets for the tests. If you know the study sheets, you'll do well on the tests. You are required to attend performances, but that just takes a little time, and sometimes some money, but most performances are pretty cheap. If MU 120 satisfies one of your GEs, you should take it.

Excellent teacher, for the first test study his handouts which you buy at Second Edition. The second test and the final are much much harder though, read the book and do your listening! Also it's not hard to attend all three of the required concerts. I went to all three the last two weeks of class, they were all free, and in the same classroom, basically just student recitals which you are only required to be at for one hour. Great class, just study hard.

Dr. Russell made getting up in the morning for MU 120 not quite as bad. He was always energetic and enthusiastic, and really seemed to love his subject. The class consisted of two midterms, a final, two concert reports, and 3 required concerts to attend. The tests weren't all that bad, as long as you listen to the cd's and read the book and the Second Edition Handout. The concert reports were fairly simple as long as you sound like you know what you're talking about, and going to the concerts wasn't that bad. I went to all free concerts, so it didn't cost me anything. Overall, it was a fun class...worth taking!

While some students may be entertained by Dr. Russell, no, wait, Dr. Flake, I was not. His lectures, well, the thought of them made me turn off the alarm and go back to bed - - he would run up and down the steps in the classroom ranting and raving the lecture material like a lunatic...too bad I missed the day he cut off his tie; I'd love to know what that was all about. The book, well, most textbooks suck and this one is no exception. Strangely enough, I managed to do ok in this class despite not really attending class or reading the book. But really, can you have a problem with a professor who has ridiculous lectures and a boring book? No, of course not, because most of them do - - this is what we have come to expect, especially in the world of general education. What I do have a problem with is a professor who is unreliable and obviously does not care enough about his students to furnish them with grades. What am I talking about? Essentially, I am talking about thousands of potentially lost scholarship dollars all because Dr. Flake took in excess of a month to submit a change of grade form, a procedure that I hear takes less than a day to process. And, when you leave countless messages on his voicemail, he'll never call you back nor will he answer your emails, so good luck getting help from Russell if you need it!

While he may be entertaining, he can also be as boring as mud. Be prepared to learn more about history and religion than about music. It is possible to pass the class with a little work. Do the reading! It pays off. He uses every last second of the class time and always has a lot of energy to keep going. It's not that he can't explain things or doesn't know what he's talking about, it's just that the materials are very dry and boring themselves. The tests are feasible - multiple choice, fill-ins, occasional essay.

This was my most interesting class of the quarter! Craig Russell is extremely dynamic and makes the information exciting and fun to learn. He runs around, plays the air guitar, cuts off his tie, and wears costumes.!!! Be careful this course is not as easy as it may seem. The test are based on all the information learned, but are difficult. Just go to class and keep up with the reading (especially near the end) and you'll so just fine. This course really helped me expand my musical horizons!

I don't know why so many students have rated this guy rather highly. Maybe he can pass himself off as impressive to some impressionable freshmen, but this guy really fits the profile of someone lacking imagination. I still don't see how cutting off you tie with a pair of scissors has anything to do with teaching music....oh wait, when you don't have the ability to teach music you do stupid things. Also came as close as you can to accusing me and my friend of cheating on a short concert report (he claimed the descriptions of the concert were too similar hence one person copied the other) by trying to play the trite good cop-bad cop game. What he failed to take into account was that since we had attended the SAME concert, the reports were inherently going to be SIMILAR. And this critique is coming from a guy who scored an A in this worhtless class. Craig Russell, or crussell as I like to call him, appears to be nothing more than a professional clown with old time elementary school tactics. Maybe there is more to him, but I really would be surprised if there was. I can't believe Poly ever hired this guy. In brief, this guy is ass.

Russell is really enthusiastic about the material. He was also very helpful when aranging a make-up exam.

The only thing I regret about this class is not attending class more often. It's a very fun lecture to attend, especially if you are passionate about classical music. Do not be fooled, though. There is a lot of reading required and the final covers everything. Still, if I could, I would take the class again. And actually show up!

His lectures are very scattered. He is a whinny liberal who trys to indoctrinat his students with exagerated totalitarian propoganda. I would challenge him to read anything that wasn't written by Karl Marx. Some one should give him a copy of Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Freidman to read. These ratings really don't matter because he is the only teacher for this class, so you don't really have a choice. On a positive note I did enjoy learning about and am now an avid listen of classical music.

Mr Russell is awesome. He is hilarious, and will do anything possible to get the lesson across. The class starts out easy but then turns into more of the history of music, so the material starts to suck. This course is awesome though, he always kept everyone entertained, and tried to make sure everyone understood the material. I would definitely recommend him to everyone for your fine arts GE requirement.

GREAT TEACHER... I just completed my third year at Poly, and i'd have to say prof russell is in the top 3 teachers i've had. He is so enthusiastic about music that it makes you want to do well in his class. the tests are very straightforward, there are no surprises. i would suggest making flashcards and listening to the music samples early. also, review ALL of the old flashcards briefly for the final, some old concepts did pop up. overall an AWESOME TEACHER...

russell is amazing. definitely one of the most entertaining classes i've ever taken here at poly, and not just because i'm a rabid music lover. prof russell funny, energetic and incredibly silly... i never missed a day. there's a lot of material to cover, but the listening cds are great and the tests aren't all that difficult if you pay attention in class. he grades pretty easily on the concert reports if you at least write well and have some creativity. i recommend this class to everybody!

Dr. Russell is the best!!!! He loves to teach music and has soooo much energy. I definately recommend taking him.

He really does know what he is talking about and will take time to explain things thoroughly if there are any questions, but he makes the class seem really fun at first and then towards the end of the quarter, the amount of reading is extremely unnecessary. There wasn't any homework or anything, so that was cool, but it was just kind of hard to keep up on all of the reading, which was necessary to do well on the tests.

Hes a crazy little bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!

Professor Russell is a great professor. He truly enjoys his job and is more than willing to help his students inside and outside the classroom. He takes a somewhat boring subject and makes it interesting with funny songs, dances and stories. Russell holds review sessions before each test that REALLY help. Overall it's an easy B and you don't have to read the book to get an A (it is a good idea though). I would definitely recommend Professor Russell for Music 120!!

Great prof. Couldn't think of a better guy to teach this class. He tries everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) to get you to understand the concepts and information in class. Definitely take this if you want to learn about music history and have some fun while doing it. But DON'T take it if you just want an easy A for your GE. The reading gets long at the end of the quarter and there is a lot of information that you must remember for each of the tests.

Russell is my favorite professor at Cal Poly thus far. I loved his enthusiasm and energy, which definitely helped since the class was at 9am. Although the material was boring, he made the class very entertaining. This class was surprisingly time consuming. We had 2 midterms and 1 final, which were pretty straightforward and not difficult at all. We also had to write 2 concert reports and attend 3 concerts on top of that. I highly recommend taking Russell for any music class. He rocks!

Dr. Russell is hands down one of the greatest professors I've ever had. He is hilarious and finds cogent, understandable ways to present material that could otherwise be extremely difficult. If you take this class, make sure to do the reading and listening exercises. Don't miss class, b/c you'll miss out on an opportunity to hear rolling-on-the-ground-funny lectures and random stories. This guy has had a bazillion amazing experiences, and is a lover of music. It totally shows, and he always provides examples that students would enjoy listening to (except for the renaissance and classical/baroque periods). Bottom line: if you take this class, you will have fun!

Craig is VERY passionate and going to his office is very helpful. He truly does care and it shows. However you will need to work to get an A in the class. The material isn't difficult, it's just time consuming. And you have to attend 5 concers during your spare time.

Russell is a great prof for music appreciation. He really enjoys what he teaches and it shows. Make sure you read the book and listen to the cd's. He is VERY fair. You can't go wrong with this prof.

Dr. Russell is an amazing professor. He begins the first day with overwhelming enthusiasm and continues this attitude throughout the quarter. Dr. Russell has a true passion for what he does and it is rather infectious. Russell makes one want to go to class rather than hitting that snooze button. He is very acessable and will go out of his way to help you if you only ask. Dr. Russell is a must before you leave Cal Poly.

OK. i finally decided to write on this thing after recommending this guy to EVERYONE. i had prof russell at 9am...i woke up to this guy... and let me tell u, had it been ANY other teacher teaching this stuff, i would have fallen asleep almost everytime. Russell is SOOOOO into it, its ridiculous! he doesnt force you to love music, but you end up loving it. His love for it sheds to everyone. He is honestly the best teacher i have had in a long time. His passion for music shows through his class. All you need to do is go to lecture and you will be fine.

He tries to make you a christian. Listening exercises are impossible. He can ask absolutely ANYTHING from the textbook readings for the 2nd exam: Very little guidance.

Russel is a great lecturer, BUT his exams are VERY HARD. You must memorize pages and pages out of the textbook. And it's all pretty boring stuff about this composer and that. DON'T TAKE HIM if you can't memorize very very well.

THIS GUY IS FREAKIN AWESOME!!! He teaches with dolls and stuff and cracks jokes and it seems like he is constantly on a mix of cocaine and coffee. The class itself really isnt to demanding but some of the material is kinda drool, but he makes it fun and exciting, and you can go into his office hours to talk to him about literally anything, the election, the class, your physics class, the weather, anything, this guy is crazy chill and awesome.

If you're going to take MU 120, Russell is the only way to go. He finds lots of fun and entertaining ways to present history and concepts, and the guy is really a laugh a minute. He's like a little leprechaun or something. Plus you'll probably walk out with lots of cool new bands to check out. You shoud also try googling him...he has composed some music, which is kinda cool. For the class, you have to attend 5 musical events. For 2, you have to write an easy 2-page paper, and for the other 3, you just have to have the proctor sign you off. The rest of your grade is test-based, and as long as you know key historical points, listen to the musical selections in the book, and study key terms, you are golden. Oh, and the final is not cumulative, which is an added plus.

Russell is HILARIOUS! Actually looked forward to going to this class, even though it was at 9am three days a week. Only once fell asleep in the class, but otherwise was too busy watching him run and dance (and jam on his air guitar!) around the classroom. He always had lots of strange props and ways of tying to make the sometimes boring lecture material fun and easy to understand. The first midterm was easy, didn't even open up my book until studying for the second midterm-which was hard! Definitely have to memorize lots and lots of facts though, so don't think it's a super easy A. His tests are mostly lecture though, so if you go you will learn alot cause he teaches in an interesting way

Everything you'd ever want out of a professor. In every way!

Professor Russell is definitely the most interesting and entertaining professor I\'ve ever had! He has so much passion and enthusiasm for music that he just spreads it to the whole class. I haven\'t been to a lecture where I didn\'t laugh. Yes, he makes a fool of himself, but he makes the material that much less boring. He really interacts with the students too. He\'ll point at you and involve you in the lecture and he\'ll have the whole class follow him to ensure the whole \"learn by doing\" policy, which is nice. In terms of grading, the tests are not hard if you study.Going to concerts and writing concert reports are a piece of cake, although he is a bit of a grammar nut and can be a bit nit picky in that region. Overall, don\'t slack on your reading and keep up with lectures and you\'ll do fine and have a lot of fun in the class!

If you have the opportunity to take Dr. Russell during some point of your time here, DO IT, and do not hesitate for a single second. Dr. Russell was BY FAR one of the best professors I have ever had. I have never met another educator as passionate and excited about his subject matter than Dr. Russell--he truly loves what he teaches. Not to mention, hes INCREDIBLY freaking intelligent and cares about his students so much. As far as the class goes, it wasn\'t too hard, although I learned a great deal. The tests were extremely fair; they required a bit of memorization and general understanding, but if you put the work in, it was no issue. The only thing i found slightly difficult was writing the two review papers on some type of performance that we elected to see. I went in to ask Dr. Russell for help on the first one because I was panicking in my lack of knowledge, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was the most productive and helpful office hour of my life. Dr. Russell calmed me down and helped me to figure out what I wanted to say--he even took notes for me about what we discussed so that I didn\'t have to!! I ended up learning so much in this class and loved every minute of it. I hope to take him again before I graduate, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to any student; but do be warned that he will make every other professor that you have taken or will take look bad.

I love Prof. Russell. His class was so entertaining and informative. I even brought my friend to his class because it was so enjoyable I had to show them. The material before the first midterm is very fun to learn, nothing out of the book. After that, he moves into history stuff which involves book work, but its not too bad. My one word of caution, take the final seriously. It\'s not over the top hard, but it is a lot of material, so you can\'t study the night before like all the other ones. I had an A in the class but didn\'t study for the final much because I was focusing on other classes, and ended up with a B+ in the class.

One of the best teachers I have ever had! He is very fun and interesting (even in the morning) but I still learned a lot. Very easy to get an A in this class with some studying. 2 midterms, 2 page and a half papers about a musical event, and 3 proctored music events, plus a final. Super easy and straighforward. Take him and you won\'t regret it!!!

Dr Russell is a super nice, caring teacher who is heavily invested in his class. The class can get boring sometimes but Dr Russell is always in a good mood and tries to keep people involved. Getting an A takes some effort. Make sure to take good notes and go to the concerts. Do not slack on the write-ups because he will not give you a high grade. This man goes nutty.

There are many good reasons to take this class. First of all, you hear classical music everywhere and most people will attend an orchestra performance at least once in their lifetime. It's good to get a basic idea of what you're listening to. The class focuses a lot on Mozart and Beethoven, and you'll find that both composers had interesting lives and had a large impact on music. Second, Dr. Russell is a passionate, energetic professor who definitely won't make you fall asleep. He likes all kinds of music and he he can make you appreciate any music. You will be eager to attend class just to hear him lecture. Third, this class is fairly easy. Just memorize the notes and terms he gives you and you should do fine on the tests. Also, you're required to attend a certain number of concerts and review them as part of your grade. This is an excellent chance for you to learn about the various music events that happen at Cal Poly. Overall, I'd say this is one of the best GE courses I have taken at Cal Poly.

Professor Russell is, hands down, the best teacher I've ever had at Poly. I have never had a professor who so genuinely cares about each and every one of his students. He is extremely approachable if you have questions and is willing to do just about anything to make sure his students understand the concepts. I had this class at 9 am but I looked forward to going because Russell made it fun and interesting. You can tell he truly believes in the importance of education and takes his teaching seriously. He really is an outstanding professor who made my experience in his class a positive one. If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with Russell, DO IT. You won't regret it!

Russell is definitely my favorite teacher so far at Cal Poly. He is very straight forward in his lectures and tells you exactly what to study for the test. Not only is his class pretty easy to ace, but he is a hilarious guy too with lots of funny stories that does a pretty good job to keep the lectures interesting. Highly recommended

If you have the opportunity to take a class from Dr. Russell, do it. He learned everyone's name in a 120 person lecture hall within a few weeks, really loves all types of music, from classical to hip hop, and is excellent at teaching in an entertaining manner. Make sure to find room in your schedule to attend the concerts you'll need to, and visit him in office hours whether you have questions or not, because he's fun to talk to.

Man is a beast. Go to half the classes? A

What a boss of a professor. He made an effort to learn the names of a lot of the students in the class (it was a pretty large class, 100+) and was always super friendly. To succeed in the class, you need to just go to lecture and take some notes on the points he emphasizes and read up on the book sections he specifies to learn prior to a test (I read the sections the day before and it took a few hours but no problem). There's also 5 concerts you need to see throughout the quarter and write reports on 2 of them which should be easy unless you can't write for crap in which case you should still get an A. Seriously if you can't get an A in this class, you're lazy

He made the class sorta interesting, but this class really sucked. I've never been good at the arts(music, art history, etc..) and this class was difficult, even though i attended each lecture. He was bad in office hours as well.

His class is not an easy A, but Dr. Russel is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He is always very clear, and his lectures are entertaining. Everyone I knew in the class loves him. His popularity is evident just by how hard it is to get his class. Take him if you can get him!

I don't understand how Dr. Russell doesn't have a perfect score. This guy is amazing and loves his job. Music Appreciation is a dry dull subject but he tries his best to make it interesting (especially his sonata form lecture haha). The class has daily reading, but I enjoyed it and the listening also keeps you entertained. If you have basic music knowledge, the first midterm will be a joke. I got a 98 on it without any studying, but the second one and the final are definitely worth studying for (I didn't, probably the reason why I got a B). He makes me want to take all of his classes (even though I'm a CPE major). This guy is great. Take him if you can!

Russell is my favorite college professor, ever. I'm an engineering major with no musical experience, and he's made me learn to appreciate and understand it at a deeper level. His lectures were never boring, and I rarely checked the clock. Three one hour lectures a week isn't bad regardless of the subject, but Professor Russell is so passionate about his subject and the success of his students that it was a true pleasure to attend his class. He actually managed to learn most of our names, which is incredible considering there were over 100 students. There is no homework except writing two essays and attending five concerts, but that's easy and inexpensive to do. He lets anything with half an hour of music count, so I heard my friend's band play in a backyard, and went to the free UU concerts in the quad. The music department puts on many recitals that are free or $5, and even if you somehow manage to never see anything, concert attendance is only 6% of your grade. There were two easy midterms and a final. I barely read the book or listened to the CDs, but took good notes and re-read them the day before the tests. Pay attention to the information on handouts; it's usually copied and pasted as a test question. He doesn't try to trick you, and grades essays very fairly. Even if his class is full, show up on the first day and he will give you an ad code (me). Russell is the best!

He loves what he teaches. He's passionate and is really animated during his lectures. I would recommend taking him. His study guides are extremely thorough so the tests themselves aren't hard at all (if you studied). For the mandatory attendance at concerts go see Take It Slo! They're really good so you're not just sitting there bored out of your mind while waiting until the end when you can give the proctor your card.

Craig Russell is an incredible teacher. Not only are his lectures interesting, his tests are very well made as well. Doing well in his class isn't hard and he is a very nice guy. I have no complaints about his class at all.

Fantastic guy. You can tell he really cares about his students and he wants them to do well. He cracks all these jokes to help us understand the different musical time periods. He knows it's a GE so he talks gives a variety of examples/analogies so that students from all the different majors can relate. Very enjoyable class, and very easy to do well in.

Mr. Russell is the man! This evaluation are for those who are planning to take him. Two midterms that are 50 questions long that are straight out of the study sheet he gives you! You can't ask for more than that. The final is closer to around 80 questions but still straight out of the Final Study guide he hands out to you. Also, there are three proctored events each worth about two percent of your grade, EASIEST 6% YOU'LL EVER MAKE. Also, there are two performance reviews that you must do which again are easy and Craig grades nicely as well. Easy class that you don't have to worry about too much and doesn't take a lot of your time from your schedule. I didn't study a whole lot and still got a good grade in the class. Craig is a funny teacher and would totally recommend him to any student.

Craig is so much fun in class. He really tries to make the material interesting and does a good job of it. The tests are fairly straight-forward and if you study a good amount you can get an A. Awesome class!

Craig Russell is probably the best professor I've had at Cal Poly. I'm not very musically-inclined, but this class was great. He knows and genuinely likes what he's teaching, and his lectures are very interesting. Now if only he could teach some of the other professors how to teach...

I LOVE RUSSELL! Sweetest, funniest teacher here. Very memorable. The class is pretty easy if you actually go to class and take good notes. Two midterms, a final, two short essays on 2 different concerts, and then you have to go to 3 more little concerts on top of that. "Concerts" can just be the free hour long rehearsals put on by the music department. Pretty easy class, but you do have to study for the midterms a bit. I definitely recommend this class to anyone in any major, he tries to make sure everyone understands the material and teaches it in simple, fun ways.

Russell is the most amazing man ever. If you have the opportunity to just get to know him and talk to him about life, DO IT. I highly recommend taking his class just so you can meet him.

If you're looking for a class that's pretty interesting and easy, a fun professor, and you're okay with waking up early then it's a no-brainer: TAKE MU 120. I wish I attended more of his lectures because every damn one was inspiring (not because of his material either). Russell is just a great, quirky guy who is passionate about music to such a degree that makes other professors' work laughable. His class is relatively easy (with incredibly thorough study guides) and his lectures are a delight. If you have a GE to fill, just take the class and you won't regret it. ---------- A few tips for 120 students: find the quizlet deck when you're studying for the final, and music samples can be found on allmusic.com if you don't buy the book (which I always recommend).

Great professor! He is so passionate about music and is definitely a people person. I kid you not, he would stop during lectures and ask your name & major in an effort to get to know you. On Friday's he would constantly say "Alright kids, your homework assignment this weekend is to go fall in love, because love is great!!!" HAHAHAHAHA never went a class without smiling and laughing. Take him if you get the chance, he is a great guy with amazing insight and enthusiasm about life.

Dr. Russell is probably the most quirky teacher I've had this quarter. One day he could be singing along, making up his own words to a Mozart instrumental song, the next day he could bring props to dress up and act out those lyrics that he made up. You can tell that he really loves what he does as a teacher, and you'll find yourself laughing every day you have his class. He does his best to make your MU 120 class as easy as possible to pass. The study guides that he creates for the midterms actually help immensely, and as long as you are following along with his lecture notes and reading from the textbook, you'll do fine. Though the subjects of the class may not be the most interesting for most people, you might have fun going to the concerts and realizing how the music is made. If you can take his class, do it! You will not regret it.

Craig is the man. He's a kind, interesting, knowledgable and passionate fellow who recognizes that GE's shouldn't require a significant workload. His class was perfectly manageable, no homework, just had to attend a few live music shows of any kind and write reflections on them. There's two midterms, and a final, which are easy if you pay attention and take notes during class, and study them well beforehand. He made lectures very entertaining and lively; he had great analogies and would play numerous songs in order to apply the course material. Overall, I recommend taking prof. Russell, you will be glad

Enjoyable, and a great GE to balance out the technical/difficult classes one is taking! Craig makes the class really interesting from the get-go with his enthusiasm and he makes sure that his class does not become another "workload class". Course consists of 2 midterms, 3 proctored concerts, 2 papers, and a final. Getting an A on the midterms is very attainable by going through his study guide term-by-term. Numerous concerts occur during the quarter. For papers, make sure to proofread and apply concepts learned in class pertaining to the experience. Final, follow the study guide . (Exams were pretty easy since it's multiple choice.. and most of the choices can be eliminated quickly, with many answers being verbatim from lecture.) TLDR; Craig is awesome, and this is what a GE should be.

Lovely teacher. I personally had a hard time with lecture because he goes on tangents but most people find them hilarious. There is a lab portion that involves going to pre-approved Music concerts and signing a paper proving that you went. Also you have to go to any two live performances and write one music paper for each one. Go to him during office hours, he will read through, proofread, and TELL YOU what you should change (no reason not to get an A on this). Overall I would highly recommend this teacher.

I was expecting this class to be an easy A GE--especially because I've played the cello for 10 years, was first chair of my orchestra for two years, and am proficient in music theory/knowledge--but it wasn't. His lectures go on so many tangents and are so disorganized that I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about. His study guides are jumbled/have run on sentences/aren't clear about what the exams are on. I was truly shocked at how difficult his exams were. They would have been easier had his lectures been clear and his study guides not a disaster of jumbled words and run on sentences that make no sense. I really like Prof Russell as a person--he was quirky and funny. But I heard he taught more classes than normal this quarter so he was super stressed--and it showed during lectures. He was disorganized and could not present the lecture material in a clear and concise manner. He would go off on tangents literally every five minutes, and would forget what he was talking about, not lecture on anything on the handouts for the day, etc. I would not recommend this class to anybody. If I got a B in this class (with 10+ years of music training behind me), I shudder to think what grade someone who has no musical backing would get in this class.

Dr. Russel is very passionate about what he teaches and is an awesome person. However, he lacks explaining material clearly. I usually leave his class thinking "wha did I just learn?" He goes off on tangents and as someone who has no musical background it is hard to understand some of the concepts he teaches. Just because it may be an "easy GE" for you, don't take it for granted. I hardly studied for the first midterm and got a 72. Got a B on the second midterm and then did;t have a shot of an A in the class because there are only like five grades (2 performance descriptions, 2 midterms, and a final. Performance descriptions are only a page and half, easy A's. If you have him just don't take it for granted, while you are more concentrated on major courses and what not.

Russell is a great professor who genuinely cares about his students. He will learn your name, major, and realize that you have a life outside of MU 120. This course is worth taking. It is very hard to get below a A or B if you show up and turn in the few assignments. Although I will also note that Russell's teaching style is slightly confusing (all over the place) surprisingly it gets the job done. You will walk away realizing you actually learned the material even if you aren't sure how it happened based on the lecture.

TAKE CRAIG! he's the cutest person alive. Also, go to class...if anything you get a free show to see craig, the singer LOL. His tests aren't that hard if you pay somewhat attention to his crazy lectures (full of tangents) and read the handouts he give thoroughly. Also, the proctored events and review papers are easy points if you just do it. Overall, fun GE for C3.

I took this class a year ago (Fall 2015) and had to come back and leave a review because I ran into him on campus yesterday and even though I was in a class of 150 students with him a year and a half ago he still remembered who I was. If that's not caring about each of your students individually then I don't know what is. Apart from that Professor Russel's class was great, he's a really funny guy and likes to teach music by running all around the room and occasionally using action figures. The class was a perfect level of difficulty and interesting for a GE, a really good, really fun beginners class for listening to classical music.

Craig Russell is the most understanding professor I have ever encountered on campus thus far. On the first day of class, he said that he understood his class was a GE, and said himself he didn't want to make it too hard to bring down people's GPA'S. To be completely honest, I failed both midterms because I did not put any effort into the class, but I did the essays and attended the music recitals needed and I know for a fact he gave me a C even though I definitely got a D in the class. The most interesting and cute professor I've ever had, I wish I could take him again just because. He's adorable.

Three criteria: Type of person, Class Structure, Exams. Type of person: honestly the most friendly, welcoming, exciting, caring, happy person to be around. Loves the material he teaches, and tries his best to get the students involved in his material. He plays music, makes the class stand up and do motions and sing as a group sometimes, etc. Class Structure: Will keep you for the entire length of the class almost every time. Goes off on irelevant tangents every class; most of them having to do with his biased beliefs about nature/spirituality. I understand his POV but as a professor, he doesn't present material objectively. Rather, it's his own romanticized view which he passionately explains. Exams: if you have never played and instrument or know very little about music, you will put in a significant amount of hours studying for his tests to get a decent grade. While almost all of the exam material is worthless regurgitation, the sheer volume of it is absolutely daunting. I couldnt imagine what it's like to learn all of this material without having a foundational knowledge on music theory. I may be somewhat biased, since I have no interest in this type of material and see music more as a hobby than a career choice, but having to cram useless in depth info about the lives of many specific music composers for these tests proves this class to be another example of America's failed education system. The only saving grace about the exams are that he gives us a study guide which is pretty accurate in terms of what's going to be on the tests. The amount of material is insurmountable but do able given you have multiple hours to study. I've been sitting here studying for the final for about 4 hours now, only to get throgh around 30% of the material going to be on the test. At this point, it will take about 10 hours of studying just to get a B or better on this test. I'm a graduating senior, Ive taken plenty of GE's, and I have to say, this is one of the more difficult ones if you have no musical background or willingness to devote brainpower to useless regurgitation of information youll forget the day after your final.

LOL okay, so I recently attended a FLUME concert and totally remembered how Craig used "Holdin On" as one of the songs to portray some sort of musical element. This man introduced me to Flume and thus started and inspired my quest to attend all of the latest and greatest raves/concerts whatnot. Just wanted to say thanks Craig :) Oh yeah, totally great choice as a GE, just sweep through the review sheets by generating a google doc or something!!

well Dr. Russell was a very passionate professor. He was kind of old (a great professor is always looks old) and was a really child-man! In his class, we talked about basic music theory, then we went from middle-age music history to modern music...for me MU 120 was basically a music history class. Dr. Russell was a pretty funny guy; sometime he brought his tools (for example, once he brought us some cups with number 1-7 on each of them to help us understand how the Major and minor key system works) or wore a costume. He was kind of talkative so I was sometimes confusing during the class about course materials--that's why i often go to his office hours for help! 2 midterms + 1 final. He will give you study guide before a test; the only thing you need to study is the study guide! go to Google and search up the answers for the study guide questions and make sure you really understand them. The tests will be really easy if you study and listen to the listening selections he assigned at the beginning of the quarter. Highly recommend Dr. Russell if you like music. Take him!

he is so cute and nice I love him

dr. russell = BANANAS! he is completely nuts, but is no question, one of the best teachers i have had in my entire life

Music of the 60's was great! I learned a lot about the music that I love, some music I'd never heard about, and the history behind it all (Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, Native American struggles, ect). Dr. Russel made the class fun to go to. He's quirky and very funny! We were required to buy several albums (all that material will be covered on the tests and in the essays). The two essays were a piece of cake to write, but defiantly challenged me to critically think about the albums as a whole. We were required to see four movies, which was fine for me because I like visuals. Read his book though, very carefully (lots of test questions from them)! Fun elective. Fun teacher.

the best professor ive ever had

He is amazing. He is willing to help you out with your paper (you have to do one paper) if you come to his office. He is very approachable, fun, and a bit crazy. You will want to come to class everyday. The tests are based off the lectures and some of the reading. You learn a lot in this class. He requires you to buy 7 Cds instead of a giant textbook. If you can get him for a class take him. He will make it worth your while.

Dr. Russell is by far one of my favorite professors ever. I think he relaxes and has a lot more fun in the 60's music class, and I love 60's music so - and I kid you not - studying and taking his tests is really fun. He's one of the only professors I can say that writes really really good tests - the questions are long and dense, but if you have a pretty good grip on the material you will never be confused or uncertain, the answer is always either really clear or it's something I missed studying. Love him, take it.

Awesome professor! He is so passionate about what he does and it really shows. All of his lectures were fantastic and he seems like such a genuinely nice person. His tests are way easier than the study guides make them appear; if you have gone to lecture and paid attention to the songs and meanings that he emphasizes you will get an A. Also, the one paper you have to write is really easy and the movie days that you have to go to are actually pretty intersting to watch. I had to miss a week the quarter I took him and he was very understanding about it. He also let everyone who crashed the class on the first day into it, it was amazing. I miss taking this class and he was honestly one of the best professors I have taken at Poly.

Dr. Russell is the best! He is short, full of energy, and really cares about educating his students. He writes the textbook for the class, which is extremely interesting, but all the important points he tests on are covered in lecture. I always looked forward to his class. No homework, captivating lectures, and good music.

Dr. Russell is the most energetic professor I have ever had. It is evident that he loves his students and the subject matter: music/history of the 60's. He is extremely accommodating (he will allow you to take an exam/turn in the paper on a different date if you provide a solid reason) and wants his students to succeed and most of all, enjoy the class. With that said, he is the most disorganized professor I have ever had. His lectures do not go in chronological order and there are no power point slides to refer to. He speaks very quickly and says anything that pops into his head. In the beginning, you may find it quite hard to follow his train of thought. In this class, your grade is made up of: 2 multiple choice exams (20% each), a cumulative multiple choice final exam (25%), a 2-3pg essay (20%) and attending 3 films (15%). Dr. Russell provides a detailed study guide for the 2 exams and the final. The exam material comes from the online readings, his handouts and his lectures. If you know everything on the study guide you will definitely get an A on all the exams. The essay is also extremely easy to get an A on if you follow the rubric. Overall, this class is an easy A and you learn A LOT about the 1960s. TIPS FOR GETTING A GOOD GRADE: allow ~3 days to thoroughly fill out and memorize the study guide for each exam, fill out the study guide with a classmate, try your best to take notes in class (everything he emphasizes WILL be on the exams), email/communicate with Dr. Russell if you have any concerns, and use spotify/itunes/youtube to listen to the music (you DO NOT need to buy CDs).

Dr. Russel is a terrefic well rounded guy! The music class was epic and he really opened my eyes to music from the 60s besides the Beatles. Can be hard to understand sometimes cuz he talks fast, and his pronunciation isnt great. Overall highly recommend

He's in to David Byrne and the Talking Heads so he gets the best grade from me.

Russell is a good professor. He's definitely different. For one, he can't stop talking. So, when you listen to him lecture, be SURE you listen to him very carefully. If you miss even a sentence, you'll have no idea what he's talking about for the next 15 minutes. That's one thing I wish he could have done better - he would skip sometimes from one opera or aria to the next and barely give a clue. You just have to stay right on top of things. He gets the point across, and in reality pretty well, but you have to adapt to his style of speech, which can be quite a major change from normal profesors' lectures, which is why it takes a little getting used to. This guy jumps up and down, runs around in circles, crawls under desks, screams, yells, sings to you, stands on tables, wears fake wigs and plastic armor and will just grab you and start swordfighting you... I could go on and on. He will definitely make you laugh, and was my main source of entertainment for the quarter. I didn't even feel the need to watch TV to get my weekly requirement of entertainment. He could really be his own show - The Russell Show. You just watch him, and that's the show. Really. He will also definitely help you gain an appreciation for whatever the subject matter happens to be (this year it was Mozart's operas; sometimes it's the Beatles). I went to one opera in my life and hated it, and now although I still don't think I'll be going to very many of them, hey, I might, and if I do, it will definitely be Mozart. I learned some fascinating things and can honestly say that I have gained an appreciation for them and that I think Mozart rocks. Anyway, he makes some pretty difficult assignments, and it does seem more difficult than it should be for a GE course, but it's not impossible and I would still highly recommend him and this course. This is one where you actually will learn something. Not only that, you'll like what you learn. At least, I did. It's definitely worth it.

Mozart's Operas was hands down my most favorite class at Cal Poly. I came out of this class with a better understanding of music, opera, and Mozart. Russell's enthusiasm for this class spread throughout his students. He was helpful in answering questions and presenting the material in ways in which even non-music majors could understand and learn and have fun in the process. I recommend Russell for any of his classes.

Craig = wonderful. He goes on tangents sometimes, but mostly he is informative, exciting, and hilarious (usually without meaning to be). You can tell he really enjoys music and cares about the students alot. I would recommend taking him for any class, any time.

To the post below, tangents...sometimes? He goes off on alot of tangents because he's a Beatles fanatic. That's greatand everything, but you need to be more than a fan to teach a class on the Beatles. Was it a fun class? Yes. Easy class? Depends on how well your memory/multiple-choice test taking skills are (if you've have no trouble with them in the past you should be ok now). However, for the first few weeks i felt lost on what would be covered on the midterms. He talked about alot of things and alot of side stories. It was hard to grasp what was "test material" or note-worthy. However he's real easy to talk to, not a real difficult class excluding my minor pet-peeves. Take him if you can, doesn't have to be a class on The Beatles, I'm sure he is exuberant in all his other classes too.

Take Russell if you can; his passion for music will perk up your day, which was great for me because I had this class between some horrible major classes and it put me in a better mood. He's funny, animated, knowledgeable, and a genuinely interesting person. The midterms are ridiculously easy -- everything you'll be tested on is literally right in front of you on the handouts, which outline everything he covers in class. The book was a quick, easy, and fun read. Of course, it helped that this class was on the Beatles, but I'm sure any class with him would be excellent.

Take his Beatles class before you graduate from Cal Poly! Even if you don't get in, just go to the class. I wasn't even into the Beatles that much before I took this class, and I certainly knew nothing about them. Now I'm teaching my uncle (a Beatles freak) things he didn't even know. You get a good general background about the Beatles and their lives, but mostly you'll be learning about the music aspect. Homework is to listen to Beatles music. Three Beatles film attendances are required. One paper. My one disappointment is that we didn't get all the way through the Beatles discography; it's impossible to cover it in depth, but I would have liked a general idea about the later albums. I'm not sure I've ever seen a professor get so enthusiastic about a subject; he hops around, sings, plays air guitar, and demonstrates musical concepts with chairs and students or had us stomp our feet/clap our hands. I'd take this class or another with him again, even though I've graduated!

I think Craig Russell is a pretty cool guy, eh cuts off his tie and doesn't afraid of anything

Without question, one of the most passionate and energetic professors on campus — and it rubs off on students. This class was a joy to take, and what fun to learn about music in a historical context. Highly recommended!

Russell is the best teacher I have had at Cal Poly. He is extremely intelligent but you'd never know it by his humility and awkwardness. He bounces around the classroom excitedly when he is most passionate about a certain song or concept. It's highly amusing to just be in his presence. Definitely take a priority to get into his Beatles class, which is every other Spring. Not that he'd ever boast about it, but he was one of the top 100 guitarists in the world in his prime, but a problem arose in his hand I believe and left him with only his composing. (Which he scored on the film Nacho Libre?!) He is a very sought after man who deserves much more credit than he is given. So try and get his class, you'll be in the presence of true greatness.

Greatest teacher of all time! He loves what he does and really knows everything about the history of music. I am gonna take another class that he teaches just so I can have him again.

Great teacher. I would recommend taking this class if you could get it!!

Music of the 60's is a great class! It's even better if you're actually into the music of the 60's (beatles, simon and garfunkel, bob dylan, jefferson airplane, folk/folk-rock). To do well in the class, you definately must go to class, because most of his exam questions are pulled right out of the lecture. Don't worry about buying the CD's... you don't really need them (except for Bookends by S&G--that one is good to have). The listening tapes aren't that essential either.... if you listen to them once, that's enough. We had to write a research paper, and it was about a fourth of our grade (since it's being dropped from 300 to 200, the writing requirement may be dropped.... don't really know). As a result of this class, I find myself caring about things more than I used to. In all honesty, before taking this class, I couldn't have cared less about chicano or native american culture, but that's changed now. I also really got into folk music (Dylan, Joni Mitchell, PP&M). Unfortunately, Russell is very overambitious in the amount of material he wants to cover, and much of it gets left out by the end of the quarter (we didn't even touch british invasion...). If you catch this class before it closes, I'd definately recommend it. If you're not so much into music, it might not be that great, but if you really are into music, it's really awesome! Oh, and Russell is pretty cool too...

Russell was a great teacher for this class (Music of the 60's). He's definitely a little wacky, but that made the lectures more interesting. Not only does he know his stuff, but he really knows how to communicate it. He rarely ever lost my attention, he always kept things interesting. His midterms are straight-forward, nothing tricky (but not completely cake either -- you still need to study for them). I don't consider myself an excellent writer, and I got an A on the term paper I had to do for his class.