MUSI 2120

Although this class is pretty difficult if you've never taken music before, it is enjoyable and interesting. Deveaux lectures straight off powerpoints in class so it can be boring but if you need to skip a class, it's fine since there is no iClicker and all the information is on the slides and in the textbook. Maria Guarino was an excellent TA for this class. She was so helpful, nice, and always cheery, and I would recommend her to anyone who takes History of Jazz

I liked this class. It made me appreciate Jazz and enjoy it and be able to understand it in everyday life. You just had to study very well for the midterms and final (make your own study guide; it aids memorization). Overall; I thought it was fun to learn about a topic very different from my other courses. I also really enjoyed the live music sessions.

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS IF YOU ARE NOT A MUSIC MAJOR. A lot of memorizing of minute details. Not exactly concepts you can learn if you apply yourself you either have an ear for it or you don't. Papers were not really graded well either (maybe just my TA)

Prof. Deveaux really knows the stuff and seems very experienced in teaching the material like he's gone through the same courses multiple times (which is actually the fact). This class appeared a little challanging to me because I didn't have a strong jazz background and had to pick up from the very beginning. Overall, a good class!

I took this class because I wanted to get my non-western perspective out of the way and because I was starting organic chem and I wanted to just have a class that didn't require much work. There is a reason this class is 4 credits. It's not hard, but it takes up a lot of time. You have to do readings and a TON of listenings. The classes are also just all the same after a while and the whole novelty of listening to music in class wears off. I didn't want to take it seriously because I needed to prioritize my other classes first, and then I ended up with a B+. This isn't a cake class and if you try to make it one, you'll end up frustrated. Don't get me wrong, I was really interested in this class, I just didn't have the time I needed to commit to it.

This class is a jazz history course so you're expected to learn about the history of the music. I feel a lot of people think the class is all listening and the history is not that expansive. In reality, it really is not a lot of information you need to know, but if you have no experience in jazz music or ABSOLUTE BASIC music theory, then it will be somewhat difficult. In its defense, most popular music today use the same basic principles that he introduces (standard form etc), so nothing should "seem" new if you think about it that way. It's similar with intro psychology. You're learning some technical terms for things that you have felt/experienced before.

Anyways, you start with early history of jazz music, tracing back to its roots in slavery and New Orleans. You go through the different movements and its spread throughout the US. You also look at different styles/genres of jazz (bop, big band, hard bop, post bop/modal, etc.). You have two midterms and a final, as well as two papers on a specific topic.

I can not stress enough how important listening is. You have to listen if you expect to understand, and you have to listen critically. It is so easy to tell between different styles/musicians if you just listen enough. If you can't, by the end of the semester, tell the difference between Coltrane's playing and Joe Henderson's playing, then you have done something completely wrong. Most of the listening section on the test can be done by simply hearing the first few notes of the sample, recognizing that it's this song written by this person, and that tells you the answers to all the other questions. Sometimes, you don't even need to listen to answer the questions if you use reasoning.

The discussion sections are useful because they allow more time for listening. My only problem is that the TAs tend to limit the listening to examples from the CD provided with the book. This is good and all as I believe you're tested on these listening samples, but I feel it doesn't really do enough justice alone. I wish more outside samples were integrated into the discussion section. I feel that it would better show similarities between certain styles, artists etc.

Then again, this is biased since I play jazz music.

Great class, musical knowledge is definitely helpful beforehand however not necessary. A lot of the class is spent listening to jazz excerpts

Easily my favorite class that I have taken so far at UVA! I absolutely loved it, and also didn't think it was difficult.
That being said, while I am not a music major, I do have a music and jazz background, so I am strongly biased. It seems that people who don't have any music or jazz background and take the class as an "easy A" tend to find it more difficult.

If you are at all interested in jazz and its historical development, I highly recommend this class!

Don't take if you're not musically inclined, can get a decent grade but may have to put more effort in than you are willing to and detract from time spent on other classes. Professor Deveaux is very into the subject which is probably the best thing about the class.

Honestly as long as you keep the historical progression (I.e. King Oliver NO jazz to Armstrong classic to Dizzy bebop, etc.) straight in your head, it's a fairly easy A-. A straight up A requires a little more effort. The online practice quizzes help, as well as memorizing who plays/sings what when it comes to the listening part of the exam.