Introduction to Music

This class was ok, but not great. Boerger is very passionate about music & her goal is for everyone to do well in the class, but that doesn't make it easy. She gives 3 papers. The first is based on attending a musical performance. The second is comparing & contrasting 3 performances of the same composition. These are torturous if you do not have a good background in classical music terminology. The last, a comparision based on a boring book, is just tedious.
Also the class is imbedded to the Writing Fellows program, which I think would be very beneficial to freshman. However, as an upperclassman, I found having to meet with a Fellow to be a little bit redundant.
Also, I think the exam is much different & harder than how she explained it was going to be. There are also 3 listening quizzes which are just a pain to prepare for.
Take this class to fulfill a requirement & to get an A but don't expect it to be easy. Lots of people pass-fail.

Professor Boerger is worth the tuition of Barnard. Prior to taking her class, I had no experience with music whatsoever. Even though I can't read a single note, Professor Boerger makes incredibly complex concepts easy to understand. Make no mistake; Intro to Music is a very difficult course, but Boerger's energy and enthusiasm is so contagious that you actually enjoy doing all the hard work. The only downside to taking Boerger's Intro to Music, is the disappointment in discovering that she doesn't teach any other course! If Professor Boerger taught trigonometry, I'd take it. Hell, given that she's the teacher I might actually enjoy and understand it!

It's such privilege to be a student of hers, and so rewarding to begin to understand and appreciate music as I feel I am having her as a teacher.
This “review” is a bit premature, but I wanted this review to have an impact on the people looking for courses now. Make a note to take this class next year!
Thank GOD that the course is a full year. I still have a semester to go!

Do not take this class if you have no background in music. I wouldn't have survived the first paper (which is an auditory analysis of a recorded piece) if I hadn't had some performance experience. It's not like you have to be a music major or anything, but if you know basic music terminology you'll be okay. Her papers are really easy, and you get to do two drafts with a writing fellow, which makes it even easier. The only things that can be difficult are the listening quizes, but if you beginning studying them the week before the exam, you'll be fine. You can't cram for them. Other than that, the course is easy, also, if you have to miss a few classes its no biggie.

KRISTINA IS FABULOUS!! she is one of the best professors I've ever had here. I would nominate her for every award. I came into the class having an appreciation for music, but having hardly any background in music history or in music theory. I disagree adamantly with the first review; I think she make the class very accessible to the lay-person. Her experience as a conductor and a singer really bring wonderful dimensions to the class. I highly recommend her. If you didn't like music before, you will now.

This woman is horrible. She is great if you have been taking music for years and want to learn what you already know. For me, someone with no musical background, she is a nightmare. Her class consists of her coming to class, putting some names and dates on the board and then playing you selections from a CD (sometime for a half hour). She is an extremely tough grader, she gives one grade for content and another for grammar on the papers. She is a comma fanatic. She looks for very specific things in her papers not accounting for the fact it is an intro course. Also, she is always unprepared for class because "she has 5 jobs."

A brilliant and enthusiastic professor who genuinely cares about both her students and the material she teaches. She has a bachelor's, two master's, a Ph.D., and is working on her Artist's Diploma, so you can be sure she knows her stuff. As accomplished and well-read as she is, however, she's a loving mom who "adopts" the students that come to visit her during office hours and is happy to talk to you about anything whether or not it's related to the course itself. I give her four stars.

Extremely enthusiastic teacher who talks on and on in class. Sometimes, her high enthusiasm can drain your energy because she's too excited about some of the things she says. Her passion for music really motivates you to appreciate classical music though. The only problem is she only gives you one exam (the final), which means that you basically have to cram every single information she has lectured on for the final. Good notetaking is a MUST.