This class is so intriguing. There's guest speakers every week and they talk about the documentaries that they produced and who they documented and how it was meeting them. For one of the weeks, one of the film producer's (R.J. Cutler) of Billie Eilish's documentary came in and talked about working with her as well as just how it is filming documentaries. You can ask questions the second half of the class and gain great insight on how to go about things to end up where they did, etc. It allows you to see what it takes to get there since they share how they got there and their life story. Some weeks can be a little more boring then others but it's still worth it! You have a mini 3 to 4 question quiz at the end of each class which basically consist on your take aways from the guest speaker to make sure to be paying attention at least a little bit. Overall the class isn't hard but it can be a little disorganize honestly so utilize the TA's and ask questions if you don't understand something. Lastly, the final project was so fun!!! you make a 2-3 minute documentary trailer on an artist of your choice and pitch it to the professor, explaining why he should give you money to film this documentary. It's cool practice to learn how to pitch ideas and he gives great feedback. I recommend taking this class!!!

The best class I have taken so far. This was really easy, basically just one discussion post each week following the same format each time. You just watch pre-recorded lectures and listen to music. The discussions are chill and if you have a good TA, you get extra credit just for talking. Midterm is really easy. Just do the work and meet the word count requirements and this class will be easy for you.

I took Music Industry 105 with Professor Leaf and his class was without a doubt the most entertaining class I've ever taken at UCLA. Class was held once a week, 2.5 hours long with special guests from the music world. Exams were also fun but also mind provoking and as long as you attend class, you won't have a single problem.

I personally loved this class. I have never taken any class like this before. Listening to the lecturers did not feel like a lecture; rather, it felt like a seminar that I would go to for my own amusement. Prof. Leaf was the best! He was very caring and took a personal interest in my life, which made the class a lot more inviting and welcoming.

Highly recommend this class! You watch interviews between the professor and famous songwriters and write your thoughts on them. The class is a lot of busy work, but worth it and the professor really cares. As long as you turn in all of the assignments, you will do really well in the course!

One of my favorite classes at UCLA! You watch about 2 documentaries from the rock era (James Brown, Bob Dylan, etc.. and also contemporary artists!) per week and analyze them in short written assignments. The class is half discussion, half special guests/lecture/watching portions of documentaries. It is a small class so everyone gets a chance to be heard. Professor Leaf even brings snacks for students as a mid-class break! All materials are provided or available online. This class is so unique and fun, and if you love music, the homework doesn't feel like work at all. Prof. leaf cares about his students so so much- he provides in depth feedback to each student for almost every assignment. He has so much knowledge about the music industry, I learned things I would've otherwise never known. Listening to his firsthand accounts of interactions with famous artists made this class interesting to go to each and every single week. I would 100% take this class again if I could!

Music Industry 105: Songwriters on Songwriting was and still remains one of my favorite classes at UCLA. It provided real honest advice and a look into experiences from songwriters and songwriting executives that you cannot get anywhere else. I recommend the class to all of my friends, whether they are looking for a career in the music industry or not, as it offers a great look into how music is made and is enjoyable (yes, that's right, "enjoyable"!) for students of every major with an interest in or love of music.

This class is so unique and fun- it focuses on the songwriting processes of musicians- and you get to hear about it directly from them! I was scared at first to take a music industry class because I'm a Bio major, but the class is fun to go to, every lecture is engaging and interesting, and the writing assignments are not difficult- you get to write about fun subjects like musicians and songs, not about boring books or articles. Part of your homework is just listening to songs by artists who you are going to see the next week! Best homework ever. Every week musicians and songwriters visit the class to talk about their process and life as a musician, and most perform for the class at the end! It's like a little concert! I highly recommend music industry 105 to all of my friends!

David Leaf is incredibly talented in his field and taking his class is an absolute treat. You basically get to listen to incredibly talented artists talk about their life's story and path to success, and then write what you leaned from them. This class is awesome even if you're a STEM major! It doesn't teach facts as much as life lessons that I personally still remember to this day! It's motivating, inspiring, interesting, and everything you could possibly want out of a class. Assignments (mostly reflections/writing) aren't that hard. Professor Leaf is also incredibly nice, I reached out to him over email (I took the summer online class) and he helped me find an internship! He even offered to meet up with me in the fall to talk about his career. Take this class, that is all.

I think the course has been changed from 109 to 188, but it's still the same class. Fantastic class overall. Leaf is really insightful and brings in a lot of quality guests. Workload is average, but you need to do the majority of the extra credit assignments to get an A (so they're not really "extra credit")