I definitely recommend this class if you are looking for a light and interesting GE. Dr. Brown is a very kind and understanding professor. She cares a lot about the subjects she teaches which makes her lectures engaging, even considering that I am not particularly interested in the subject of opera. The lectures are mandatory, checked by iClicker, and were definitely long and boring at times. However, actually listening in the lectures can be extremely helpful on the exams and you end up learning about some interesting connections between opera and modern media and arts. However, I very rarely paid attention in lecture and still found the exams to be pretty easy. All you really have to do is re-read the slides, memorize some facts about each targeted listening, and make sure you can identify the song in each targeted listening or at least the operas they are from. It's not only easy, but Dr. Brown also offers multiple opportunities for extra credit, including opinion-based questions on the exams and an extra assignment you can do that offers up to 10 points extra credit. The professor really cares about this subject but moreover, she really cares about her students and it's very obvious that she wants everyone to succeed. I get that nobody likes mandatory lectures but getting that attendance is a really easy way to get points in the gradebook and the class can be a nice boost to your GPA, I ended with 102% in the class and actually learned some pretty interesting things.

I usually don't write reviews on BruinWalk, as it was merely for my own benefit in understanding the courses I want to enroll for my advancing quarter. However, I feel the need to write this review about Professor. Kristi Brown, as she heavily impacted my college and academic experience during my 2025 winter quarter.

Firstly, attendance is very mandatory, and she heavily stresses this throughout the quarter, as it weighs 20% of your overall grade. She surveys her students attendance through "iClicker", and uses the data produced to grade the student's attendance and participation, but also to judge her students; if you don't attend her lectures, she will view you as an apathetic, self-centered person. To keep it short, I didn't attend that much lectures, and she took it very personal. One time, I emailed her how many listening questions will be in the midterm, and in her first paragraph she says "I see from the IClicker attendance log that you have missed 3 out of the 4 lectures during this period. I am assuming you missed discussion today as well?" (I attended all of my TA's discussion sections prior to sending the email). I understand that attendance is mandatory, but when your student's are asking for help and you inject your reply with assumptions and judgements, it is absolutely unprofessional and completely irrelevant.

In addition, on exam days, she takes the first fifteen minutes of the time ordering each student where to sit in the hall to prevent students from cheating; it was a stressful and seemingly frustrating experience for the students because they just simply want to sit down and prepare for the exam, instead of chaotically obeying her instructions on where to sit.

Furthermore, towards Finals Week, the Final Exam was collided with my other Final Exam, so I emailed her 10 days prior asking if she is able to modify my time-slot in taking the Final. She replied with a "yes" and instructed me when and where to go. Unfortunately, this isn't the end. The next day, she emailed me out of the blue and said that "she will withdraw the option of taking the Final at another time" because, "after further research", my other course collides with her lectures in the agenda, ultimately having two finals happening at the same time. I understand that this was my mistake in organizing and correctly enrolling my courses, but it almost felt personal because she didn't simply didn't need to do that; she didn't have to "further research" about why I had to reschedule my final exam, and just switch up like that, even when it was 100% possible for her students to take the Final at that modified time. She emailed me the next day and said that she cannot schedule me a better time to take the Final because I didn't "notify her earlier" (10 days wasn't enough?) and assumed that I was attempting to hide from the conflict, "still hiding why that was so". She also said that "even when a student does communicate the conflict, an instructor is not obligated to accommodate". Because of this, I had to take the two conflicting Final Exams in a span of three hours (average Final Exam time length).

Professor. Kristi Brown is an intellect in what she teaches, however, from my personal experience, I feel like she hones her ego in an academic setting and towards her students, making the class very unenjoyable to learn and discouraging to participate. Personally, I don't want my professors to be like Professor. Brown: egotistical, unempathetic, and controlling. From what I learned and experienced, if you want to achieve the highest grade possible, always always obey her. If you have questions about the class logistics, email the TA (please). If you have productive questions about the class content, feel free to email her. In short, don't poke the bear. If you do, she will remember your name and use it to her advantage for grading and accommodation.

Most formative class I've taken at UCLA. I wasn't sure whether to take it or not since it had no reviews online, but as a beginner in music, I came out of it with a new profound appreciation for music along with an understanding of music concepts. The class is interactive, so you will go back and forth with the professor during lecture. You will also listen to music, dissect beat and time, and also discuss the sociological implications of music later in the course. I don't usually go to lecture, but this class made me want to.

This class was awesome. It was the perfect GE to take. The professor understands that most people coming into this class don't have musical knowledge and she walks you through everything you need to know. The only homework there is once a week you need to watch the opera assigned and write a short paragraph answering a single question. I didn't always watch the whole opera and would still get full points anyways. There is one midterm and one final but they're not culminative. The midterm will be on the material talked about in the first five weeks and then the final will be on week 6-10. The T.A. sessions were always super helpful as well. Easy A as long as you're willing to go to the lectures and Professor Brown is a good speaker and always kept the lectures engaging.

TAKE MUSCLG 35 WITH DR. BROWN!!!! Dr. Brown was a wonderful professor and I loved taking this GE class. The workload is watching 1 opera a week + writing a reflection paragraph about it, 1 midterm, and 1 final (The final was not cumulative and only covered material after the midterm!!).

If you want a GE that's not boring but not too hard I would recommend this class :) I would definitely attend lectures as just taking in what she says would benefit you so much for exams (also her slides are not as detailed as her lecturing).

This class is also good if you have some music background because the analytical parts would be easy to do :)