Professor DePinna is so kind and amazing. He truly cares about his students and their goals and will help you individually to achieve them. He does not give writtentests and the midterm is simply a placement test to the lab for the next quarter, your grade is not recorded. The homework each week takes a little bit but we always go over it in class and it is easier if you break it up a bit. There are keyboard exams each week, but he is a very very kind grader, and piano experience is not required. I loved this class and the professor.