he was very funny.

Mr. Cook seems to know what he is talking about in this class...The only downfall in his class is if YOU dont have a musical background becuase he assumes that you know the basics of music.

he is willing to sit down with u and help u out

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He's an extremely smart guy, and he knows it. As such, he sometimes goes off into other subjects he's knowledgable about, that the class might not be able to follow, and he sometimes comes off as a little pompous. He's not arrogant, so much as smart. Uses a lot of big, flashy words. Past the branching mind is a focused, enjoyable teacher.

Bruce Cook is an awesome teacher. I've already been playing piano for a long time, but his class was very insightful. Although people without musical backround might be a bit more confused with his class, Bruce always answeres quiestions, and encourages office hours. Also the mid-term and final were so easy, if you do the work you will get a easy A

Great teacher but too many peole came into the class expecting to sleep their way to an A. The exams are comprised of ALL LISTENING and questions about the songs. The textbook is crucial to understanding the music and the class. He can get mad if nobody knows the answer SO MAKE SURE YOU DO. Overall, he has alot to offer if you just work hard.

Do not take this class if you want to listen to Lil Wayne and/or AC/DC. Too many people thought that the course was going to be like that. IT'S NOT. Take it if you want deeper insight into more CLASSICAL GENRES of music, as most of it is instrumental. On the first day he plays Pink Floyd and others, but dont be tricked!He has alot to offer so liste

This guy gets into this Native American stuff and even went to do fieldwork in a Navajo reservation. Interesting at times, but hard. Alot of scatterd assignments you need to check Webct weekly to keep up. Big semester project, two difficult exams, big workload, but not impossible by any means. If your interested in this stuff, definately take him.

Interesting class. Just be prepared to listen to different styles of music from across the globe and be prepared for a lot of memorization. Tests are made up of a lot of listening so only take this class if world music really interests you. To do really well: do the extra credit, it can be the difference between an A and a B

Smart teacher, pushes you to do your best and practice s much as possible.sometimes he goes a bit fast before explaing things and sometimes he expects more from you as a learning student. If you put in tons of practice you will be fine. 3 quizes, 4 playing tests and 2 final playing tests.just make sure to practice everyday for a few hours

VERY NICE GUY. LIVED ON A RESERVATION WHILE DOING HIS RESEARCH. ALOT OF READING. HE CAN GET HYPER WHILE GOING THROUGH HIS LECTURE AND NOTE TAKING. TOO MUCH HOMEWORK ON WEB-CT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER. IF YOU LIKE OLDER MEN THEN YOU'LL LIKE HIM ALOT. HE'S ALWAYS SMILING AND VERY CHEERFUL. I'D TAKE HIS CLASS AGAIN HE MAKES CLASS FUN.

very hyperacyive and very helpful. Likes to confuse his students on purpose tho. he goes thro his powerpoints presentations pretty fast and frequently uses them during class. I would reccommend this his class to anyone who is serious about the subject.

He is very helpful and hyperactive. He uses powerpoint presentations a lot and goes through the presentations fast. I would reccommend his class to anyone who is serious about it otherwise GET OUT!

VERY knowledgeable on subject. very easy to listen too. very personable. straightforward. very accommodating based on workload and time. LOTS of reading a writing summaries. movies are very interesting. really cute for an older guy.

He is able to successfully teach newcomers how to play and understand the piano and the theory behind it. I credit my ability to play the piano to what I learned in Bruce Cook's class!

Dr.Cook has been such a great mentor and teacher. I was in special education classes all of my life. I was robbed at gun point at my job. Two years later my life changed when a big van crashed into my little Nissan. I have a spinal cord injury. Taking Dr.Cook's classes has helped me with all of my disabilities. He is the best teacher here.

Did fieldwork as an ethnographer and very passionate about the subject. He focuses heavily on what he has done and that culture area, than the rest of the regions. One sided. He's clear about what's on the test, tons of extra credits, tries to make class fun, and always willing to help during office hours.

Worst class ever, his teaching method was horrible, in all honesty he seemed to not want to be in the class at all. I however did learn a large quantity of information, but had to site through his egotistic attitude.

Wonderful teacher! Very knowledgeable and an amazing pianist! He can be a bit moody, and he expects a lot from the students. You'll have to work hard in his class, but you can learn so much from him. In his good moods, he's as funny as ever and extremely helpful and sincere. If you're willing to put in the work, take him by all means!

Fantastic teacher! As a normal music teacher, Dr. Cook teaching Cultural Anthropology was phenomenal. Very interesting material and helpful powerpoints. Tests were really easy and it was easy to catch up in his class. One of the best teacher's at DVC than other anthro teachers I will tell you that

Professor Cook is extremely knowledgeable in every aspect of music. His commitment to his subject is unequaled. He brings passion to the material and is creative in his presentations . With this passion comes a substantial workload. I learned a lot with him

r, Cook's knowledge of music is vast and far-ranging in scope. He truly motivates students with his love of the subject and impressive talent. Has an uncanny ability to hear a performance and really zero in on the area most needing attention to free up the student's interpretation and perform it more effectively.

Professor Cook is very passionate about helping his students achieve the best grade possible. He is very knowledgable and presents his class material in a comical, but clear manner. As a non- music major I have been very fortunate to meet such a humble, helpful, and caring professor.

The class was amazing and I really enjoyed it. There are not many tests and all of them are fairly easy. Class might become a little bit boring but it's still okay. There are 3 exams, 1 midterm, 1 final, and 1 concert report. If you want to take music class, take him and I guarantee you won't regret it. Easy A? Yes, if you're willing to study.

This class is pretty much an anthropology class through a musical scope. He has an acquired sense of humor, but he is genuine and will only reciprocate the same enthusiasm you offer. No textbook. Just study what he tells you to. Ask questions and be kind. He might be losing his hearing, so don't be afraid to ask him to turn the music down.

The best professor from Diablo Valley College compared with the 20-some other professors I took classes from. He's all over the place in his lecture: just write down everything he says and has on the powerpoint and you'll do good. TALK IN CLASS (every class) He seems scary but he really is just passionate about music and wants to help you! 3 Bruce

he's sometimes a little bit cranky to students, but he's really fair when it comes to grading. I'd recommend this teacher if you're gonna take music110 as one of your subjects. N.B. He's really not a tough grader

Not hard to get an A if you really listen to the music before mid-term and final(sometimes can bring cheat sheet). You don't have much homework, the only thing you should do is to familiar with the music he played in class.

Coo teacher, v passionate. Hes sometimes snappy but thats because ppl didn't take him seriously. lmao someone actually called him out for it then he chilled for the rest of the semester. Class is dope at the end cuz u get to listen to pink floyd. 3 quizzes, 2 exams, 1 concert report, & hardly any hwk. Study/listen to the music & u should be good.

Cook was a very enthusiastic guy in our intro to piano class. Participation in the class is necessary, and if you miss class, he will go out of his way to help you.

Began the class not knowing anything about piano at all. Now, because of Bruce's lessons and encouragement, I can play songs I would of never thought I could and can read sheet music, which is ultimately what I wanted. He's a nice guy, super passionate about what he teaches. Don't think this is an easy A though, it's a lot of work and practice.

Very easy A!! Not sure why everyone gave such terrible reviews probably because they're the students who get called out for using their phones in class. He literally hands you the final to study from. His tests are super easy if you study. His class may seem boring but just deal with it tbh.. he is an easy teacher. He is not a tough grader at all.

Dr. Cook is an amazing pianist & I highly recommend his piano classes. He is very encouraging & funny; show respect, practice, put forth an effort & don't try to pull any crap with him. Bring all books & supplies you need to class; he knows you're an adult & he won't hold your hand nor take your excuses. Don't waste his time by being unprepared.

Before I took this class my knowledge of world music was nil. Now I can practically name a famous world artist from every country on the planet. I took this for GE, but now consider changing my major from Computer Science to Anthropology. This class is know of a miniature intro to cultural anthropology through music. Great guy and funny.

Great class! Covers music from forever!!! took as GE IGTC and boosted my GPA!

Great class! We watched a lot of interesting documentaries about music and focused on indonesia, mongolia, australia, and pop world music. Dr. Cook has two doctoral degrees and it shows.

This class is for students who enjoy exploring music with a master pianist. My favorite class at DVC. Youll need to practice :)

I have played piano for fifteen years and found this amazing class and prof to continue my studies. I've learned more about how to perform, interpret and master music than from any previous instructors. You also get to listen to a bunch of other students play and learn way more about piano music than you could imagine. Great teacher!

Professor Cook expanded my limited knowledge of music! His lectures were interesting, and I was able to follow along. If you attend class, take good notes, and use his study guides for the quizzes and exams you are guaranteed to pass. Extra credit is provided throughout the semester to boost your grade. His passion for music is evident!

I took world music with Cook. He was so funny, definitely knowledgable in the subject. He shares a lot of cool stories of when he traveled as a musician. I was able to expand my music taste through taking his class. Tests are pretty easy, not much homework, maybe 1-2 papers. Go to class and try to enjoy the material, and you'll get an easy A.

I'm not a music major (business actually) and this class was one of the best I've ever taken at DVC in two years. I had no idea that music was such an interesting topic. Made an easy A and didn't have to buy a book becus it's a zero cost class. Funny guy too.

Professor Cook chooses really interesting assignments and even though they can be time consuming, he gives plenty of time to complete them and has numerous resources available to study from. He will hold you accountable but he is fair. He offers extra credit which can help if you missed an assignment.

If you aren't familiar with reading music, or playing instruments, this may be very difficult for you, as it was for me. Be prepared for lots of tests each week, lots of reading, and group projects. His study guides are almost exactly like his tests, so do the study guides. Great prof during covid. He gave us tons of extra credit after our final!

Great prof! Made a totally online class fun. Easy A if you take the short quizzes and post to discussions. Always available to zoom.

I took this class in Fall 2020 and it was a very easy class for me since I'm a musician. His lectures are very interesting and quizzes are based on the textbook. You get to learn a lot about music and how it came about to this day (the majority was western classical music). Overall easy class, read the text, listen to lectures, and do the work.

Pretty chill class. Just do everything that the professor wants and you will pass. The material is interesting to learn about. If you're here for GE, this class is easy to get out of the way. Lots of reading. Very kind and caring professor. Lots of extra credit too. Make sure to turn in assignments on time.

Simple class, a bit laborious though. Most weeks there's video lectures around 45-90 min, take notes and submit them. Lots of extra credit, including the final and midterm. Some 1-1:30hr documentaries with quizzes, I'd recommend having doc open while taking it. Lots of discussion posts. Not a tough grader, gives clear directions. Easy A overall.

Prof Cook was pretty good and his assignments were very clear. Every week you'll watch some videos and lectures and have at least one disscussion. Midterm and final test were optional but there's a final presentation (it's easy). There were some cool types of music brought up and I think it's a good class to fill some GE requirments

Music 114 is straight forward class, Notes, quizzes, discussions, and extra credit opportunities weekly. Midterm and final are optional. Big project at end of semester. He takes some time to answer emails so pay attention to due dates closely. Easy A for a cool class. This course is very doable for an 8 or 10 week semester.

World Music is not a ton of fun simply because it is online, but the course content is super interesting. The workload consists of lectures, a small amount of notes, a rare activity, quizzes, and most importantly, discussions. The discussions (50% of the grade) are easy as long as you don't procrastinate. Deadlines are tame and laid out plainly.

Bruce Cook is an amazing musician and pianist who is comfortable teaching in a wide range of genres. I learned so much from him both through his direct feedback and instruction and by watching him work with other students. The background readings and videos were terrific. He makes classes fun and creates a sense of community among his students.

A very good professor!

Professor Cook is a great professor! He offers a ton of extra credit and even if you miss an assignment, you could make it up by doing the extra credits. I highly recommend you take his class!

Dr. Cook is without a doubt a true professional in his craft! Not only is he an amazing reference to the historical and stylistic origins of the material he offers, he's very proficient technically and you can feel the love he has for his art through his style of teaching! I, loved the class and have never played piano but now, I feel I can!

This class is an easy A if you actually try. There are lots of extra credit opportunities and the Professor is always responding to email. Great class and great Professor!

I took this music appreciation in a 8-week course, overall I like it a lot. Dr. Cook is awesome and the material helps a lot! If you are interested in learning basic knowledge and or knowing more then this is the course. Be ready to read some textbooks though.

I took an 8 week class which crammed a whole semester worth of knowledge in half the time which worked great with my busy life. Professor offered lots of optional assignments for extra credit and a lot of knowledge in the lecture videos that you can watch at any time allowing me to learn a lot and earn a good grade also.

Overall a great class. The topics of the course are connected logically. I learned many things that can even be applied outside of the course.

A is easy as long as you complete things on time. The midterm and final exams are optional and quizzes are multiple-choice. I really liked Prof. Cook's lecture, very detailed and Inspirational. Although it is called World Music, the course mainly introduces the music part of the non-mainstream culture. The best GE class I've ever taken.

This class was very informative, although I wish it was offered in person since it is a music class. Do all the extra credit (or as much as you can), which will help pad your grade in the end.

Was a great class. Not much work to do but the posts due every week. Homework was fun.

This class has a light workload and the grading is very forgiving (+there's lots of extra credit), but if you have the extra time and energy, there's a lot more to learn that isn't required and professor Cook's enthusiasm for the topic is evident even in recorded lectures.

Professor Cook is engaging and enthusiastic about teaching piano. It can get overwhelming, but as long as you put in the necessary hours to practice every day, every week, the material isn't so bad to digest. Use the books to help familiarize yourself with music theory on your own time. You may want to choose your solo pieces ahead of time.

Dr. Cook is great! I took his class as an elective for my anthropology degree and found his course to be very relevant. He provides you with lectures that are informed and pulls from his experience in personal field work. There is a lot of homework, so be prepared to work but it is easy to get an A. Definitely do all of the extra credit!

Bruce's online class was mostly taught through prerecorded video lectures and documentaries. The material is super interesting, so lectures don't drag. Discussion posts are most of your grade and exams are extra credit. It's a lot of work, but if you manage your time and follow the (very clear) assignment instructions, you should do very well.

who doesn't like music? my fall class was an 8 week late start, if you've never taken a late start do be prepared to do the work of a regular semester class in less time, that being said, it's incredibly manageable. I was challenged and learned new things about music. Mr.Cook class expanded my knowledge of music and a new found music appreciation.

Professor Cook motivates students to thrive in music, and gives good suggestions about piano performing. For example, he demonstrates and mentions about the importance of pedaling in piano works and encourages the student to engage in the music he or she is playing.

The class is online and is taught through prerecorded lectures, assignments, discussion boards and exams. The class is very enjoyable and forgiving as long as you just do the assignments when they're assigned, and review the given material. Pretty much, just do the assignments and read the instructions clearly and you'll get an easy enjoyable A.

Great teacher, but takes forever to respond to emails

He is a good professor and kya out his lectures well. As long as you do the work you will be fine and make sure it is done on time. He gave multiple extra credit assignments as well

I highly recommend classes that are offered by Professor Cook. If you can manage to submit assignments on time and understand the course materials that are provided in his lectures, I believe you'll get the result you desire. Plus, tons of extra points are attainable, which potentially will contribute to your betterment of grades.

It was late start class and I thought it will be hard. Turned out just fine. Lectures are recorded and he wants you to take notes in word(or so). I totally enjoyed it! I never had any problems with understanding the assignment. No late policy, better do assignments right on time. I would totally take this professor again!

Dr Cook's lectures are very fun, but what makes him excited is how all of his students are collaborative and engaging towards his lectures and assignments. He wants his own students to do a great job in his class and he will always be there for you whenever you need him just communicate then he will try his best to support you! :)

Hilarious and cares a lot about the success of his students. He grades very fairly and based on the level of the individual person.

I took his late start 8 week class it was a lot of work but you can easily obtain an A. Just keep up with all the work and he always offers a lot of extra credit. His lectures were pretty interesting you can tell he really loves teaching. If you are okay with taking a class with a little more work for easy credits I think this class is perfect.

He is by the one of the good music professor I have took, he offers lots of extra credit. Be ready to do the a lot of discussions and quizzes, but other then that professor Cook is a respectful guy.

Dr. Cook is an amazing professor! His class is informative and covers very interesting topics. He is very engaging and wants to help students succeed. If you are interested in learning about music and different cultures, I would highly recommend this class!

Dr Bruce Cook is such an amazing professor. He really cares about what he teaches, and responds to a lot of discussion posts with helpful insights. I will say there is a good amount of work, but the class is pretty consistent In what is expected every week. Lots of extra credit is offered if you are ever falling behind. 10/10 recommend!

Dr. Cook is a very passionate about music and has a lesson every week so you will have to stay on your toes. He will give you good feedback and his grading is very fair.

He was a great professor, but he had a lot of work to give, and he has some stupid formats. You need to follow all the time in order to submit your homework and he's a highly strict grader

The material was very engaging and fun. Has reading and listening quizzes every week as well as a discussion post. Almost all of the discussion posts were about the chapter. Gives a ton of extra credit. No late work accepted but gives a good amount of time to finish it. Responds quickly to emails. Very caring professor and enjoys what he does!

Lectures are interesting, and there isn't much homework. He will give you detailed feedback.

Dr. Cook is passionate about his World Music class.

I really enjoyed Dr. Cook's class. While there as a lot of work to do, I learned a lot and the directions were always very clear. Dr. Cook always answered emails very quickly. He was great at leaving positive or helpful comments on assignments as well. Great class!

Such a kind and enthusiastic professor!! This was my second class with him and I am so glad I took it. World music was an eye opening and fun class. Put aside a lot of time for the discussions, as he has a lot of criteria. Definitely take this class if you need an EC or for your major!

The lectures were around 30 min to an hour long. There were a lot of assignments, but it was manageable. As long as you do your work and follow the rubric, you will get the credit. Dr. C replies quickly and is helpful. The content was interesting and engaging! I'd recommend this class to those who like music and want to expand their worldview.

Dr. Cook cares about his students. His homework can seem a little daunting because of the amount of it, but nothing is difficult, and it helps you learn the material for the two big tests in this class. Dr. Cook always gives great feedback and has my respect.