JERRY CAIN IS THE MAN! This guy is great. He makes every class enjoyable with his jokes and great personality. He really loves music and wants you to love it to! He once told us a story about how he fought off a pack of wild dogs with his violin while he was playing music alone deep in the Bavarian forest. Rock on Jerry Cain rock on!

So helpful. So cheerful. So fun. I LOVED him and this class. It actually teaches you a lot if you listen.

Really good easy class. Actually learn something about the history of music. Grade fair, and puts study guides online for each quiz and test. Easy class to do well in.

this prof is truly inspiring, i would say the class is easy but its easy only because he makes it FUN FUN FUN!!!!!! on of the best classes ever in mcgill. i truly enjoyed and its really impressive how you really remember these cool stuff later on....GO FOR IT!

Great, great class. 8:30 AM and I still feel like showing up. Easy A, too, if you care enough to regularly go to lectures and occasionally listen to the assigned pieces.

fantastic prof; well-organized, engaging, great speaker and a nice guy. emphasis on knowing-and being able to identify upon hearing a piece-the defining characteristics of many genres and subgenres of music throughout the ages. its easy, but ONLY if you do the listening, go to class, and read the textbook (fun, light, easy read). highly recommended

Jerry is the absolute man. If you're going to take this course, take it with him. He makes the material very interesting and is a very engaging prof. It is also an easy class if you just do the listening and studying which he gives very well organized in his study guides

Absolutely one of the best professors at McGill! His lessons are crystal clear, and his exams are easy to study for. You know he's good when he's able to hold your attention talking about dead white musicians at 8:30 in the morning.

Refined how I listen to music.

Liked his classes, thought they were interesting and such. Class isn't as easy as you would expect however, and takes some work. It sucks how he takes 3 years to correct the most basic exams though. Like he gives a lot of work but can't correct it, which is frustrating for students taking the final.

Easy class, for which actually going to class is not required as there are no pop quizzes and all the stuff we need to know is on Web CT. However, he is a terribly slow grader, you will most likely not get most of your grades before the final (and there are many evaluations)

Jerry Cain is the best prof here! He's super easy and soo funny. Although classes aren't mandatory, he's a great lecturer and has an adorable southern accent that makes everything more interesting. Quizzes, midterms, and final is super easy. Didn't need to go to class and still got As on all of them!

Had close to zero interest in the subject before this class but this prof changed that with ease. He is super passionate and eager to hear your opinions as well. He not only creates timely and crystal clear notes for you to study from, he gives you an amazing study guide laying out exactly what could be on each exam. You just can't ask for more!

Excellent speaker, good sense of humor, extremely knowledgeable the subject/history of western music. Every lecture was enjoyable and I learned a lot more than what was required on the tests. It's not as easy as you might have heard, but not difficult. Great prof, only downside was totally inadequate delays for marks.

Dr. Cain truly has a gift in his ability to lecture. This course is a must take for anyone at McGill (any faculty and any interest level in music). Dr.Cain makes it incredibly informative, easy, entertaining and relevant. If you put in the time you will get that A you desire.

Dr Cain is really passionate about what he is teaching. He is super understanding and nice!! He makes a 300 people class feel really personal and this is what I love the most about him.

After taking Art of Listening with him, I'm committed to taking every class he teaches! Absolutely great professor, tells you exactly what you need to know for quizzes and tests on his study guides, easy material if you pay attention. Attendance is mandatory, but really it's getting a free 20% because why would you not want to go to his class?

Jerry Cain is an amazing prof! he is clearly very passionate about what he is teaching. This class does not require a lot of work, compared to other mcgill courses. TAKE THIS CLASS. A GUARANTEED A

Prof Cain is simple awesome, he's passionate and very kind and helpful with students. easy elective class, altho u have to keep up with the materials and listenings. I didnt buy the textbook, but the prof's notes were more than complete to get an easy A. take the class

What a sweet man! He is clearly passionate about the material. He knows a lot of people are just taking it for the easy grade but he does give interesting info! I didn't go to class, I got an A just by studying the day before everything, including the final. But you still do have to read thru the notes and listen to songs. Easy but not effortless!

A very sweet man. He is everything you can want in a prof: passionate, intelligent, and very personable. Attended the lectures, they were worth the time. He makes the class fun!

Super nice professor. He's very considerate. If you study the outlines he gives you and listen to the music it's very feasible to get an A in this class. Highly recommend!

Jerry's the man, great lecturer, puts all of his notes online and the quizzes and exams are all jokes. You don't need to go to class but I didn't miss any, overall, great bird course.

Extremely passionate, clear, and willing to help students to the best of his ability. Best professor I have had in McGill yet.

Dr. Cain is without a doubt the best professor that I've had at McGill! He's so passionate about the material and it really shows when he teaches. Great class!

Extremely nice and considerate professor! Wants everyone to do WELL! Easy exams, he does NOT try to trick students and for the pieces, he takes easily recognizable parts! Listen carefully to the pieces though and put some time learning the important things in the study guide! Great course, highly recommended!

Fantastic professor, funny, interesting, extremely helpful. Really makes you want to go to class (even though you never really need too). Textbook useless except for CD's (which you can just download online for free).

Overall a great class and great professor. 3 exams and 3 quizzes but they're all easy. Don't need to go to class (everything's recorded and posted online) and he gives you study guides for everything. Best bird course ever.

Probably the easiest and most fun class I've taken. Listen to all the music and read his study notes over a few times and you can get an A. I went to almost every lecture even though you don't need to because Prof. Cain is super interesting and entertaining to listen to.

Cain is extremely wonderful, he's crystal clear on everything - if you cover all his Note sets he gives you for each exam/quiz, there's no way you won't do well. He's also got a sense of humor ! Love this prof BLESS HIM best course at mcgill

The best prof I've had at McGill. He's super helpful and passionate about teaching this class. I love his humor and personality; it's a pity to miss his classes. Easy A if you listen to the music and take some time to memorize them.

LOVE this class. Most people who take this course will agree that if you want to learn something about music, you'll definitely learn, and you'll receive an A. But if you also want a bird course and something with minimum effort, given that you study at least a bit, you'll still get an A. Taught me to appreciate classical music

AMAZING prof, puts everything online and makes study guides for you - lectures are recorded as well, love Cain! Would take his other classes again, he's hilarious and clear with everything.

Incredible professor. I honestly just go to class to hear his accent, but the fact that some of the stuff on exams is only in his lectures helps too :). Very fun and easy course, he gives hints to exam answers during the exam.

Yes it was easy, but also really fun. Prof is entertaining. Expectations are clear; there are no surprises when it comes to quizzes and exams. Happy to answer questions and give help if you ask.

I actually wept after my last class with this man. If you want to be touched by the soul of a wise and just luminary, I highly suggest taking his courses. Seriously, this class would not be half as enjoyable if he weren't teaching it. (As for the hotness rating - totally dig his accent, and ohoho brace your heart for Movember)

awsome!

Not a bird course - my friends and i learned this the hard way. This course was one i had to constantly work in (It has various tests, assignmentsreports, 2 mid terms + a final) The prof was chill at the beginning but he can get really cranky and can screw you over on the tests by telling you to study things that aren't ever on the evaluations.

Not a hard course to get an A in, as long as you spend some time studying and doing the listenings. His lectures can be interesting and are recorded, but they aren't really necessary since he posts study guides that mostly reflect everything covered on the testsquizzes. He does emphasize the contents of his tests during his lectures though

Dr. Cain is amazing! He tells you exactly what to study for the quizzes and tests and gives you specific instructions for the papers and he is so enthusiastic and passionate about what he teaches. Lectures are recorded so attendance is not mandatory but you should go because he's a very engaging speaker. Wish I could take again!!

Very fun teacher!! I really enjoyed his lectures even though you could simply skip them, study his class notes and get an A anyway. Oh! And I never needed to open the textbook... If you take MUAR 211, go with Dr. Cain !! :)

Prof Cain is passionate about music and it is seen in all of his lectures. He prepares one well for what is going to be on every exam, so stress is nonexistent . Yes, one does have to listen to classical music and is forced to be a cultured individual and attend some concerts, but he should be thanked for that. Finished the final in 30 minutes.

For a "bird course" it's actually a lot of work. Def an easy A but you have to constantly keep up because there are 6 quizzesexams in total (i.e. a test every other week), 2 assignments and 2 concerts to attend. Textbook not required. Lectures are useful later in the term (because his notes progressively give less away). He's a fabulous prof tho.

Never went to class- amazing notes and everything you need posted on line and well organized. Don't leave the listening to the last minute- you simply can't become familiar with it. I did poorly on the first quiz and then amazing on everything else- its a different type of studying, so study hard for the first one and don't panic if you bomb

Material is very interesting, and he is a great lecturer. Shame nobody came to class because he gives out all of his notes. I found that by going to class I barely had to read them, though. Smart and engaging, loved his class

Professor Cain is an awesome and entertaining lecturer! I learned so much from him. He's passionate about music which makes the course so much more interesting. His lectures are clear and he posts all his notes on myCourses. Attendance is not mandatory but I found that his lectures were worth attending. Super easy class, take it if you can!

This professor is by far one of the most amazing professors I have ever had during my undergrad. This is a class I would recommend to anybody. Definitely do all the listening because it can be tougher than some people think. I loved this class and found it extremely interesting, simply because of how amazing a lecturer he is.

Amazing lecturer! Even though classes are recorded, I went to every one because. I came in with "meh" level of interest & left with a passion for it! Exams are easy if you do the work and listen to all the pieces. Textbook is most helpful at the beginning of the semester, then less & less. You are required to attend 2 concerts with reports!

DISCLAIMER: MUAR211 IS a ''bird course'' ONLY if you listen to the assigned music pieces multiple times. Absolutely great class. All the material tested on the exams can be found on Prof. Cain's PDFs. He even gives you a list of the musical terms he'll test you on. 3 quizzes and 2 exams, + an almost non-cumulative final. Must also attend 2 concerts

MUAR IS A BIRD COURSE (by far the easiest course you will find at McGill). A bird course does not mean that you can skip out on doing work- you still need to read his notes and listen to the music! Tip: listen for distinguishing parts of a song. Jerry Cain is AMAZING, give him a chance, I guarantee you will learn and ENJOY his class

Great prof with a lot of energy and great lectures. The content is really interesting despite having no background in music. Attending lectures isn't necessary and he posts super detailed notes online. Multiple quizes/ exams but they are easy if you do the listening assigned! Easy and enjoyable course overall.

This was my favorite course of the term and it was an elective. It's an extremely easy course as long as you stay on top of the assigned listenings. The tests are for the most part a test of memorization. Definitely a bird course. Jerry Cain is one of the best professors I've ever had; engaging, charismatic, knowledgeable, memorable. A legend.

This class is super fun, great music (all classical though). You learn a lot for sure. But you're wanting to take it cause you want that Gpa boost aren't you fellow reader! Trust me take it, I have no background in music, I studied two hours for the final and got 102% need I say more!? Basically the studies guides are God just go through them

Super easy class, you do not need to show up to class ever, you can cram the material the night before a quiz and the only tricky part is telling apart some songs, so I would recommend to not cram the listening part. If no, this is the definition of a bird class, Prof. Cain said so himself that almost everyone in the classroom would get an A

Great prof who loves what he's teaching, real sweetheart. I went through study guides the night before the exam. For the songs you basically just need to find the one thing that makes the song stand out and then create a mindmap with all of them. Final grade was 98.8% and I never started studying more than 24 hours in advance. Didn't go to class

MUAR 211 is a great survey course for Western music. Cain is a great teacher too. You learn a lot about music history in this course, and even if you have no interest in classical music, I'm sure you'll find at least one favourite piece from the listenings! A great choice for an elective.

Dr. Cain is awesome! He lays out the class very clearly and makes it easy to do well. The class is interesting (even if you're not a classical music buff) and Dr. Cain is a very approachable and affable professor. 10/10 would recommend as an elective.

Amazing teacher, such an interesting course and midterms need maybe 2 nights of 2 hour studying to get high marks. Can skip class as it is all online but you will miss out as Jerry Cain is an amazing prof.

Cares about his students and provides study guides that make the course so reasonable even if you have no background in music!

Easiest course at McGill with an amazing guy. Don't need to show up (no one does). Just listen to the songs and memorize his class notes.

The prof is so nice and study guides are all you need for the quiz/exams. Best elective I've ever taken, although there is a quiz/exam/report due once every two weeks, so you still have to stay on top of things.

Prof. Cain is one of the the few profs who CLEARLY cares about each and every student. His interest in teaching is conveyed through compelling lectures, and course material, and can make even the biggest top 40 listener care about classical music.

Jerry Cain is a good professor, you can tell he enjoys teaching and is knowledgable. However... This course is not as easy as some say it is. I took this course to get an easy A and was thrown off very quickly. There is a lot more material than you think: a lot of memorization of terms and a lot of listening. Without much strain, it's an easy B/B+!

I really appreciate Prof Cain for his wonderful teaching. Though I have no basic knowledge of western music and at first I was bewildered, he explained everything so well and I ended up love his lectures! Highly recommand as an elective!

Jerry Cain is definitely a great prof! He cares about his students very much! And most importantly, he teaches very well! His lectures are very interesting! So, GO TO CLASSS!!

Great choice for an elective. I learned a lot and it was an enjoyable experience. Jerry Cain gives very reasonable exams. Overall really solid, except for a few cheeky political comments throughout the semester. Recommend!

The effort-performance correlation in this class is strong. If you do your work and listen to the required pieces, you'll do well. Jerry is fantastic!

Hands down best professor I've ever had. He's tough on people who cheat and genuinely cares about his students, even if there are hundreds of them, and takes the time to make sure people are aware of resources available to them, such as the sexual assault centre and OSD. Extremely respectable professor and human being. Very interesting lectures!

Awesome prof. Only frustrating thing about this class is that it takes TAs a million years to grade stuff. Like seriously, are they THAT swarmed in their office hours (sarcasm) with requests for help that they can't grade a simple quiz within 3 weeks for once?

One word: fantastic!

Jerry Cain is an amazing professor. He organized lecture notes effectively, and gave very clear instructions. I would definitely recommend him!

Jerry Cain is so nice and so passionate about music. He really cares about his students and is a true gem. Take this class! and show up even if you don't have to because it's interesting!!

I went to a total of three art of listening classes. The class itself is actually decently interesting if you do decide to attend and Jerry Cain has a very relaxing Southern accent. 3 quizzes, 3 exams, 2 papers. Every year they'll tell you it's gotten harder but be assured, it has not. You absolutely have to study for the tests but it's an easy A.

Professor Cain is an amazing teacher. He is insightful, knowledgeable, humorous, relevant, generous and caring. We learnt Music History through the lens of Genre, Gender and Culture. Amazingly, I felt empowered understanding Music History like this. I wish Professor Cain could teach all my classes!

Genuinely a great man. He made class entertaining and it was enjoyable to study for his tests. Got to attend two concerts @ the OSM as well for marks. Made me feel cultured, not unlike when you take an art history class. A gem of an elective.

He's the best I've had at mcgill! Why would people dislike him / this course?! Very funny, seems nice and down-to-earth. the course materials are interesting too. content is very direct, just requires some discipline to follow the dates of tests to revise

Very Good Prof that really cares for his students. Easy A as long as you pay attention to class (or lecture recordings) and don't slack off.

A fantastic class, but not as easy as people say it is. Your grades on quizzes and exams will be proportional to the time you put into studying. Make sure to learn facts and styles well. 2 reports are not at all hard but attending the concerts makes you feel cultured. A great elective to take, recommend for anyone willing to put in a little work.

Warning: MUAR211 IS NOT AN EASY-A. I studied more for the exams for this class than any other, constantly listening to the songs for days in a row to try and memorize them. It takes a lot of work and cannot be put off. Besides identifying songs, exams are easy and mostly multiple choice. The concert papers are also simple and were fun to attend.

A genuinely kind, caring and funny professor. Loved him!

As long as you try to know the songs and look over terms, you'll do well. I took muar211 in fall2019 with him and we had 3 quizzes, 2 midterms, 2 concert reports and a final BUT IT WAS FINE! Studied a couple of days in advance, or only the day before and got an A. Jerry's a gem, he cares about us and it shows. Clearly says what you need to know.

Prof. Cain definitely lives up to the hype! Genuinely the sweetest and most caring prof I had at McGill, and it is definitely possible to get an A without attending any classes if you put in the work and listen to the pieces because his lecture notes are so clear and he tells you exactly what to study for. Would definitely take again.

Professor makes the lectures interesting. The exams, honestly, is kinda hard. MUAR 211 is interesting but not an easy A.

A wonderful experience of having this class. Both the lectures and course materials are interesting. Dr. Cain is always patient and cares about the students. You do need to listen to the assigned pieces constantly in order to "remember" them. But if you follow the study guide, it is an easy A. Just take it, you won't regret it.

Prof Cain is awesome! He is super knowledgable and wants his students to do well. The class isn't difficult but there were quite a few assignments/quizzes and it is important to listen to the assigned pieces. Overall, MUAR 211 is an awesome class and if you're willing to put in some work, it'll do wonders for your GPA!!

MUAR211 is the best class Ive ever taken. Dr. Cain is extremely passionate about Music & the subject is really interesting! Im fascinated by classical music and have a strong musical background, so unless you absolutely love classical music I wouldnt recommend the class since it has a lot of memorization of terms & events and is NOT easy.

Really fun, entertaining lectures, but to be honest I skipped half of them & did well just by listening to the pieces & scanning through the notes before quizzes. If you have no music theory background, go to class & you'll be fine. If you already know the "white male titan" composers & the difference between baroque & romantic, this is an easy A.

The most understanding, fun prof I've had at McGill.

I love Dr. Cain. He's so funny, nice and caring. If you want to take an elective to boost your GPA and you have a good short term memory, MUAR 211 is the way to go. All you need to do is listen to music pieces and memorize some concepts. Final was easy as heck

I am not a music major and took this for fun - the prof is so far the best prof I have ever head, funny and chill, everytime I talk with him my mood gets boosted. Wish I do know some instrument to take more classes with him. TAKE THIS COURSE>

Easy easy class, especially with it being online. Its basically all about memorization, so as long as you can commit to memorizing songs and vocab terms, youre golden. Plus he posts his notes with all the information you need, with study guides for quizzes midterms and finals. Definitely take first year, or save like I did for easy senior year.

This guy is a GREAT prof. He's super clear about what he wants from you and is always engaged in the material. It's amazing how an engaged prof can make YOU way more engaged too. MUAR 211 is NOTORIOUSLY considered a bird course but you HAVE to go to class ready to listen, bare minimum. Actually try to learn: it's fun.

Funny and super nice guy. Passionate about what he teaches. An easy class as long as you watch the lectures or read his notes.

Fantastic professor!! You can tell he has such a strong passion for what he teaches and it is very inspiring. He explains topics clearly and is accessible outside of lectures. I had almost a decade of prior musical training before taking this course, but he teaches the entire course with the assumption that you have no musical background at all.

You will be sucked into Cain's class like a black hole, and by your own choice you shall stay there until he has exhausted all knowledge he had bestowed on you that day. Even though I took his class accelerated for a May-mester, it was still by far one of my favorite classes I've ever taken here in McGill.

I'm taking MUAR211 with Dr. Cain in Fall 2022 rn so it's not done yet, but so far it's a really interesting class and he is one of the best and nicest teachers I've ever had. He's really easy to understand and is accommodating to students, though the content can be a bit abstract at time. It definitely helps to have music background but not needed!

He is an amazing professor! Very engaging and I'm never bored. However, as someone with little to no musical background, the amount of terms you have to memorize is a bit much. The class is very test-oriented which is not good for someone with bad memory (me). But Jerry is amazing!

He is a kind, caring, funny man who loves what he does! Art of Listening is a simple, easy class. I skipped class often and ended up with a good grade. Your final grade has many elements, so it's easier to do well. He tells you what to study and prepares all the content in word docs. If you have space for an elective, definitely take this course!

Dr Cain is very passionate about music, and you can see it in his teaching. Class is easy if you put in a little more than the bare minimum effort, even if you have no prior music knowledge. Highly recommended for intellectually curious people - you will learn a lot about music history, from composers and pieces to philosophical concepts in music.

Extremely caring and accommodating, explains concepts clearly in class, grading is fair, available outside of classroom, a great person overall. Quite a bit of reading materials but nothing ridiculous unless you leave everything to the absolute last milisecond. Tells you exactly what to study for the exams

He really cares about his students! In general, for the class, he is very passionate about music history. He seems to want us all to succeed. He records everything well and all his notes are posted in advance. At the same time, you still have to do the work. Listen to the pieces he assigns and practice identifying them from random points.

Best professor I've had so far at McGill. His class is about music history. Exams and quizzes are pure memorization. If you don't have a strong background in music, you'll learn a lot. Study well and you'll do well. Grading and difficulty of class is fair + he posts everything online (class notes, study guides, recorded lectures).

Professor Cain genuinely cares about his students and wants you to succeed. The course does include quite a bit of memorization and preparation for exams and quizzes, however the content is interesting and you can learn a lot if you try. He is entertaining and funny during lectures, and he puts all of the information you need to succeed online!

Genuinely one of the most passionate and caring teachers I've had. I can't recommend him enough.

First time taking a class with Dr.Cain, but I love it! Highly recommend muar 211 for electives as it's interesting, gpa booster (if you enjoy music history) and he is an amazing lecturer. Super caring and most exams are online! I'm doing super well as I have a lot of knowledge about music theory, so I recommend this class to my fellow musicians.

Professor Cain is a passionate and caring instructor who makes the course content engaging. While it requires diligent studying, especially for the exams, the class is manageable with the help of resources like the recorded lectures and Unstuck AI. Overall, a rewarding experience.

Fantastic prof and lecturer. It helps if you understand music theory beforehand, but even for a full beginner it's pretty simple stuff. I 100% recommend looping the playlists he gives you before exams and quizzing yourself while listening to them since the listening portion of exams takes up a good 1/3 of your exam grade.

Dr. Cain is the coolest sweetest dude! tbh I went into this class just looking for a gpa booster but I really came out of it with a greater interest/appreciation for 'classical' music (there are several songs from this class which are now in my main playlist). muar 211 does require more effort than you may think, but in my opinion, it's so worth it

Interesting class. You need to put in the effort to learn/memorize the material (and listen to the required songs), but the tests are incredibly fair and straightforward if you have studied. Attendance is not mandatory and notes are provided online, but I would recommend going to class because Professor Cain is a very caring and engaging lecturer!

very passionate southern accent speaking prof. Very chill, funny, and charismatic prof. The content was dense but very interesting and the quizes were online and only one exam in person and the other online. Class was recorded therfore not mandatory participation. Some online group work which was fine as well. I highly recomend as an elective!

Lovely class.