3.0
Quality3.5
Difficulty36%
Would Retake110
Reviews36%
Would Retake
110
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
35
4
11
3
20
2
15
1
29
What Students Say
“Also a VERY TOUGH grader”
MUSC120 - 2.0 rating“Her listening quizzes are difficult, even if you study”
MUSC144 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
15%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.01 avg changeRatings by Course
MUSC31M
5.0
(1)MUSC31
5.0
(3)MUSC044
5.0
(1)CNTRYMUS
5.0
(1)COUNTRYMUSIC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MUSC132
4.1
MUSC31M
4.0
COUNTMUSI
4.0
MUSIC333
4.0
MUSC129
4.0
Reviews (110)
A wonderful woman
She is very unclear and sucks really bad.
Class is much harder than it should be...she doesnt explain anything at all..she doesnt accpet others opinions...she puts off **** tendency and seems not to accept other genres of music esp rap and R&B...proved my many comments esp about that ODB
I LOVED THIS CLASS and LEARNED A LOT!
wonderful teacher, knows her material, and her confidence and energy made the material interesting, and this a fun class to attend. challenging to make a good grade, but shouldn't good classes be that way?
Great Lecturer, Made class interesting, graded pretty hard for a class i thought was an easy A
What an amazing course! Dr. Neal clearly knows just about everything there is to know about country music, and the class is really interesting. I actually wanted to go to class. She covers ideas in a fair and even-handed way, and there's tons of music.
Took this class last fall and had a great time! Lectures were fun, lots of music to listen to, awesome course website, and Dr. Neal is really helpful during office hours.
not a very nice lady to some
Awesome class! best way to get three hours of credit.
She's good for the basics. She also either likes you, or doesn't, and your experience reflects accordingly.
She is extremely articulate in her speech and thinks "outside the box" about music... but overall is pretty cool!
No Comments
very interesting class. does not mess around though. come to class frequently to keep a good grade!
Will do well if you can memorize many songs and regonize them when played for the test! Must write a few papers and one group project.
THIS CLASS ROCKS. She is an excellent professor, tests are easy as long as you come to class and study the assignments she posts. She is interesting, and the class is always fun. TAs were also very helpful and willing to work with you. SHE IS AWESOME!
This professor is so into her music that it really ends up being a very difficult course. If you are a male, then you will probably not do very well in her course. She loves country music so much that it takes all the fun out of the music and makes it a nasty topic to cover.
Very clear, good instructor.
I thought this class was great. And she was great. She obviously loves what she does and wants it to be enjoyable but as the same time, she doesn't mess around and takes music seriously. The papers aren't bad and the concerts are fun. She did often put people on the spot in class. I'd recommend her and the class.
she definitely knows what she's talking about, loves what she does, and is good at it. however, she does talk really fast, so her answers will leave you going "huh?" sometimes. her TA, kimberley francis, is really nice and helpful though, so don't try to email Neal herself, email the TA if you have a question.
About as good as it gets. She moves fast, and that makes it tough, but if you come to class and listen, you'll see she is very knowledgeable and clearly loves the subject.
Seems strict and tough, but loves the subject. Moves at a very fast pace but she is willing to help you if you show an interest.
She is not a very nice person to some people, but very friendly to others
Jocelyn is one of the best professors you will ever have. She is a genius. During class, she'll sit down at the piano and break into famous & complicated pieces from memory. Her classes are a lot of work, but completely worth it. Highly recommended.
she can be overwhelming but she knows her stuff. study really hard for the tests.
Worst person ever. She doesn't care about her students and even though she knows her stuff, she doesn't care to help you at all!
Neal is a great teacher! Class was the best preparation for the rest of my music degree ever. Not the easiest grader, but definitely the best professor in the department.
Please please do NOT think that this is a cake class! I made that mistake and it backfired on me. I am a Music minor and these tests KILLED me because you have to know so many dates. Other than that, she is a great professor...pretty much a genious in her field
I really loved this class. It was work, but it wasn't hard. Basically just a lot of memorizing dates. There is only a little bit of writing, and in my opinion, they do not grade very difficultly. I was told that an entire paragraph of my final paper was unnecessary and still ended up getting an A on the paper.
Seriously one of the best professors I've had at Carolina! She's very passionate about the subject matter and tries to make a music history class as active and interesting as possible. She has high standards but is always available and really nice. I loved having her!
Dr. Neal is amazing! Super clear lectures, and she knows more about the topic than just about anybody. Class is actually interesting almost every day. Tests aren't easy, but they are totally fair. TAs are good, too. And in office hours, Dr. Neal will explain almost anything and help you with your papers, too. Awesome prof!
Dr. Neal was awesome. She taught us so much in a short amount of time, and she is truly an expert in her field. I've never met a theory teacher so intelligent. Although she comes off a little scary at first, as she calls on random people, we all realized that she is really caring and just making sure that we are all getting a great education!
Does not prepare you well for what she expects you to know. Unrealistic expectations. Very condescending and passive/aggressive. Expects her students to know all the intricacies of music like she does. That being said, she is very passionate about her subject, however pointless it may be.
DON'T TAKE MUSIC 144. Biggest regret. She takes this stuff way too seriously unless you are a music major, you will fail. She plays recordings and expects you to know the insturments being used. I hate this class with a passion.
Do not take this class unless you are a country music expert. Expectations and workload are ridiculous for a 100 level class. Prof Neal is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject BUT she makes the class suck because it is so hard. Do not take if you want to get an A
AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COSTS!!! Jocelyn is boring, a pain to deal with, and grades inconsistently. The quizzes are impossible and I put in more work for this class than classes for my major to still get a bad grade. I would only recommend this for music majors.
Dr. Neal is hands down the worst prof I've had at Carolina. She is not understanding when students are sick and she is quite cocky. Her lectures are haphazard at best and her quizzes are much harder than they need to be. I've studied more than I have for other classes for her quizzes and still never managed to get above an 85. AVOID THIS CLASS!!!!!
Dr. Neal is an amazing professor. Music 333 Popular Music Analysis. This course was difficult and had a lot of reading. She treated us like graduate students future musicologists so she definitely expected a lot from us and truly cared about our learning. She is an absolute genius and you will learn a lot from her if you work hard!
Master of her field; Prof. Neal brings a lot of excitement to the class but expects everyone to be just as energetic about Country Music. The class has a lot of busy work and the exam is four parts.
Jocelyn is very passionate about country music and is an expert in the field. However, she expects you to be just as passionate and knowledgable. I studied hard for the testsquizzes and still struggled. Some of the info she expects you to know is juts unreasonable.
I took this class online, and communication was not Neal's strength. She would take weeks to return my email, despite what the syllabus says. Did not give helpful feedback on the papers. She was also late to put up the final. For weekly discussion posts, I have gotten feedback on 1/16 posts. Do not take this class.
Great teacher and very knowledgeable, but assumes music is all you do. As a non-major, this class took up far too much of my time.
Professor Neal has a pretty consistent style of teaching through lectures and class engagement, but she can be pretty intimidating to speak to and likes to prove that she knows her stuff. I found a great interest in the class (far more than I thought I was going to) and really loved the material, but you do have to put in work to get a good grade.
Class is well structured and paced. Big help in this kind of class. She is not an approachable professor if you ask me (once told me to just look it up in the book, then she felt guilty and helped me in person a few minutes later). Just ask TAs for help. She nitpicks on grading given the subject matter but you get used to it. Not a terrible choice.
Jocelyn is great! Her lectures are a masterclass in teaching and she packs so much into class. She sings, makes you sing, plays the piano, and the class is super-interactive.. sometimes too much because she knows when you are not paying attention and WILL call you out. So pay attention! Just stay engaged and you will love her class.
She gets you hype about the subject she is teaching! You can tell that she is passionate about what she is teaching you, which makes me more interested. Class discussions and lectures help with info, so I would show up. She inspired our class to see music on the weekends and have experiential education in that sense. 10/10 would recommend.
Don't take this class, I am a huge fan of country music but this class is ridiculous. She grades unfairly hard and only gives feedback codes with no personal feedback. Don't take this class unless you absolutely need it for your major or minor.
Very passionate about what she teaches with a lot of knowledge, but a very hard and specific grader. Really have to work for your grade, not to mention listening quizzes that are very tough. Would not take this class.
The only good thing about Jocelyn, is she knows what she's talking about and her lectures are usually interesting/fun. Take good notes. Her listening quizzes are difficult, even if you study. Her assignments are overly time consuming and it's hard to make good grades on them. She is not approachable and is often condescending, EVEN over email.
Honestly this was the worst teacher and the worst class I have ever taken. I enjoy the content but she is such a tough grader and such a horrible teacher that this would be the absolute low point of my week. Avoid taking from this teacher at all costs! I have all As except for this class and I do not know if I want to study music anymore bc of her.
I found her country music class to be really fascinating and she was definitely passionate about it and knows just about everything about the subject. Her TAs are unfair graders and insanely nit-picky with every assignment. I spent way too much time doing work for this class. I'm not sure how I got an A. I never missed class though.
Absolutely terrible teacher (0 if possible). Lectures are incredibly boring, yet critical to doing well on the quizzes. Attendance is taken as a "pop" grade so come to class. HW is tedious and her grading style is incredibly unclear. Would not recommend taking if you want to keep your sanity. Only a required course otherwise no one would sign up
This class has been presented in the past few years as an interesting, fun class that surveys a broad variety of music in a stress-free manner. Under Neal, the course has become all but fun, interesting, and stress-free. The workload was excessive, and the learning environment was overly stuffy. She was great for theory (131), not great for 120.
Prof Neal is very intelligent and I respect her as a person, but she makes MUSC120 much harder than it should be. Foundations of music is an introductory course, yet she expects every assignment to be like a doctoral thesis. She speaks in obnoxiously elevated language and is extremely condescending if you talk to her. Also a VERY TOUGH grader.
Unless you are a music major or minor and required to take this course, don't. This is meant to be an introductory level course, and the amount of work that has to be put in is too tedious. The lectures are boring, and it is hard to be sure what is actually important to know for exams. Save yourself the pain, and don't take this course.
Dr. Neal's class, one that should be an intro to the study of music, could turn off a lot of potential students from the department. Quizzes were marked all or nothing, even on multi-step questions. Assignments were given back slowly and with little to no explanation of points lost. Dr. Neal often addressed student questions with hostility. Avoid.
Prof Neal is a terrible teacher. Music 120 sounded interesting in the beginning but she made me hate every part of it. I used Wikipedia to study for her tests. Her study guides were practically useless. DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE NOT A MUSIC MAJOR. If you are a music major then wait until someone else teaches the class.
Dr. Neal is very intelligent and knowledgable, however, the class was more difficult than it needed to be, especially since it is the required introductory class for the major. The grading, done exclusively by the T.A.'s, was unclear, and many expectations were never specified until after the assignment was graded.
For MUSC 120, Professor Neal stated her goals clearly and was very deliberate in expanding a first-year music student's understanding of what music is. Tough but rewarding ultimately. I feel that this course was interesting and very philosophical. Keep an open mind about it and be ready to challenge your own views of music, listening and sound.
While she is obviously intelligent, Dr. Neal is intimidating at best and straight-up snarky, rude, and condescending at worst. She thinks her word is absolute, and won't hesitate to completely mow down students who express opinions that might be different from hers. Don't take classes with her if you want to keep your sanity.
Dr. Neal is very skilled at theory, but is completely unapproachable as a person. In class, she calls on students at random, pretends to "forget" their names (which she never learned) and makes faces at incorrect responses, giving the impression that she doesn't actually care about her students, just about showing off her knowledge. Avoid.
Professor Neal knows so much about music and is eager to share her knowledge. In a small class (about 20 people), she was a great teacher and very approachable! Definitely more enjoyable if you care about the subject matter. If you do the work, you'll do fine in the class and definitely learn from it. Overall, would recommend.
Professor Neal does not care about her students. She comes to class everyday with the intention of proving how much more she knows than her students, which makes her very unapproachable & condescending, causing students to feel very "small." She is not accommodating whatsoever & her assignments are time consuming & she takes forever to grade them.
Professor Neal really is one of the worst professors I have ever had. She expects the respect of her students, but doesn't return the favor. I went in loving country music, but came out hating most of the songs she made us study. Good news, however, is she gave plenty of opportunities for extra credit.
This class was really just okay. Professor Neal definitely knows what she's talking about, but her tests/quizzes didn't always accurately represent what we had learned in each unit. If you have to take this for your major/minor, it's meh but fine; if you're looking at taking this for a VP, I wouldn't.
Seriously do not take this class! Dr. Neal's lectures are boring, and while she clearly knows what she's talking about, she puts zero enthusiasm into the class. The TAs graded the 6 assignments harshly and slowly. The listening quizzes and final required you to know minor details that she said maybe once in class. I regret taking this class!
Tough, tough, tough tests. Passionate teacher, but totally ridiculous tests that are almost impossible to study for. Hardest class I've taken at UNC including Econ 410 and Econ 420.
She's easily the worst professor I've ever had. I'm passing right now, but it hasn't been fun or easy at all. Her grading criteria is specific and harsh--if you're one word off in an answer, she takes off a few points. Very condescending, and makes everything way harder than it needs to be. Class is too conceptual to actually learn anything useful.
Professor Neal is a very sweet and caring professor. The curriculum for Music 120, however, is not super interesting. For an intro to music class, there is a lot of homework/quizzes. The TA's grade your work and mine happened to be pretty tough. Be ready to read, work, and participate!
Prof. Neal is easily the worst professor Ive had at UNC. It is like her sole purpose of being a teacher is just to show off how many SAT vocab words she can fit in one sentence. The TAs will literally take off points because you couldnt read prof. Neals mind to see what she was actually asking on the quiz. Dont take this class.
I was required to take this course but I can honestly say that if this was the first course I had taken in the music department I would not have continued my musical studies. Professor Neal is extremely intelligent but also extremely condescending. The class material is difficult but only because it is not taught or explained well.
I really enjoyed Prof. Neal's class. Instructions were clear and quizzes were not difficult if you put in the work. Very conceptual class so keep an open mind and it's pretty enjoyable/laid back. Prof. Neal can come off as condescending in class, but go to her office hours because she's very passionate, kind, and accommodating! Gets a bad rap
SUPER tough grader. TAs graded stuff most of the year, and I thought they were tough, but Prof Neal became the primary grader the last two weeks and my homework and quiz grades dropped 10-15 points. Obviously very passionate about the material, unfortunately its not particularly engaging. Bearable if you're a music major or minor, stay away if not.
I had Prof Neal for both 121 & 381. MUSC381 (songwriting) was honestly the best class Ive had at UNC. She was so passionate about us creating material and was patient with us. For 121, she is a tough grader. I had this class but dropped it (simply because I didnt need it anymore). I would recommend taking a smaller class with Prof Neal!
The most incredibly well-organized professor I have ever had. Her website has everything meticulously planned, and she is actually good at teaching. That being said, taking her class being a cog in a machine. From my experience, she seems to have passion for music--not for students. She will not care if you have a special case arise. apathetic.
She does not seem to care at all about anyone's understanding of the material. She also talks really very quickly when explaining difficult concepts and then turns around and gives everyone a weird smug grin as if to say "good luck understanding that". If you're considering studying music PLEASE understand that not all MUSC profs are like her.
To get an A in MUSC 131, you have to play the game: sit in the front, take your time on the homework (and do the reworks), don't ramble when you speak to her, don't ask about grades, be ready for cold calls (answer correctly), and go to office hours. Overall, just listen in class and work hard. She's a great prof and you'll learn a ton.
Professor Neal was very passionate and knowledgeable about country music. She was able to tie concepts outside the realm of music into the class to make the material more interesting, and her excitement rubs off on you. The TAs grade all of the assignments, and those are fairly easy to get done.
Well, she's all right. The good thing is her theory class was a challenge, but I definitely walked away with more knowledge. But, she's SO rude and condescending. Not pleasant to be around. Whenever she teaches a harder subject, she gets mad if you don't immediately understand. Or if you ask questions, she might snap. I wouldn't take it again.
Professor Neal has truly engaging lectures. I see from other reviews that she is a tough grader in her theory classes, but in intro to songwriting, it is a different story. Take this class!
This was one of the best classes Ive taken at UNC! It was always fun to hear everyones different styles, and it was refreshing to have a lot of creative freedom in a class. I think being online made it even better, since we got to work on editing our songs instead of doing them live. This class will definitely help you become a better songwriter!
For MUSC 381 Jocelyn Neal is absolutely wonderful. She's very understanding and just wants to help everyone in the class create something they're proud of. You're mainly graded by whether or not you meet the requirements of the few projects you do. If you're even a little interested in songwriting you should take it! One of my favorite classes!
The hardest part of this class are the listening quizzes, especially if you don't have much musical background. Thankfully we only had 2 quizzes & we had extra credit opportunities. Professor Neal was friendly and flexible/understanding with this class being over zoom. Was a fun/chill class to take, even if you don't know a lot about country music.
This was the most enjoyable class I've ever taken! If you are a songwriter, TAKE IT. Professor Neal gives valuable feedback and really wants you to grow as a songwriter. I will continue to send my songs to her. The overall supportive culture among the class was amazing and I was sad to end the semester. Our final was a showcase!
Was only able to take her for MUSC 131 as she was the only person teaching it. Just came back from the first class meeting of the semester. If I had the choice I would immediately drop this class. Avoid at all costs if you can. Seems like she wants to make learning theory a humiliating experience.
Despite being knowledgeable, it is clear she does not care about or respect her students. Ive taken enough college classes to know when a professor is in it to educate a new generation vs. when theyre just looking for a power trip. Incredibly insensitive and condescending as others have said. Avoid unless youre a music major.
Took her and it was hands down the worst music course and college course i have ever taken. ridiculously hard, insensitive, and arrogant. quite frankly don't know how or why she is a professor, she is truly awful. avoid her at all costs trust me, you will thank me.
I was scared for this class after reading her ratings, but she isn't that bad. She calls on people and just is generally kind of annoying, but she's decently nice and willing to help. She's a tough grader, but you can rework homework for half credit back. Don't recommend if you're not a music major, but not the worst class.
Dr. Neal's teaching style was very reliant on cold calls and usually lectures moved so quickly that I had to teach myself the material to understand the homework. I wouldn't recommend this class if you don't have prior knowledge in music theory. However, Dr. Neal was very intelligent and clearly cares about the subject so I did learn a lot.
Where do I even start. The difficulty of this class is comparable to Chemistry classes. She moves so fast during lectures I just try to follow along and then learn from other professors on YouTube after class. The TAs are the saving grace in this class. It's clear shes knowledgeable about this course, but she needs to reformat the pacing.
This is a 5-star prof if there ever existed one. Excellent lectures, fair exams and workload, great pacing, quick email response time, well-organized, etc. Very knowledgeable/passionate about theory and super friendly/helpful during office hours. A skosh intimidating and a little tough on grading, but she still makes an A 100% doable. She's a gem.
Absolutely terrible. She is an okay person but just makes music theory much harder and more complex than it ever should be. The workload is manageable but honestly, unless you want to be a professional musician or an educator, do not even waste your time.
I get why people say she's a bit intimidating, but she explains everything in a very clear and helpful way. The one time I went in for office hours for the final project, she was super helpful and went above and beyond my initial questions and made the whole project leagues better. You definitely want some music knowledge going into it, though.
The only reason I'm taking MUSC 132 next semester is to sit in her class again. She plans her lectures well, so all the theatrical timing that belongs in education is there. If you're new to music theory, you might have a hard time, but she's incredibly helpful in office hours and if you sit up front and engage then you can't help but learn.
Music theory courses are going to be difficult no matter the professor, but Joce Neal does nothing to make it easier for students to learn. Homework is fair but the midterms and finals are unnecessarily difficult and are graded ridiculously. I learned so much from this course, but the final was graded so that no matter how much you studied you fail
Would not recommend.
I truly don't understand the negative reviews. If you don't enjoy music theory, then Neal's strong enthusiasm might drive you away a bit, but she is a great professor nonetheless. Incredibly dedicated to teaching and helping students. I wish I could have her for Theory III.
This professor WILL double down on you for participation and attendance no matter what your circumstances. Just make sure to go to class and talk. It's easy to get on her bad side. Knowledgeable but condescending when she speaks to students, and is definitely on a power trip.
Professor Neal gets a bad rep because music theory isn't an easy subject, but she is an amazing lecturer. She's extremely knowledgeable about the subject and she always comes prepared in order to make the lecture fun and engaging.
Unclear grading criteria. Gave very low word count and was then upset that we didn't go into more detail. Lectures consisted of obsessing over Elvis instead of making any actual arguments. Very condescending. Avoid if possible.
Professor Neal is unlike any other professor I've had at UNC. She is VERY enthusiastic about the subject matter which can take a while to get used to, but I learned the most from her compared to the other instructors and she made going to class fun and interesting. IDK what her music theory classes are like, but I liked her in my Triple-I.
Every assignment she made was so vaguely worded that you had no idea how to prepare for it or what was expected of you. She made compelling arguments about the music and encouraged interesting analyses but if you don't care dig deep into music then don't take IDST 121. A huge chunk of southern music was simply left out for no good reason as well.
The three assignments were poorly written and it was unclear what she wanted. She also chastised the class for not making concise arguments and then proceeded to lecture about Elvis for 75 minutes without making a single substantial point. All triple I classes seem bad, but avoiding Professor Neal is in your best interest.
Assignment instructions were impossible to understand (felt like she just threw a bunch of buzz words in there) and her grading made no sense on the papers. Encouraged us to go into more detail, but had a very low word count. Condescending attitude, and her lectures were boring. Do not take!!
Professor is very knowledgable but could be unhelpful at times. The structure of the class was lecture heavy and didn't facilitate music making. Felt like class content could be covered more briefly and more emphasis put on listening and making music. Poor at giving feedback. Overall it just had so much potential that it didn't live up to.
she likes taylor swift a lot...somebody who studied and teaches music...i think that's all I need to say
One of the three most narcissistic faculty at UNC, through and through. Suffers from insecurity and fear of being 'found out.' Tread lightly, retribution is her middle name. Avoid and you won't regret the time lost.
For context, I am a published songwriter. The class follows a model-practice structure by lecturing material and having you go home and write a song using those tools. The class covers song elements, song structures like blues and AABA, Nashville numbers, figurative language, and rhyme. If you can't play an instrument, you will likely struggle.
Professor Neal's class had unclear assignment instructions and grading. While enthusiastic, her lectures lacked substance. However, unstuckstudy was a helpful study tool to prepare for the vague assessments.
I'm a singer and this version of teaching music theory I think appeals to Dr. Neal's skillset so much more. I learned so much in this class and Dr. Neal had such enthusiasm and excitement to teach every student. I did horribly for most of the sem, but going to office hours and showing improvement and effort earned me my A.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
15%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.01 avg changeRatings by Course
MUSC31M
5.0
(1)MUSC31
5.0
(3)MUSC044
5.0
(1)CNTRYMUS
5.0
(1)COUNTRYMUSIC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MUSC132
4.1
MUSC31M
4.0
COUNTMUSI
4.0
MUSIC333
4.0
MUSC129
4.0