2.8
Quality1.8
Difficulty39%
Would Retake129
Reviews39%
Would Retake
129
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
35
4
16
3
20
2
25
1
33
What Students Say
“What can I say about Ballam that hasn't been said already”
USU1330 - 1.0 rating“The most uselsess professor to be at USU”
USU1330 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
84%
Textbook Required
91%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
CREATIVEA
5.0
(1)MUSIC
5.0
(1)ART1010
5.0
(1)MUSC1620
5.0
(1)MUSIC1010
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
MUSICSOMETHING
5.0
MUSIC320
4.0
MUSC1100
4.0
CREARTS
3.0
USUSOMETHING
3.0
Reviews (129)
He is truly inspired and amazing!
loved his class
Very good and interesting class...worth taking.
I loved this class. Take good notes. No homework
great teacher
Ballam was mediocre at best.He spent much more time speaking about himself than music history (the class). He recieved so many complaints that after two quarters the music dept. put another proffesor in to teach the class. He hasn't taught it since.
Michael ballam has been the worst teacher i have had at usu. i spent an entire semester listening to him tell a class that fills an auditorium that we should stand up and fight to abolish the separation of church and state. he's also very conceited.
It's a fine class if you want to hear all about the life of Michael, and listen to him drop names about all the famous people he knows. Other than that it's pretty much wasted time.
he simply sucks, and is very full of himself
Prof. Ballam should not be teaching. He only seems to care about showcasing himself. The class should not be titled creative arts, rather, "The Micheal Ballam Show." In speaking with other students, I can honestly say that the majority learned
No Comments
Michael Ballam should be fired. He has talent. He isn't ashamed to tell you that. He is a conceited jerk who is not a good professor. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
What a waste of time. Full of himself, just rubbed me all the wrong ways.
His intro class is not one I would recommend attending.
No Comments
No Comments
I find this class to be a very rewarding class. Its not hard, and its very interesting. Not your typical college course but what is wrong with that?
Prof. Ballam is very knowledgable and he does have a lot of stories and knows a lot of people but that only adds to the fun of the class. I learned a lot and have become more interested in the arts and new aspects of it.
Expect a seating chart in your huge auditorium class! It's not good!
creative arts
No Comments
No Comments
I loved this class. All of his stories were very interesting and fun to listen to!
This professor was awful....he just talks about himself all day long....
It's a struggle to stay awake in this mans class. Just the same, it was cake if you go to the SI because they practically give you all the answers to the tests.
The class was really about how great Michael ballam thinks he is. He does not challenge students and seems to have a very dim view of students' ability to grasp material b/c he spoonfeeds everything to students.
Very different from any other professors!
The trouble is, the class is called Creative Arts, not Why Michael Ballam Loves Himself. But if you're a Michael Ballam stalker, or need an easy A, go for this one.
I found his personality very annoying.
No Comments
He was a performer before he was a professor, so he enjoys being the center of attention. This comes through in his lectures, and could rub people the wrong way.
This guy loves himself. The class is not so much about the arts, just how incredible of a person he believes himself to be.
Professor like to talk about how smart he is. He would often say something in another language and then translate it in to English. He was obviously doing this with intent to show how smart he was, not to teach.
I really liked Ballam's class. It was VERY easy, which was nice. There are some tests, which require only a little studying, and some quizzes. Part of the tests are recognizing songs that are listened to in class-you can hear them online for practice. A lot of people disliked the class, but I thought it was interesting: and of course, easy.
This guy is an idiot...he frequently talked about how "he doesn't deserve an award" for all the amazing stuff he has done. Someone needs to give him an award just so he will shut up. The class is not about the arts...it is about himself and how great he percieves himself to be. it was a class of about 750 students and we had assighned seating. idio
I personally loved this class. Dr Ballam is extremly wise, and has done a lot in the music and art field. I have been passionate in music my whole life, and I felt like a learned A LOT from him. The class was very easy, just be sure to take notes, and read over them before the test.
WOW this has to be one of the easiest classes I've ever had. If you just come to class, pay attention, and do your work you'll for sure get an A! Great man and very smart. He really pushes his ideas but they are good ones.
Not very humble.
This man was the most self-absorbed teacher I've ever met. He taught history according to Ballam which contradicted actual history.
teacher is the most self centered man ever! hated class but an easy A
The man requires his students to go to his theater for five bucks a pop. Wha?
No Comments
Professor Ballam has a reputation for being pompous but I didn't really get that feeling in his class. He's a very interesting man and I thought his class was entertaining and informative.
It either seems like students love him or hate him. I don't think there is a lot of personal interaction with him. It was a class of 400 people with 2 TAs one was only for SIs though. I felt bad for the class TA, there were some mess-ups with tons of people grades and he had to fix them all.
I felt like I was taking Michael Ballam 1010 rather than a creative arts class. Whatever, it's an easy A.
What a waste of time. If you don't mind frequent impromptu performances from the wide world of musical theater, you'll be fine. Easiest A I ever got! I slept through almost every lecture.
Amazing!!!
Ballam is a little bigheaded but he really knows what he is talking about. His lectures are interesting he got me more interested in art and classical music. Also an easy A.
I definitely got a lot out of this class but I know of kids who did not find it that interesting. I got more out of this class than any of my others and its an easy A
Extremely Easy
It is true the class was very easy, but I really enjoyed it. You can learn a lot if you pay attention.
Ballam was a great teacher. Overall pretty easy and very entertaining. He was able to take a boring subject and turn it into a class that I actually ended up liking. I would definitely recommend him if you are looking for a fun teacher and an easy class.
The class was easy, but Dr. Ballam drove me crazy!! He's arrogant and just tells stories of himself. I'm not that interested in music and so this class just ticked me off because he acted like music was the world to everyone. It's an easy grade, but not worth it!
I love Ballam! I loved his class!
He's a great teacher, and really smart! He has a lot of good things to teach besides the curriculum, you just need to listen.
I love Michael Ballam!
No one knows how lucky USU is to have this man teaching here. He is one of the most accomplished opera singers in the world, and has incredible connections. He doesn't have to be teaching, but he does it because he's good at it and loves it. This is apparent in his classroom and I enjoyed his class 100%.
Ballam is a great teacher. His class is easy, all you have to do is go and get the attendance. If you go you will know what the answers are to the test. The homework is super easy, it's just going and watching movies a couple times and then writing a paragraph on them. There is infinite extra credit, and he will do anything to make sure you pass.
The most unorganized course I have ever taken. We were given 2 days notice for our final. It wasn't posted on blackboard. His TA was useless. According to her grading we have had 18.18 days of class. Plenty of extra credit opportunities however. I was dumbstruck by the sheer level of incompetence he displayed in his organization of the course.
Most of his lectures are spent bragging about his famous friends, how many places he's lived in, and how much he's accomplished in his life. He breaks out into song every 5 minutes, and spends most of the semester talking about himself, rather than educating students about the arts. If you want to learn about art THIS CLASS IS A WASTE OF TIME!!
I love music, but I hated this class. The movies for the most part were awful; he likes to hear his own voice; and in general he was very unorganized.
A really flamboyant guy.
None are worthy to bask in the warm glow of our hero Dr.Ballam. He spent a good deal of the class telling stories of how he raised the dead with this melodious voice. Super easy A.
Loves his own voice? yes. However, I genuinely don't think this guy is as full of himself as some people think. I think he just really liked sharing his talents. If you hate vibrato voices, get out now!
Easy class. No textbook for the class. His grading is based on how you felt about a subject so it makes the class wicked easy. I wasn't to into the subject, but hes pretty interesting.
Ballam... Truly a King among men.
This is class is joke. It really should be called Ballam1010. It is all about himself and how much he has accomplished. If you are interested in learning his life history go ahead and take this easy A class.
People who don't think this class is easy either didn't come or didn't study like they should have. The tests were very confused and not written well but were still doable. He talks about himself a lot but only because he has such amazing experiences with music. He is a living textbook, I would rather listen then read...
you cannot study for his tests, they are completely random. Totally full of himself. Sings for you every day, sometimes make you sing. easy class but so so bogus.
Hated everyday.
This class was SUCH a waste of my time! Not only is it very difficult to pay attention in class, but even if you could you still probably wouldn't get an A on a test. Ballam and his TA Branden are very disorganized. This class was a joke.
Being in Ballam's class means getting a really easy A. Be prepared for his singing and lots of his life stories. I didn't mind going because he kept me entertained and it's a very easy class to pass.
This class was definitely an easy A, but only because he curved the test scores. The exams are super confusing and impossible to study for. There is no textbook because Dr. Ballam thinks he's a walking texbook. He busts out into song a lot too. The cure for cancer is here, people...Dr. Ballam just has to sing for you!
i walked into this class not knowing who michael ballam was...and i walked out knowing i would never forget....mostly because his life story is the midterm...
This class is extremely easy. I'm not sure why everyone keeps saying his tests are confusing cause I've gotten an A on every single one. As long as you go, and pay attention, you'll do just fine. I have actually learned many facts that, although not extremely useful, have still been informative.
Boring..... Completely useless class. The only thing I am getting out of this class is credit to graduate. Lord Ballam loves himself and he lets you know that. Boring....
Greatly enjoyed the class. The format is rather unconventional, but interesting. He has had many remarkable experiences and is happy to share them. The tests are not very difficult if you pay attention in class.
Sure Ballam has some interesting stories, but it seems like it is more of a "save the arts" campaign than learning about the history of art. It is a super easy class, but it is so easy that you feel like there are better things to do with your time than listen to his ramblings.
This Class is a waste of money and a load of crap. He talks him self up and you pay for a class HE NEVER IS THERE TO TEACH!!!! His lessons are stupid and so is the whole class.
WORST CLASS OF MY LIFE! Seriously a waste of time and money, so boring! It seriously is the easiest class, if you study 10 minutes before the test. If you like listening to really really annoying operas and learning pointless stuff, then take this class.
This class is soooo much fun. I absolutely love going to class. It is annoying though that when he is out of town, you still have class. They put on boring, but sometimes funny, videos. His stories are way awesome, and I learn a lot in that class. I love learning about the history of music and art.
I love this man! he is hands down the best teacher a person could ask for! man... people don't like his stories and they think he's boring, but personally I think they're awesome. He has taught me a lot about art and music. aand he's not bad on the eyes, he was one of the reasons I loved going to class too. TAKE THIS CLASS, you will not regret it!
terrible class. he only talks about himself. i didn't learn a thing! he is so boring and he loves himself. i feel so mean, but honestly i'm doing this for your good. terrible class. terrible self-conceded teacher. makes me hate the arts forever...(and he is old) (and apparently perfect) ;)
I could not stand this teacher!! All he does is brag about himself and how he can heal anything and anyone with his singing. I hate operas and I hated how all he did was sing. Half the time he wasn't even there and his T.A. Brandon took over, he was as clueless as Ballam. If you want a class that is pointless and a waste of money take USU 1330.
Professor Ballam is a very good teacher and this is an eccellent class! How often do you get credit for going and watching movies? Just do what you're asked and be open minded in class and you will be fine. The worst part is listening to the disrespectful comments you'll hear from classmates.
This class is extremely easy. However that being said, it was the biggest waste of time and money. Ballam should not teach. His methods are questionable and it seems as if he is trying to "rescue" our culture. Take the class for an easy A but you will feel as if you could have done something better with your time.
This class was the biggest waste of time, all Professor Ballam does is sing, and brag about experiences he has had in his life. Very little of which even relate to the class at all. He is a very cocky, arrogant man, that rarely attends class to begin with. Take this class if you want an easy A, but do not expect to learn anything whatsoever.
Giant waste of time. Ballam is a fantastic musician, but that's about the limits of his talent. He taught things in class that weren't backed up by evidence or that were blatantly false. Its an easy A as long as you can drag yourself to several terrible required movies (along with a few good ones). Its better get this class over with.
He personally is a nice guy. His class is simple and misguided in some parts. He does not take care of the business side of class, he leaves it to two very inept TA's. The material only somewhat deals with are, it drifts from subject to subject. His rambling stories are required information for the test. But it is easy, so i guess it balances.
The most uselsess professor to be at USU. I took this class thinking 'Im taking creative arts' Two months into the semester, we havent done anything except talk about his life, how he brings people out of comas with song, and him sing constantly. Though finally he just started talking about baroque music. Waste of my time and money.
This is the easiest class you will ever take at USU!! I have gone to class about 10 times this entire semester and I have an A. He has UNLIMITED extra credit. He is very full of himself and decides to sing in at least every class period! Really take this class to raise your GPA or have nap time!
useless but easy A
Great class, he takes an interesting perspective on learning. I would recommend this class to anyone. I saw great movies that I would never of watched otherwise. It is a very easy class to raise that GPA. Great guy, we are lucky to have him at USU.
Great class, very nice professor. The class is very easy, and a good way to raise GPA. He doesn't go very in depth with anything, but with a title like "creative arts", there's a little too much to go into anything specific. Easy, but pay attention and he gives great study tips and you could learn some cool stuf. Great movies too!
Easiest class on the planet! Never went, got an A, didn't do the assignments, got an A, has unlimited extra credit, Got an A, nough said?
Great guy. Easiest class on campus. Very interesting content. No need to pay attention but worth it. Some may seem bogus, but it's interesting all the same. As for Michael Ballam, he is a great singer and an even better man. If each of his students tried to be even a tenth as nice and generous and positive as he is, it'd be a different place.
This class was the easiest class ever. Never studied, didn't take notes, barely even paid attention. Still got an A, all he did was talk about himself. He does talk about himself, you sign up for this it's Ballam 101. And he gets the most simple bible stories completely wrong. The hardest part of this class was remembering Ballam's version.
An easy class to get an A in. Just show up, pay attention, and go to the movies. I wasn't really sure how some of the things he taught related to the course but it was interesting stuff.
Take this class knowing that you will get an A, be entertained, his historical "facts" often aren't accurate, and you're tested on how well you can remember facts about his life. So many bad things are said about him, but really, he's a talented guy who teaches a required general class and is basically handing out A's. What more could you want?
Oh man. What can I say about Ballam that hasn't been said already? This is coming from someone who enjoys operas, classical music, etc.: HUGE waste of time. I didn't learn anything that I didn't know already. He didn't go into detail like I had wanted. Everyone just talks all class period, making it difficult to even try to conentrate.
If you are there every day, listen, participate, and study a little, you will get an A. And you will learn amazing information about things we live with every day. I LOVED this class. He is an amazing instructor. I would take this class over in a heartbeat.
Dr. Ballam is an interesting man. Definitely one of the easiest classes I have ever taken. He wants his students to succeed, so he is willing to work with all his students to recieve an A. His tests and quizzes are on the stories he tells in class and requires a very small amount of homework. Overall a great class.
This class was super easy. Didnt learn a single thing but he gives quizzes almost daily about the things talked about in the previous class, but if you dont do well he does give extra credit for even just smiling. He wants everyone to get an A, but dont take this class looking to learn something. Just an easy A and an easy Credit.
Is this class an easy A? Yes. Is it worth hearing Ballam drone on and on about himself for an hour? No. Ballam is the most self centered professor I have ever encountered and it literally pained me to sit in his class and hear him talk about how great of a guy he thought he was
This guy has a huge ego. I wouldn't recommend taking this class if you want something enjoyable. If you're looking for an easy A like I was, this is the way to go. BE PREPARED FOR DAILY QUIZZES. The quizzes are very specific in their answers which is very frustrating. Taking this early in the morning will not start your day with a smile.
I cannot even believe there are semi low ratings on here. I think Dr. Ballam is phenomenal in every way. Absolutely incredible. I am literally searching for courses he specifically teaches so that I can have him again. I would very much recommend.
This class was AWFUL. I played piano for ten years and took the intro to music for non-music majors and it was so hard after the third week. I tried to get help from my moms friend who has taught violin and piano lessons for the past 15 years and she even had a difficult time with it. If you don't know much about music do NOT take this class.
I really enjoyed watching Professor Ballams lectures, since they were entertaining and he is very passionate about the subject. That being said, he did struggle to use Canvas and there was a lot of confusion about the different grading criteria over the semester. But he was very willing to work with students with any problem they encountered.
This guy is seriously the worst. Has no care for his students and thinks he is the best thing to ever walk this earth. Hated this class and actually kinda like music. Degrading and made my freshman year the worst. Do not take a class from this dude.
I really enjoyed this class. The class mostly consisted of weekly quizzes & a few tests here & there, but overall it wasn't anything terrible. As long as you look over the notes he gives you & you watch and pay attention to his lectures then you will do fine on the quizzes. He is older so canvas isn't his forte. He is a great person and lecturer.
I wish I hadn't taken this class, at least not online. Dr. Ballum clearly has no idea how to work Canvas, and though his lectures were fine he tended to ramble. Quizzes and lectures rarely lined up, I never had a clue what I was supposed to be doing and the final asked questions never discussed in class. Don't take this class if you can help it.
This was one of the most confusing courses I've taken. Professor doesn't know how Canvas worked and was not accessible at all. Lectures were just him rambling. I respected the student teacher more than the professor because they actually seemed to care about the students. Don't take this class, too confusing and too many technical issues to count.
Literally don't bother with this professor or class. I took it for my creative credit thinking it would be an easy A, but it wasn't. It says the class is for non-music majors but it had me "learning" about things that my music major friends didn't even know. There isn't a lot of feedback whatsoever so you're kind of just by yourself in this class.
Professor Ballam is not a good teacher, he is passionate about what he does, I'll give him that. In his tests he gave us questions of topics we didn't even discuss in class. I tried to email him several times. He is the least accessible professor I have had by far. I would 100% not recommend taking a class from him.
Mr. Ballam rambles a lot, and thats mainly all he does. You don't really learn anything in that class, and the only things I have learned have been from subs or other professors. I wish I could've dropped the class before it was too late.
Worst class. The material "learned" in class has no relation to intro to music, but more related to religion and his own personal life. Ballam has a big ego and is very degrading. Humiliates students for looking at their phone in a classroom full of 100-150 students. Doesn't get grades put in for months. Expects you to memorize everything.
Heres the thing he stands in front and lectures the entire class period on things that dont really relate to music more just to religon and stuff. Also for the tests he gives no study guide or extra material to help prep he just expects you to go off your notes and than the questions are super random like who starred in blank musical. overall 5/10
A lot of people on here don't like him at all which is confusing to me because he really is a cool guy. He's very smart and he may come off as "having a big ego" but he's actual a very nice and caring person, he's just not your typical professor. Tests are hard but he gives lots of extra credit. I liked the class but it's not for everyone
Michael was the worst professor I've ever had. All he does is yap all day and rarely does anyone actually know what he's saying. Easy class to pass but you have to remember everything and write everything from the lectures. Missing classes affects your grade dramatically.
This class is more religion history with a side of music. To do well on the random quizzes, you have to memorize basically all your notes and random facts. Daily attendance is about half your grade. Near the end of the semester, he piles on a ton of random extra credit for those who really "engage" in the class. I wish I didn't take this class.
His exams are weird because he put in a few very absurd questions that had nothing to do with music or what was talked about which made them SO frustrating. Recording lectures was really helpful because his lectures online were sometimes different than in person, and his lectures were all over the place. He lets you make up things when needed.
Very cool guy with interesting lectures and stories. Literally brought me to tears a couple times and made me rethink my life. The class is very easy, but the grading is confusing and the assignments are all over the place. I do feel like I learned, but I could never figure out his expectations. Overall I would recommend
I loved this class!!! I had it at 730am and it was definitely worth waking up for. He does talk the entire time, but I liked his lectures. they were very interesting and entertaining. I learned a lot. He also gives out extra credit points like it's candy.
Very intelligent, kind man. Extra credit is easy to come by, and the grade is almost purely participation, with some quizzes that are easy enough to pass as long as you take notes. Made some asinine claims, like that the planets don't collide due to their musical vibrations, but mostly solid stuff. Also has the occasional political view slip throug
He's clearly a musical genius which is cool. But he's also old and forgetful. He gave the exact same lecture two classes in a row. Lectures are all over the place and you have to memorize all the random stuff he says to do well on tests, but it doesn't matter because he gives out so much extra credit. Weird dude. I respect him but his class is mid
Professor Ballam is passionate about music but struggles to pass it on to students. He often goes off on tangents, and gives lots of pop quizzes that sometimes cover material not discussed, because he was too busy rambling. He doesn't use Canvas at all. Grades are posted on paper, and contacting him online can be super difficult. Don't take him.
Amazing professor! I feel like I learned so much listening to his lectures. He did have pop quizzes which weren't easy but he gave enough extra credit that getting a good grade on those quizzes wasn't mandatory. In my opinion, it was one of the most interesting classes I have had and easy to pass. Attendance is mandatory though!
Professor Ballam is so kind and chill. I have over 100% in his class and gives you more than enough extra credit to easily get an A in the class. If you need a class to fill your schedule, take this. It will be a breeze!
Professor Ballam is genuinely a good guy. You can tell he has a passion for music, and he cares about each of his students. He will do everything he can to help you get a good grade in his class. Going to class is necessary to do well in this class. If you are there, you will pass. You will not regret taking this class, DO IT!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
84%
Textbook Required
91%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
CREATIVEA
5.0
(1)MUSIC
5.0
(1)ART1010
5.0
(1)MUSC1620
5.0
(1)MUSIC1010
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
MUSICSOMETHING
5.0
MUSIC320
4.0
MUSC1100
4.0
CREARTS
3.0
USUSOMETHING
3.0