3.2
Quality2.9
Difficulty43%
Would Retake106
Reviews43%
Would Retake
106
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
31
4
19
3
17
2
29
1
10
What Students Say
“He has some of the absolute worst designed slides I've ever seen”
MUSI2007 - 1.0 rating“Boring class for an otherwise interesting subject”
MUS2007 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
85%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
207
5.0
(1)1002
5.0
(2)MUS101
5.0
(1)MUS1001
5.0
(1)MUSIC63
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
63
5.0
POPMUS1945
5.0
MUS
5.0
ALL
4.0
POPINDU
4.0
Reviews (106)
A dork if there ever was one!!
Cool guy but his music industries class started to get a little boring
gets defensive sometimes, lectures seem to last a lifetime
great overall classes, take his 200 pop music course, fun but challenging.
Unless you like classical music and can understand music theory, do not take it!
The prof who made the course easy and fun. Someone with a lot of energy and character
a gifted and animated lecturer, but weird assignments and strange exams.
the ech is one of the greatest teachers, hands down. he's quirky, wears cool sweaters and knows his musical ****. he has semi-vintage sonic youth poster in his office. oh yeah, ask him about his PhD on Neil Young.
Cool Prof. Very inspirational. Funny, quirky, interesting, laid-back, and passionate, are just a few words to describe Echard. Take a class!
Hated this guy. He has his favorites and they are usually the suck-ups in B. Mus. Took Pop music with him in first year - loved it. Something went wrong with his because his Industries class was terrible! Oh yeah, and creepy personality.
He is an OK lecturer. His examples are male-centric...he seems to avoid using Female artists as examples. Frank Zappa is an auteur, but so is Björk! His only example which was female was Lydia Lunch, and that was the first class.
good man, nice hair, good knowledge of everyithing, knows the meaning of life and can dictate the bible off the top of his head
This professor is narrow minded, non-approachable, contradicting, and underminds his students. He also repeats himself quite frequentsly. He plays music mainly from men, and if he was not married I'd question his sexuality. Classes are dull and borning.
Echard is great, nothing beat watching him sing the blues. He uses so many diverse female artists as examples like L7 X-rayspecs, the slits, Loretta Lyn, Janis Joplin, MomaThornton, Sarah (whatever her name is). And he played search and destroy.
Provided, nearing the end of the course he used female examples...but not until Gender lecture. The other ppl only wrote half-way thru the class when it was true that women were not mentioned much. BJORK ROCKS!
this guy is the worst. the worst. its still a really easy class. he's got to be the most unapproachable professor on campus. don't consider ever asking him for help, or to clarify any material in class. he's useless.
I like his funky sweaters. I found him to be enthusiastic about what he teaches. You can see he enjoys his job and knows alot about the subjects he teaches. I enjoyed how he used his musical talents (guitar playing) to make the topics more exciting.
Personally, I think he's great. He loves what he does, teaches it well and provides excellent examples as well as notes. Easy type of exam but some questions are a little tricky. Excellent style!
This professor is great! He was inspirational and quite humourous. I think the course was also well designed, and unlike others who've rated him, I found that he tried to stay very gender neutral. Definitely take one of his courses.
Echard is a great prof. My experience is quite the opposite from the negative comments below: he's very approachable, open-minded and his lectures are interesting and funny. And he destroyed my eardrums playing The Stooges - a good thing!
Gender neutral...that's funny! He mentioned alot more men than women, even though there are women who were perfect examples of what he was trying to portray! Way too much interest in Marxist theory for music classes though...
Goes off on way too many tangents!! Lectures are unclear because he rambles on about so many useless things. Exam format is easy, but he asks for the most ridiculous small details. Not one of the better profs at Carleton.
this guy looks like tim robbins in high fidelity
I've taken almost every Echard class (102, 206, 207)...he's just the most amazing prof at Carleton. If you have the choice of a free elective make sure before you graduate that you fill every year with at least one Echard class!!!
Great prof. He goes off on tangets, but makes sure that you know what he wants you to know and what's him being a music geek. INSANELY easy marker, as long as you go to class and listen you'll get an A, but you'll also learn a lot from him.
No Comments
I literally have nothing to say about this prof. He's absolutely great in his tastes and approach on the material; although I wish he would lay off the obsession with Neil Young at times. lol.
if you are not a music student, forget it. He teaches over assumed knowledge, which he is reluctant to explain. Not willing to teach you if you do not already understand. I was lost.
If you want to see his true personality check out his website. Ask him for it and he will gladly tell you. As far as lectures: goes off on many tangents and draws diagrams that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. He also constantly paces back and fourth, which, if you are picky, gets annoying :)
Awesome Prof!!! Pried open my mind and changed my outlook on life. You really have to be open minded and be ready to look at the big picture. The people with negative comments were not mentally ready to comprehend his ideology. I've taken all his classes and wish I could take them again!! 10/5
Echard : witty, approachable, knowledgable, enthusiastic, clear. As for the other comment from someone on the jazz course saying they don't understand it - it's a history class ! if you don't understand e.g. 'Louis Armstrong played trumpet', wow, you've got BIG problems.
Fun class. Really witty, intelligent prof.
By far the worst professor at carleton. I cant believe anyuone would hire him. A true clown. Has an ass that wont quit.
interesting course. not easy, but if you pay attention to the lectures you should be fine in terms of testing. fun enough prof. sometimes his lectures drag on, but thats the problem with 3 hours at a time of history/theory. he never really used the coursepack except 1 or 2 midterm readings.
A little boring at times, but that comes with the territory. He is a really easy marker, and as long as you go to class and pay attention, you will pass. If you make any effort at all, you will get a B. No need to buy coursepack!
pretty good prof who can be pretty funny and sometimes insightful
Takes the fun out of the material, needs to add more hands on experience to the lectures. I have talked to many people who also believe that he makes it a lot harder then it has to be, and by simplifying lectures, it will make for a better turnout on grades and excitement to learn.
Great Teacher!
Too full of himself.....likes to BS during lectures....don't copy the notes off of the board...you won't understand them in an hour....likes the sound of his own voice.....so what if he has a PhD? Or is he still working on it??
Echard is a great professor. He is disliked by some because they take his music classes expecting an easy hour of discussing Hilary Duff's latest CD and are suprised when he teaches models and theories. But for those who are smart/motivated enough he is a wonderful and fun lecturer.
His course is not easy, but it is very insteresting if you put effort.....He always walks during the class...makes me feel dizzy!
I have never seen a professor make a simple course sound like Quantum Physics! Avoid this guy like the plague! He goes for the entire 3 hours talking about a bunch of stuff that doesn't even come close to the course material!
awful
Great prof, knows his stuff. People who complain think its just a bird-course, but they forget that music has history and meaning which he brings to light. Very enjoyable class for people who actually appreciate music, but not for those who thikn they appreicate it
Was it just me or did he do ballet and stretch a lot in class? And I love how he's against the Carleton website and created his own, complete with ... and...this is the best part: A LINK TO HIS ALL-GIRL PUNK ROCK BAND. Love it. Really, though, a lot of stretching. Agility rating: 10.0
William Echard: What is your village doing for an idiot now that you're here
The little bits of gender politics that kept popping up in his lectures were annoying as hell.
I love this guy - he is so interesting and knowledgable. This guy makes you want to go to class. You actually learn the history of music and the music industry. NOT A BIRD COURSE in the way you would expect it to be, but is DEFINITELY WORTH TAKING if you actually want to learn and aren't just execting to sit around listening to music for 3 hours.
More passionate than any prof. He really knows his stuff, and he seems to be somewhat of a guru when it comes to popular music theory. I've had him for a jazz history class too, and it's just as awesome. He IS hard, but like others have said...he really makes the course exciting to go to and learn.
What a great class. Could've made it a full year class with all the material we skimmed on but couldn't devote entire classes towards. The man knows his stuff, no question and the lectures are a great balance of musical genre history, influences, social impact and then key points about significant bands + great listening material in class. Awesome.
one of my favorite profs around. He is a wealth of knowledge and loves what we all do - Music! Exciting lectures, gives you all the material you need to know - so go to the classes. At the very least, he'll play some Jimi in class, so need i say more?
Definitely very knowledgeable about popular music, lectures are full of fun facts and interesting material. Demonstrates ideas on his guitar in class and plays plenty of examples. Assignments and exams are easy if you pay attention to the technical facts.
are you guys stoned??? this guy doesn't know what he is talking about! babbles because he loves his own voice and to impress folk
awesome, engaging and funny!
Not overly impressed. Upon getting our first papers back, my friend who handed his in a week late and didn't do the actual assignment got a full grade point higher than my own which was handed in on time and completed entirely according to his criteria. He lacks any personality which makes it hard to absorb or care about anything he has to say.
A very interesting course. The prof knows his stuff. It is a bit tough, but just take good notes and attend the lectures (they're fun!).
so non threatening and liberal that it seems his oppinions are merely trying to be current
He's a really interesting prof and really knows his stuff. I like how he draws pictures and plays instruments to help demonstrate his points. His exams however, despite a simple appearance, are difficult because of the level of detail needed. Helpful with feedback for assigned work. I love his sweaters!
Very knowledgable professor. Extremely interesting.
very interesting, but you MUST attend class.
It's almost entirely pointless to attend his class as EVERYTHING he says he posts on webCT and none of the musical examples he plays are on his tests. Unlike the majority of people on here, I find him utterly bland and really awkward to talk to in person. It's no wonder his classes are usually half full.
urgh. I don't know if it's him or the TA's but it is really hard to do well in this class. The class averages on tests and assignments are SO low its stupid.
Avoid this class. Echard is an annoying teacher who complicates teachable and enjoyable material with tedious theory. The marking scheme he uses is rediculous- it's almost as if the marks that are given are completely arbitrary. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Godforbid Echard puts comments on returned assignments. Porbably to keep the class average where he likes it (C). This guy makes Alex Munter look like Rambo
Issues in Popular Music? wrong! this class is not what you think, id like to see what qualifies Echard to teach such a class, is it because he's in an aweful band with 3 underage girls? who knows, lessons are boring and dry, assignment is tough, Stay AWAY FROM THIS CLASS
He reminds me of Teller from Penn and Teller......Ya i think its Teller
There aren't any readings, thats good. That being said, it's by far my lowest mark and I'm not in an easy program. I know a lot of people in the same boat. It is NOT a bird course, and even if you work your butt off there's no guarantee you'll do well because he makes a point of making the class average "C". If I could go back, I wouldn't take it.
unapproachable, unfriendly and unhelpful. The class was easy and attendance is not necessary. If you are taking this class for the Jazz componant, you are wasting your time, he devoted only half a lecture to the subject
useless cannot even describe it...pretentious maybe??
Lots of useless information
I don't know why so many people are giving Echard a bad evaluation this year. If you go to class and actually pay attention, and study hard, getting an A or at least a high B is totally doable. I've taken four classes from Echard, done well in each of them. He knows his stuff, and doesn't even require any readings. WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR?!!!!!
I think what students need to realize is that he actually expects you to come to his class. He doesn't post his notes which makes you come. He even states the first day his classes aren't going to be easy. He is extremely helpful when e-mailed or even asked questions in class. I think he's a great prof... just a little too into his Rock n' Roll
the two posts below this one must've been from members of his band 'Sedreck' because this guy is aweful. Tries to connect to the younger audience by belting out an awkward swear word here and there (embarassing). Do yourself a favour don't take this class.
Obviously the post below this one isn't doing well in the course. Multiple spelling errors do tend to contribute to poor grades on papers.
Tries to appear hip and cool by filling the lectures with marxism and being liberal, but contradicts himself to be politically correct so much you end up confused about his original point, which could have been simplified to a sentance, not 3 hours.
"Obviously the post below this one isn't doing well in the course." What's wrong with all of you?
He isn't a great professor, but it is a fairly interesting class and it's pretty easy, so I'd definitely recommend taking the class (even if you aren't a music major). You have to go to clas because he doesn't post notes, and there is no textbook... but thats actually good because it means less to study come exam time. The essay is realy easy to.
Echard... Seems like a nice guy with a good knowledge of music and cultural theory. Still, his essay marking was a little arbitrary for my tastes (I got 3 grade points higher on my first essay than I did on the second, despite the fact that both were comparable in quality). He also gives no comments. AT ALL. Test marking was decently fair.
I had 2 classes with this guy and they were both excellent. His lectures are really interesting, he's not a hard marker at all and he's extremely approachable. During the History of Popular Music he even took out his guitar a few times to demonstate things.
If you're looking for a bird class, you have found it! Echard just wants everyone to do well, so he spoon-feeds you.. it's great! Practically no readings, assignments and tests and grade-9 level easy. He doesn't give too much feed-back, but you're an idiot if you get a bad mark so you probably don't deserve feed back, anyway. Good times..!!!
carleton has an obligation to its student body to offer the best in courses and instructors...that being said they should start by purging out this clown...the worst prof at carleton by far. the only positive reviews on this website are clearly done by echard himself, that's how pathetic this guy is
William Echard is very unique. He has a personality like no other that's for sure! I did not appreciate his ill-references to religion in courses I have taken in the past. I have noticed that over the years he has improved in terms of making his course content accessible through his website. It really helps with organizing notes and key pts
I am unsure why Echard is a Professor. While he is a brilliant man, he is also a horrible teacher. His lectures are disorganized and rarely clarify course content. He is also the worst academic advisor. His condescending attitude is easily ignored with one listening to his musical projects which are available via his course site. Have a good laugh!
No teaching ability whatsoever
I dropped the course because of the quality of the prof. Terrible!!
Awesome class to have at 8:30 in the morning because he's so energetic! He is a truly great professor.
you're slacking off Echard!
A little boring, but he makes the class super easy. The final exam was a joke, I effortlessly got 100% on it.
worst prof ever. marking is inconsistent in his class, and exam was short too detailed for a final and included fill in the blank. Who knew you could make that hard. Lecture are pointless, he talks in circles, makes up terms, and never explains the point he was attempting to make properly. If you don't need this course, avoid at all costs.
I didn't like that he kept on inserting his musical ideology into his lectures. For the topic he was teaching he could have made the class a little more exciting. I didn't like how he treated the majority of student who don't raise their hands on a regular basis, dispite the fact that this is not required in this course.
I've taken 4 classes with Echard, and although I don't mind him I think it's ridiculous that he gives fill-in-the-blank finals. He asks about obscure names and songs that he maybe mentioned once in class. If you study properly you can ace the finals in 20 mins but if you study concepts (which should be the focus) you risk being lost on the exam.
Professor Echard really knows his stuff and is committed to teaching popular music in a serious way. You should be able to do very well if you attend class and pay attention, and learn to think critically!
Awesome prof, he really knows his stuff! I really enjoyed doing his papers too... however it is really hard to get higher than a B on them.
Really good prof. Very knowledgeable and committed but tests and essays were challenging - very difficult to get a B or higher. His TA's were brutal markers- one used a marking scheme which included one-quarter of a mark.
Dropping Music as my minor. Hard marking for tests and essays. Asked the most obscure, off-the -wall questions on tests and exams. Very difficult to do well. Completely turned me off music.
His lectures are extremely boring, whether it's him marking or his TA's, you'll never get higher than a B on the essays, and his exams are for the most part fill-in-the-blanks on intricate details that shouldn't be important in a university eduation (concepts should be). I've had him for more than one class (mistake) - avoid if you can.
not enough engagement or discussion in this class - low median
Dr. Echard's class was very engaging and interesting and one of my favourites. However, that being said the exams are remarkably challenging and obscure. I attended every class, vigorously took detailed notes and I did very poorly on the midterm. Make sure you study and make sure you study the details. Study study study!
Pretty much everything is in his lectures that he posts online. Study that, attend lectures to get a better understanding about what he's talking about and you're good to go. It shouldn't be that hard to score
I took this class because the course name on CuLearn sounded really cool (Popular Music Studies or something). Got to the first day and it was about Heavy Metal and EDM. NO WAY. He is all over the place. I am no music major but wow. I personally did not like this class at all. 8:30 am class with him was a struggle to go to but attendance was taken
His lectures are pretty good. Just go to class and you'll do fine. As far as his essays go, take your time! Write a draft. Then edit. Then edit some more. Then re-read the slides. And edit. He is just looking for an understanding of the concepts presented in class and in the readings.
He's adorable and funny. He's evidently passionate-- doesn't plug his own books, but he should, they are lit.
This very intelligent man has absolutely no teaching or social skills. He is terribly awkward as well. Great theoretician, mediocre writer, extremely poor teacher. The most pointless, boring, waste of an educational experience I have ever had. Nice person, but, not good in the classroom.
A smart and passionate guy. Very knowledgable in several types of music. But his discussions can be quite abstract and a little disorganized because of that. Make sure you take notes!
Terrible lectures. He literally just rambles on and on. He has some of the absolute worst designed slides I've ever seen. They look like something you'd make in grade 7 (burlap beige background with green text!?) He just reads paragraphs from the slides. His 3 hour lectures could be condensed to 30 minutes. It should be a fun class but it sucks.
Unclear grading criteria, his lectures are long and disorganized, and overall just a lazy prof. He will put a concept on a slide and then skip over it and tell the class to google it. He just delivers very obvious information and doesn't really elaborate on any of it. Boring class for an otherwise interesting subject. Do not recommend.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
85%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
207
5.0
(1)1002
5.0
(2)MUS101
5.0
(1)MUS1001
5.0
(1)MUSIC63
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
63
5.0
POPMUS1945
5.0
MUS
5.0
ALL
4.0
POPINDU
4.0