Kristina Boerger

This class with this professor is one of those that people either love or hate. Or both. I was a little of both. The positive (which outweighs the negative): - Boerger knows her stuff very, very well, and is incredibly passionate about it. I don't think it's possible not to get excited about Bach during her lectures (even to a classical violinist who has played Bach partitas ad nauseum). - There's a textbook, but readings are optional and everything you need to know is covered in lecture (but copying her blackboard notes is essential!), except a few quiz questions, which she gives you beforehand. - You get a very thorough overview of Western music and the history that surrounded it. - She is a fantastic writing coach--much, much better than the FYS teacher I had at the time--and wants you to become a better writer, too. The negative: - Boerger usually came into class sort of angry (usually not about the class) and took it out on us, but she always cheered up after 10 or 15 minutes of teaching, and you could tell she loved the class. - My section had 15 very quiet people in it. She became frustrated when nobody answered questions, we got timid whenever she was frustrated, she became more frustrated... - I think pre-1600 Western music is sort of boring, especially if you've played classical music before. Some of it is beautiful. Most of it is totally predictable. Never took the…

This human being could quite possibly change your life. I have never met a professor this fascinated by her own field - it's as if day after day she discovers new thing that can be said with music, and then she is willing to share those things with you, her students. I came into this calss knowing nothing about theory, nothing about music history, and having blocked out most classical music when my mother made me listen to it in the car on the way to school. Kristina Boerger not only opened a new door for my intellect, she re-invigorated a Western tradition that I thought was only meant for old men and stuffy living rooms. She could be seen as a kind of witch-doctor in that way, raising music up from the dead and making it relevant to the way we live now. This class will help you learn not just facts or how to listen to music, but how to listen to yourself, you soul, your heart. All of this, of course, depends on you and your interest, but if you really dive in, if you take the time to BE interested - you will change and you will grow in ways you didn't think were possible. Give thanks that there are people in this world as passionate about art and life as Dr. Boerger.

This was one of my favorite classes this semester. Definitely take it with Prof. Boerger. My friends have taken the other section and this one is definitely more geared towards understanding and appreciating the music than a series of facts you'll probably forget after the final anyway. I loved going to class every day knowing I'd be listening to beautiful music, you'll find yourself downloading the songs after class. Pretty low-stress class if you do the work, she definitely helps you out with the work in any way she can. You know what she expects, she'll give you a million examples to make sure u get it. If you enjoy music in any way shape or form, TAKE THIS CLASS, it even fulfills a requirement. You definitely won't regret it. Prof Boerger definitley makes it an enjoyable few hours a week. And, after the final she'll thank you for being in her class!!!!! wow!!! In reality I should be thanking her for this wonderful semester in her class.

I'm nearly tone-deaf and I loved this class. Hated the final (basically a three-hour vocabulary test), and the three listening quizzes throughout the semester were murder (but that might not be true if you're not, you know, tone deaf), but the lectures are awesome: fascinating and fun, all at once. Prof. Boerger is willing to explain concepts as simple as a "note," over and over and over again, and she's also willing to go off on tangents about concepts that interest her students; you can tell that she loves talking about music, and will happily do it under pretty much any conditions. She's tough about deadlines, though -- the papers are totally doable if you put in a reasonable amount of work, but don't even *think* of turning them in late.

Professor Boerger is the best thing that has happened to me at Barnard yet! She is the most incredibly professor ever! I came into her class with an appreciation for music and music background, but after one week in her class I looked at music in such a different way. I learned so much just from her lectures and countless stories and interesting facts she had about the composers, styles of music, and pieces we listened to. People with no music background can totally handle this class too, so no fears regarding that. Professor Boerger obviously loves music (it is literally her life-she has a bunch of other jobs as a professional singer, conductor, etc.) and shares her passion with the students. Textbooks are necessary to buy but are practically never used. All that is needed for this class is the willingness to listen to Professor Boerger and to learn from her...just come to lecture and the review sessions and you are totally set for something in the A/B range! I cannot give Professor Boerger enough praise! She is approachable, funny, intelligent, and a wonderful teacher. Take this class, it is amazing!

She's great. I have little background in classical music, but she makes everything interesting and accessible (and come on, you listen to such great works!). The workload is fine, and during much of the class she plays five to ten minutes of one piece, partly to hammer home the point she wants to make and partly because she knows it's a beautiful piece and wants us to appreciate it for itself. A wonderful class; don't worry about the grading, because it's not too difficult and also not worth thinking about when you have so much amazing music to discover.

This class was ok, but not great. Boerger is very passionate about music & her goal is for everyone to do well in the class, but that doesn't make it easy. She gives 3 papers. The first is based on attending a musical performance. The second is comparing & contrasting 3 performances of the same composition. These are torturous if you do not have a good background in classical music terminology. The last, a comparision based on a boring book, is just tedious. Also the class is imbedded to the Writing Fellows program, which I think would be very beneficial to freshman. However, as an upperclassman, I found having to meet with a Fellow to be a little bit redundant. Also, I think the exam is much different & harder than how she explained it was going to be. There are also 3 listening quizzes which are just a pain to prepare for. Take this class to fulfill a requirement & to get an A but don't expect it to be easy. Lots of people pass-fail.

3 5-page papers, 3 listening quizzez(the songs are so great), final. Very doable and very enjoyable - not kidding

I love, love, LOVE this class. Prof. Boerger is an engaging lecturer and a truly passionate teacher and lover of music. I never thought Gregorian chant could be interesting, but she really made all the old stuff come alive. Easily one of the best classes I have had at Columbia -- I cannot recommend it more highly.

Don't take this class if you don't really like classical music or if you're not familiar with music. Or, if you think the class will be easy. It's not. Her essays are ridiculous.