Kyle Saulnier

This was one of my favorite courses at Middlebury. I originally took it to fulfill an art credit, and as someone who doesn’t consider myself artistically inclined, it turned out to be the perfect choice. The course offered a broad and accessible look at the history of music in the United States, and I walked away with a much deeper understanding of how music has reflected and shaped American culture over time. Kyle is an excellent lecturer—engaging, approachable, and incredibly knowledgeable. His passion for the subject makes the material come alive, even for students who don’t have a strong background in music. The lectures were always fascinating, and I appreciated the balance of historical context, cultural analysis, and musical listening. The workload was very reasonable. Assignments consisted of weekly readings and listening examples, which were manageable and always connected meaningfully to the lectures. The main assessments were a midterm paper and a final paper, both of which allowed students to choose their own topics in relation to the course material. This flexibility made the assignments much more enjoyable, as you could pursue areas of personal interest while still tying back to the themes of the class. Overall, I would highly recommend this course to anyone—whether you’re an arts major or just trying to complete a requirement. It’s not only manageable in terms of workload, but also intellectually rewarding. You’ll leave with a stronger appreciation for American music and culture, and I hope Kyle has the chance to teach more courses at Middlebury in the future.

This was one of my favorite courses at Middlebury. I originally took it to fulfill an art credit, and as someone who doesn’t consider myself artistically inclined, it turned out to be the perfect choice. The course offered a broad and accessible look at the history of music in the United States, and I walked away with a much deeper u …Read more

I enjoyed the course very much, the material is interesting and Kyle is a great professor. The homeworks are not difficult, but they are a huge part of your grade, so make sure you complete all of those if you wish to get a good grade.

Highly recommended chiller course. Not much is expected of you besides practicing what you need to practice outside of class. Class meetings just involve a jam session, and grading is based on how much effort and enthusiasm you give.