Dennis Parnell

MUSIC50A50B · MUSIC50A · MUSIC4446 · VOCAL4392 · MUSIC50B · CHAMBERCHOIR · HISTROCK · B4042 · 50B · MUS32 · MUSIC32 · MUSIC50 · A4398 · MUS0 · VOICEBEG · VOICE50B · MUS50A · MUSIC50AB · MUS50B · 50AB · MUSIC36 · MUSIC52 · MUSICVOIC · VOICE2 · 59 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 84/100
RMP rating: 3.6/5
Take again: 72.73%
Difficulty: 1.9

The decision

music elective if you enjoy high-energy storytelling and can handle an eccentric style.

Best fit · Easy A HunterHilariousEasy AVoice TransformationStorytelling LecturesLow Workload

Strong pick for voice students seeking practical technique and confidence
History of Rock and similar lecture classes are widely seen as easy A options
Personality is entertaining but polarizing; a few call him unprofessional or unorganized

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

86/100

Many students call his classes an easy A with showing up and trying.

Both formats lean easy; in-person rock history and .

Is the course easy?

Introductory

84/100

Average difficulty is low; sections.

Online sample is tiny but also describes easy lectures; denser online music-appreciation complaints are rare outliers.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

62/100

, while others expect participation for performance credit.

; many older in-person rock sections report sparse roll.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

76/100

and easy electives, though a minority advise avoiding his style.

Both online reviews are enthusiastic; and more mixed.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

82/100

Students repeatedly report easy A outcomes when they participate and complete simple online or singing tasks.

Format shift

reports.

Workload

Light

80/100

; voice classes focus on in-class singing rather than heavy written load.

Format shift

Both formats describe light demands overall.

Teaching experience

Good

73/100

Praised as a transformative vocal coach and lively storyteller, with recurring complaints about disorganization or unprofessional moments.

Format shift

Voice classes score higher than some music-history sections.

Assessment method

Balanced

45/100

Voice courses grade mainly on singing and participation; , and a final.

Format shift

Online sections emphasize participation; .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

48 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Easy A Hunter

singing improvement; lecture music history sections are often easy but sometimes boring or uneven.

Main concern

Some students find him unprofessional, disorganized, or impatient with non-serious singers.

What students said

“ life”
MUSIC50A

“It is impossible to not get an A in this class!”
MUSIC36

“All of the and it is all open-book with no time limits, so it is not difficult.”
MUSIC36

Remote format

Online

2 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

lectures stay fun and knowledge-rich, with grades driven by participation and easy follow-along content.

Main concern

Technology delivery can feel clunky even when content is strong.

What students said

“He is not the best with technology, but .”
MUSIC36

“Grades are mainly on participation and lectures are very easy to follow.”
50AB

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

singing performances, making assessment student-friendly.

Open-book testsNo time limitsParticipation gradingPerformance final

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

84/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

History of ; voice finals are performance-based and usually easy if you try.

Open-book testsNo time limitsPerformance finalEasy A

“All of the and it is all open-book with no time limits, so it is not difficult.”
MUSIC36

“you will only be graded for your singing. .”
MUSIC50B

“only a final and it's beyond easy.”
MUSIC36

Online

Online comments describe easy-to-follow lectures and participation-based grades rather than harsh proctored testing.

Participation gradingEasy lectures

“Grades are mainly on participation and lectures are very easy to follow.”
50AB

“I learned so much from him and I'm so glad I took his course.”
MUSIC36

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“It is a normal thing in this class to watch him transform a singer using funny techniques and pushing them to believe in themselves.”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 music reviews (2 online, 48 in person), weighing recent and detailed comments more. Credibility rating: High.

🎤 Voice Coaching

88/100

“Far and away the BEST music professor Santa Monica College has to offer!”

😄 Easy A Factor

86/100

“Easiest class i've ever had!! ... It is impossible to not get an A in this class!”

🎭 Personality Split

55/100

“ of one's age or talent.”

⚠️ Organization Issues

40/100

“He is the !”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

He's in his 80's, so while you still can.
He lived the history of rock music, excellent guy to teach it!
great teacher. insperational, funny, smart.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

the class can be an easy A.
you'd have to be brain dead not to get an A in his class.
Pretty easy course.

Theme 3

🎶 About Voice Work

Can turn anyone into a singer.
he will improve anyone's singing at any level
If you want to learn to sing go to him he is the .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

84/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews over many years give a , though only 2 are online and older comments dominate the sample.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 527

4 out of 59

3 out of 57

2 out of 58

1 out of 58

Course coverage

MUSIC3610 reviews

MUSIC50B7 reviews

MUSIC50A4 reviews

50AB3 reviews

MUSIC323 reviews

Show 19 more courses

MUSIC503 reviews

HISTROCK2 reviews

MUSIC50AB2 reviews

50B1 review

A43981 review

B40421 review

CHAMBERCHOIR1 review

MUS01 review

MUS321 review

MUS50A1 review

MUS50B1 review

MUSIC44461 review

MUSIC50A50B1 review

MUSIC521 review

MUSICVOIC1 review

VOCAL43921 review

VOICE21 review

VOICE50B1 review

VOICEBEG1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

12 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 4 · A 6

B range

No reported values

C range

No reported values

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Audit/No Grade 1 · Not sure yet 1

Dennis Parnell

x x x x x x x x music elective if you enjoy high-energy storytelling and can handle an eccentric style.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

EasyA

Introductory

Varies

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

🎤 Voice Coaching

😄 Easy A Factor

🎭 Personality Split

⚠️ Organization Issues

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

🎶 About Voice Work

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

music elective if you enjoy high-energy storytelling and can handle an eccentric style.