Historical instructor
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Prof. Hyer definitely cares about his students, but take note: his emails and writing both DON'T match up in tone with how he is in person. He often makes things sound super consequential/scary in an effort to make sure people take them seriously; if you're genuinely struggling, ASK him. He's surprisingly understanding IF you advocate for yourself.Rate My Professors ↗
Professor Hyer is a criminally underrated professor who pours a lot of thought into his course and who truly cares about his students. He gets a bad rep for his rather subjective way of grading; however, he's always happy to answer questions and explains everything extremely well. Pay attention and ask questions, and you will succeed.Rate My Professors ↗
You can tell Professor Hyer really understands and loves music theory, but he can get ahead of himself. He thinks what he teaches is easy when in reality it is harder to grasp for the majority of students. You should reach out if you are struggling as he is willing to help you, but this class is difficult regardless. The papers are also a struggle.Rate My Professors ↗
He can be a tough professor. He says the truth and some people found him mean for it. Work hard and you will have a good time. Ask him for help, he is always willing to give good advice.Rate My Professors ↗
Hard first music theory class. You get used to how he wants things, but it is a lot of work.Rate My Professors ↗
Hyer is a fantastic musician and he is very good at explaining concepts. The only problem is that he is quite subjective in his grading especially when grading papers (which are a huge part of your final grade). You really have to conform to his style of writing and thinking about music. Class is hard, but if you genuinely work hard you will pass.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.
No courses match this selection. Try the full catalog or another term.
| Term | Course | Title |
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Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
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