Current instructor

Laura Schwendinger

Adjusted rating

RMP difficulty

captured reviews

About this rating

Raw average: 3.40/5 from 5 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

MUSIC 1072026-01-23

Quality 2/5Difficulty 2/5

It is clear that she really cares about the class and wants us to care about music and film as well. However, the class felt very scattered and difficult to expect week to week. Her Canvas page was a mess as you couldn't see your grade and the syllabus did not help provide structure. She held past the class time occasionally as well.

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MUSIC 1072025-12-12

Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5

If you're into films and music it's perfect because you learn the history of both simultaneously. She was highly knowledgeable about all topics taught and easy to ask questions about stuff. Although you don't really see your grade on canvas the course is taught well enough it doesn't really matter because you'll likely pass. Would recommend!!!

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MUSIC 1072024-01-09

Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5

She is very passionate about the material she is teaching. Everything written on the board is valid for tests which makes the tests very easy.

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MUS623 · course not matched2021-06-25

Quality 1/5Difficulty 2/5

Professor does not return graded assignments for weeks and goes on tangents not related to topic during lectures. Material is presented in scattered way. She sends out emails as long threads and was very disorganized. A struggle to figure out what is due each week or figure out what we had done.

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MUSIC 1072019-12-27

Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5

Her enthusiasm and love for music and film was apparent in all of the lectures and assignments. She genuinely wants to instill a love of film and music in all of her students. A bit disorganized at times. Take good notes on EVERYTHING she says, not just the things she puts on the board

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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Laura Schwendinger

MUSIC 499

Directed Study

1–3 credits

Directed study course for individual research and projects with faculty, requiring department approval of the project and instructor assignment.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Scott Teeple Nadia Chana+33 more

No recorded grade history

MUSIC 799

Independent Work

1–3 credits

Independent Work is a course for faculty-mentored individual study and research in music.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Scott Teeple Nadia Chana+37 more

No recorded grade history

MUSIC 927

Seminar in Composition

3 credits

Seminar in Composition covering musical forms, contemporary performance practice, electronic music, and intermedia.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2023: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.88 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.94 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades).

Laura Schwendinger

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sample

MUSIC 990

Masters Thesis

1–4 credits

Individual research study with a faculty mentor for writing a master's thesis in Music.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Gabrielle Cornish Laura Schwendinger+1 more

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 146

Music Lessons for Non-majors

1–2 credits

Private applied music performance instruction for non-majors and majors on a secondary instrument; excludes keyboard and vocal study.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Johanna Wienholts Parry Karp+22 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2025 · limited sample

MUSPERF 249

Intermediate Composition

2–4 credits

Intermediate Composition provides individual instruction to students pursuing composition, covering melodic construction, harmonic voicing, counterpoint, and various musical textures.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Laura Schwendinger

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 348

Third Year Composition

3 credits

Third Year Composition continues individual instruction in music composition.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

Laura Schwendinger

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 448

Fourth Year Composition

3 credits

Fourth Year Composition is a continuation of advanced individual instruction in music composition.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

Laura Schwendinger

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 449

Advanced Composition

2–4 credits

Advanced individual composition instruction requiring instructor consent for first-time enrollment.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Laura Schwendinger

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 498

Composition Capstone Project

2 credits

An individually directed composition capstone project focused on creating and presenting original musical work while developing deeper knowledge of compositional techniques.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Laura Schwendinger

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 547

Masters Level Composition

3 credits

MUSPERF 547 is MASTERS LEVEL COMPOSITION, offering private composition at the master's degree level.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Laura Schwendinger Dan Cavanagh

No recorded grade history

MUSPERF 747

Doctoral Level Composition

3 credits

Doctoral level composition course in the Music: Performance graduate program.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2019: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=2 letter grades).

Laura Schwendinger Dan Cavanagh

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →

Browse recorded courses

Term	Course	Title
Spring 2027	MUSIC 499	Directed Study
Spring 2027	MUSIC 799	Independent Work
Spring 2027	MUSIC 927	Seminar in Composition
Spring 2027	MUSIC 990	Masters Thesis
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 146	Music Lessons for Non-majors
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 249	Intermediate Composition
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 348	Third Year Composition
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 448	Fourth Year Composition
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 449	Advanced Composition
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 498	Composition Capstone Project
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 547	Masters Level Composition
Spring 2027	MUSPERF 747	Doctoral Level Composition
Fall 2026	MUSIC 107	Music & Film
Fall 2026	MUSIC 499	Directed Study
Fall 2026	MUSIC 799	Independent Work
Fall 2026	MUSIC 927	Seminar in Composition
Fall 2026	MUSIC 990	Masters Thesis
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 146	Music Lessons for Non-majors
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 249	Intermediate Composition
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 347	Third Year Composition
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 447	Fourth Year Composition
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 449	Advanced Composition
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 498	Composition Capstone Project
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 499	Senior Recital
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 547	Masters Level Composition
Fall 2026	MUSPERF 747	Doctoral Level Composition

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance

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