Brian Robison is a Music professor at Northeastern University rated 2.44/5 by 398 students, with 3.5/5 difficulty and 5.0% who would take them again (TRACE + RateMyProfessors + Reddit, updated July 2026).
Brian Robison professor reviews and ratings: 2.44/5 from 398 student reviews at Northeastern (5.0% would take again). TRACE + RateMyProfessor + Reddit.
Do not take Robison's class. I went into this class thinking "these reviews must just be students who aren't that good at theory. How bad can the prof be?!?" The answer is pretty bad. Do not take this class unless you are ready to put in a TON of leg work outside of class to learn the materials because the lectures will give you nothingMUSC1201 2025-04-01 15:54:56 +0000 UTC
If you aren't already good at music theory, you probably wont do very well in this class. It's fast-paced, and you have to teach yourself a lot of the content. Prof Robison is disorganized but makes up for it by being an overall chill guy, and very understanding. However, this class made me realize that I want nothing to do with music theory, ever.MUSC1119 2024-12-22 00:01:05 +0000 UTC
worst teacher i've ever had, you're better off learning music theory from a deaf person If it's an elective, drop it, if its a necessary class, good luck.MUSC1111 2024-09-30 02:59:51 +0000 UTC
I'm sure Brian is a great guy, he seems very kind and excited about what he does. That being said, I have no idea how he has a job as a professor or who hired him. Having him for my second semester in a row, I have learned hardly anything from him. Even though I earned a decent grade in his class, this does not reflect the actual course at all.MUSC12O2 2022-02-16 03:21:18 +0000 UTC
Worst professor ever. Quizzes are ridiculously hard. They're more like what you'd expect out of a music theory class, not a beginner piano class. He rarely offered feedback on us actually playing. Most of the class was listening to him ramble and try to explain something for 15 minutes that just leaves you more confused. Not a fun classMUSC1205 2019-04-24 17:53:42 +0000 UTC
I usually don't rate my professors, al of them are nice. but this one right here is just different. i took this class as an elective, and as a student not familiar with music, he game me a lot of trouble. i struggled and asked for his helps and didn't gave it to me. don't take this professor if your not a music mayor.MUSC2311 2018-01-16 00:19:31 +0000 UTC
I took his What's Playing @ Symphony? class. It was horrible. Robison was nice but lazy and made way too many excuses for it. The class demanded too much time for an elective. Don't take this class. You can get a yearly $25 college card to Symphony Hall without going to this class.MUSC1136 2014-01-04 21:44:26 +0000 UTC
I love this guy. He's absolutely hilarious, he spaces out all the time but he gets the job done. He sings and makes ridiculously cliche jokes. Tests are ALL online, including the final exam in our case. Five concert reports are due which are easy; witness a live concert and write a review. Great class. Fun guy! Recommended!MUSU101 2007-05-08 01:01:22 +0000 UTC
Class was incredily boring, but he made it interesting with humor. Assignments and tests are easy and he is extremely helpful. One lecture per week was online, which was awesome.MUS101 2007-03-13 20:39:38 +0000 UTC
Would recommend avoiding at ALL costs.MUSC1201 2024-04-22 15:14:12 +0000 UTC
While he is a nice guy, he is not a great professor. His teaching style can be very hard to follow and is often only loosely related to the subject matter for the day. My previous knowledge in theory was the only thing that saved me from spending hours online learning the course material myself because you won't get much from the lectures.MUSC1119 2024-12-12 00:14:46 +0000 UTC
Would not recommend. Only professor I've ever had that will dock you points when seeking help because he had an "oversight". His grading is poor to pitiful and ultimately takes formulaic writing wayyyy too seriously. To summarize, I wouldn't recommend him.MUSC1111 2015-11-19 16:45:55 +0000 UTC
Professor Robison is unusually nice for a man who has clearly got to be out of his freaking mind. He assigned our summer class more work than an entire semester of 4 classes. Never in my entire life have I had to do so much work, which was extremely intense and difficult work too I might ad. This guy is absolutely insane and sadistic. Save ME!!MUSC2311 2011-08-02 01:02:58 +0000 UTC
just try to avoid...very tough grader, not very good at explaining concepts, bad professorMUSC1201 2023-12-18 03:35:07 +0000 UTC
I feel bad leaving a negative review because he seems nice but avoid this professor's class if youre new to music theory. His sporadic teaching style makes it hard to follow and the course jumps from basic to complex concepts quickly, forcing you to self-teach. If it's your only option, study early to stay ahead.I learned little despite my efforts.MUSC1119 2024-12-10 14:59:16 +0000 UTC
Brian Robison has an average rating of 2.44/5 from 398 student reviews. 5.0% of students said they would take them again.
Brian Robison's classes have a difficulty rating of 3.5/5 based on student reviews.
Brian Robison has taught MUSC1119, MUSC1201, MUSC2210, MUSC1202, MUSC1000, MUST1301, MUSC1205, MUSC1116, MUSC3550 at Northeastern.
Data updated July 2026.