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Campus Directory

FACULTY AND STAFF

Justin Antos

Title:Adjunct Band Director
Office:Warde Academic Center
Phone:773-298-3422
Email:jantos@sxu.edu
Department:Music

Biography

Dr. Justin Antos, '08, serves as the Director of Bands at Saint Xavier University and as the Director of Bands and Orchestras at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Illinois.

Since joining the Dwight D. Eisenhower High School staff in 2009, Antos took an instrumental music program of one band of just over 40 students and transformed it into three curricular bands, two curricular orchestras, and a guitar program, now serving a total of over 300 students. His concert bands, marching bands, jazz ensembles, and orchestras have earned numerous first-place finishes and Division I ratings at various state and national festivals over the past several years. Antos also conducts the high school's award-winning show choir combo, musical pit band, mariachi band, and pep band, and facilitates 15 different chamber ensembles.

Since 2014, Antos has also served as an adjunct professor of music at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. Throughout his career, Antos has taught music full-time to students ranging in age from Pre-K through undergraduate school in the domains of band, orchestra, choir, and general music.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Antos is a respected scholar who has published several articles in practitioner and academic journals and has presented at numerous music education conferences throughout the United States. He has received prestigious awards from The University of Chicago, Auburn University, VanderCook College of Music, and Saint Xavier University for his work in music education and was a national finalist for the 2021 Grammy Music Educator Award. Moreover, Antos frequently performs as a freelance percussionist and studio musician in the Chicagoland area and operates his own home recording studio, where he provides free demo recordings for up-and-coming artists.

Antos is currently endorsed in K-12 Music and K-12 General Administration in Illinois and holds National Board Teaching Certification in Instrumental Music Education. He volunteers extensively in the Blue Island community, serves on Dwight D. Eisenhower High School's leadership team and equity committee, mentors teachers, designs and facilitates professional development opportunities for colleagues, and donates to families in need and other charitable organizations as often as possible.


Education

Ph.D. in Music Education
Auburn University

Ed.S. in Music Education
Auburn University

M.M. in School Improvement Leadership
Olivet Nazarene University

M.M. in Instrumental Conducting
Central Michigan University

M.M. in Music Education
Boston University

B.M. in Percussion Performance
Saint Xavier University

B.M. in Music Education
Saint Xavier University

Areas of Specialization

  • Competition in music education.
  • Pre-service teacher training.
  • Programming trends in instrumental music education.
  • Culturally-responsive teaching and leading.

Certification/Licensure

  • Illinois Professional Educator License, K-12 Music and General Administration.
  • National Board Teaching Certification, Music - Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood - Band.

Courses Taught

  • MUS 234: University Band
  • MUS 336: Methods of Teaching Secondary Instrumental Music

Selected Honors/Awards

  • Grammy Music Educator Award - Top 10 National Finalist, 2021.
  • Midwest Music Festival Hall of Fame Inductee, 2020.
  • Chicagoland Teacher Award, McCready Law Firm, 2019.
  • Outstanding Educator Award, University of Chicago, 2018.
  • George K. McGuire School of Education Distinguished Alumni Award, Saint Xavier University, 2017.
  • Auburn University Graduate School's Distinguished Dissertation Award, 2017.
  • Named as the first Distinguished Alumnus of Oak Lawn School District 123, 2015.
  • Named the 2014 Man of the Year by the Blue Island Chamber of Commerce after the achievements demonstrated by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Instrumental Music Program since 2009.
  • Best in Show Award for a presentation entitled, "Writing the Next Hit Single", Community High School District 218 Teacher Fair, 2012.

Presentations/Publications/Productions

Antos, J. M. (2019). An investigation into how contest outcomes affect student attitudes toward competitive marching band. Journal of Band Research, 55 (1), 18-48.

Antos, J. M. (2018, November). Demystifying the dissertation. Conference session at the 2018 Community High School District 218 Teacher Fair, Oak Lawn, IL.

Antos, J. M. (2017). High school students' attitudes toward competitive marching band: A comparative analysis based upon contest rankings (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Auburn University Electronic Theses/Dissertations Database. (http://hdl.handle.net/10415/5688).

Antos, J. M. (2016). 5 facts about music competition. Instrumentalist, 70 (6), 6-8.

Antos, J. M. (2014, June). High School Band Director's Opinions of the Top Ten Original Works for Band. Paper presentation at 2014 Ed.S. defense, Auburn, AL.

Antos, J. M. (2013). Starting a string orchestra from scratch. Instrumentalist, 67 (11), 24-26.

Antos, J. M. (2012, November). Writing the next hit single. Conference session at the 2012 Community High School District 218 Teacher Fair, Blue Island, IL.