Rate My Professor Jason Hawkins

Jason Hawkins, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Choral Music Education and Assistant Director of the School of Music at Western Illinois University, where he teaches Concert Choir and music education courses and conducts the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He earned a B.A. in Choral Music Education and Trumpet Performance from Western Illinois University, an M.A. in Education from Governors State University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Illinois, during which he served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. A WIU alumnus, Dr. Hawkins returned to his alma mater after a distinguished twelve-year tenure as Director of Choirs at Plainfield North High School near Chicago. Under his leadership, the choirs garnered prestigious accolades, including a Choirs of America Nationals "Spotlight Performance" at Carnegie Hall, "Outstanding Performance" in DownBeat Magazine's Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble division, designation as an ILMEA All-State guest performing ensemble, and "Most Outstanding Choral Group" at the Washington D.C. Heritage Festival. He was selected as Plainfield Schools' 2016 "Teacher of the Year" and taught as adjunct faculty at Lewis University.

Dr. Hawkins maintains an active profile as a choral clinician and conductor, frequently leading traditional and jazz ensembles for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), Illinois High School Association (IHSA), regional choral festivals, and WorldStrides Heritage Festivals, establishing a strong reputation across Illinois. His scholarly interests center on integrating technology for assessment and instruction in choral settings, leading to presentations at the International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education, the Illinois Music Education Conference, guest lectures at regional universities, and multiple publications. He advises the university's fully online Master of Music in Music Education program, has delivered clinics for high school choirs in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri—including the ILMEA State-Wide Virtual District Jr. Choir Festival—and served on the review panel for the International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education.