John D. Eros Faculty Profile

John Eros is Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at California State University, East Bay, where he teaches courses in general and instrumental music methods, music in film, and the history of rock music, as well as supervising student teachers. In addition to his teaching duties, Eros presently serves as co-chair of the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Dr. Eros holds a BM in Music Education from Northwestern University, where he studied trumpet with Vincent Cichowicz, an MA in the Pedagogy of Music Theory from the Eastman School of Music, and a PhD in Music Education from the University of Michigan. He has completed certification levels in Orff and Music Learning Theory (Gordon) although, as a person of Hungarian ancestry, he feels a particular affinity for his training in the Kodály Concept and its emphasis on centering students’ own musical traditions. His musical education also includes the study of West African percussion, the Irish bódhran, and Tuvan khöömei throatsinging at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

An active researcher, he has presented research at the national conferences for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA), as well as the Symposium on Music Teacher Education (SMTE) among others. He has published research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Arts Education Policy Review, and the International Journal of Music Education. Additional publications include invited book chapters on qualitative research methods, curriculum development for English Language Learners, and the recruitment of new music teachers.

He currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Music Teacher Education, and also serves as the California representative for the Society of Music Teacher Education. As a researcher, his present work focuses on music teacher education, professional development and the teacher career cycle, the recruitment of new music teachers, and English Language Learners. 

Eros taught band, elementary, and secondary general music for several years in the Chicagoland area, primarily with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). While in CPS, Eros also initiated band programs at two inner-city K-8 schools, and won numerous grants from organizations such as the Chicago Foundation for Education, the Oppenheimer Foundation, and the Milagro Foundation. He has also taught music education courses as a faculty member at Adrian College (Adrian, MI) and Concordia University (Ann Arbor, MI).

A Virginia native, John currently lives in Berkeley, where he enjoys the privilege of learning from the many diverse cultures which comprise the East Bay. He also enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and watching sunsets while walking the family dog (Eddie).