WHS BAND Staff

Mike Malek – Director of Bands Mike Malek currently serves as director of bands at Wheeling High School in Wheeling, Illinois.  He previously served as band director at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights. During his six-year tenure at MacArthur, the concert band consistently earned superior ratings at IGSMA organizational contest – a tradition still held by the program since 1973.  In 2016, both the jazz band and concert band received perfect score ratings.  The concert band has also been selected to the Illinois Superstate Band Festival five years in a row and was named honor band in 2012.  

 Mr. Malek now directs the "Wildcat" Marching Band, Wind Symphony, Symphony Band and Jazz Band I at Wheeling. The groups have achieved honors in the marching, jazz, and concert band disciplines including winning class AA and class A marching captions, performing at the IMEC All-State music convention with the Jazz Band 1 in 2019, and the Wind Symphony's performance at the Music For All National Concert Band Festival in 2020. 

 Mr. Malek holds a degree of Bachelor’s in Music Education with honors from Indiana University, Bloomington.  In summer of 2014 he received his Master’s in Music Education with honors from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. His professional affiliations are with the Illinois Music Educator’s Association, the Illinois Grade School Music Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.  His primary conducting teachers were Dr. Barron Breland, Dr. Paul Popiel, Dr. Allan McMurray, and Dr. Charles Menghini.  Other influential teachers include David J. Thomas, Scott Casagrande, Dave Morrison and his trombone professor Peter Ellefson.