From the streets of Baltimore, Maryland to the campus of The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Associate Professor, Dr. Richard White (R.A.W. Tuba) continues to make headlines. The most recent is the publishing of his autobiography, ‘I’m Possible’.
‘I’m Possible’ depicts an inspirational story of tenacity, a love for music, and triumph.
Growing up in Baltimore, White did his best to care for his mother who was battling alcoholism while experiencing homelessness and hunger. Searching for his mother one night resulted in a near-death experience in the snow and being taken in by his adoptive grandparents.
Under the care of his adoptive family, White discovered his purpose and passion for music and soon began his journey to musical success. He began his tuba studies with Ed Goldstein at age 12 at The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts, where he graduated with honors. He then went to the Peabody Conservatory of Music to study with David Fedderly (Principal Tubist, Baltimore Symphony) where he received his Bachelor’s degree. On the advice of Mr. Fedderly, Dr. White traveled to Indiana University to study with the legendary Professor Daniel Perantoni where he continued his studies receiving both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees.
“I am possible. You are possible. Everything is possible.” – Associate Professor, Dr. Richard White
White is now a professor at UNM where he holds the positions of associate professor of tuba/euphonium and associate director of the UNM marching band. Along with also being a motivational speaker, the principal tubist in the New Mexico Philharmonic, and a mentor for many, Dr. Richard White continues to create an impact on the UNM campus and Albuquerque area.
Throughout his musical and educational career development, Dr. White has had a passionate interest in motivational speaking. That dream has recently materialized itself with the launching of his website rawtuba.com. Sharing inspirational thoughts and philosophies that have motivated Dr. White has taken him to Mexico, South America, Europe, South East Asia and across the United States of America – with more engagements on the horizon.
“I want you to read this story and feel like you are a superhero. I want you to read this book and dream big, impossible dreams,” said White. “Looking at the beginning of my life, everyone would have thought it was impossible for me to survive, impossible for me to succeed, impossible for me to be who I have become. But here I am, standing on a stage, playing the tuba, living a happy life. I am possible. And therefore I know that anything is possible. I am possible. You are possible. Everything is possible.”
White’s story was eloquently presented in the documentary titled “R.A.W.Tuba: From Sandtown to Symphony”
Click here to purchase ‘I’m possible’ by Richard White, available on Oct. 5.
Heterophony: Texture, Technique, and Social Commentary
This lecture is in two parts: the first draws from my research on the 1960s jazz avant-garde and musicians’ interests in heterophonic musical textures. For the second part, I perform original music that utilizes heterophony and “noise” in a solo electronic and improvised format.
The Gay West: From Drug Store Cowboys to Rodeo Queens
The masculine ideal represented by the American cowboy is variously interpreted by spectators, dancers, musicians, and contestants at gay rodeos and country western dances across the U.S. Examining embodied gender practices within these communities, this talk articulates the sonic, social, and geographical spaces of the gay American West.
The Cruelty of Jazz: Toward a Hemispheric Politics of Sound
Rooted in concepts of affect and Empire, this paper argues that jazz operated in various 20th century Latin American settings as a vital touchstone bearing the risks and benefits of urban modernization, hemispheric geopolitics, and transnational cultural production, “cruelly” echoing the United States’ cultural, political, and economic dominance in the hemisphere and beyond.