Friday, July 4, 2014

Byron Dobson: Dr. Julian White seeks diversity in Goodwill’s band

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  In his 50-year career as a music educator, first on the public-school level and later as director of Florida A&M University’s Marching 100, Julian White has had his share of experiences with students needing access to instruments and lessons to expand their musical talents.

Like a dedicated sports coach who also grooms the playing field and pays out of pocket for unexpected expenses, band directors on the grassroots level search for the right acoustic setting for practices, seek patron partnerships and learn how to strike deals on purchasing musical instruments.

That’s why White, 73, gets excited when he talks about his new environment as director of musical outreach for Goodwill Industries of the Big Bend. It may sound like an odd partnership, but Goodwill is including music classes and the formation of a community band among its many offerings, now that its Prosperity Center is open at its West Pensacola Street campus.

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