Meet Andre White - Arranger for ADLIB Steel
Orchestra - Up close!
He is
immensely talented, intelligent, unpretentious, thankful, hard-working and focused. In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks (WST)
-
champion steelband panorama arranger Andre White
- fresh from his victories in the UK Panorama and the New York
Panorama - speaks about his
accomplishments, school, his future and position as arranger for New York’s
ADLIB Steel Orchestra.
Global -
Although
he is
only 21
years
old, Andre
White
has
accomplished
much in
a very
short
space of
time. In
fact he
has been
successful
in a
forum
where
many
have
spent a
lifetime
trying
to
accomplish
his
feats. He
already
won the
prestigious
New York
steelband
music
panorama
competition
twice as
arranger
for one
of New
York’s
flagship
steel
orchestra
franchises
-
ADLIB
Steel
Orchestra. He is a
senior
at Berklee
College of
Music.
And in
addition,
he
recently
captured
the UK’s
top
panorama
honors
as
winning
arranger
for
Mangrove
Steel
Band
where
the
judges
were
none
other
than
highly
respected
steelpan
music
personages - Anise ‘Halfers’ Hadeed, Nestor Sullivan, Ray Holman, Robert Bailey and Rudy ‘Two Lef’ Smith.
He then
went on
to
repeat
his
winning
ways as
in New
York as
ADLIB’s
resident
arranger.
White
captured
both
titles
within a
week of
each
other.
Andre
told WST
he looks
forward
to
being
back
in
school
at
Berklee, where
he can
continue
to grow
musically
and fine-tune the
music of
‘Andre
White.’
Other
steelpan
standouts
who are currently
matriculating
students
at
Berklee
include
Iman
Pascal,
KJ Marcelle,
Earl
Brooks
Jr. and
Kareem
Thompson.
Andre
says he
is taking
nothing
for
granted
and
thanks
all
the people
(including
his
ADLIB band mates)
who have
been
instrumental
in
giving
him an
opportunity
to
showcase
his
talents.
Philosophically,
he is
very
clear on
one of
the more
beneficial
mindsets
on the
path to
success.
“I’m not
afraid
to say I
am still
growing.
I think
I will
be
growing
forever....”
Since
tying
for
third
place in
2007
Andre
White
and
ADLIB
Steel
Orchestra
have not
been out of
the top
three
positions
(2008,
2009,
2010
and
2011)
in the
New York
panorama
contest.
