WATAUGA COUNTY, NC - OBITUARIES - Dr. Elmer White, 4 Jan 2004 ----¤¤¤¤---- Transcriber Notice: Please note that I am only extracting this information and do not have any affiliation with this family. Survivors omitted. Durant Daily Democrat Durant, Bryan County, Oklahoma Wednesday, January 7, 2004 Dr. Elmer White Dr. Elmer White, Boone, N.C., died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004 at his residence. He was member of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Boone. He was born March 29, 1936, in Ashland, Ky., to the late Viola Sparks White and Elmer R. White, Sr. Dr. White was a graduate of Ashland High School, and was an Eagle Scout. He was a member of the 202nd Army Band. He earned an AB degree in music education from Marshall University in Huntington, W.V. in 1957. While at Marshall, he placed first in the Charleston, W.V. Orchestra Concerto Competition, and was featured soloist with the orchestra in a performance of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. He also earned the distinction of being one of only four trumpet students selected nationally to be members of the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra in Lenox, Mass, the summer residence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and played under internationally renowned orchestral conductors Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Charles Munch and Lucas Foss. He also performed with the acclaimed pianist Rudolf Serkin at his summer Marlboro Music Festival. In 1958, he was chosen to perform with The American Wind Symphony in Pittsburg, Penn. In 1959, Dr. White was awarded the MFA degree in trumpet performance from The Ohio University where he served as graduate assistant to Charles Minelli. That same year, he was appointed professor of music and director of bands at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. From 1959 to 1963, he was a member of the Youngstown Philharmonic Orchestra. It was during this time that he met his future wife Joan Lynn Botsco, an oboist in the orchestra. They were married June 3, 1961, at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Youngstown. Dr. White accepted a position on the music faculty of Appalachian State Teachers College in 1963. He taught a wide variety of music classes and ensembles during a 30-plus year career. In 1972, he earned the EdD degree from Columbia University in New York City where he conducted and coauthored several research studies, and studied trumpet with Roy Stevens. As a freelance trumpeter in New York City, he played with such groups as the Bob Crosby Bearcats and back-up orchestras for Liberace, Helen Reddy and others. During his 37-year teaching career at ASU, Dr. White distinguished himself as a trumpet teacher, performer, researcher, adjudicator and a mentor to hundreds of students. He established and conducted the Appalachian Wind Ensemble and directed the University Jazz Ensembles. He was appointed director of graduate studies in music and served on numerous university committees. Dr. White authored several research studies pertaining to trumpet tone production and behavioral modification in music which were published in national and international research journals and presented papers at national music conventions. He was guest conductor and adjudicator at numerous high school band concerts, music competitions, and festivals throughout the southeast. He and his wife performed together in many concerts on and off campus during their careers at ASU. they were also members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Winston- Salem Symphony Orchestra for several years. Dr. White retired from ASU in 1995, at which time he was awarded the rank of Professor Emeritus. He continued teaching part-time until 2000. Following their retirement, the Whites established the largest endowed scholarship fund in the School of Music of Appalachian State. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Friday at Hampton Funeral Service, Boone, N.C. A funeral mass will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with the Revs. Francis T. Connelly and Robert Bond officiating. The body will lie in state from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Entombment will follow at Mount Lawn Memorial Park in Boone. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: C Colston ___________________________________________________________________