Percussion professor set to retire after 36 years at UTEP

35 years at utep. abc-7’s adrian ochoa reports: “never thought i’d be here this long but i’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here.” larr white first came to utep in 1980. it was an adjustment at first. “i grew up in north carolina on the coast and i thought wow a lot of beach no water and i had to get used to and i did get used to it.” for 36 years he’s been utep’s director of percussion. hundreds of students have gone through his program. whether it was on the drumline or the pandemonium steel drum band — a group he started in 1996. monday he conducted his final concert ahead of his retirment. several of his former students were in attendance — some of them — now band directors at local schools: “he kind of brought us al together and made us realize each other strengths. it’s just a great thing.” “thank him for all the years of service and all the guidance and all the knowledge he spread upon all of us.” i too had the priviledge of learning from mr white. a lot of fond memories here at the fox fine arts center. i was in the drumline for three years and i was also a member of the pandemonium steel drum band. i owe a lot to mr. white…. and he will definitely be missed here at utep. “too see them stay in this fiel or even to go into different fields like yourself, it’s very heartening for someone who’s been here long enough to see that and so i’m very proud of my former students.” and his connection with his students — extended beyond the classroom like when a student became paralyzed from the waist down following a car crash: “and i told him i will not leav utep until i get you out with your music ed degree cause he was so close to getting it and we arranged marimbas that he could play.” white kept tha promise and the student graduated. saying goodbye is never easy.. and white — admits he has mixed emotions — but he’s ready to try new things. still — the impact he left will be carried on by those who at one time or another — ever picked up a pair of sticks — as a utep miner: “he had a positive attitude and it was great to be in his group.” “bringing that love across or the little nuances to percussion that makes music cool he put that all together for all of us.” adrian ochoa — abc- 7. white says he plans to teach part time at the el paso conservatory of music and he’ll continue to play for the el paso symphony.