About Mrs. White – Kiser Middle School Director of Bands

Tammy R. White is a dedicated music educator with over 30 years of experience, currently serving as Director of Bands at Kiser Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina. Under her leadership, the Kiser Middle School Bands have consistently earned top ratings at district adjudications and regional music festivals. Her passion for fostering musical excellence extends beyond the classroom, as she regularly serves as a guest clinician for concert bands and has conducted frequently at the UNC-Greensboro Summer Music Camp.

A proud advocate for equitable access to music education, Mrs. White works closely with students, families, and fellow educators to foster a lifelong love of the arts. She currently serves as the TeachNC Teacher Ambassador for Guilford County Schools, supporting individuals pursuing careers in education and strengthening teaching programs across the district. She also serves as the mentor committee representative for the NC Central District Bandmasters Association, guiding and supporting new and aspiring band directors.

Mrs. White is a proud alumna of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of School Administration degree. Her musical background includes performing as a bassoonist with the East Carolina University Wind Ensemble under Dr. Herbert Carter and with the Orchestra under Robert Hause. She also marched as a clarinetist with the East Carolina University Marching Pirates under Dr. Thomas Goolsby. While at UNC-Greensboro, she performed as a bassoonist with the UNCG Wind Ensemble under Dr. John R. Locke and with the Symphony Orchestra under Robert Gutter. One of her most memorable performance experiences came in January 1992, when she joined the UNCG Wind Ensemble for A Tribute to John Philip Sousa, performing for a full audience of 2,700 at the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

An active member of the professional music education community, Mrs. White belongs to the National Association for Music Educators, the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, Women Band Directors International, and the Association of Black Women Band Directors.

Her teaching excellence has been widely recognized. Mrs. White was twice named Teacher of the Year by the Kiser Middle School PTA, honored as the 2018 Kiser Middle School Teacher of the Year, and named the 2019 Guilford County Schools Teacher of the Year. Nationally, she has been a three-time quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year Award and was recognized by School Band and Orchestra magazine in 2023 as North Carolina’s representative among the 50 Directors Who Make a Difference. Most recently, she was named the 2024 Band Director of the Year by the Central District of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association.

Through her dedication and leadership, Mrs. White continues to enrich the lives of young musicians, inspiring a lifelong love of music and learning. She lives by the words of Marian Wright Edelman:

“If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.”