Artist of the Week: Leland White

Warwick Valley Middle School eighth grader Leland White feels most at home behind a keyboard, surrounded by other musicians, and performing in front of a crowd.

As a member of the middle school’s Guitar Club, Leland has become known for his confidence on stage, his ability to learn songs by ear, and his willingness to jump in wherever he is needed during performances.

“Leland has been a superstar for the Guitar Club,” said WVMS teacher and club advisor Brett Algera. “He’s come so far from who he was in fifth grade to today in eighth grade. He learns songs quickly by ear and jumps in to play keys any time someone is missing from a song. But where he really shines is on stage.”

For decades, Guitar Club has been a unique part of the Warwick Valley Middle School experience, giving students the opportunity to perform in bands, explore different genres of music, and develop skills that extend far beyond the stage.

Leland joined the Guitar Club after hearing about the opportunity at school and deciding to give it a try. Since then, he has performed songs including “Head Over Heels,” “Losing My Religion,” and “Maps,” while growing as a musician alongside his classmates. While the club introduces students to a wide variety of instruments and genres, Leland primarily plays piano and keyboard, skills he first began developing around age nine with help from his grandfather.

Music is a family affair

“He taught me how to play,” Leland said, sharing that he plays mostly gospel and that his favorite musician is the Chicago-based pastor and singer Phil Tarver.

Music has been a part of Leland’s life and family for as long as anyone can remember. Outside of school, he performs with relatives in a family gospel group called The Grand Band, which includes his siblings and cousins. The group has been performing together for about four years, including appearances at local churches. Leland said one of his favorite parts of playing music is collaborating with others, whether with The Grand Band or his Guitar Clubmates.

“I like it when I get to join other musicians,” he said. “I like to make it feel like a band.”

Embracing the audience

For Leland, collaboration includes the audience, too. He enjoys performing and feeding off the positive energy the audience returns to the stage. One of his favorite musical memories is encouraging the audience at one of his gigs to cheer along with the music.

“I made the audience cheer,” Leland said proudly, pumping his arms in a “raise the roof” motion. Performing in front of a crowd has never been something that’s made Leland anxious. “I’m just not a nervous guy.”

Building relationships with teachers

Beyond music, Leland enjoys math, playing games on his iPad, and spending time with friends and teachers at school. As he reflected on his middle school experience, Leland said one of the things he is most proud of is the relationships he has built with teachers throughout the building.

He eagerly listed off many of the teachers who have supported him and made him feel welcomed over the years. Among them are Ms. Begley, Ms. Ahearn, Mr. Botta, Mr. Kelly, Ms. King, Ms. Decker, Ms. Chenoweth, Mr. Algera, and Mr. Mesic.

“I love them all so much,” he said, adding with a smile, “And I think they [liked] having me in their classes, too.”

Looking ahead to high school

Looking ahead to high school, Leland said he plans to simply continue focusing on music, getting good grades, and the people who matter most to him.

“My family, my friends, my teachers,” he said. “I really care about them.”