Testimonials

From student evaluations at New College of Florida, Washington University, and Northwestern University, 2011-2022

I learned more in this class than in any of my other academic courses this quarter. It was a pleasure having LJ as a teacher, and as a result of his instruction and encouragement, I've tapped into musical abilities that I thought were either lost or unattainable.

Dr. White is one of the best professors at Wash U. He is humorous, understanding, really good at teaching, and pushes his students just enough. This is the most I've grown musically in a long time.  

This course exceeded my expectations and kept me engaged and interested all semester. I feel i've gained great and genuine understanding in my journey with music.

LJ is awesome! He is so enthusiastic about music theory that it is contagious. 

Wonderful opportunity for anyone at any level of composition ability to grow as a composer. Great community within the class as well, fostered by the wonderful Dr. White. 

If you are at all interested in discovering more about the music you want to write, take this course! Professor White pushed me to create music I never thought I would, and that helped my individual writing immensely. 

LJ is a phenomenal teacher. Music theory is rarely taught well, and before this class I found it intimidating and mystifying. He really helped us understand what we were doing and apply each tool in a variety of ways.

The instructor was always clear and encouraging, allowing everyone's voice to be heard and leaving room for everyone's individual growth.… I feel like I've grown as a person, as well my understanding of those around me.

I learned so much about music and composition; this class really expanded my horizons and made me more open to new styles and ideas about music.

The individual lessons were awesome for me. I gained so much knowledge on how to write music for an orchestra and different tools for writing music in general. 

If you want to do composition of any kind, Dr. White is the best you'll find at Wash U.  Part of what makes him a great teacher is how diverse his musical taste is.  His awareness of styles beyond his makes him especially well-suited to working with students who work on diverse projects.

Thank you for renewing my interest in songwriting!

The instructor was open to different styles of music and accepting.  He worked not to change our styles, but help us progress within it.

Good at explaining technical terms in ways that make sense without much previous outside knowledge/training. Really good at cultivating a classroom environment that felt safe and welcoming, especially during activities/discussions that could invoke some vulnerability.

The class was very diverse in terms of race, sexuality, area of study, and gender, and at no point did anyone seem uncomfortable or out of place in class. Dr. White was excellent in regards to equal and fair treatment despite these differences. 

Professor White is one of the best professors I have ever had. He is extremely helpful because of how knowledgeable he is on the subject and the class was organized so well. I always felt comfortable coming to him with questions or when I needed extra help. He made learning such a tricky subject easy to digest and I genuinely enjoyed going to class. I learned something new in every single class and yet did not feel overwhelmed because of how well Professor White broke things down.

Talking with Dr. White about music conceptually, as well as its implications, all helped to stronger compositions on my part.

The lessons provided me with concrete feedback on how to improve in both the short and long term.

He emphasized that all genres of music are valid and worth studying.  The examples he played for us in class drew from a variety of genres, from Beethoven to Britney Spears.

The space offered to participate was kind and open-minded, which led to pretty amazing and comforting group discussions. I participated more in this class than in any of my others due to the accepting environment in which LJ provided us with.

Dr White will meet you where you're at with your compositional skills and push you to improve.

Private lessons with LJ on music theory were a blast.

He made a subject that could have been quite boring into one of the most exciting classes of the semester. 

One of the most organized, customized classes I've ever taken. 

 This was the most organized class I have taken here at NCF. I always knew what we were working on and what to expect… Additionally, each homework assignment helped immensely in understanding the material better, so I never felt like we were being given busy work.

Lessons were clear, and students were always involved in moving them forward… Insights were contextualized, and then opened for recontextualization/clarification from the student lens.

The individual lessons were really helpful in giving me direction on my projects.

Dr. White understands how to build a curriculum for this course that best helps each individual student learn and grow.

Dr. White is great! He's engaging and humorous in class, but doesn't let it get out of hand.

Dr. White can be nitpick–y, but thanks to that, I feel as though my ear training has improved greatly over the course of this past semester.

The professor was also very open to answering questions, and didn't make me feel bad when I asked simple questions or questions with answers that we had already learned about.

The homework is extremely useful, and it is tailored I think exceptionally well to the course material. It is never a breeze and tempts you to make mistakes, but that has been important to my understanding of the course.  

LJ is awesome! He takes pride in students learning the material and does a great job of working with people across varied backgrounds.

I don't think LJ could have been a better teacher. He was always available if I needed extra help (which I did) and his enthusiasm really inspired me to try my hardest.

I ended up learning so much more than I could have ever anticipated and looked forward to class. Now when I listen to music, I have a much greater appreciation for it and can really understand what it is about music that I like.

LJ is awesome! He takes pride in students learning the material and does a great job of working with people across varied backgrounds.

LJ is very cool, and he definitely knows what he is talking about.

Great job holding students' attention. Class was almost never boring and never a waste of time.

LJ is very clear and straightforward. There was never a time I was confused about what we were learning.

Boredom is very rare; I looked forward to this class every day.

Super well organized class, really really well taught.

One of the coolest professors (if not THE) that I've had at NU. Great sense of humor.

I always felt welcome in Dr. White's class. He was very friendly and conversational in lessons.

I learned so much about music and composition; this class really expanded my horizons and made me more open to new styles and ideas about music.

LJ is a really enthusiastic teacher.  He is always very prepared and asks good questions to facilitate discussion.

The instructor was enthusiastic, has excelled in the field, was open and understanding to all types of composition and music, and was available for help outside the class.

Communicates the course material in an extremely organized and straightforward fashion.

The instructor was always clear and encouraging, allowing everyone's voice to be heard and leaving room for everyone's individual growth.… I feel like I've grown as a person, as well my understanding of those around me.

LJ [is] very eager and passionate about the subject and was clear in his ideas.

LJ is a fantastic teacher and he really cares about his students. He is definitely one of the best and if not the best aural skills teacher.

LJ is an excellent teacher because he really knows what he is doing. He can detect errors easily, and he has constructive criticism. He never makes us feel like children and he is very understanding.

He picks out every minor mistake in sight singing, and helps you work on your difficulties. 

An excellent ear and limitless patience.

This course was wonderful. LJ White is a fun, enthusiastic teacher and was very good at helping you no matter what level you have achieved so far in your singing. The atmosphere was very comfortable, and everyone improved a lot throughout the quarter.

I think LJ is the best Aural Skills instructor. He really cares and understands music, and is really dedicated to help people learn.

I learned the most in this class, mainly because it was taught so well.

LJ is great!  He is very enthusiastic and keeps things interesting, has a lot of great tips and really cares about everyone's progress.

LJ brings a great attitude to class every day. He is a clear communicator and is always willing to slow down for questions.

LJ is the best!!!!!! I wouldn't want to take this class with any other TA. It's tough but he teaches in a way that makes it easier to understand and really improve. So glad he was my teacher!!!