Dr. Michael White is a scholar and musician with deep connections to traditional New Orleans music. He grew up listening to brass bands of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and played clarinet with the Doc Paulin Brass Band, Fairview Baptist Church Band, and the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, among others. Dr. White is also the band leader of the Liberty Brass Band, which he founded in 1981.

In addition to his work as a professional musician, Dr. White teaches Spanish and music courses at Xavier University in New Orleans. Dr. White organized a series of workshops with the Hot 8 Brass Band to help them become more fluent in traditional repertoire and performance practices.

Artist Willie Birch, who created the artwork in the book Roll With It, made this portrait of Michael White, called “The Leader (Michael White)” in 2004.