Dr. Adam White

Assistant Professor
Music Education

Biography

Dr. White is thrilled to return home to K-State. Since 2020, he has served as an assistant professor and coordinator of the music education program at Northern Kentucky University. Dr. White holds a PhD in music education from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in music education (choral pedagogy) from the University of Kansas, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Kansas State University (Go Cats!). His research and academic interests include sight-singing, singer assessment, vernacular music making in the United States, issues of hearing loss among musicians, and cooperative rehearsal practices. His research on sight-singing assessment was recently published in the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing. Dr. White has presented at state, regional, and international conferences.

Dr. White began his teaching career in rural Kansas, where he taught K-12 vocal music and eventually became the vocal music teacher at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka. Under his direction, the Washburn Rural Chorale received top ratings at festivals each of the 11 years he taught there. The Chorale also commissioned and premiered new choral works by Timothy Takach, Andrea Ramsey, and Jacob Narverud. Adam’s choirs have twice been invited to perform at the Kansas Music Educators Conference. Dr. White has been recognized for excellence in teaching, including NKU’s Outstanding Clinical Educator (2025), Kentucky MEA District 6 University Teacher of the Year (2024), and WRHS Educator of Excellence (2008). During his time at K-State, Dr. White would assume the identity of a famous big-headed personality and would roam sporting events doing push-ups and firing up the crowd.