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Richard White

@raw_tuba

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🎺😂 “Yo Yo Ma Should Be Sad He Plays The Cello” — yes, that’s a real movement title. Yes, my narration is absolutely obnoxious. No, I have zero regrets. 😂😂😂

Here’s what you need to know: in middle school, band had a star reward system. More songs = more stars. Except… nobody wrote tuba solos in bass clef for kids like me to learn from. The tuba was always in the back, always accompanying, never the star.

So I asked my band director to arrange songs FOR ME. And then I played them. Loudly. All the time. Sometimes beatboxing. Creating my OWN style. Making it a whole entire spectacle every single time. 🎶🤣

Because I needed everyone to know — I play tuba. And ANYTHING is Possible. Even the solos. Especially the solos.

This excerpt from the world premiere at the National Orchestral Institute gives me pure joy every single time I hear it. 🎶💯

This is exactly why I share my story.

Gratitude always to my collaborators: composer D.J. Sparr, librettist Janine Joseph, producer Richard Scerbo, and shout-out to New Mexico and the School of Fine Arts at The University of New Mexico for the support. 🙏

Is your orchestra looking for something that will move, surprise, and delight your audience? “I’m Possible” is ready for the 2026–27 season. 🎶 Tap the link in my bio to learn more — and while you’re there, support the next generation of young musicians through the Raw Tuba Foundation. 💛

#ImPossible #YoYoMaShouldBeSaidHePlaysTheCello #RichardAntoineWhite #TubaLife #NationalOrchestralInstitute ChamberOrchestra NarratedOrchestra ClassicalMusic NewMusic OrchestraLife WorldPremiere LiveMusic Resilience MusicEducation Memoir RepresentationMatters BookNow 2026Season RawTubaFoundation LinkInBio UNMFineArts UNM by @raw_tuba

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9 days ago

A moment from the "I'm Possible" workshop premiere at @noifestival. This is a work for narrator and orchestra based on the memoir by @raw_tuba, narrated here by the man himself, with libretto/poetry by @landscapewithj9.

In this excerpt, a young Richard yearns to play "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Shoutout to Stevie Wonder for the inspiration!

Designed so any narrator can bring the story to life, from Richard to a guest artist to a beloved local voice.

#StevieWonder #IJustCalledToSayILoveYou #NewMusic #Orchestra #ContemporaryClassical #Tuba #ImPossible #ClassicalMusic #Composer #NOI #sparrmusic #rawtuba #djsparr by @raw_tuba

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🎶 70% there and SO grateful for this community! 💚

Art changes lives — and together, WE are making it happen. The RawTuba Foundation is 70% to the goal and every dollar is still being DOUBLED right now thanks to @SienaPrivateWealth’s matching gift. 🙌

To everyone who has donated — you are deeply appreciated. The Foundation sees you and thanks you from the bottom of its heart. 🙏
Just 30% to go — please donate or share this post. Every bit truly counts! 🎨🎺

💚 Donate → rawtubafoundation.com/donate (link in bio)
📍 Or: top-left menu on site → How You Can Help → Donate
✅ Tax-deductible donation!

#RawTubaFoundation #ArtChangesLives #70Percent #TogetherWeCan #MatchingGift ArtsEducation NewMexico BernalilloCounty GiveBack EveryBitCounts MusicEducation Nonprofit TaxDeductible DoubleDonation KidsAndArts SienaCares ImpossibleFoundation CommunityLove DonateNow 🎶 by @raw_tuba

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I'M POSSIBLE (workshop premiere) for narrator and chamber orchestra was premiered last week at @noifestival. @landscapewithj9 's libretto (poetry!) is based on the memoir of @raw_tuba. Conducted expertly by @music_hayoung ! by @raw_tuba

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A glimpse into the I’M POSSIBLE workshops at @noifestival 🎼

Here is an excerpt from Richard’s memoir, on which this project is based: “People pay attention when you say, ‘I’m the first…’ […] In my case, I’m the first African American to earn a doctorate of music in tuba performance. And when I say that, people pay attention, and sometimes they assume that I’m a genius or that I’m special. Based on how my life began, I can see that my musical journey seems like a minor miracle, that even the fact of my survival is some kind of marvel. But the most miraculous part of my story is not me—it is the people who kept me from falling through the cracks, the people who saved my life. The people who cared enough to take me in, to teach me, to push me, to tell me something I wouldn’t have otherwise known, and to challenge me to be better. I’m no different from the next person, although I do possess a profound belief in what is possible and a deep gratitude for how I came to be here.” by @raw_tuba

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I'M POSSIBLE at @noifestival with @raw_tuba and @landscapewithj9 is on Friday June 26. See link for tickets #sparrmusic #djsparr by @raw_tuba

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A fountain in West Baltimore? That was a life line. What was ordinary to most was definitely not my story. Like so many survival was a consistent battle. The world statistic - concluded I wouldn’t make it. Then someone handed me a tuba — and everything changed. Today I’m the first African American in the world with a doctorate of music in tuba performance. A professor. A principal tubist. An author. And the founder of the @RawTubaFoundation. We give access to arts programs to children in underserved communities in New Mexico — because accessibilty to the arts isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline. We’re building a permanent home for this work. Right now its the office space, every dollar is doubled by a matching gift.

🎵 Together we can show up for individuals who need it? 🔗 Link in bio to donate. Please share — you may know exactly who needs to see this.

#ImPossible #RawTubaFoundation #ArtsForAll #BlackExcellence #MusicEducation NewMexico GiveBack ImpactMatters FromImpossibleToImPossible TubaLife CommunityLove DonatToday CapitalCampaign EveryChildDeserves by @raw_tuba

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There is a moment in my documentary where I stand in front of a water fountain in West Baltimore and I can barely speak. Because that fountain — that ordinary public fountain — was a life line.

My personal story is well documented. I was, by every measure, a child who was not going to make it. But I made it. Because of music. Because of one teachers and the village that believed in me. Because of access. Today I am the first African American in the world to earn a doctorate of music in tuba performance. A professor. A principal tubist. An author. And now — a founder. The RawTuba Foundation exists so that no child has to wonder whether the arts are for them.

Our after-school programs in Bernalillo County, New Mexico give children music, visual arts, and a place to belong. We are in a capital campaign to build a office facility — a real home for this work, built to last for generations. And right now, every dollar you give is doubled thanks to a matching gift from Siena Private Wealth. Will you help us build something that lasts?

🎵 Donate: https://rawtubafoundation.com/donate/ 📧

Questions: rawtuba573@gmail.com And if this story moves you — please share it. You may know someone who has been waiting for exactly this cause.

#ImpossibleToImPossible #RawTubaFoundation #ArtsEducation #NewMexico #GiveToday #MusicChangesLives #CapitalCampaign #BlackExcellence #CommunityImpact by @raw_tuba

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