Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gerald White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gerald, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

I feel blessed to have had wonderful parents who were so disciplined and who set an example for me and my siblings by the way they lived their lives. Although I lost my Father at a very young age of 5, I had set in motion for me a safe and very structured environment to grow up and be able to explore the things I loved to do which later became my career. My Mom was instrumental in teaching me boundaries, hard work, discipline and people skills which later created a path for me to excel in life. One of the things she would tell me more often than not was “think before you speak.” When you’re young you sometimes don’t understand these things but later I’ve realized the importance of such a simple piece of advice. Because she created such a safe home for me, a place I could always go back to and feel needed, loved and often challenged, I’ve been able to translate that environment in my teaching studio and work with literally thousands of students over the past 35 years and allow them to find their song.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I moved to LA in 1990 to get a Master’s in Jazz and Commercial Music. I already had a degree in Classical Piano. I worked for years as an elementary school teacher in LAUSD, played the piano bars on the weekends and was a church music director until I was able to break into the session industry 10 years later. It was a long journey but worth it. I started a vocal studio early on and later became certified as a voice instructor. I’ve kept that studio going for 30 years now and have worked with over 3000 students both amateur and professional. I’ve sung on over 300 film and t.v. projects and live singing appearances with industry greats such as Hans Zimmer, Adele, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and for events like The Academy Awards and Game of Thrones Live. I’ve provided vocals on albums for artists like Whitney Houston to Paul McCartney and coached clients from Al Pacino to Joseph Williams from TOTO. We have a studio both in Santa Monica and in North Hills, offering a safe place for singers to come and learn how to sing and/or work on their craft to be able to make a living as a singer. We’ve also developed a sightreading course for singers called LASightsinger. These skills allow singers to be well rounded so they have a viable option as a working singer. And for those who want to explore as a hobbyist, we give biannual showcases so that anyone can have opportunities to share their gift.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I was asked to sub for a staff member at the Screen Actors Guild. It didn’t pay at the time and it surely wasn’t something I moved to LA to do. However, I was taught from a young age to say “yes” to every opportunity. I took this position while I was trying to break into the industry and never would have imaged that his opportunity would turn out to be a large portion of my career and a great asset to the other aspects of what I do. I have since written a book on the subject, created an online website to accompany the process and have met many singers and actors in the process which opened doors to doing what I do now. It’s called LASightsinger to teach singers how to read music.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner was one of my clients. In a random conversation during a voice lesson, I mentioned needing to expand and need help. My client at the time was a stay at home Mom. I wasn’t expecting her to respond, but was literally just venting and sharing that I needed to gain more employees. She quickly responded with, I’ll do it. I’ll join you if you want. She has been with me ever since. Over 20 years and it has been a great experience working with her.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.music1on1.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/Music1on1inc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldwhitemusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@music1on1voice
• Other: www.lasightsinger.com
  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1684643/