Band Director, Dan White

E-Mail dan.white@gpschools.org

Dan White received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1988 from Wayne State University, where he performed as Principal Alto Saxophonist and featured soloist with the WSU Symphony Band, and lead alto saxophonist with the WSU Jazz Lab Band I. While at Wayne, he also performed with the University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Marching Band. Mr. White began his teaching career in the Lincoln Park Public Schools in 1988; while teaching in Lincoln Park, he was the recipient of the Michigan Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students Distinguished Service Award (1992). Mr. White taught at Northport Public School for one year (1994-95) before joining the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

Mr. White has served as Director of Bands at Grosse Pointe South High School since 1998. Over the past ten years, his ensembles have built upon South’s long tradition of musical excellence as his students have participated in exciting and rewarding performance opportunities. The South Symphony Band has received outstanding ratings at music festivals in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Orlando, and London.  The Symphony Band has also earned the highest ratings at local (MSBOA) music festivals, and has given concerts at some of the area’s most notable performance venues, including the Max M. Fisher Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. White’s jazz program has also established a reputation as one of Michigan’s best: the South Jazz Band has been selected to perform at the prestigious Detroit International Jazz Festival three out of the past four years, and was the first high school ensemble invited to perform professional jazz venues such as Music Hall Jazz Café and Cliff Bell’s in downtown Detroit. In May, 2008 the Jazz Band released its first commercial CD, “Live at Cliff Bell’s”.  Mr. White also teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory at South, is co-advisor of Tri-M Music Honor Society, and directs the Cadet, Concert, and Jazz Bands at Pierce Middle School. He resides in Grosse Pointe Woods with his  wife Julie and daughters Hannah and Hope. In their free time - usually a few days in July - they like to hike and camp. 

Orchestra Director, James Gross

E-Mail james.gross@gpschools.org

I am happy to be the Orchestra Teacher at both Grosse Pointe South High School and Grosse Pointe Pierce MS School, where I also teach the 6th Grade Bands. I began my teaching career in the Grosse Pointe Public Schools in 2000 and I have been teaching Orchestra at South since 2004.   During my senior year of high school I was fortunate enough to attend and graduate from the Interlochen Arts Academy.  After which, I earned a double Bachelor's degree in Music Education and Viola Performance from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree in Orchestral Conducting from Wayne State University.  During college, I participated in the Schleswig – Holstein Musik Festival in Salzau, Germany where I studied with members of the Berlin and Munich Philharmonics.  Past summers have been spent teaching on the viola faculty at All-State @ Interlochen, MASTA Junior High String Camp, and the American String Workshop in Ann Arbor.  I reside in Grosse Pointe Farms with my wife Carolyn and our three children:  Eliana, Danny, and Nolan.