The New Jersey Jazz Education Achievement Award

On an annual basis, the NJAJE Board of Directors is proud to nominate a New Jersey jazz educator who has demonstrated the highest standards of teaching excellence and dedication to the jazz education community. The award is presented annually in November at the State Jazz Conference and again at the final concert of the NJ All State Jazz Ensemble and NJ All State Jazz Choir at NJPAC. A commemorative plaque is presented to each recipient.

2022 Awardee: Mr. Randy White

Randy White is the Director of Choirs at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, NJ.  Originally from CO, Randy attended the University of Northern Colorado for his BME as well as his MM in Vocal Performance.  His love of vocal jazz began in high school while performing in the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival and attending the guest artist concerts.  In college, Randy participated in the UNC Vocal Jazz program each year, eventually making his way into to Northern Colorado Voices and opening for famed vocalist Kurt Elling.  Randy also had the privilege of directing the ensemble VJ 1, and helping produce the annual jazz festival.  Upon graduation, Randy worked in two CO schools before moving to NJ and taking on a job at what is now Princeton Middle School.  While there, he helped direct the high school Studio Vocals ensemble to a first place finish at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival.  Since then, Randy's choirs have continued to receive accolades and exemplary ratings from various festivals, including: The National jazz Festival, Roxbury Invitational, NJAJE State Vocal Jazz Festival, and the NJ-ACDA Choral Festival.  His choirs have delighted audiences abroad as well on tours of Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.  Other international credits include Greece, France, and Italy with a group he founded called the American Atlantic Chorale.  Randy is currently the Chair of Vocal Jazz for NJAJE and directed the 2016 NJ Honors Jazz Choir (now All State), and the 2013-15 and 2021-22 Region Jazz Choirs.  He also has managed the NJ All State Choir in 2019 & 2022.  Equally at home in the classical world, Randy's solo performance career includes roles in Opera & Musical Theater.  He has been a featured soloist with Opera Classica Europa, Newtown Chamber Orchestra (PA), Opera Fort Collins (CO), the Union Colony Dinner Theatre (CO), and the Princeton Musical Amateurs Society (NJ).  As an educator, Randy has worked in three states, including time in New York City as a Teaching Artist with the Metropolitan Opera Guild.  Randy is the proud of father of two young children and he is married to the world's greatest person, Lea.  

Past Awardees

Don Braden
Anthony Branker
Clem De Rosa
David Demsey​
Andrew DeNicola
​Denis Di Blasio
Clem DeRosa
Wayne Dillon
​Dr. Diana Dohrmann
​Bill Garton
Richard Graham
Dr. Jeffrey Kunkel
Jeffrey Haas
Brian Height
​Jeffrey Lesser
John Lindner
​David Thomas May
​Joel Perry
Earl Phillips​
​Rufus Reid
​Michael Russo
Julius Tolentino
​Ray Wiggins
Wilbur Witteman