‘Am I Crazy For Doing This?’- Bradley White’s Remarkable Return to the Marching Southerners at 40 Years Old

11/14/2024

By Brett Buckner

His old college roommate convinced him to pick up the instrument he'd abandoned 20 years before. His boss convinced him to pursue a long-dormant dream. Together, those relationships paved the way for Bradley White to become a 40-year-old Marching Southerner. White was no stranger to the Marching Southerners. Back in 1996, the Wedowee native was playing trombone in the Randolph County High School marching band when he first saw the renowned Jacksonville State University (Jax State) band.

"I made my decision right then and there about where I was going to college," White said. "I was going to Jax State, and I was going to be a Marching Southerner." White did just that, marching from 2002 until 2005. Playing trombone was second nature, but studying was not. "Basically, I flunked out," White said, laughing. "I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do. I wasn't studying because I never had to study in high school. I get up to JSU, and I'm like, 'Why am I failing music theory this semester?' Well, probably because I needed to study."

When White left Jax State, he put his trombone away. Music was now in his past. He worked in retail for several years and had a series of unfortunate events. "It all just sort of caught up with me," he said. White spent nine years in retail, working his way up to a management position. "I learned at a very, very young age about leadership, about what's good leadership and what's bad leadership." 

In 2009, while still working retail, White enlisted in the Alabama Air National Guard and eventually began earning those academic degrees. He received a bachelor's in emergency management from Jax State and then a master's degree in emergency management from the American Military University. The Air National Guard introduced discipline into White's life just as retail management taught him about leadership. "I had a lot on my plate at one time, and time management is key to everything," he said. "I didn't realize that back then ... now that I'm older, I realize, 'Hey, don't throw away opportunities when they come around.'" White put his degrees to work, leaving retail for a job with Homeland Security. He started playing trombone again when his best friend and former Jax State roommate, Dale Westbrooks, convinced him to join a local group called the Cheaha Winds. "I told him, 'Man, I sure do miss this.'"

At the time, White considered pursuing a Ph.D. in strategic studies, but playing with the Cheaha Winds ignited his passion for music. It took a conversation with his boss to put things in perspective. "He said, 'You're really more passionate about music,'" White remembered. "He said, 'You need to go for that.' He kind of nudged me in that direction." After being sent overseas for a few months, White, who'd remained in contact with Marching Southerners director Ken Bodiford, started practicing the trombone. By early August, he was back at band camp and pursuing an alternative fifth-year master's degree in music education.

"When you get to camp, they check your marching style, and you're playing to make sure that, okay, this person's going to be good enough to be on the field," he said. "If you practice and do what you're supposed to, you'll be fine. So, I practiced and did what I was supposed to do." But there was a learning curve, or rather, a re-learning curve because the military had a different marching style. "It was kind of funny," he said. "Some of it is the same. The position of attention is the same, but I had to actually break military habits. Getting back into it took me forever because it had been nearly 20 years." 

White made the cut and officially joined the Marching Southerners. Bodiford believes that White has been a welcomed addition. With his military background and maturity, White is a role model for the younger students. "I have observed him going out of his way to offer a helping hand to the younger members," he said. "He approaches them with kind humility, and they seem to respond very well to his guidance. In fact, I believe he has become one of their favorite members."