Nicholas White

Originally from the Chicago, Nick White studied classical music performance for eight years both at Boston University and Boston Conservatory. By the time he had returned to Chicago, he had already amassed the largest collection of antique drummer's sound effects instruments (known as "traps) in the world. What had begun as a small hobby, soon found White being an expert in how these specialized instruments were used and how to design the soundscape of a silent film screening today--recreating perfectly what was once reality in 1914. Delighting film audiences with famed Chicago theater organist Jay Warren, he was also invited to Germany perform vibraphone and sound effects with The Philharmonisches Orchester Regansburg. In 2022, White showcased his skills and collection in a scene from "Killers of The Flower Moon," directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, in which he was contracted as a principal actor--a feat in the world of music, as most musicians in films are cast as background actors. In 2021, White also joined the "Imagination Circus" as their musical arranger, band leader, and "trap drummer." The shows feature circus performers from all over the world, and specialize in recreating the majesty of early 20th century live entertainment. Other groups White actively performs with include the Evanston Symphony, and "The Chicago Cellar Boys," a group known the world throughout for their talent at recreating the sounds of early "hot" jazz from the 1920's and 30's. He is also on part-time faculty at Northwestern University, as a percussion technician repairing and restoring hundreds of instruments in constant use at the Bienen School of Music at NU. A devotee to daily practice, he manages a widely-followed Instagram and Youtube account (@tiny.xylophone) where he demonstrates his abilities as a skilled mallet player--often transcribing and arranging his own works for xylophone and vibraphone. His latest abilities include jazz improvisation with 4-mallet vibraphone, for which he arranges his own music. He hopes to widen both stage presence as a mallet player, and continue his future both on and in front of the film screen.