Olivia White ’21
Marketing Major, Computer Science and Psychology Minors, and a Certificate in Business Analytics
Senior Coordinator, Executive Office, Recording Academy
A ukulele hangs on the wall at a Los Angeles apartment. That same wall has a piece of art of a window overlooking the streets of London. Framed between the two is Olivia White, a musician with global aspirations, who is rocking and rolling in her position at the Recording Academy, home to the coveted Grammy Awards, whose mission is music — recognizing excellence, cultivating the community, and ensuring cultural relevance.
Finding Lehigh
White was born in New York and grew up in Colorado, so heading to a new town for college was appealing, especially when her cousin, Breanne Ensor ’14, spoke highly of Lehigh. A visit to campus confirmed what White had heard: People on South Mountain felt like family.
While on campus, she was a member of the University Choir, the Echoes a cappella group, and the Mustard and Cheese Drama Society. Of course, she was constantly in and out of Zoellner to practice and rehearse, and she even took the stage a few times at open mic nights to showcase her own music.
Life after Lehigh
White headed to California where her family had recently moved and began working part time as a production assistant on set, all the while searching for full-time positions. By the end of summer, she had grown her network and was referred to an open position at the Recording Academy. She leapt at the chance and landed the gig. Within two years, she was promoted to senior coordinator in the executive office, coordinating relations and events for the CEO, president, and board of trustees.
Grammy Week
Grammy Week is a 24/7 marathon as she prepares her leaders for the many events and activities they attend as hosts and featured guests. While many think of the Grammy Awards as a single night, the week is filled with initiatives and celebrations, an opportunity for industry professionals, music creators, and affiliates of the Recording Academy to come together and honor music and musicians — their work, heritage, and place in the broader culture.
As a music lover, White is honored to be a part of the Grammy Week events leading up to music’s biggest night. Like those watching the show, she does not know in advance who will take the stage to receive a Grammy Award.
But for White, her position is about more than just the coveted gramophone trophy. Her dedication speaks to her love of the music business and the academy’s impact on the music community.
“The Recording Academy represents the voices of so many people — engineers, producers, singers, songwriters, artists, and students,” she says. “The academy’s investment in music education, supporting artists through our advocacy efforts and MusiCares, developing key initiatives, and celebrating music excellence truly illustrate how deeply we care about supporting members of the music community.”
Music in life
White’s love for music began at a young age, when she sat on her father’s lap in the studio at the mixing board while he worked as a producer on a variety of recordings. At age three, she began studying piano, and vocal training began in high school.
The ukulele was something she picked up from her Lehigh roommate. White was curious about the tiny guitar, so her roommate began to teach her the chords. She now is hooked and continues to play open mic nights around Southern California.
All the music she participated in at Lehigh didn’t end when she left campus. She is a proud member of the Santa Monica Chorus, the oldest Sweet Adelines chapter west of the Rocky Mountains. The group performs and competes barbershop style with its own arrangements of ballads and uptunes. She is also a former music director and actor at Musical Theatre Village, a community theater in Irvine, California.
Future
While working for the Recording Academy, White experiences what it takes to make an impact in the music industry. Whether during Grammy Sunday — coming up this year on February 4 on CBS and Paramount Plus — or the other 364 days of the year, she is driven to contribute to that initiative. She knows that achieving any goal in the Recording Academy and the industry in general takes more than potential, but she has a bird’s eye view, err, Mountain Hawk view, of the end goal: a global impact on music.
