News Article

Recording Arts grad makes a splash with Hey Rosetta!


6/16/2011 11:05:18 AM


By Andrew Pike

If you are at all interested in the Newfoundland music scene, chances are you’ve come across Hey Rosetta! at some point.

The high profile band has garnered international success in the past year. So - how would you like to manage them? That’s what Richard White, a graduate of College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Recording Arts program did. Just three years after graduating from CNA’s Recording Arts and Music Industry Performance programs, White became the official Hey Rosetta! Tour Manager and Audio Technician.

“They had offered me the job when I got out of college in 2008, but I had a few other things to work on, and I couldn’t commit to it at that point,” said White.

In August of 2010, the band approached White again, and he accepted the position. Since then, there has been no shortage of work. Recently, the group toured in Australia with the band City and Colour.

“It was great! It was completely different than anything I’ve done before,” said White. “Not a lot of people get to go over to Australia, let alone do sound and work with the biggest band in Canada and some of the biggest venues in Australia.”

The shows were often sold out and regularly contained crowds of up to 2,500 people. White hasn’t spent much time outside of Newfoundland and Labrador, and says he enjoyed the opportunity to see some of the world.

For many, performing with a band like Hey Rosetta! would seem like an unattainable dream. However, White admits that his time spent with CNA helped him develop the experience he needed.

“I wanted to kind of get my hands dirty and learn from experience, more-so than books,” said White. “College really opened my eyes to what it is to be working in the music industry... you’re there doing coffee houses and the sonic potlucks, you’re constantly musically involved.”

Like many students, White played in a band while in college, and performed during Sonic Potlucks (term-end shows). A local Stephenville establishment near the college was a popular venue for White and others to hone their musical skills in front of live audiences.

“For all the Music Industry Performance students and the Recording Arts students, Clancy’s was the place that made you feel at home,” said White.

After completing his first diploma in Recording Arts, White decided to stay with the college for a third year, to complete the Music Industry and Performance program. The college allows completion of both two-year programs in three years. After college, White immediately landed a job with Stage Eleven—a St. John’s audio-visual company.

“At Stage Eleven, I’d do everything from setting up a microphone for a PA at a press conference to setting up shows for Neil Young and Randy Travis and all the big names,” said White.

Andy Jordan, operations manager for Stage Eleven, spoke highly of White, and noted that the company has been very happy with CNA graduates they have hired in the past. The company often hires students on for summer jobs, and this year they are welcoming another Recording Arts student to their team.

Now somewhat of a seasoned vet in the field of sound, White has some sound advice for those new to the trade.

“Stick with it. Nothing in this industry happens within even a couple of years, you really have to get your hands dirty and get out and get yourself immersed in the work itself, then you really notice yourself learning and progressing much quicker.”

Hey Rosetta! recently played in the U.K. festival, The Great Escape, Europe’s leading festival for new music. The band returns to Newfoundland and Labrador on August 2 to play in the George Street Festival in St. John’s.


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Media Contact:

Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca