HARLEY WHITE JR. BRINGS HIS WHITE NOISE FEST TO TORCH CLUB

Longtime Sacramento music scene staple and passionate advocate for the arts Harley White Jr. is bringing his sixth White Noise Festival in 10 years to the Torch Club on Sunday, Sept. 11, which also happens to be his birthday. This year’s lineup features well over a dozen of the regions greatest artists including The Broun Fellinis, Elements Brass Band, DJ Larry Rodriquez, Aaron King, Jimmy Pailer, Electropoetic Coffee, Mike Farrell, The Addict Merchants, The Tender Cinders, The Dean-O-Holics, The Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience, Exquisite Corp, The Cuf, Prieta, Take 5, Kenny B., Sankofa, The Cave Women, The Yarddogs and, of course, The Harley White Jr. Orchestra. “The White Noise Festival offers me an opportunity to have some of my mentors, some of my students and some of my friends come out and support the Roberts Family Development Center where I teach percussion,” Harley recently told Submerge. “At RFDC we don’t really have a budget for instruments. We’ve been trying to get them some drums and stuff, so this year’s festival is a fundraiser to get money for the arts at RFDC, or at least bring awareness to them.”

Harley originally found the Roberts Family Development Center a decade ago after finding that the majority of students for his private music lessons were from affluent white families. There was nothing wrong with that, he noted, but he yearned for more diversity when it came to spreading the art of jazz. “After I got into [teaching private lessons] for a while I was like, ‘I’m not affecting any poor black kids,’ and that’s when Roberts Family Development came in. I was like, ‘I can’t be out here and teach jazz to just affluent white kids. If I’m going to do this, and I’m not hatin’, I’ve got to make some time to make sure some kids in the hood get some of this.’”

Ever since, he’s been “the music guy” at RFDC. His goal with this year’s White Noise Festival is to raise $5,000; with a lineup this impressive, we’re thinking that isn’t too far-fetched. He pointed out that one highlight of the day will be when his orchestra is performing with both the Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience and The Dean-O-Holics at the same time. “We’re going to do this mega burlesque-y, lounge-y, ‘50s Rat Pack set,” he said. To purchase tickets for just $10, head to Sacramento.ticketleap.com/whitenoise. To learn more about the Roberts Family Development Center, visit Robertsfdc.com.