Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gates Selected To All-State Bands

Seven Cabot High School students were recently selected to perform in the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association's All-State Band. Competitive auditions were held February 5 on the campus of Henderson State University.

Two Cabot students achieved placement in two All-State groups, which is very unusual, according to Joe Trusty, band director at HSU.

One of the students was David Gates, who is the son of Doug and Darlene Gates, formerly of Arkadelphia.

Gates is the grandson of Clarence and Martha Haltom of Gurdon and Billie Jean Gates of Arkadelphia.

Gates was selected to the All-State jazz band in addition to the All-State concert band.

Guest clinicians for the weekend were Rick Blatti of the University of Ohio and John Whitwell from Michigan State University.

Each student was asked to perform a required set of musical literature for a panel of judges. Over 750 students from across the state were invited to the tryouts, based on a high ranking received in the All-Region tryouts held in January. Each student participated in the All- State Clinic/Concert held February 18-20 in Pine Bluff.