PERSONAL SPACE: Stephen Gates

By Tracy Rogers

Posted: June 16, 2012 at 6 a.m.

Ryan McGeeney
Stephen Gates, a professor of music at the University of Arkansas, in his favorite space, the room in his Fayetteville home where he practices cello.

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Stephen Gates

Where I live: We live ... just a tiny bit west of the Razorback football stadium. It’s a wonderful place to live because, among other things, it takes me just three minutes to get to the music department. Even though we’re literally a stone’s throw from the football stadium, it’s a pretty quiet little neighborhood.

Occupation: Professor of music at the University of Arkansas and founder of the KUAF Fulbright Chamber Music Festival. I started at the UA in 1973, so next year will be my 40th year at the university. I basically was hired because I was a cellist. That’s the one consistent thing in my 40 years here — I’ve always been the one who taught cello in the music department. I had always wanted to do some sort of a summer chamber music thing here, where we could really focus on rehearsing and playing a series of concerts. That was really what started [the festival]. This is our fourth year.

My favorite space: In my den, where I practice.

Why? For the duration of the chamber music festival, I find I spend a lot of time there. It’s a fairly good-size room, so the cello is resonant in there. Since I grew up in Boston, I’m a Red Sox fan. Occasionally, I watch the Boston Red Sox and practice the cello.

If I could do one thing to improve this space I would: Add a couple of skylights and make it a little bit bigger.

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