Scott Gates - Band Leader: Vocals, Mandolin, Guitar
Scott Gates (click photo for high resolution .jpg)
Scott spent six years studying under the tutelage of Mandolin Master, Evan
J. Marshall of Los Angeles,
Calif. His training was augmented by private lessons with other masters in
extensive mandolin training courses. In addition, several other mandolinists
from around the world who are masters of their genre have shared their knowledge
with Scott. The diversity of Scott's training has helped him create his own
unique sound.
Jump to 2008, Scott Gates at age sixteen has established himself as a
professional musician leading and managing his own bands, playing mandolin,
guitar, and singing lead and harmony vocals. Two years running, Scott has
won first place in the prestigious Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Contest in the band
category.
Scott schedule is busy playing a variety of venues from coffee shops to music
festivals, home concerts to performing arts centers, television and radio shows.
He has showcased in Nashville at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)
convention, performed a two hour radio show in Nashville, and was a featured
guest along with George Jones on the late Hank Thompson’s radio show “Live
from Smokey the Bar” among several other television and radio shows.
Scott’s mandolin style is not strictly bluegrass. He has caught the
attention of the following artists with whom he frequently plays:
Chelsea Williams, an
amazing new-folk singer/songwriter;
Nathan McEuen, turbo-folk
artist; John McEuen of Nitty
Gritty Dirt Band
fame, Jonathan McEuen of Hanna-McEuen. He has accepted invitations to sit in
with other artists across the board as well, including Rich Del Grosso,
Steve Smith and Hard Road, James King,
The Fiddling Marshall Brothers and often showcases at Disney’s California
Adventure theme park with The Miner 49ers. He has shared the stage with Jonathan
McEuen, Byron
Berline, Phil Salazar and The Witcher Brothers, to name just a few.
Some of Scott’s most exciting moments in music education and performance
include being chosen to compete on NBC’s America’s Most Talented Kids;
playing live on radio stations in California and in Tennessee; being a featured
guest on cable television’s Backstage: Los Angeles with host Michael Sunday.
In addition, Scott has been featured as an emerging artist in “Bluegrass
Unlimited” magazine, and has performed two consecutive years as a member of
the Bluegrass Youth All-Stars at IBMA. More recently, Scott accepted an
invitation to guest with the Nitty Gritty
Dirt Band at the 2008 Huck Finn Jubilee in Victorville, Calif., where he was
showcased in his own hometown.
Scott has completed two CDs. "Legacy", was recorded while he was
approaching
12 years old. It is dedicated to his grandfather, Marco Manzo, who first
introduced him to the mandolin. There are three vocals, the rest instrumentals.
One, Ninuzza Mia (My Little Nina) was written in 1949 by Scott’s grandfather.
The second and third parts were later written by Scott and recorded with
Manzo’s 1990’s track of the melody.
“Festival Kids,” was recorded while Scott was age 13. The vision of this
band was to bring bluegrass into the lives of young people who might not have
had the opportunity to otherwise learn about it. This was accomplished through
performances at school assemblies and the free distribution of the Pacific Ocean
Bluegrass Band's Festival Kids CDs to young students at bluegrass camps in
California. Since then, Scott maintained his band with replacement, but seasoned
performers, and is known now as The Scott Gates Band.
Scott is currently collaborating with Jonathan
McEuen to create a new CD, has recently recorded with Nathan McEuen for Peace
Thru Music (an organization to bring music to children), working on a gospel
project with Rick Ogando, and continues to study bluegrass vocals with Lis
Lewis of Los Angeles, Calif.