<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#996666" link="#FF0000" alink="#FF9999" vlink="#663333"> <div align="center"> <p align="left"> </p> <p><img src="eaglepic.jpg" width="250" height="213" align="right"></p> <p><font size="6" color="#000000">Versatile Gackstatter performs at Iron Horse<br> BY ROD POCOWATCHIT<br> The Wichita Eagle</font> </p> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p></p> <p align="center"><font color="#000000">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> <br> Posted on Fri, Feb. 28, 2003 <br> <br> </font></p> <p><font color="#000000">Gary Gackstatter is an accomplished conductor, composer, singer, songwriter, performer, painter and poet. And he teaches at Cowley County Community College. How does he find the time?</font></p> <p><font color="#000000">"It's just something that takes a lot of planning ahead," Gackstatter said. "It's always been this way. If I have a free week, I'll fill it up with something."</font></p> <p><font color="#000000">Gackstatter will have just returned from California by the time this article hits the streets. He's been busy working with a youth symphony in Long Beach with its performance of a piece he wrote, an arrangement inspired by Elmer Bernstein's score for the film "To Kill a Mockingbird." The piece had its local debut last April, with "Mockingbird" star Mary Badham in attendance.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000">Although his interests are varied, Gackstatter said he absolutely loves playing guitar.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000">"I just think the acoustic guitar is the most perfect instrument," he said. "The whole melody, the rhythm, you can do anything."</font></p> <p><font color="#000000">Here's the Q&A.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000"><b><font size="4">Name</font>: </b>Gary Gackstatter, singer/songwriter, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass and flugelhorn</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>From:</b></font><font color="#000000"> Five Man Trio</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Other band personnel: </b></font><font color="#000000">Dave Bostwick, singer/songwriter, acoustic guitar, bass, harmonica, Chris Mayer, hand percussion</font></p> <p><font size="3" color="#000000"><b><font size="4">Performing:</font></b></font><font color="#000000"> With special guests Rhapsody String Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Iron Horse Concert Hall, 315 S. Main in El Dorado. Tickets are $8 for adults and $7 for students and seniors.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Type of music: </b></font><font color="#000000">There's really no classification for us, and we're proud of that. The songs change styles drastically, keeping it interesting for the audience and for us. We do all original music that crosses borders and invents some genres along the way.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Any albums out? </b></font><font color="#000000">"Under the Kansas Sky, Moon and Stars."</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Do you have a Web site?</b></font><font color="#000000"> www.garygackstatter.com</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>How did your band get its name?</b></font><font color="#000000"> We change the instrumentation for just about every song, so Chris came up with the name 5 Man Trio to emphasize our versatility. Either that or he was referring to our multiple personalities.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>How long have you been together</b></font><font color="#000000">? I've been doing concerts of original music for about 10 years. We started playing together as a group about three years ago.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>What first made you want to play a musical instrument?</b></font><font color="#000000"> My dad has a huge classical music collection, even though he grew up on a farm near Phillipsburg. His love of music made a big impression on me as a kid. Music was always revered in our house.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>What is in your CD player right now? </b></font><font color="#000000">Joni Mitchell's "Shadows and Light."</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Quote to live by:</b></font> <font color="#000000">"What grows does not grow old." --Noah benShea</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Advice to bands just getting started:</b></font><font color="#000000"> There's no greater joy than playing your own music, so start writing! The world needs more art and originality, less sound-alike groups.</font></p> <p><font size="4" color="#000000"><b>Define music:</b></font><font color="#000000"> Besides being just "sound organized through time," it has to have meaning. Otherwise, what's the point? And I truly believe the meaning shouldn't have anything to do with money or commercialism. It has to come from your heart and soul, or it's just another form of generic wallpaper.<br> </font><font color="#FFFFFF"><br> <br> <br> </font> </p> </body> </html>