Ouachita Stories

Seven band students from Ouachita Baptist University have been chosen to participate in the 2010 Arkansas Intercollegiate Band. They will perform for the Arkansas Music Educators Association meeting at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Feb. 18-19.

The seven students selected for the honor are Kelsey Bates, Deborah Caldwell, Paul Hill, Leah Jones, Andrew McCraw, Elyse Senteney and Ruthie Stoner. They are among 100 students from universities across the state who were recommended by their band directors and selected to represent their respective schools.

Among the participants from Ouachita:

• Kelsey Bates, a horn student of David Renfro, is a music education major from Marion, Ark.


• Deborah Caldwell, a trumpet student of Craig Hamilton, is an instrumental music education major from Siloam Springs, Ark.


• Paul Hill, a percussion student of Ryan Lewis, is an instrumental music education major from San Marcos, Texas.


• Leah Jones, a horn student of David Renfro, is a music education major from Burkburnett, Texas.


• Andrew McCraw, a trombone student of Josh Bynum, is an instrumental music education major from Fort Worth, Texas.


• Elyse Senteney, a flute student of Kristin Grant, is a music education major from Plano, Texas.


• Ruthie Stoner, a clarinet student of Heather Bynum, is a clarinet performance major from McKinney, Texas.

According to Caldwell, “I am very thankful and excited for this opportunity to learn and play great music with other musicians from around the state.”

“I was actually pretty surprised when I got chosen, knowing that this band is compiled of players from every university in the state,” noted McCraw. “It is definitely a huge honor knowing I will be able to represent Ouachita in this ensemble.”

Ouachita Baptist University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark. With an enrollment of almost 1,500 students from more than 30 states and 50 nations, Ouachita seeks to foster a love of God and a love of learning in a vibrant, Christ-centered learning community.

By Meg Gosser