Carleta Cates

Music and performance have always been an instrumental part of Carleta Cates’ life. As a teenager, Carleta was chosen to be one of the two performers from Texas to sing a solo at the National Future Homemakers of America convention and was also the pianist for the State FHA convention. While in college, she was cast as Annie in Annie Get your Gun and Nellie in South Pacific, for which she was named best actress. Carleta was an elementary school music teacher for 14 wonderful years. During her 27 year teaching career, she also taught theater arts, high school choir, and language arts. Outside of school, she enjoyed teaching private piano and vocal lessons and served as the co-director for Tyler Area Children’s Chorale and director of Sing Company, a Longview area Children’s chorale. Carleta has recorded two albums, on which she wrote 3 pieces. She has performed in many concerts (including for the Pope in Rome!), as a vocal soloist, as a part of ensembles and as a pianist. To Carleta, music is the universal language. She enjoys performing, teaching and sharing her love of music with others, especially children!