A mother of four, violinist Jenny Oaks Baker said she wanted each of her children to play at least one instrument. She said it can affect the emotional and spiritual development of a child and can also be a blessing to an individual's life.
“Music is a big part of my life and my husband's life, and I just wanted to show that to my children,” said Baker, whose recent album, "Awakening," includes performances by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lexi Walker and Gentri.
Baker’s oldest child, Laura, 14, plays the violin and drums. Hannah, 13, sings and plays the piano. Sarah, 11, sings and plays the cello and the piano. Matthew, 9, plays both electric and classical guitar.
“Now it is a family thing where, when I’ve performed, many times I am able to perform with my children,” said Baker, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “So it is kind of wonderful that it has become a family thing instead of my thing.”
To make sure her children stay tuned with their instruments, Baker said, each of them has to practice every day except for Sundays, which is nonnegotiable.
“It is just what they do. I am trying to get them to practice before they play or do homework,” she said. “I want them to practice before they do anything else. They don’t get to decide if they want to do it. It doesn't have to be fun; it just has to get done.”
Baker's album "Awakening," her 14th studio album, features popular classical pieces including Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" and Puccini’s "Nessun Dorma"; hymns such as "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and "Nearer, My God, To Thee"; and an original piece written by Gentri producer Stephen Nelson, titled "Awake."
“(Lexi Walker’s) voice melts my heart,” Baker said. “I feel that the beauty from within comes through her voice. Condoleezza (Rice) has a great feeling for the song ‘Amazing Grace’ and all gospel music, so being able to perform that song with her was pretty amazing.”
Baker said she poured her heart and soul into her album, hoping that it would touch the hearts of her fans and bring them peace and joy, as it allowed her soul to sing through the violin.
“It’s my most spiritual album,” Baker said. “I think it’s my deepest, most emotional, epic album, and it has really touched me deeply, spiritually and emotionally, and I hope that it will touch others.”
Since the April 29 release of the new album, Baker has toured the country for performances.
“I performed in California a few weeks before (Abravanel Hall), and then at four different sold-out shows at the Mesa Art Show a week before that. I performed in Maryland before that, (and) in Dallas, Texas, a couple weeks before that,” she said. “It has just been very, very busy.”
Though these past few months have been the busiest concert season of Baker’s life, she reflects back on her past performances, reminiscing about the feelings and the presence she felt while performing with the Millennial Choirs and the Lyceum Philharmonic at Abravanel Hall and Thanksgiving Point.
“These … have been some of the most spiritually and musically powerful concerts of my life because they have been so focused on the Savior,” Baker said. “At some of the Millennial (Choirs) concerts, we had over 1,000 performers all singing about Jesus Christ at the same time with total, complete content.”
Baker and her family will be performing at the 50th anniversary of the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah, June 18. For more information about Baker’s upcoming shows, visit jennyoaksbaker.com.
Email: ewhite@deseretnews.com