The following transcript is intended to aid in your study. However, while we try to go through the transcript, our transcripts are primarily computer-generated and often contain errors. Please forgive the transcripts’ imperfections.

===

[00:00:00] Morgan Jones Pearson: Hi, everyone. Before we get into this week's episode, I wanted to let you know that we will be taking a break into the new year as I will be on maternity leave. This month marks six years of our doing this podcast, and we are so grateful that you've continued to listen and that you have shared this podcast with your family and friends.

On a personal note, this podcast has blessed my life in ways I couldn't have even imagined when we started. So thank you for allowing me this opportunity through your continued support. We plan to return in early 2025, and I hope you'll join us again then. In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season full of the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jenny Oaks Baker has always had big dreams and goals for her life, and she rests at nothing until she achieves them. In recent years, however, she received a distinct impression that something she dreamed of was never going to happen. But the Lord didn't want Jenny to rest. In fact, he needed her to step out of her comfort zone more than ever before.

Jenny Oaks Baker is a Grammy nominated, Billboard number one performer and recording artist

She received her master of music degree from the Juilliard School and her bachelor's degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Jenny has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and as a guest soloist with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and the Jerusalem, Pittsburgh, Utah, and National Symphonies.

Jenny has released 19 albums, including her latest, The Redeemer, which has sold over a million copies and consistently chart on billboard. Music from her Grammy nominated album, Wish Upon a Star, a tribute to Walt Disney, is featured at Disney World and Disneyland to introduce the nightly fireworks show.

In her efforts to share the light of Christ with more of God's children, Jenny is now producing and touring Christ centered shows across the U. S. Jenny, her husband Matthew, and their four children, musical group Family Four, are from Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is All In an LDS Living Podcast where we ask the question, what does it really mean to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I'm Morgan Pearson, and I am so honored to have Jenny Oaks Baker on the line with me today. Jenny, welcome.

[00:02:31] Jenny Oaks Baker: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here.

[00:02:34] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, I. Told Jenny this before we ever started. I loved doing the preparation for this interview. Sometimes I feel like there's more out there about people, especially Jenny, when you've had the career that you've had, there is, there were a lot of articles to read and I love that because it gives me the ability to prep a little bit better. Um, and I'm so excited to, to learn more from you today, but I wanted to start kind of at the beginning.

You began playing the violin at the age of four. And you made your solo orchestral debut at the age of eight. You've said that your mom encouraged practice and preparation while your dad supported your training financially, emotionally, and spiritually, as you kind of sought to use these talents. Can you talk to me a little bit about the different roles that each of your parents played in encouraging your gift for music?

[00:03:28] Jenny Oaks Baker: Absolutely. Well, my, my mom, um, really loved the arts and wanted her children to develop their talents. And so she really got behind me and just supported me in every way. And she also supported me spiritually where, um, before performance, I would kneel down with both my parents and say a prayer that I do my best.

And, um, And then I would see the Lord blessing me as I performed just a few minutes later, and then we would always thank Heavenly Father for the rich blessings I've been given. And so they both were definitely involved in that spiritual component of connecting my talent to God and faith. And, and I'm so grateful for that.

[00:04:15] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, obviously people know and love. Your dad. Um, I think we all have a special place in our hearts for President Oaks at this point, but I grew to love him and your mom even more when I heard this story about how you obtained your prized violin. And I wondered if you could share that story with listeners to kind of set the stage for your, your journey with the violin.

[00:04:44] Jenny Oaks Baker: Sure. Well, I, I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for the different miracles that he's blessed me with throughout my life. I've also seen miracles in how each of my children have obtained their instruments. So I know that God cares about what we care about, and I'm so grateful. But my violin, When I was finishing up my schooling at the Curtis Institute of Music, I happened to be invited to perform a little concert in Chicago.

And so I, I went to Chicago and, um, I was still in touch with my, my teacher from growing up, Lenny Browse from Utah. And he said, Jenny, you should really go to Vine and Fushi, this violin dealer in Chicago, because they have this really famous violin and you should go play it. And so I, I was single. I thought, well, that sounds fun.

So I went in, I took the train into Chicago because my concert was outside of Chicago and went to Vine and Fushi and just walked into this beautiful old violin dealer and said, I'd love to try to play, I'd love to play your Guarneri del Gesù violin that you have here. And I believe it's the one that Wieniawski, a famous violinist from the 19th century had, had.

Played so really famous violin. And at the time, so this is mid nineties, at the time it was worth like six and a half million dollars . Oh my goodness. I know, I know. So it's, they're worth more than that now. That's not the violin I have. Yeah. . Um, not, not the violin I have anyway, so they just let me play and it was really fun.

And I was, I was just some silly college student and I said, well, that was fun, but I mean. There's no way in the world I'll ever afford a violin like that. Do you have any other violins that are a little cheaper? And, and they said yes. And so they brought out a few other really beautiful old Italian. Well, they brought, brought out a couple of the arms and a violin by an Italian named panorma.

And I played this panorma. I didn't really love the VMS, um, but I played the panorma and I just absolutely loved it. And, but I never. I wasn't looking for a violin. I had no money. My parents had no money and I wasn't looking for a violin, but I had a competition happening in San Francisco a couple of weeks later, a week later.

And I thought, wouldn't it be amazing to play this violin at that competition? So they let me take it and kind of give it a test drive for that week. And I, I took it home before the competition. I think I went. Home to Salt Lake for a couple of days and I showed the violin to my mom and she fell in love with this violin and was just determined for me to have it, even though none of us had any had had money for this violin and, but it was, it was a much lower price range than the Guarneri Del Gesi, but still more than we could afford, right?

And, um, But my dad was like, June, we, we can't afford, we can't have this violin for Jenny. And mom's like, but I really feel like she should have this violin. And anyway, so after the competition, we sent it back amidst many tears by my mother, more her, more her tears than mine. Cause I never, I never was going to have that violin.

It didn't even cross my mind that it was a possibility. I just want to play the competition. And anyway, so we sent it back. And about a week later, Biden Fushi called and they said, we're about to take this violin over to Asia. It'll be snapped up. It's a great violin. We'd love your daughter to have it.

Can we figure something out? And so my dad figured out that If my mom sold all of the stock that her parents had given, she could buy half given to her as kind of an inheritance. She could buy half the violin. And then if I took all the wedding money, cause I'd played a lot of weddings in high school and lots of recordings and babysitting and everything I'd made, I'd put in and all the gifts from grandparents or whatever I'd put into kind of a bank account.

And I took all that money and then I took out a loan from my dad for another chunk of money. And then I bought half. And, and, and then she also kind of gave us a little bit of a good deal because the scroll of the violin, the little end piece might not actually be original, which doesn't matter at all.

So they gave us kind of a good deal and. And so I was able to acquire that violin, which was just a miracle because I wasn't even looking for a violin and because I had no money. And so when my mom died a year or two later and I inherited her half of, of the violin, and then I also, before she died, I was in a little string orchestra in Philadelphia, um, and I paid off my, my other half to my dad.

And so. The violin really represents my mom, her sacrifice, her love for me, her, her desire for me to have something that would enable me to, to do what I needed with my talent for the rest of my life. And I'm so grateful for it because it represents that love and sacrifice of my parents. And I'm super grateful.

[00:09:37] Morgan Jones Pearson: And you've played that violin ever since?

[00:09:40] Jenny Oaks Baker: I have. It's it's a beautiful violin.

[00:09:45] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, I think that that story is so sweet. And I also think it's incredible that an instrument instruments obviously last a long time, but that you've been able the things that you've been able to do with that violin are absolutely remarkable.

I Also love that you attended Curtis because my husband and I live in Philadelphia right now. It's fun to hear because we walk past Curtis all the time, but I wanted to ask you having attended two of the best music schools in the country in the Curtis Institute and Juilliard, what would you say are the biggest lessons that you took from your time in school?

[00:10:32] Jenny Oaks Baker: Just how to rely on the Lord. I mean, it was, it was difficult to leave home at age 18 and move into my own apartment in a big city where I had no fam, no, no family. I had a couple of kind of very extended family that were lovely and entered my life in a pivotal way. I'm grateful for, but I didn't have any immediate family and my parents didn't have the resources to visit.

Very often. And I was, I was pretty alone. It was before FaceTime. It was before calling that is, you know, almost free. And I was, I was really lonely, but I knew that I had a heavenly father that loved me and I knew he was there and he, I could turn to him and I did. And so I think. Learning to rely on the Lord and know that he's there is one of the most important things I learned in my schooling.

[00:11:25] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, and I think that's, that's such a good lesson. I think anybody that has spent time away from family, that's, that's one of the lessons that you learn. And I think there, that's why there's so much value in that. You once shared Jenny some advice that your father gave you. He said, Jenny, don't spend too much time figuring out what you want to do.

Yeah. Yeah. Because that may not be what you're supposed to do. Just work your hardest and keep the commandments and the Lord will lead you to the life you're supposed to have. And I will be honest with you, I read that quote to my husband last night because he's in school and we're in the middle of trying to figure out, you know, what comes next for our family.

And I think that quote is so, so good because Like your dad said, it may not what you want may not be what you're supposed to do. And so allowing the Lord to lead you, I think is important. But I wanted to ask you in retrospect, how have you seen that promise come to fruition?

[00:12:27] Jenny Oaks Baker: Oh, every, everything in my life. I am so grateful. And I mean, it's still hard. I still want what I want and I want to know what's going to happen. And I, it's, it's hard to, to know, not know the future. And especially if you're kind of a type a personality, like I am, I would love to know, you know, the end from the beginning and have it all laid out.

And, um, but the Lord just provides a little light in front of your next step, if you turn to him and then that next step after that, and the little, you know, Little direction here in a little direction there and all of a sudden, and once in a while, you'll get kind of a, a glimmer of the big picture, but not usually, but it's when you turn around and in gratitude to the Lord for the extreme.

Amazing blessings he's given you that you can see more of the big picture and, and especially, I think, with regards to my performing with my children, I am so, so grateful for the way that the Lord. Yeah. led that miraculous thing to be because when I was younger, I always knew I wanted to be a present mother and a violinist, but I never knew how I could kind of be on stage as a violinist and a present mother.

I never figured it out. I never could figure it out. But then like a few years ago, especially like, It really came together during President Nelson's birthday celebration five years ago, where all of a sudden I was performing with my four children with the Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square in the Conference Center for the Prophet and most of the church.

And I was like, Oh my goodness, I am a concert violinist and a present mother performing with my children for the whole church and Heavenly Father made it happen because I never. I never figured, I never figured it out, but he did. And he inspired me and my husband to, you know, have, have our children start their instruments when they were little, he inspired the instrument choices, he sent me very talented little spirits who have lots of spunk and willingness to work hard and a devotion to the Lord, and then he brought everything together.

And enabled us to perform together, which I never really planned on doing. It was never my intention to have my kids play instruments that could perform with me. I never, I never. Imagine that it just kind of came to be as you just follow one impression after another. And so, but it's the same thing with producing these concert tours.

I, I never envisioned producing concert tours. That was never, I wish I kind of wish I'd envisioned it and I figured out a way to be trained in it because it's what I'm doing 24 seven right now. And it's hard and it's stressful and it's difficult and it's expensive and it is completely overwhelming. But I feel like the Lord wants me to bring Christ centered.

Shows to the world and he's step by step helping me figure out how to do it and sending me people to help. And, but that doesn't mean it's easy and it doesn't mean that it's fun all the time, but it means that it's worth it. And I feel him behind me, leading me along step by step. I think it was Elder Scott said with little packets of sunlight to light, light your way.

And, and I'm grateful for those packets of sunlight and I'm grateful the way it keeps me reaching out to the Lord for help and keeps me down on my knees pleading for guidance and keeps me feeling so grateful as I see the miracles all around me, but it's not easy. And I whine a little bit more than I should, but then I turn around and I see what he's done.

And I'm so grateful.

[00:16:10] Morgan Jones Pearson: Yeah, well, I think it's amazing that in both instances that you just highlighted, you said it wasn't something that you envisioned. And I think that that is, that's a sign that the Lord has Been writing your story and, and there's so much beauty in that. I want to come back to that, to both of those playing with your children and these concert tours.

But before we get there, as a young mom, you made a really difficult decision. And I admire this so much because I think that this is something that probably many violinists only dream of accomplishing. You were in the flesh. First violinist section in the national symphony. And then you made a very tough decision to resign, which I'm sure the people in charge were like, what is going on?

Cause that probably never happens. Um, but looking back, how can you see the Lord guiding that decision as excruciating as I'm sure it was for you at the time?

[00:17:14] Jenny Oaks Baker: It was really hard. I played in the National Symphony for six years. And as I, we were starting our family, I had, I, we had all of our children when I was in the National Symphony, when I became our four Children.

So when I became pregnant with our fourth child, I started feeling like it wasn't what the Lord wanted me to continue to do. But I I love that job. I loved it. I love the people I work with. I love performing at the Kennedy Center. I love performing with the great world class artists that were would come through and perform with us.

It was, and it was not a ton of hours and it was like part time work and full time pay benefits and prestige. It was a great job gig. Yeah. Yeah. It was a great, it was a great gig. And also I, I'd recorded a couple albums for desert book and shadow mountain records, but I hadn't really pursued a solo career because I was busy having my family and being in the national symphony.

So I didn't have any sort of solo career to kind of. think, Oh, well, I'll do that. And so, but when I got pregnant with Matthew, our fourth, I started to feel like this is not why the Lord for me, this is not why the Lord gave me my gift. He, he had something else for me and he wanted me to be home with my children.

And so I, I, I prayed and I, I'm sure I fasted and I, I really pondered. Is, am I, is this really right? Am I really willing to give this up? Is this, cause I really thought, you know, I would never play the violin again. And that was really scary for me. And, but I also knew that I needed to do what I felt. I wanted to be home with our kids.

I hated leaving them and it wasn't flexible. It wasn't flexible. If they had a little, you know, dance recital, I'd have to take off the whole week. And. in order to go to the dance recital if it conflicted with the concert and they also didn't appreciate that and it just, um, it just felt like it wasn't right for me anymore and And so I, I, you know, I resigned and I, and I had to do it quietly for various reasons, contractually.

And so I, I played my last concert a couple of days before I had our fourth child, Matthew, and I just walked out. I said goodbye to everyone and they thought they would see me. Couple weeks and I knew it was forever and I also knew that a symphony job isn't something you can necessarily get back into the audition process.

You're up against the entire world of best violinists in the world. And I just wasn't sure if I, if I would get back in if I wanted to someday. So I was kind of leaving forever and it was really hard. And I just went out in the. parking lot of the Kennedy Center and I ugly cried. I knew it was right, but it was still hard.

And I, I'm just so grateful I did it though, because I know it was right. And it opened up such a beautiful world and life for me that, Would that wouldn't have been possible had I stayed in the symphony and the next day I started receiving calls from conductors to come solo with the orchestras and nobody knew I didn't resigned, nobody knew it was just the Lord kind of held back the opportunities to perform until after I, after I proved that I was willing to just follow him.

[00:20:31] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, as you were talking, Jenny, I was thinking about the. idea of identity. And I think for someone like you had been playing the violin since you were four years old, that idea of walking away from it had to be terrifying because you're walking away. You felt like at the time walking away from a significant part of what made you who you were.

But I think to President Nelson's point recently about our most important identity, You're one of your most important identities was. a disciple of Jesus Christ and someone who wanted to follow Heavenly Father's plan for them. And so you were kind of willing to put that identity on the altar. And I think that is remarkable.

At that time, I read that your father told you, Jenny, it's not about you. I wondered what have you found it to be about instead?

[00:21:29] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, I just, I feel like everything at this point is about building the kingdom of God and preparing for the second coming. That's what it's about. And that's, it's, it's about that in our families preparing to make and keep sacred covenants.

And it's all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what everything is about. And if we can just keep that, you know, thinking celestial and, and, in our sights at all times, we just will have happier, more directed lives. And we can get through the chaos and confusion of this world, which is, I mean, it's, it's crazy.

Like I, I, I'm a very grounded person and I, life can still be so scary. And I, I can't imagine how off kilter you would be if you weren't grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ, trying to navigate this world when. if you didn't have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

[00:22:25] Morgan Jones Pearson: Speaking of how crazy this world can be right now, you have now raised four kids through basically the entire teenage life, which hats off to you because that is the most terrifying thing to me and my husband right now.

But your kids are all at various stages of life now, how have you, how have you navigated continuing to perform together as kind of they've grown up?

[00:22:58] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, it changes and every year it's completely different. So you just, you learn to, you know, be prayerful and try to follow inspiration and And listen to your kids and be aware of what their needs are.

So I've got four kids in the decade of decisions right now. But I mean, it's, it's an exciting time. I miss when they were little, but I love so much the relationships we have as they're kind of adults. And I, I miss them being little, but I would miss their adult selves so much. If I, if heavenly father, like took me back 10 or 15 years, I would, I would love it.

They're so cute. And it's so fun to be a young, young mother. I just love these kids and our friendships and relationships so much that I, I would be without my best friends and I would be so sad, but, um, So Matthew, our youngest is 17. He's a senior in high school, just decided to go on his mission right after school.

He thought he'd do a year of college, but he's now decided it's going to be right after, right after high school. So we're, we're entering into that phase of preparing for. A mission that will be headed into really quick. And then, so that's Matthew. He's 17 and plays the guitar. And then he'll be 18 soon, actually like in a month.

And then Sarah is 19 years old and she's at the Royal Conservatory of Scotland studying cello. This is now her second year of college. And then Hannah is 21. And she is at the Royal Academy of Music in London studying piano and in her fourth year. And then she's going to go on and do a master's degree.

And then next year, and then Lara just graduated from BYU this last spring in PR. She's my violinist. She got, she went on a mission in 2020 and then came back, got married to her husband, Caden Dixon. And then. They got married two years ago and had a baby last June. So Lara has the most life changes in her life, but so far we've been really blessed that we're still able to perform together because my kids, the two that are overseas, they come home at Christmas.

And so we're able to do our Christmas tour together. They come back Easter break and we're able to do our Redeemer shows. The Redeemer show is for violin orchestra choir, but it has a cello solo. It has a. Piano prevalent piano so that that show only. involves two of my kids, but the Christmas tour involves all of us.

And it's so wonderful at Christmas time to be able to kind of go on tour together and recapture that hen with the chicken under her wing element of the young family where we're all traveling together. And We get to do something, you know, wholesome family recreational activities together and, um, performing on stage.

And it, it's just kind of recapturing what it was, you know, five years ago when we were all together. I'm just so grateful also for my husband, whose support has enabled me to follow all the inspiration I've received and be able to just You know, do everything that I feel like the Lord has asked me to do.

So it's really special. And I don't know what, well, Matthew will be on a mission next year, so it will change. But Laura was on a mission and she came back. So, so we'll just see what the Lord has in store. I know that he, He's in charge and everything will work out.

[00:26:35] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, I years ago, so I did an internship in Washington, D. C. And you and your kids came and performed at the visitor center at the D. C. Temple and me and some friends went and saw you perform. So in my mind, your kids are still tiny.

[00:26:51] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, those were, those were our first, our first family performances were for those for the Washington, D. C. Temple Visitor Center. Oh, wow. They really were.

[00:27:00] Morgan Jones Pearson: So in my mind, when I went to prep for this, this episode, I was like, holy cow, when did they grow up? And I'm sure you, you probably kind of feel the same way, but I wanted to ask you, Jenny, you have accomplished so much in your life and, and I understand that. Jason Wright and I serve in a church calling together.

And so I asked him, I was like, what should I ask Jenny about? And he was like, Jenny works harder than anybody I know. And so I wondered what drives and motivates you to work so hard, harder than a lot of people would be willing to work to achieve your dreams.

[00:27:46] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, I think it's just responsibility. When I was younger, my parents raised me with the idea that the Lord had given me a gift, a musical gift, and he expected me to develop it.

And he expected me to, to, to give it to him and, and build the kingdom through my talents. And so that, that's a pretty big motivator. If you feel like the Lord is, is counting on you to develop something that he's given you. And, um, and now I, I just, I feel this urge and this need to share, like, bring people closer to Jesus Christ through, through music and through testimony.

And I also just see the great miracles that happen all along the way that just show me that God is there and he, he's behind this effort. I just see him answer my prayers and I'm just so grateful that I feel like I can't just decide to have a Netflix life. But sometimes I get really tired and I think, Oh, like when I am on an airplane and everybody's, you know, watching a movie and I have 10 hours of emails to get to, I think, Huh, I would like to watch a movie, but I'm like, Oh, no, I have to do my 10 emails, 10 hours of emails.

So yes, I do.

[00:29:13] Morgan Jones Pearson: Anyway, I feel like I can relate a little bit right now. I said to my husband last night, I was like, how do people have time to watch? a television show at night because I feel like we're in like the thick of it, you know, and I think a lot of people experience that in small doses, but you have been going nonstop for years.

And I, I love what you said about feeling a responsibility to use the gifts that God's given us. I, as I was prepping and reading some of these articles, several of them, you highlighted people who have blessed your life with gifts that they have. that are different than being able to play the violin. And so while many of us are listening can't relate to being unbelievably talented at the violin, I think what we can relate to is knowing that Heavenly Father has given us gifts, whether that is an ability to cook well, or an ability to discern other's needs.

And you, you've highlighted how other people have with that. And I also loved reading about How producing these shows that you've been talking about how they came to be. This is your most recent pursuit. And unlike the violin, where it's something that you are trained and have been practicing your entire life to, to perform, you are not a trained producer and you kind of have had to step out of your comfort zone to do something that That you've never done before.

And I loved reading about how that even came to be, how you chose to step into that role of producer. Can you tell listeners a little bit about how these shows even happened? Sure.

[00:31:02] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, I, so my whole life, I, I have always understood that the Lord gave me a spiritual gift for playing music that brings people closer to Christ.

Like I, I'm able to testify through, through music. And he's also enabled me to work with like a lot with Kurt Bestor, who's able to write this music that just goes straight to the heart and enables me to testify to Jesus Christ through this glorious heavenly music. So I've, I've always understood that gift.

But at the same time, like, I really, My whole career as a violinist was trying to become well known enough to, if the Boston Pops or New York Phil needed a violinist that they would call me to come perform. And so that was kind of, wouldn't it be wonderful if, if I could be invited to perform with one of these great orchestras.

So that was kind of these two things I was aiming for. And a few years ago, all of a sudden, I was just in my living room and all of a sudden in my heart, I. The Lord just sent me this inspiration, like Boston Pops will never call you. And I was like, wow, well, that's kind of rude. Like if they were, they're just never going to call.

And I was like, well, thanks a lot. Yeah. Crush my dreams. And I was like, and, and then, and then the next. of inspirational thought came that, and even if they did, they wouldn't invite you to do a program that brought people closer to Christ. And I'm like, well, that's the truth. You know, they're not going to be like, Oh, Jenny, we'd love to do a program of inspirational music about Jesus Christ.

Yeah, that would not happen. And so, and I was like, huh, well, what am I going to do about that? Cause that's kind of what I've been aiming for over here. And, All of a sudden, into my, into my heart and mind came an idea that I never considered before, and it was you hire them, basically create a Christ centered program.

And I was like, whoa, whoa, what? Okay, I'd never considered this before, which is also silly because I should have considered it. It actually makes a lot of sense, but no, I never consider the things that I should do, apparently. The Lord has to lay him over the head with them. And so from that moment, I had this Christmas show that I'd, I'd done it to a con a couple of years that Jason Wright wrote the script for a beautiful script about becoming a witness of Jesus Christ.

And so I just had this feeling that I was supposed to take that, start with that and take that to the world. And so I was like, okay, let's do a 10 city tour. I've never done even a one city tour. So I'm like, let's do 10 cities. So I figured out how to. How to do a 10 city tour. And honestly, the fact that it didn't fall on its face and like lose hundreds of thousands of dollars is the biggest miracle in the world.

Because now that I've been at this for a couple of years, I'm like, how did I actually do it? Cause I just like guessed on prices. I had no idea what I didn't even have a budget. I just like called it venues and I was like, sure, I'll book that venue. I didn't even, I didn't, I'm like, they're like, you need insurance.

I'm like, what's that? Like, I had no idea what I was doing at all. No idea. And I didn't even have any marketing. Honestly, I don't know how it worked, but it did because the Lord is behind it. So the first year we did a 10 city tour and it actually, it didn't really make money, but it didn't lose money, which is amazing.

And then the next. The next year we did a 20 city tour, which is insane. Again, same thing. We pulled it off. And then this year we're doing a 15 city tour. And after going through that, like in the process of doing that, the Lord also, And he kind of started this before this like inspirational moment, but I had this, my latest album with shadow mountain records is called the redeemer and it's 10 songs all about Jesus Christ that I'd seen the hand of the Lord inspiring this entire process.

Unlike anything I'd ever seen before, because I felt inspired by the Lord on all my albums, but this one was really special where the Lord was in every detail of every song, every musical treatment, every aspect. And I was invited by BYU, Idaho to do a premiere of just this album. And I was like, well, it'd be fun to have a.

Narration and be really amazing if we could use some Bible videos. And anyway, so we did this premiere and it was kind of life changing for everyone in the audience because it was just so powerful. And from that moment, I was like, I'm supposed to make this a two hour show. I'm supposed to, and then just line by line, I just knew exactly what the show needed.

It needed a soprano and it needed a tenor. It needed a live narrator. It needed a bass. It needed more choir. It needed additional movements. It needed this and it needed that. And Heavenly Father, just like. built this show exactly the way he wanted it. And so I stand back completely amazed at what he's created that I had been in the middle of without having any idea what I was doing, because he's been a, he's been behind it.

And so after the 10, after the 20 city tour last Christmas, we did a seven city tour of owner six city tour with the Redeemer and culminating with a performance of Lincoln center last spring, which was the most incredible. Experience to have, I'm sure, like be right across from the temple in New York City with Angel Moroni, like kind of looking on to Lincoln Center where, where People were gathering to worship Jesus Christ the night before Easter.

And then we were able to perform this glorious, glorious production. And so I see that, I feel like the Christmas tour enabled me to kind of figure out how to also do this Redeemer tour. And so I guess this is what I, I guess this is the new normal of me producing tours and that trying to bring light and truth to people throughout the world.

[00:37:04] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, hats off, hats off to you for following that inspiration and for being willing to put yourself out there in that way. I, I admire that a ton. In regard to these shows, Jenny, you've said this, music is my vehicle, but it is not my purpose. We just need to be sure that our vehicle doesn't become our purpose.

Then our strengths can become our weaknesses, which your dad's talk about strengths becoming our weaknesses is one of my favorite talks of all time. Yeah, it's a great one. So I wondered, how do you keep that in check when something like music is so important to you, how do you keep it from becoming your purpose and instead make sure that it's.

staying just the vehicle. I feel like that's a very delicate balance. Do you have any thoughts on that?

[00:37:57] Jenny Oaks Baker: Well, the Lord's really helped me with that because he's really provided me music that is inspirational. All of the doors that have opened for me. Have been doors to build the kingdom. Like, I mean, he, he's thrown me a couple of worldly, worldly accolades here and there, but I mean, I see that all the opportunities, I mean, I work really hard, but they're all the opportunities are pretty miraculous.

And every time I've been invited to solo with a major orchestra, it's been. inspirational spiritual music, which also doesn't really happen. So like I sold with National Symphony, I played Ave Maria, I soloed with like, like nobody plays Ave Maria. Right. But that's what I was invited to play. And I'm like, that's really interesting.

And of all the pieces in the violin repertoire, not usually the one that violinists gets invited to play. But I'm super grateful. And then like Pittsburgh symphony twice, I sold it with them and they were Christmas shows that were all about the savior. And just, I, everything, Oh, Jerusalem symphony. We were doing Hosanna by Alexia Azevedo.

Like same thing with San Diego symphony anyway. So it's just every opportunity I've been given that's been major has been. a kingdom builder. And, and so I, I, I finally get it. The Lord is like, Jenny, this is what your purpose is. This is you're supposed to build God's kingdom, build my kingdom through your musical gifts.

So he, that's, that's my purpose. And I, and I get it. And When I was younger, I didn't fight it, but I definitely kind of tried bang my head against the wall quite a few times to, to follow in the path of my peers from Julliard and Curtis. And I would wonder, why do they have these world, not world, these opportunities of the world that I am not receiving?

Like, why, why, why does this artist, you know, get to do this? And why am I, Doing this and, and so I was frustrated a bit when I was younger and I'm so grateful to be through that and just understand better my role and appreciate my role and look back and be grateful that so many times that I was trying to climb a ladder that just couldn't be climbed.

I'm grateful that the Lord is like, no, that's not the ladder for you. And I'm grateful for maybe the glass ceilings that kept me from being famous in the world because they enabled me to be home with my children more. They enabled me to refocus on music that brings people closer to Christ and, and just stay really grounded in what's most important and be able to focus more on, on things that will, will be better for, for me and for my people that hear my music.

in the long run and and in the short run. And I'm grateful. I'm I'm just grateful that the Lord loved me enough to not give me what I thought I wanted.

[00:40:55] Morgan Jones Pearson: Yeah, well, I, as you were talking, it reminded me of another thing that I read as I was prepping for this conversation. You shared some advice that you received from Michael Ballum and, uh, for those that are not familiar with him, he is a, A member of the church as well and a critically acclaimed opera singer.

And he told you, Jenny, your career may not follow the same path as your peers. The Lord has different paths for those who follow him. Your musical life may end up being different. And I think that that. That's a powerful thought. And what you just said is a perfect illustration of that. I think it's easy to look horizontally at our peers and be like, well, why is this not happening for me?

But for those that are trying to follow the Lord, our path is May be different, and that's okay. Um, in fact, it can end up being better for us in the end. Jenny, this has been so fun for me to learn more about you and your experiences. My last question for you is what does it mean to you to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ?

[00:42:07] Jenny Oaks Baker: For me, it, it means doing the little things, remembering, you know, small and simple things, remembering to say your prayers, remembering to try to be virtuous, remembering to go to church, attend your meetings, support your leaders, remembering to read the scriptures daily, remembering. To share your testimony as much as possible with everyone you meet that and and to live like uphold your covenants and live the teachings of the gospel and and try to be a light to others and to just rely on the that's so many things sorry to rely on the lord to rely on the lord and and be grateful for that.

All the blessings that he gives you and the beautiful life experiences that you're able to have when you're tethered to the Lord. That's what it means to be All In.

[00:43:02] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, it may be a lot of things, but sometimes, sometimes trying to live the gospel can feel like a lot of things. But to your point, there are a lot of little things and those little things add up to be quite big in the end, I think.

So Jenny, thank you so much. so much for your time and uh, good luck with the Christmas tour.

[00:43:21] Jenny Oaks Baker: Thank you so much. It's been so fun chatting with you and I appreciate all that you do to bring people closer to Christ.

[00:43:31] Morgan Jones Pearson: We are so grateful to Jenny Oaks Baker for joining us on today's episode. You can learn more about Jenny's Christmas tour, Joy to the World, a Sacred Celebration by visiting JennyOaksBaker. com. A big thanks to Derek Campbell of Mix At 6 Studios for his time. Help with this episode and thank you for listening again.

We'll look forward to being with you again in early 2025.