The Things I Love Most

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Jenny Oaks Baker’s New CD – Classic The Rock Album Review

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I have a little story to tell you before I get into what this blog post is supposed to be about.  Ready?  It’s a good one! When I was a little girl, about seven,  I decided I wanted to have a violin.  I begged and begged my mom for one. I wanted a violin SO bad! I remember going to the music store and being sized for my violin and walking out with the cutest little case, chin rest, rosin and of course a beautiful 1/2 size violin!  Oh ya, I was one happy child.  Then I started lessons.  I think I played for about two years, but many many days were a battle when it came to practicing.  I don’t remember saying this to my mom, but one day I was done, done with practicing and I hated playing the violin.  I walk over to my mom and said, “I never said I wanted to play the violin, I just said I wanted to have one.”  I quit a few weeks later.  True story of my epic fail at becoming an amazing violinist.  To this day I wish I wouldn’t have quit. I wish I would have stuck it out and worked hard. I wish that practicing that extra 1/2 hour to an hour a day would have been as important to me as watching a show on TV, or sitting around doing nothing waiting for my friends to get home from school.  I was homeschooled for goodness sake, I had time to practice! Where were my priorities?  Oh well,  it’s all in the past!
My mom kept my violin, I am not sure why.  I wonder if she hoped I would try again.  I didn’t.  I wish I would have though.  She gave it to me when I asked if I could have it after I got married.  I was sure one of my children would want to play it, and hopefully be more dedicated then I was to it.  When my daughter was about four years old she started asking me about the violin and if she could ever play mine.   I let her hold it, but it was way too big.  By the time she was six we decided to put her in lessons.  It was fun to show her how awesome I was at playing Tucka-Tucka Stop-Stop, she was impressed!! From age 6-8 she liked it, but it was a big battle EVERYDAY to get her to practice. I was about to pull her out, I was DONE with the nagging and frustration between us.  Yup, I totally knew exactly what I did to my mom at that moment.  Finally, I told her that I didn’t want to make her do it, that I had quit and that she could do the same, but that it was her choice.  She told me she would think and pray about it and come talk to me later.  To make a long story not any longer, she stuck with it, she has played in church, she is learning a ton and is now in a orchestra.  She still has days she doesn’t want to practice, but when she goes in and practice she loves it.  She has learned to read music lately and is playing some fun song!  I am so proud of her for not quitting.
One of her inspirations is this amazing lady, Jenny Oaks Baker.  We love hearing her play, and blasting her music throughout the house.  Our favorite being her Wish Upon a Star Album, but this new CD, Classic: The Rock Album is excellent and comes in at a close second!  You will love the Classic Rock songs combined with here insane talent.  
Here is a little bit about the album and the amazing artist behind it….

Grammy-nominated #1 Billboard Violinist Jenny Oaks Baker takes her style to an all-new level with her new release, Classic: The Rock Album. Featuring classic rock favorites like Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Sweet Child of Mine (Guns and Roses), and Yesterday (The Beatles), you won’t believe your ears as one of the country’s most accomplished and acclaimed violinists combines her insane talent with the heart-pumping tunes that have defined a genre for generations. 

Jenny Oaks Baker is one of America’s most accomplished violinists. She received her Master of Music degree from the renowned Juilliard School in New York City and her bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

 She has released eleven albums since 1998. They consistently chart on Billboard, including the #1 spot on the Top Classical Albums chart. Her album Wish Upon a Star earned a nomination for the 54thGRAMMY Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

 Jenny Oaks Baker has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and with the Jerusalem Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Utah Symphony, and the internationally acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Jenny performed as a first violinist with the National Symphony Orchestra for seven years before resigning to devote more time to her young family. Jenny and her husband Matthew have four children.

She is amazing, and you will love this version of Classic Rock!  You can purchase the CD through Deseret Book here, or Amazon here. 

Comments

  1. What a great story; I’m SO HAPPY that your daughter stuck with it! Isn’t it challenging as a parent, to know what to do? Do you insist they keep it up or let them choose? Does it depend upon the kid? Is it as tough for you to decide what to do in situations like this as it is for me? Being a parent is THE TOUGHEST JOB IN THE WORLD… I’M JUST SURE OF IT! 😮 But I LOVE it! 😀 I don’t have all the answers, but I am thankful for the role! 🙂 I’m so thankful to be a mom…