September 19, 2023 • 39 mins
Jenny Oaks Baker is the perfect guest for the premiere of The Book Drop Mic with Jason Wright. Join Jason and Jenny as they discuss their brand new book, Witnesses of Christmas — A Musical Journey Through the Nativity of Jesus the Christ.
They also discuss their beloved Christmas show, "Joy to the World — A Sacred Christmas Celebration". The 2023 edition of the show features live music, choirs, and dancers and will hit 20 cities between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Buy Jason and Jenny's new book:
https://shadowmountain.com/product/witnesses-of-christmas-a-musical-journey-through-the-nativity-of-jesus-the-christ
Buy tickets to the show
https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com
Learn more about Jenny:
https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com
Learn more about Jason:
http://www.jasonfwright.com
This podcast is brought to you by InkVeins, your source for book publicity, promo, press releases and more. Text 540-212-4095 for more information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jason (00:02):
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Book Drop Mic brought to
you by InkVeins, your sourcefor book publicity, promo and
press releases.
This is Jason Wright and thisis our premiere episode.
And look, when I decided tolaunch this new show, I knew
that today's guest would have tobe our first, and not just
(00:25):
because I am somewhat familiarwith her new book, but because I
just love and adore her and herfabulous and funny and wacky
family.
I am so happy to welcome JennyOaks Baker to Book Drop Mic.
Hey, jenny.
Jenny (00:40):
Hey, Jason, it's always so fun to talk to you, but it's
actually your book.
It just seems kind of along forthe ride.
Jason (00:47):
I don't know your name's on the cover as well.
Jenny (00:50):
Yeah, but it's really your book.
Jason (00:54):
Well, we're going to talk about that and, by the way, if
you missed my interview withJenny on Wright when you Are,
which is a little bit longerform show, as many of you will
recall, go back and find that.
Just search Jason Wright, jasonOaksbaker, on wherever you
listen to your podcast, andyou'll find it.
That was a great, greatdiscussion that we had a couple
of years ago.
Jenny (01:14):
All right, so we are going to talk about the book, of
course, but first peoplelistening might know Well, it's
the same as last year, but it'scalled Joy to the World, a
Sacred Celebration, but it isall about becoming a better
witness of Jesus Christ, so it'sdefinitely like Witnesses of
Christmas, which is actually thebook titles.
Jason (01:35):
So this started about three years ago.
Jenny reached out and said Iwant to do a Christmas show in
the middle of a global pandemic.
Well, you're right.
Jenny (01:50):
No one else is doing them .
So it seemed like, yeah, Ithought that was just the way it
was and I can't remember.
I'm kind of now that I'm tryingto book venues, not in a global
pandemic.
It's actually really really,really, really, really difficult
, because, especially becausethis time there's something
called Nutcracker that seems totake all the venues.
Jason (02:09):
Yeah, it is great for them.
But I do remember back thenjust how, what a unique
experience that was, even justtelling people, hey, we're doing
this show at Tuocon in StGeorge and Jenny and her family
and dancers and choirs, and likeit's this beautiful, like let's
gather together again and talkabout the real meaning of
(02:31):
Christmas, and the show sort ofcame together in that sort of
test, I guess three years ago.
Jenny (02:37):
And then now we're venues .
So we were just everyone wassafe.
Jason (02:41):
Yeah, that's right.
And then we went back the nextyear, so in in 21, right, and
had again just in St George, buthad a little different.
The script was similar but I Ishowed up as a shepherd with
some facial hair, which wasfantastic, and the show was
(03:02):
better, absolutely better,because you know, you were
wearing a shepherd skirt you gotfrom your friend.
That's right.
Shout out to Shatley for theskirt that I wore to cover up my
knobby knees.
And then you called me in likeJanuary or February of 22 and
said, OK, so what success.
(03:24):
We had the first couple yearsin St George.
What if we went to to maybe 10cities?
And I remember thinking she'sprobably lost her mind, Jenny
Oaks Bakers, we're going fromone sort of a test experiment,
kind of a Petrie dish thing, inSt George to let's try this in
10 cities.
And she did and it wasfantastic and she really I mean
(03:49):
she had, she had help in all thekey areas but really this has
been your baby in terms of ofproducing and booking venues and
and the finance and all thatside of this.
This is really a Jenny OaksBaker joint in every sense.
And we survived somehow.
We survived 10 cities.
And then Jenny called me inJanuary or February or March.
Jenny (04:13):
And what did you say to me, Jenny, this year, I don't
remember because I'm just, I'vejust been such a long life, but
I think I was like I want to do20.
Jason (04:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go from 10 to goodness it's been
.
Jenny (04:26):
It's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Like, honestly, I don't thinkI've ever broken down in tears
so many times sitting at mycomputer has like the last few
months because I thought thatthis year I mean it was really
hard to figure out how to do atour for 10 cities Like it was
really hard but I did it and Iwas like, well, this year I know
(04:47):
what I'm doing, Like I can thisis not new Like I just do the
same thing but just do two ofthe same at the same time.
Like double a no big deal.
And oh my goodness, it's somuch harder.
I swear it's 10 times harderthan just two times harder.
And I know how to work hard andI'll pull it off and I know
that God is helping me.
But he's also like how manyfather likes to teach you
(05:09):
lessons as he helps you andsometimes those lessons are not
super fun, but they'reworthwhile and I'm grateful for
them when I'm done with them,but when I'm in the middle of
them I'm not as grateful and I'mworking on it, but it has been
the hardest thing I've evertried to pull off and I'm still.
Every day I pray for specificmiracles that I need to come
through, and very often thosemiracles come, and so it's kept
(05:31):
me humble.
It's keeping me working hard,it's keeping me my Kleenex box
is right by my computer, but itkeeps.
It keeps you humble, and doinghard things is what, what I feel
like, sanctifies me and helpsme become more of the person
that God would have me be.
So I know how to work hard, Iknow how to rely on the Lord,
(05:52):
and this has been a really goodtest of that.
Jason (05:56):
Well, and I always.
When my family and I we in factjust yesterday we had kind of a
conversation about how thecalendar was starting to look
and travel and all that for thetour, and we were talking about
just the sheer amount of workthat goes in long before we ever
arrive at the first venue.
On what is it?
(06:17):
Black Friday day afterThanksgiving?
I love my.
Jenny (06:19):
March 24th.
Jason (06:21):
Yeah, yeah, folks, it's.
We're not talking days andweeks, we're literally talking
months and months of work.
Yeah, Like you just got home,so I'm glad you.
Jenny (06:40):
We finished the day before Christmas Eve, I believe,
so we flew home on ChristmasEve.
Jason (06:46):
Yeah.
Jenny (06:47):
I've got my actually performed at place on Missionary
Training Center that day, whichwas we were not really great.
I mean, I love to be at theMissionary Training Center.
The spirit's so strong there.
I love it.
But it was hard for me to be ina good mood because I was so
tired.
Anyway like being there, youbecome in a good mood.
But, like it was, it was harderto get in a good mood because
(07:07):
we were so thrashed and tired,like alcohol, but thrashed as in
gone through Extraordinaryamount of right, no, that was.
Jason (07:18):
and I and I posted and wrote a little bit about some of
the miracles and the Once wehit November 24, that's my
vacation.
Jenny (07:25):
Like it, I will bring it every single night because I
know how to do that, but that'sthe easy part, that is.
But I will bring it and my kidswill bring it, and Jason always
brings it.
Alex will bring it, like thedancers.
We have 60 different performinggroups on this tour and that
actually is one of the hardestthings to To actually find the
performing groups that arewilling to do it at Christmas
time, which is a busy time.
(07:46):
But we have Irish dancer atevery stop group and Lyrical
dancers at every stop andacquired every stop and a
backpiper, but we're using thesame two backpipers on the whole
tour, so that makes a littleeasier than last year.
But, um, yeah, so we, and thenwe have a percussionist, jay
night guard, who's wonderful andUm, anyway, so we just just so
(08:09):
many people and I'm still tryingto get their tour travel every
day.
It's been on my leg to do likethere's so much I think people
enjoy.
Jason (08:17):
I actually think it's really helpful for people that
are debating.
Do I do?
I have the?
You know the 90 minutes or twohours that come to the show.
You know the 20, 30, 40, 50bucks whatever it is given the
venue in the seat choice to buya ticket.
You really do, because you're.
You're not just coming toexperience Something really
(08:37):
special on stage for an hour anda half or two hours, you're
coming to experience theculmination of months and months
and months of work and prayerand sweat and Spiritual energy
that goes into it.
And so we'll link, of course,to all the cities and tickets
and all that stuff in the in theshow notes.
But Tell us, is there anythingsuper interesting that's new
(08:58):
about this year that's worthpeople Maybe they came last year
, they're trying to decide ifthey want to come again.
Jenny (09:03):
Well before we go into that, the most I mean.
Honestly, I don't care ifpeople who are at the show
Understand how much work wentinto it.
Like I, I want them to be thereto just have a really great
spiritual experience to comelike, become closer to Jesus
Christ, to feel unified withtheir family and friends,
(09:24):
whoever they're with or um, andto just just be, have the spirit
speak to their hearts and helpthem feel the true meaning of
Christmas and and to just become, you know, a better witness of
Jesus Christ, like that.
I honestly don't need to themto know how much work went into
it, but I do want them to feelthe spirit and to know of God's
(09:45):
love for each of them.
So that that's why we're,that's why Heavenly Father has
blessed me to be able to pull usoff, and that's why he blessed
you to write such a powerful andimpactful, beautiful script and
deliver it with suchauthenticity and um.
But there's also, of course,entertainment and entertaining
(10:05):
moments.
It's not just like attending aReligious service, but so it's
got the Irish dancers and lotsof energy and beautiful lighting
and gorgeous videos and of ofJesus Christ and um Anyway, so
it's a really special show asfar as the new things, this year
I hired a?
Um lyrical choreographer in ourIdaho Falls show.
(10:26):
I loved the choreography somuch because all of their
movements, when we were, whenthe choir was singing glory to
gone and we're playing theseglorious Christmas carols, their
hands were all reaching up toheaven in such a beautiful way
and I I just loved thechoreography in Idaho Falls.
So I reached out to JanelleFulmer and I said will you
Choreograph the whole show fornext year?
(10:47):
So all my lyrical dancers willhave this and it's actually
there's, there's a name for it.
There's like liturgical dance.
There's a kind of dance thatthat is more kind of religious
and sacred, and so the lyricaldancers are doing this
liturgical dance.
So that's that's new this year.
Um, and I hired a creativedirector, um, scott Ekern, and
(11:14):
he's he's gone through the wholescript and just kind of tweaked
things.
We made in an hour and a halfinstead of two hours of no
intermission, um, just totighten it up and make it even
more spiritually andartistically and creatively
impactful.
Um, and you just changed alittle bit of the script.
Here and there we're changingsome of the projections, um, I
(11:36):
think the Irish dancing.
We've made some tweaks with thedifferent Irish dancers are
always, um, so different Irishdancing groups, different choirs
, um, anyway, so those are someof the changes and I think it'll
be a little more.
We've got a congregationalsinging on Silent Night.
That I think will be reallybeautiful and powerful.
Um so it'll.
(11:58):
It'll be pretty different and,I think, just even more
impactful and and beautifullysatisfying.
Jason (12:06):
You know it's, and it's interesting because generally
you think, well, if you've takenaway, you've, if you've taken
away from something, then you'vediminished its value, like it's
now smaller.
But I actually think and thisis true with you know, with
writing and editing andeverything else, actually I in
this case absolutely the reverseis true.
By taking a little bit awayfrom the show in terms of the
(12:28):
length and tightening up, likethere's a little bit of change
to the, to the song, even justthe song order, and it's not
significantly shorter, but it is, it is tighter enough that I
actually think it's better likeit's.
I can't wait to get on stageand to and to see how, because
we're just seeing scripts atthis point, but to see how it
(12:48):
plays out, because I think, bytaking the intermission away, by
reordering the music a littlebit, I think we pulled out a
number, one or two numbers,right.
Jenny (12:58):
At least I think, maybe just one.
Honestly, I think it's just onesong left, I don't.
I don't remember.
The creative part is is nextweek.
For me, my, my creativedirector has been working on it
all year but, like for me,focusing in on that, is is next
week.
Jason (13:13):
That's going to be great.
I just think it's actuallygoing to be an even better, more
powerful show by being a littlebit shorter.
And it's the holidays, peopleare going to get in and out a
little bit faster and.
Jenny (13:24):
I love a show with no intermission.
I get bored easy, so I just noton stage but as like a viewer,
I just I just want the mostimpactful, like my food is
really spicy and or just yeah,I'm just like a big bold person
and so I love a show that, likeevery moment is impactful.
Jason (13:42):
So I think that's what we're going to deliver and
ladies and gentlemen, if youwant to come a little early and
to say Jenny has dreamt up a VIPreception opportunity.
Jenny (13:55):
Oh goodness, I hope people come.
This is just like my experimentof, oh, we'll just do that,
because I've heard of, I heardshows.
They do these, like myhusband's, like you should try
it in a few places, and I waslike, okay, we'll just do 20,
but actually we're not doing anyCalgary because Calgary
couldn't find a big enoughconcert hall that was available
(14:16):
not cracker, Thank you.
And so we're doing two, twoshows in Calgary, which means we
just like the day it has noroom for a VIP reception.
We're also not doing one atOakland because it's a temple
hill and they won't allow it.
But every other venue We'll bedoing a VIP reception where you
can come.
We're gonna give actually thenew book that we're talking
(14:36):
about today signed, we'll begiven to everyone that attends
and we'll have some littlerefreshments.
A little photo while we'remaking the banner, for the
little photo area Makes it looklike it's like a Hollywood
premiere.
Jason (14:53):
And you don't have to stand in line at the end of the
show and deal with all that youcan-.
Jenny (14:58):
And you just meet you by yourself with us.
So we'll just have a little-.
Jason (15:01):
In some venues.
In some venues, that's right,and it's a little bit it's made
in my popularity with thesereceptions.
Jenny (15:10):
So we'll see if it could just be you and us.
Jason (15:15):
And what a bar way out.
What a bargain that would be.
So again, all the links for allthat good stuff in the show
notes.
But we do hope that we see youat the show somewhere this year.
If you look at the cities andyou're like, oh, you're not
coming to DC, you're not comingto Alabama, you're not coming to
wherever, hold out your hopefor 2024, because I'm certain
(15:39):
that we will be in 40 pluscities.
Jenny (15:43):
We actually next year is difficult, because I think it'll
just be 10.
Jason (15:48):
Oh yeah, but these-.
Jenny (15:50):
Because it's Sarah's fault.
Mike Chalice, like her school.
She got accepted to her schoolat Susan Scotland.
They're like we're so excitedto have you here and we're like
so she actually needs to missthree weeks of school during her
first year of college.
You don't mind, right?
And they're like actually we domind and I'm like, but it's
kind of already done.
I didn't know she was gonna goto your school and miss three
weeks.
(16:10):
And they're like well, thisyear yes, but next year no.
So I'm gonna try to figure out10 cities next year, but they'll
be really good ones.
So just come this year and thenyeah, come this year.
Jason (16:21):
And then, if you are in one of those cities, maybe that
we were in last year that we'renot coming to this year I know
that's been the discussion is totry to get maybe to DC again or
even New York or Florida orsomething like that.
Jenny (16:34):
I think Atlanta probably, but if not just, I mean not if
not, but like just quite aChicago or St Louis, that's
close yeah.
Jason (16:42):
Just like oops Right, Just come see us.
Just come see us.
How do they start?
They're my-.
Jenny (16:50):
You and me.
Jason (16:51):
If you, if someone's listening right now, who says
sorry?
Well, I'm familiar now with theshow.
I'm familiar with Jason and hisbooks, but they're maybe not as
familiar with America'sviolinist Jenny Oaks Baker.
What's the?
What's the short bio version ofyou and who you are and why
you're doing what you do?
Jenny (17:12):
Well, why I'm doing what I do is cause the spirit has
told me to do it and I'm kind ofI try to be obedient cause I
love blessings, I love theblessings, I'll do anything to
get a blessing.
But so I started playing violinwhen I was four and immediately
showed that I kind of had atalent that God had given me and
(17:33):
my mom recognized that and soshe was extremely supportive,
and my my dad as well.
My mom practiced me till I was12, I think, and my dad was
willing to pay for those lessons, so he was supportive as well.
But I ended up just showing amusical gift from God and so my
parents supported that and Ipracticed really hard and they
(17:53):
instilled in me that I had aresponsibility to develop my
talent and be worthy and readyto use that talent to build the
kingdom.
And I just always knew that Godhad something for me to do and
I had to be.
I had to keep the commandmentsto be worthy and I had to work
really hard and just listen tothe spirit to try to figure out
(18:15):
what it was.
And I just always knew therewas something I was supposed to
do with my talent.
I just knew and then I got intothe Curtis Institute of Music.
I went there for my bachelors,which, curtis, is a really
special place.
It's probably the best musicschool in the world, so I was
really blessed to get in.
And then I got into Juilliardand got my master's from
Juilliard School in New YorkCity, met my husband in New York
(18:35):
.
We got married.
We moved to DC for his job, Igot into the National Symphony.
I played in the NationalSymphony as I was having
children.
I had four children.
By the time I'd had our fourthchild in the symphony I felt
like that wasn't what God wantedme to do.
He wanted me to be home withmore kids and so I walked away
from the symphony, which isreally hard and scary, and I had
(18:56):
.
I had started making albums.
Right after I got married Ireleased my first album.
So during the time in thesymphony I'd released a couple
albums, but I hadn't reallypursued a big solo career
because I was in the symphony.
I had one, two, three and fourkids.
But as soon as I left thesymphony I had, as I was leaving
(19:16):
the symphony, I didn't have anysolo concerts.
But the day after I resignedfrom the symphony, conductors
started calling and I startedperforming quite a bit and not
being in the symphony, I alsohad more time to help my kids
develop their musical talentsand over the years they started
performing with me and so Istarted.
They were really good.
(19:38):
So I started performing withthem and, as like a ton, I
started putting them on concertsand eventually they were on all
my concerts and I wasperforming with them.
And now so that's where we,that's kind of where we are
today, like although they'reolder, and so my oldest
daughter's married and she stillperforms with us because she
(20:00):
makes time, which is wonderful,and I pay her.
I pay my children to performwith me.
And then Hannah, so that's Larsplays violin.
Hannah is a pianist.
She's going to the RoyalAcademy of Music studying piano
in London.
She's in her 30th year now ofcollege.
Sarah starts the RoyalConservatoire of Scotland on
(20:22):
Friday actually she leaves, soshe'll be in Scotland, but
she'll come back for the tourAgain, missing those three weeks
of school which they'rethrilled about.
And then Matthew.
Matthew is a junior in highschool.
He plays classical guitar andhe's willing to play with us
because he lives in my house andthat's kind of part of it.
(20:44):
So, anyway, so we performed.
Jason (20:47):
And he's quite good he is .
He's no slouch yeah.
Jenny (20:50):
Very good.
So we performed together asJenny Oaks, baker and Family
Four and my wonderful husband.
He supports it all.
He has his own job which paysfor it all and he's supportive.
So that's a little bit of who Iam and I'm grateful to be able
to perform and grateful thatHeavenly Father has entrusted me
(21:12):
with this beautiful show andhas provided miracles and
direction on how to bring it tothe world.
Jason (21:21):
Amen, amen and amen, and I just feel so.
First of all, I feel sofortunate to have known all that
before you said it, becausewe've known each other for a
long time, and to know that, toback up to your previous thought
on why you do what you do, thatit's I know you love your
education and I know you lovethe schools you went to and I
(21:43):
know you love the halls you haveplayed and around the world,
and I know you love the show andI know you love the book and I
know you love it all, but youlove, you love God so much more
than any of that that it palesin significance.
It's silly to even compare thetwo, and so I know, I do know,
why you do what you do, and it'sfor much more than VIP
(22:08):
receptions, right, even thoughwe do hope you come to the VIP
reception.
Jenny (22:13):
The VIP reception is honestly to help pay for the
tour, because the tour is reallyreally, really expensive.
And I just follow the spirit,and the spirit is wonderful and
never leads you astray, but youcan still lose money and follow
the spirit.
Jason (22:30):
Yeah, that's right.
Jenny (22:32):
It's happened before because life lessons again and
I'm just trying not to lose thehouse, have the lose the house,
life lesson.
Jason (22:39):
So that's the VIP reception.
Jenny (22:41):
But I trust God and I know I felt led to come to each
of these cities and I'm we'resupposed to come and there's
people we're supposed to touchand it's going to be an amazing
show and I'm grateful for thoselife lessons and I'm grateful
again that God blesses me and hetrusts me to just to do it, so
(23:06):
that's why we're here.
Jason (23:07):
That's why we're here and we're here.
We're here to also talk aboutthis book, which is now the
reverse story.
I called you after the showlast year and said you know what
if we, what if we packaged the,the narration, with your music
(23:29):
and some new arrangements maybe,and what if we produce
something that might be a lovelygift for people who attend the
show but might also be somethingthat people that will never
have an opportunity to be near avenue or travel or whatever,
can see it?
And so that this is where weend up with the witnesses of
Christmas, a musical journeythrough the nativity of Jesus,
(23:51):
the Christ.
It is the, it's the narration,an edited version of the
narration from from David theshepherd that I, that I play in
the show.
That's part one of the book,with the sheet music, which you
can talk about in a minute, kindof how that came to be.
And then part two of the book,we sort of dive into some
(24:11):
attributes of the Savior andsome scriptures that illustrate
those attributes, and then somereal world examples on how we
can maybe become more like himby by adopting those attributes,
by by learning from his lifeand applying those lessons.
So so talk to us a little bitabout, first of all, the.
(24:34):
The arrangements were brand new, aren't they?
Didn't you want thesecommissioned for the book?
Jenny (24:39):
Well, some of them were.
So this idea for the book, ofcourse, as you said, was
entirely your idea.
I think it's the greatest idea.
Of course I have CDs, but veryfew people have CD players and
so this is a way of sharing mymusic without having to have a
CD player.
(24:59):
So there's QR codes, which isamazing that just open up the
music and so you're gettingthese recordings from the
Christmas show and able tolisten to them.
And and Jason had this greatidea with the book that we could
make it very interactive forpeople and so they could gather
their families and sit around,you know, the living room, sit
(25:21):
around the Christmas tree, orsit around the fireplace or
whatever, and we're just bythemselves and have this, have
this experience of the showwhere they read the script and
then they they can.
Either there's three options, soeveryone's happy.
You can either just listen tothe recording of the music from
the, from your phone or yourcomputer, whatever the queue,
(25:43):
with the QR code, just the audiorecording, you can.
Or, if you want to be moreinteractive, there's sheet music
.
If you play the piano, you canplay the piano and everyone can
sing.
Or you can sing, you know, ifyou're by yourself, you can just
sing and and play.
Or there's accompanimentversions.
These are the new arrangementswhere they're basically just the
(26:06):
accompaniment and you can justsing along to.
If it's silent night, you know,you know silent night you can
just sing along.
If you're not familiar with oneof the songs do you hear what I
hear?
For instance, maybe you don'tknow those words or those that
melody, you can read the sheetmusic, so you don't even need to
need the piano, but you canjust read the words and just
you'll hear the melody and theaccompaniment or some of that,
(26:30):
some of for the, for the songswhere we have music videos you
also want, if you just want, tosit there and watch and watch a
video.
Most of the songs have a musicvideo for you to watch and those
are all accessed by a QR code.
So it's very interactive andjust a great way to experience
the show or just.
I mean, even you don't evenneed to think about the show.
(26:50):
It's a great way to experienceand bring yourself closer to
Jesus Christ.
And then the second part thatyou referenced was entirely your
idea.
That's not in the show, butit's kind of the because,
because we're witnessing aChristmas of Christ.
How does that apply to ourlives?
And you have beautiful thoughtson that and it's, it's really
(27:14):
beautiful, beautiful what you'vewritten.
And then there's like an extralittle bonus video at the end.
Jason (27:20):
So Jenny keeps saying this was, you know, my idea and
that I did more work on it.
They don't know how much timeyou spent deeply invested in
selection of the artwork andwhen the designer of the book
would send back options, you'dgo no, not quite, no, not quite,
no, no better, but no, this oneon this one on all spring.
Jenny (27:46):
I've been doing that on the website as well as ready to
like throw me off a cliff.
Jason (27:52):
No, no, that the it paid off because it's a shadow
mountain in the team that thatproduced this book published.
It just did a lovely job and itlooks.
It looks terrific, the art isterrific, the arrangements are
wonderful and I remember it'skind of funny now thinking back
(28:14):
on it that when we first had theidea, I thought and I said to
you well, couldn't we just takethe sheet music this is how much
I know about music that you'reusing in the show and just put
it in this book that people can?
And you're like trying to be sokind, jason, I don't think you
understand.
Jenny (28:36):
I'm never that kind.
I'm very direct, I'm sure.
I'm sure I was like no, thatwon't work at all.
What are you thinking?
So, curbester?
He like takes you on a musicaljourney with, with the melody,
and like explodes in a climacticway and then it resolves and
it's beautiful.
And if you just tried to singyour, your regular Christmas
carol that you know and love,you wouldn't be able to
(28:56):
necessarily sing like you canhear that.
You can hear it and you know it, and it's silent night, but
you're not going to be able tojust sing along without having
or sit at the piano with thatRight.
So he wrote entirely newaccompaniment arrangements.
Someday, I think, we'll want toput these on the show, where
it's like they're beautiful.
Like these arrangements aregorgeous and like they're,
(29:18):
they're just they're, they'renot just.
You know, take a take ahandbook and chunk out, chunk
out that all the different fourparts on the choir Like these
are beautiful accompanimentarrangements that everyone's
going to want to hear.
Jason (29:33):
Yeah, and of course some listening know who Kurt Bessler
is and know that he has had hisown Christmas show for many
years.
And if you can only see oneChristmas show this Christmas,
you should see the Janus BakerChristmas show.
If you can see two, then go seehis.
I do hope that people willconsider introducing this book
(29:58):
the way that people have been sosupportive Christmas hours
through the years, as a partperhaps of your family tradition
at Christmas.
If you gather your kids aroundand you put on the bathrobe and
you do the nativity or whateveryou do with your family and you
read Luke 2 or whatever, that'sbeautiful.
We certainly don't want tointerfere with people's
long-standing family traditionsthat are so special and sacred.
(30:20):
But if you're interested indoing something a little bit
different and the books havelaid out again so you can have
someone be the narrator and readthe narration and sort of
experience the whole thing as ifyou were in a beautiful hall
somewhere which any in herfamily and me you can do that
right in your living room, so wedo hope people will experience
(30:42):
it You'll be able to pick up thebook at at least some of the
venues right, you'll be able tobuy it there.
Jenny (30:48):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll take it to the Utah and
Idaho and Las Vegas venues justbecause it's so heavy yeah like
beautiful books.
Places and not charged $50.
Jason (31:01):
No, it's going to be a return by people.
Jenny (31:03):
So it'll be at the venues that I can drive to, but
probably not the California orTexas.
But we're gonna do somethingspecial that we're figuring out
where people can come with thebook.
Jason (31:14):
Yes, come with the book and it's so good to signature it
.
So the book is available onAmazon and Deseret Book and
Walmart and Target and any placethat you buy books online.
You can find it in most placesthat you buy books traditionally
through retailers.
You can find it in Brick Mortar.
All right, jenny, what iswhat's next?
(31:36):
What is next for you?
Jenny (31:38):
Let me just mention one other thing about the book and
the show.
Alex Sharp, who formerly acouple years in the show.
She's phenomenal and she's inquite a few of the recordings in
the book and a couple of videos, so you want to miss her as
well.
Jason (31:53):
Yes.
Jenny (31:54):
Just even better, just an even more beautiful book.
So next up for me is I havethis production called the
Redeemer.
That's for Easter and it'struly one of the most beautiful
things that I've ever been apart of and I'm bringing it to
like six or eight cities thisspring for Easter.
(32:14):
If you come on my website toget show tickets for the
Christmas show, which isJennyOaksBakercom, you'll also
see a few Redeemer shows and ifyou're in the area, I highly
suggest you incorporate thatinto your Easter celebrations
because it's all about thesavior and it's really powerful.
And then Jason wrote anotherincredible script that the first
(32:36):
time I read the script Iactually was like ugly crying
because it was so beautiful,which is not usually what you do
when you read a script onAmerica.
I love America and America'sinspiring, but it doesn't
usually engender such powerfulspiritual feelings as a script.
It's really beautiful.
It's called American Mosaic andit's all about bringing the
(32:58):
different people that of thisgreat nation, like going through
and just appreciating eachother and how we can come
together as one nation under Godand rejoice in our differences
and be excited about ourstrengths and just have more
unity and more gratitude to Godfor this incredible land and
(33:20):
it's got folk dancers andballroom dancers and Conlon
Bonner is the narrator.
He's phenomenal.
It's just such a great show.
So I'm hoping, as soon as Iclimb my way out of the 2020
City Christmas tour and pull itall off, I'm gonna really start
booking halls this summer fornot halls like outdoor
(33:42):
amphitheaters, as Michael wrotethis really great summer show
that Jason wrote this beautifulscript for.
So that's that, betweenRedeemer and then American
Mosaic and then next season'sChristmas show, I'll have enough
to do next year as well.
Jason (33:56):
Yeah you'll be busy and let me say the I would love to
see that.
That has been a strangeexperience for me as a writer to
to generate the script for youand to not be able to see it on
stage and to just.
I mean, I've seen pictures andof course you were telling me
how rehearsals and things went,but so I can't wait to actually
(34:18):
see how that played out.
I'm sure it's fantastic.
And I will say specificallyabout Redeemer that I have a
friend who has been goingthrough kind of a hard time and
I obviously not gonna say hername, but she's had a little bit
of a rough year.
But she saw your Redeemer showand she said it was one of the
most profoundly spiritualexperiences that she had had in
(34:43):
reconnecting her to God in apretty impactful way.
Jenny (34:48):
So I don't know if I ever showed that with you before,
but my Redeemer show is theRedeemer show and I've seen that
it's it's not.
It's not my show, but the Lordhonestly gave me Christmas show
to teach me how to rent venuesto be able to bring Redeemer to
the world as well, and and thatshow is special and so is
(35:09):
Christmas show.
But the Redeemer is all aboutJesus Christ, like every single
thing is, about his life and hismission, and I just, I honestly
, would never turn me thinkabout it.
I'm just I'm grateful that Icould be a part of it, and in
Christmas show as well.
So I'm just grateful to be apart of preparing, helping,
trying my best to help preparethe world for the second coming,
(35:32):
and that's what.
That's what I'm supposed to dowith my music.
So I'm grateful to be able todo that with wonderful people
like you.
So thank you, jason.
Jason (35:41):
Oh, it's the, it's the honor, honor of my career to do
it and and it's just such apleasure to work with you and
your, your terrific family, andgetting to know them.
And I'm so glad you mentionedAlex.
I just if you, if you've evermet Alex, then you just know
that she has this sparkle andlight in her eyes.
(36:03):
That's just particularly whenshe takes the stage and the
lights come up.
Just her, her love of her craftand and music and you and your
family and the Lord.
All of it is just so evidentand everything Alex says and
yeah, so I'm I'm glad that youmentioned that.
And and again, you will find inthe show notes all the
(36:25):
information about not just theChristmas show but where Jenny
will be with Redeemer next year.
I do happen to know my Virginiafriends that Redeemer is coming
to DC, to the DC area, nextspring.
Is that not true?
Jenny (36:39):
Strathmore Hall on March 28th and the Lincoln Center
March 30th.
We're also doing NashvilleMarch 9th.
Tuicon March 23rd, saturday Ithink it's Saturday, march 23rd
and I'm trying to do Mesa.
I'm trying to get a venue rightthere right now, but we're
coming to Mesa because I've gotchoir and orchestra all ready to
(36:59):
go and also a Brabantel Halland Salt Lake on.
March 18th.
So those are so far the datesthat are locked in for Redeemer.
Jason (37:11):
Love it so again that when you, when you hit Jenny's
website, you'll see not just theChristmas ticketing information
but also the at least the datesthat are locked in for Redeemer
for next year.
Jenny, you're the best.
Thank you for taking some timefor this discussion for our
premier episode of the book dropmic.
(37:31):
Fun to talk about a book thatdrops today.
Actually, this, this book, isofficially available everywhere
today, so we're excited aboutthat and tell your family that I
said hello.
I love them.
I cannot wait to haveadventures with them on the road
over the holidays.
And, in case we didn't mentionit, we do hope that you'll come
to the VIP reception.
(37:51):
Just come.
Come and see, right, come andsee.
Alright.
Thank you, miss Jenny.
Jenny (38:02):
So good.
Thanks, jason, so fun.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Book Drop Mic brought to
you by InkVeins, your sourcefor book publicity, promo and
press releases.
This is Jason Wright and thisis our premiere episode.
And look, when I decided tolaunch this new show, I knew
that today's guest would have tobe our first, and not just
(00:25):
because I am somewhat familiarwith her new book, but because I
just love and adore her and herfabulous and funny and wacky
family.
I am so happy to welcome JennyOaks Baker to Book Drop Mic.
Hey, jenny.
Jenny (00:40):
Hey, Jason, it's always so fun to talk to you, but it's
actually your book.
It just seems kind of along forthe ride.
Jason (00:47):
I don't know your name's on the cover as well.
Jenny (00:50):
Yeah, but it's really your book.
Jason (00:54):
Well, we're going to talk about that and, by the way, if
you missed my interview withJenny on Wright when you Are,
which is a little bit longerform show, as many of you will
recall, go back and find that.
Just search Jason Wright, jasonOaksbaker, on wherever you
listen to your podcast, andyou'll find it.
That was a great, greatdiscussion that we had a couple
of years ago.
Jenny (01:14):
All right, so we are going to talk about the book, of
course, but first peoplelistening might know Well, it's
the same as last year, but it'scalled Joy to the World, a
Sacred Celebration, but it isall about becoming a better
witness of Jesus Christ, so it'sdefinitely like Witnesses of
Christmas, which is actually thebook titles.
Jason (01:35):
So this started about three years ago.
Jenny reached out and said Iwant to do a Christmas show in
the middle of a global pandemic.
Well, you're right.
Jenny (01:50):
No one else is doing them .
So it seemed like, yeah, Ithought that was just the way it
was and I can't remember.
I'm kind of now that I'm tryingto book venues, not in a global
pandemic.
It's actually really really,really, really, really difficult
, because, especially becausethis time there's something
called Nutcracker that seems totake all the venues.
Jason (02:09):
Yeah, it is great for them.
But I do remember back thenjust how, what a unique
experience that was, even justtelling people, hey, we're doing
this show at Tuocon in StGeorge and Jenny and her family
and dancers and choirs, and likeit's this beautiful, like let's
gather together again and talkabout the real meaning of
(02:31):
Christmas, and the show sort ofcame together in that sort of
test, I guess three years ago.
Jenny (02:37):
And then now we're venues .
So we were just everyone wassafe.
Jason (02:41):
Yeah, that's right.
And then we went back the nextyear, so in in 21, right, and
had again just in St George, buthad a little different.
The script was similar but I Ishowed up as a shepherd with
some facial hair, which wasfantastic, and the show was
(03:02):
better, absolutely better,because you know, you were
wearing a shepherd skirt you gotfrom your friend.
That's right.
Shout out to Shatley for theskirt that I wore to cover up my
knobby knees.
And then you called me in likeJanuary or February of 22 and
said, OK, so what success.
(03:24):
We had the first couple yearsin St George.
What if we went to to maybe 10cities?
And I remember thinking she'sprobably lost her mind, Jenny
Oaks Bakers, we're going fromone sort of a test experiment,
kind of a Petrie dish thing, inSt George to let's try this in
10 cities.
And she did and it wasfantastic and she really I mean
(03:49):
she had, she had help in all thekey areas but really this has
been your baby in terms of ofproducing and booking venues and
and the finance and all thatside of this.
This is really a Jenny OaksBaker joint in every sense.
And we survived somehow.
We survived 10 cities.
And then Jenny called me inJanuary or February or March.
Jenny (04:13):
And what did you say to me, Jenny, this year, I don't
remember because I'm just, I'vejust been such a long life, but
I think I was like I want to do20.
Jason (04:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go from 10 to goodness it's been
.
Jenny (04:26):
It's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
Like, honestly, I don't thinkI've ever broken down in tears
so many times sitting at mycomputer has like the last few
months because I thought thatthis year I mean it was really
hard to figure out how to do atour for 10 cities Like it was
really hard but I did it and Iwas like, well, this year I know
(04:47):
what I'm doing, Like I can thisis not new Like I just do the
same thing but just do two ofthe same at the same time.
Like double a no big deal.
And oh my goodness, it's somuch harder.
I swear it's 10 times harderthan just two times harder.
And I know how to work hard andI'll pull it off and I know
that God is helping me.
But he's also like how manyfather likes to teach you
(05:09):
lessons as he helps you andsometimes those lessons are not
super fun, but they'reworthwhile and I'm grateful for
them when I'm done with them,but when I'm in the middle of
them I'm not as grateful and I'mworking on it, but it has been
the hardest thing I've evertried to pull off and I'm still.
Every day I pray for specificmiracles that I need to come
through, and very often thosemiracles come, and so it's kept
(05:31):
me humble.
It's keeping me working hard,it's keeping me my Kleenex box
is right by my computer, but itkeeps.
It keeps you humble, and doinghard things is what, what I feel
like, sanctifies me and helpsme become more of the person
that God would have me be.
So I know how to work hard, Iknow how to rely on the Lord,
(05:52):
and this has been a really goodtest of that.
Jason (05:56):
Well, and I always.
When my family and I we in factjust yesterday we had kind of a
conversation about how thecalendar was starting to look
and travel and all that for thetour, and we were talking about
just the sheer amount of workthat goes in long before we ever
arrive at the first venue.
On what is it?
(06:17):
Black Friday day afterThanksgiving?
I love my.
Jenny (06:19):
March 24th.
Jason (06:21):
Yeah, yeah, folks, it's.
We're not talking days andweeks, we're literally talking
months and months of work.
Yeah, Like you just got home,so I'm glad you.
Jenny (06:40):
We finished the day before Christmas Eve, I believe,
so we flew home on ChristmasEve.
Jason (06:46):
Yeah.
Jenny (06:47):
I've got my actually performed at place on Missionary
Training Center that day, whichwas we were not really great.
I mean, I love to be at theMissionary Training Center.
The spirit's so strong there.
I love it.
But it was hard for me to be ina good mood because I was so
tired.
Anyway like being there, youbecome in a good mood.
But, like it was, it was harderto get in a good mood because
(07:07):
we were so thrashed and tired,like alcohol, but thrashed as in
gone through Extraordinaryamount of right, no, that was.
Jason (07:18):
and I and I posted and wrote a little bit about some of
the miracles and the Once wehit November 24, that's my
vacation.
Jenny (07:25):
Like it, I will bring it every single night because I
know how to do that, but that'sthe easy part, that is.
But I will bring it and my kidswill bring it, and Jason always
brings it.
Alex will bring it, like thedancers.
We have 60 different performinggroups on this tour and that
actually is one of the hardestthings to To actually find the
performing groups that arewilling to do it at Christmas
time, which is a busy time.
(07:46):
But we have Irish dancer atevery stop group and Lyrical
dancers at every stop andacquired every stop and a
backpiper, but we're using thesame two backpipers on the whole
tour, so that makes a littleeasier than last year.
But, um, yeah, so we, and thenwe have a percussionist, jay
night guard, who's wonderful andUm, anyway, so we just just so
(08:09):
many people and I'm still tryingto get their tour travel every
day.
It's been on my leg to do likethere's so much I think people
enjoy.
Jason (08:17):
I actually think it's really helpful for people that
are debating.
Do I do?
I have the?
You know the 90 minutes or twohours that come to the show.
You know the 20, 30, 40, 50bucks whatever it is given the
venue in the seat choice to buya ticket.
You really do, because you're.
You're not just coming toexperience Something really
(08:37):
special on stage for an hour anda half or two hours, you're
coming to experience theculmination of months and months
and months of work and prayerand sweat and Spiritual energy
that goes into it.
And so we'll link, of course,to all the cities and tickets
and all that stuff in the in theshow notes.
But Tell us, is there anythingsuper interesting that's new
(08:58):
about this year that's worthpeople Maybe they came last year
, they're trying to decide ifthey want to come again.
Jenny (09:03):
Well before we go into that, the most I mean.
Honestly, I don't care ifpeople who are at the show
Understand how much work wentinto it.
Like I, I want them to be thereto just have a really great
spiritual experience to comelike, become closer to Jesus
Christ, to feel unified withtheir family and friends,
(09:24):
whoever they're with or um, andto just just be, have the spirit
speak to their hearts and helpthem feel the true meaning of
Christmas and and to just become, you know, a better witness of
Jesus Christ, like that.
I honestly don't need to themto know how much work went into
it, but I do want them to feelthe spirit and to know of God's
(09:45):
love for each of them.
So that that's why we're,that's why Heavenly Father has
blessed me to be able to pull usoff, and that's why he blessed
you to write such a powerful andimpactful, beautiful script and
deliver it with suchauthenticity and um.
But there's also, of course,entertainment and entertaining
(10:05):
moments.
It's not just like attending aReligious service, but so it's
got the Irish dancers and lotsof energy and beautiful lighting
and gorgeous videos and of ofJesus Christ and um Anyway, so
it's a really special show asfar as the new things, this year
I hired a?
Um lyrical choreographer in ourIdaho Falls show.
(10:26):
I loved the choreography somuch because all of their
movements, when we were, whenthe choir was singing glory to
gone and we're playing theseglorious Christmas carols, their
hands were all reaching up toheaven in such a beautiful way
and I I just loved thechoreography in Idaho Falls.
So I reached out to JanelleFulmer and I said will you
Choreograph the whole show fornext year?
(10:47):
So all my lyrical dancers willhave this and it's actually
there's, there's a name for it.
There's like liturgical dance.
There's a kind of dance thatthat is more kind of religious
and sacred, and so the lyricaldancers are doing this
liturgical dance.
So that's that's new this year.
Um, and I hired a creativedirector, um, scott Ekern, and
(11:14):
he's he's gone through the wholescript and just kind of tweaked
things.
We made in an hour and a halfinstead of two hours of no
intermission, um, just totighten it up and make it even
more spiritually andartistically and creatively
impactful.
Um, and you just changed alittle bit of the script.
Here and there we're changingsome of the projections, um, I
(11:36):
think the Irish dancing.
We've made some tweaks with thedifferent Irish dancers are
always, um, so different Irishdancing groups, different choirs
, um, anyway, so those are someof the changes and I think it'll
be a little more.
We've got a congregationalsinging on Silent Night.
That I think will be reallybeautiful and powerful.
Um so it'll.
(11:58):
It'll be pretty different and,I think, just even more
impactful and and beautifullysatisfying.
Jason (12:06):
You know it's, and it's interesting because generally
you think, well, if you've takenaway, you've, if you've taken
away from something, then you'vediminished its value, like it's
now smaller.
But I actually think and thisis true with you know, with
writing and editing andeverything else, actually I in
this case absolutely the reverseis true.
By taking a little bit awayfrom the show in terms of the
(12:28):
length and tightening up, likethere's a little bit of change
to the, to the song, even justthe song order, and it's not
significantly shorter, but it is, it is tighter enough that I
actually think it's better likeit's.
I can't wait to get on stageand to and to see how, because
we're just seeing scripts atthis point, but to see how it
(12:48):
plays out, because I think, bytaking the intermission away, by
reordering the music a littlebit, I think we pulled out a
number, one or two numbers,right.
Jenny (12:58):
At least I think, maybe just one.
Honestly, I think it's just onesong left, I don't.
I don't remember.
The creative part is is nextweek.
For me, my, my creativedirector has been working on it
all year but, like for me,focusing in on that, is is next
week.
Jason (13:13):
That's going to be great.
I just think it's actuallygoing to be an even better, more
powerful show by being a littlebit shorter.
And it's the holidays, peopleare going to get in and out a
little bit faster and.
Jenny (13:24):
I love a show with no intermission.
I get bored easy, so I just noton stage but as like a viewer,
I just I just want the mostimpactful, like my food is
really spicy and or just yeah,I'm just like a big bold person
and so I love a show that, likeevery moment is impactful.
Jason (13:42):
So I think that's what we're going to deliver and
ladies and gentlemen, if youwant to come a little early and
to say Jenny has dreamt up a VIPreception opportunity.
Jenny (13:55):
Oh goodness, I hope people come.
This is just like my experimentof, oh, we'll just do that,
because I've heard of, I heardshows.
They do these, like myhusband's, like you should try
it in a few places, and I waslike, okay, we'll just do 20,
but actually we're not doing anyCalgary because Calgary
couldn't find a big enoughconcert hall that was available
(14:16):
not cracker, Thank you.
And so we're doing two, twoshows in Calgary, which means we
just like the day it has noroom for a VIP reception.
We're also not doing one atOakland because it's a temple
hill and they won't allow it.
But every other venue We'll bedoing a VIP reception where you
can come.
We're gonna give actually thenew book that we're talking
(14:36):
about today signed, we'll begiven to everyone that attends
and we'll have some littlerefreshments.
A little photo while we'remaking the banner, for the
little photo area Makes it looklike it's like a Hollywood
premiere.
Jason (14:53):
And you don't have to stand in line at the end of the
show and deal with all that youcan-.
Jenny (14:58):
And you just meet you by yourself with us.
So we'll just have a little-.
Jason (15:01):
In some venues.
In some venues, that's right,and it's a little bit it's made
in my popularity with thesereceptions.
Jenny (15:10):
So we'll see if it could just be you and us.
Jason (15:15):
And what a bar way out.
What a bargain that would be.
So again, all the links for allthat good stuff in the show
notes.
But we do hope that we see youat the show somewhere this year.
If you look at the cities andyou're like, oh, you're not
coming to DC, you're not comingto Alabama, you're not coming to
wherever, hold out your hopefor 2024, because I'm certain
(15:39):
that we will be in 40 pluscities.
Jenny (15:43):
We actually next year is difficult, because I think it'll
just be 10.
Jason (15:48):
Oh yeah, but these-.
Jenny (15:50):
Because it's Sarah's fault.
Mike Chalice, like her school.
She got accepted to her schoolat Susan Scotland.
They're like we're so excitedto have you here and we're like
so she actually needs to missthree weeks of school during her
first year of college.
You don't mind, right?
And they're like actually we domind and I'm like, but it's
kind of already done.
I didn't know she was gonna goto your school and miss three
weeks.
(16:10):
And they're like well, thisyear yes, but next year no.
So I'm gonna try to figure out10 cities next year, but they'll
be really good ones.
So just come this year and thenyeah, come this year.
Jason (16:21):
And then, if you are in one of those cities, maybe that
we were in last year that we'renot coming to this year I know
that's been the discussion is totry to get maybe to DC again or
even New York or Florida orsomething like that.
Jenny (16:34):
I think Atlanta probably, but if not just, I mean not if
not, but like just quite aChicago or St Louis, that's
close yeah.
Jason (16:42):
Just like oops Right, Just come see us.
Just come see us.
How do they start?
They're my-.
Jenny (16:50):
You and me.
Jason (16:51):
If you, if someone's listening right now, who says
sorry?
Well, I'm familiar now with theshow.
I'm familiar with Jason and hisbooks, but they're maybe not as
familiar with America'sviolinist Jenny Oaks Baker.
What's the?
What's the short bio version ofyou and who you are and why
you're doing what you do?
Jenny (17:12):
Well, why I'm doing what I do is cause the spirit has
told me to do it and I'm kind ofI try to be obedient cause I
love blessings, I love theblessings, I'll do anything to
get a blessing.
But so I started playing violinwhen I was four and immediately
showed that I kind of had atalent that God had given me and
(17:33):
my mom recognized that and soshe was extremely supportive,
and my my dad as well.
My mom practiced me till I was12, I think, and my dad was
willing to pay for those lessons, so he was supportive as well.
But I ended up just showing amusical gift from God and so my
parents supported that and Ipracticed really hard and they
(17:53):
instilled in me that I had aresponsibility to develop my
talent and be worthy and readyto use that talent to build the
kingdom.
And I just always knew that Godhad something for me to do and
I had to be.
I had to keep the commandmentsto be worthy and I had to work
really hard and just listen tothe spirit to try to figure out
(18:15):
what it was.
And I just always knew therewas something I was supposed to
do with my talent.
I just knew and then I got intothe Curtis Institute of Music.
I went there for my bachelors,which, curtis, is a really
special place.
It's probably the best musicschool in the world, so I was
really blessed to get in.
And then I got into Juilliardand got my master's from
Juilliard School in New YorkCity, met my husband in New York
(18:35):
.
We got married.
We moved to DC for his job, Igot into the National Symphony.
I played in the NationalSymphony as I was having
children.
I had four children.
By the time I'd had our fourthchild in the symphony I felt
like that wasn't what God wantedme to do.
He wanted me to be home withmore kids and so I walked away
from the symphony, which isreally hard and scary, and I had
(18:56):
.
I had started making albums.
Right after I got married Ireleased my first album.
So during the time in thesymphony I'd released a couple
albums, but I hadn't reallypursued a big solo career
because I was in the symphony.
I had one, two, three and fourkids.
But as soon as I left thesymphony I had, as I was leaving
(19:16):
the symphony, I didn't have anysolo concerts.
But the day after I resignedfrom the symphony, conductors
started calling and I startedperforming quite a bit and not
being in the symphony, I alsohad more time to help my kids
develop their musical talentsand over the years they started
performing with me and so Istarted.
They were really good.
(19:38):
So I started performing withthem and, as like a ton, I
started putting them on concertsand eventually they were on all
my concerts and I wasperforming with them.
And now so that's where we,that's kind of where we are
today, like although they'reolder, and so my oldest
daughter's married and she stillperforms with us because she
(20:00):
makes time, which is wonderful,and I pay her.
I pay my children to performwith me.
And then Hannah, so that's Larsplays violin.
Hannah is a pianist.
She's going to the RoyalAcademy of Music studying piano
in London.
She's in her 30th year now ofcollege.
Sarah starts the RoyalConservatoire of Scotland on
(20:22):
Friday actually she leaves, soshe'll be in Scotland, but
she'll come back for the tourAgain, missing those three weeks
of school which they'rethrilled about.
And then Matthew.
Matthew is a junior in highschool.
He plays classical guitar andhe's willing to play with us
because he lives in my house andthat's kind of part of it.
(20:44):
So, anyway, so we performed.
Jason (20:47):
And he's quite good he is .
He's no slouch yeah.
Jenny (20:50):
Very good.
So we performed together asJenny Oaks, baker and Family
Four and my wonderful husband.
He supports it all.
He has his own job which paysfor it all and he's supportive.
So that's a little bit of who Iam and I'm grateful to be able
to perform and grateful thatHeavenly Father has entrusted me
(21:12):
with this beautiful show andhas provided miracles and
direction on how to bring it tothe world.
Jason (21:21):
Amen, amen and amen, and I just feel so.
First of all, I feel sofortunate to have known all that
before you said it, becausewe've known each other for a
long time, and to know that, toback up to your previous thought
on why you do what you do, thatit's I know you love your
education and I know you lovethe schools you went to and I
(21:43):
know you love the halls you haveplayed and around the world,
and I know you love the show andI know you love the book and I
know you love it all, but youlove, you love God so much more
than any of that that it palesin significance.
It's silly to even compare thetwo, and so I know, I do know,
why you do what you do, and it'sfor much more than VIP
(22:08):
receptions, right, even thoughwe do hope you come to the VIP
reception.
Jenny (22:13):
The VIP reception is honestly to help pay for the
tour, because the tour is reallyreally, really expensive.
And I just follow the spirit,and the spirit is wonderful and
never leads you astray, but youcan still lose money and follow
the spirit.
Jason (22:30):
Yeah, that's right.
Jenny (22:32):
It's happened before because life lessons again and
I'm just trying not to lose thehouse, have the lose the house,
life lesson.
Jason (22:39):
So that's the VIP reception.
Jenny (22:41):
But I trust God and I know I felt led to come to each
of these cities and I'm we'resupposed to come and there's
people we're supposed to touchand it's going to be an amazing
show and I'm grateful for thoselife lessons and I'm grateful
again that God blesses me and hetrusts me to just to do it, so
(23:06):
that's why we're here.
Jason (23:07):
That's why we're here and we're here.
We're here to also talk aboutthis book, which is now the
reverse story.
I called you after the showlast year and said you know what
if we, what if we packaged the,the narration, with your music
(23:29):
and some new arrangements maybe,and what if we produce
something that might be a lovelygift for people who attend the
show but might also be somethingthat people that will never
have an opportunity to be near avenue or travel or whatever,
can see it?
And so that this is where weend up with the witnesses of
Christmas, a musical journeythrough the nativity of Jesus,
(23:51):
the Christ.
It is the, it's the narration,an edited version of the
narration from from David theshepherd that I, that I play in
the show.
That's part one of the book,with the sheet music, which you
can talk about in a minute, kindof how that came to be.
And then part two of the book,we sort of dive into some
(24:11):
attributes of the Savior andsome scriptures that illustrate
those attributes, and then somereal world examples on how we
can maybe become more like himby by adopting those attributes,
by by learning from his lifeand applying those lessons.
So so talk to us a little bitabout, first of all, the.
(24:34):
The arrangements were brand new, aren't they?
Didn't you want thesecommissioned for the book?
Jenny (24:39):
Well, some of them were.
So this idea for the book, ofcourse, as you said, was
entirely your idea.
I think it's the greatest idea.
Of course I have CDs, but veryfew people have CD players and
so this is a way of sharing mymusic without having to have a
CD player.
(24:59):
So there's QR codes, which isamazing that just open up the
music and so you're gettingthese recordings from the
Christmas show and able tolisten to them.
And and Jason had this greatidea with the book that we could
make it very interactive forpeople and so they could gather
their families and sit around,you know, the living room, sit
(25:21):
around the Christmas tree, orsit around the fireplace or
whatever, and we're just bythemselves and have this, have
this experience of the showwhere they read the script and
then they they can.
Either there's three options, soeveryone's happy.
You can either just listen tothe recording of the music from
the, from your phone or yourcomputer, whatever the queue,
(25:43):
with the QR code, just the audiorecording, you can.
Or, if you want to be moreinteractive, there's sheet music
.
If you play the piano, you canplay the piano and everyone can
sing.
Or you can sing, you know, ifyou're by yourself, you can just
sing and and play.
Or there's accompanimentversions.
These are the new arrangementswhere they're basically just the
(26:06):
accompaniment and you can justsing along to.
If it's silent night, you know,you know silent night you can
just sing along.
If you're not familiar with oneof the songs do you hear what I
hear?
For instance, maybe you don'tknow those words or those that
melody, you can read the sheetmusic, so you don't even need to
need the piano, but you canjust read the words and just
you'll hear the melody and theaccompaniment or some of that,
(26:30):
some of for the, for the songswhere we have music videos you
also want, if you just want, tosit there and watch and watch a
video.
Most of the songs have a musicvideo for you to watch and those
are all accessed by a QR code.
So it's very interactive andjust a great way to experience
the show or just.
I mean, even you don't evenneed to think about the show.
(26:50):
It's a great way to experienceand bring yourself closer to
Jesus Christ.
And then the second part thatyou referenced was entirely your
idea.
That's not in the show, butit's kind of the because,
because we're witnessing aChristmas of Christ.
How does that apply to ourlives?
And you have beautiful thoughtson that and it's, it's really
(27:14):
beautiful, beautiful what you'vewritten.
And then there's like an extralittle bonus video at the end.
Jason (27:20):
So Jenny keeps saying this was, you know, my idea and
that I did more work on it.
They don't know how much timeyou spent deeply invested in
selection of the artwork andwhen the designer of the book
would send back options, you'dgo no, not quite, no, not quite,
no, no better, but no, this oneon this one on all spring.
Jenny (27:46):
I've been doing that on the website as well as ready to
like throw me off a cliff.
Jason (27:52):
No, no, that the it paid off because it's a shadow
mountain in the team that thatproduced this book published.
It just did a lovely job and itlooks.
It looks terrific, the art isterrific, the arrangements are
wonderful and I remember it'skind of funny now thinking back
(28:14):
on it that when we first had theidea, I thought and I said to
you well, couldn't we just takethe sheet music this is how much
I know about music that you'reusing in the show and just put
it in this book that people can?
And you're like trying to be sokind, jason, I don't think you
understand.
Jenny (28:36):
I'm never that kind.
I'm very direct, I'm sure.
I'm sure I was like no, thatwon't work at all.
What are you thinking?
So, curbester?
He like takes you on a musicaljourney with, with the melody,
and like explodes in a climacticway and then it resolves and
it's beautiful.
And if you just tried to singyour, your regular Christmas
carol that you know and love,you wouldn't be able to
(28:56):
necessarily sing like you canhear that.
You can hear it and you know it, and it's silent night, but
you're not going to be able tojust sing along without having
or sit at the piano with thatRight.
So he wrote entirely newaccompaniment arrangements.
Someday, I think, we'll want toput these on the show, where
it's like they're beautiful.
Like these arrangements aregorgeous and like they're,
(29:18):
they're just they're, they'renot just.
You know, take a take ahandbook and chunk out, chunk
out that all the different fourparts on the choir Like these
are beautiful accompanimentarrangements that everyone's
going to want to hear.
Jason (29:33):
Yeah, and of course some listening know who Kurt Bessler
is and know that he has had hisown Christmas show for many
years.
And if you can only see oneChristmas show this Christmas,
you should see the Janus BakerChristmas show.
If you can see two, then go seehis.
I do hope that people willconsider introducing this book
(29:58):
the way that people have been sosupportive Christmas hours
through the years, as a partperhaps of your family tradition
at Christmas.
If you gather your kids aroundand you put on the bathrobe and
you do the nativity or whateveryou do with your family and you
read Luke 2 or whatever, that'sbeautiful.
We certainly don't want tointerfere with people's
long-standing family traditionsthat are so special and sacred.
(30:20):
But if you're interested indoing something a little bit
different and the books havelaid out again so you can have
someone be the narrator and readthe narration and sort of
experience the whole thing as ifyou were in a beautiful hall
somewhere which any in herfamily and me you can do that
right in your living room, so wedo hope people will experience
(30:42):
it You'll be able to pick up thebook at at least some of the
venues right, you'll be able tobuy it there.
Jenny (30:48):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll take it to the Utah and
Idaho and Las Vegas venues justbecause it's so heavy yeah like
beautiful books.
Places and not charged $50.
Jason (31:01):
No, it's going to be a return by people.
Jenny (31:03):
So it'll be at the venues that I can drive to, but
probably not the California orTexas.
But we're gonna do somethingspecial that we're figuring out
where people can come with thebook.
Jason (31:14):
Yes, come with the book and it's so good to signature it
.
So the book is available onAmazon and Deseret Book and
Walmart and Target and any placethat you buy books online.
You can find it in most placesthat you buy books traditionally
through retailers.
You can find it in Brick Mortar.
All right, jenny, what iswhat's next?
(31:36):
What is next for you?
Jenny (31:38):
Let me just mention one other thing about the book and
the show.
Alex Sharp, who formerly acouple years in the show.
She's phenomenal and she's inquite a few of the recordings in
the book and a couple of videos, so you want to miss her as
well.
Jason (31:53):
Yes.
Jenny (31:54):
Just even better, just an even more beautiful book.
So next up for me is I havethis production called the
Redeemer.
That's for Easter and it'struly one of the most beautiful
things that I've ever been apart of and I'm bringing it to
like six or eight cities thisspring for Easter.
(32:14):
If you come on my website toget show tickets for the
Christmas show, which isJennyOaksBakercom, you'll also
see a few Redeemer shows and ifyou're in the area, I highly
suggest you incorporate thatinto your Easter celebrations
because it's all about thesavior and it's really powerful.
And then Jason wrote anotherincredible script that the first
(32:36):
time I read the script Iactually was like ugly crying
because it was so beautiful,which is not usually what you do
when you read a script onAmerica.
I love America and America'sinspiring, but it doesn't
usually engender such powerfulspiritual feelings as a script.
It's really beautiful.
It's called American Mosaic andit's all about bringing the
(32:58):
different people that of thisgreat nation, like going through
and just appreciating eachother and how we can come
together as one nation under Godand rejoice in our differences
and be excited about ourstrengths and just have more
unity and more gratitude to Godfor this incredible land and
(33:20):
it's got folk dancers andballroom dancers and Conlon
Bonner is the narrator.
He's phenomenal.
It's just such a great show.
So I'm hoping, as soon as Iclimb my way out of the 2020
City Christmas tour and pull itall off, I'm gonna really start
booking halls this summer fornot halls like outdoor
(33:42):
amphitheaters, as Michael wrotethis really great summer show
that Jason wrote this beautifulscript for.
So that's that, betweenRedeemer and then American
Mosaic and then next season'sChristmas show, I'll have enough
to do next year as well.
Jason (33:56):
Yeah you'll be busy and let me say the I would love to
see that.
That has been a strangeexperience for me as a writer to
to generate the script for youand to not be able to see it on
stage and to just.
I mean, I've seen pictures andof course you were telling me
how rehearsals and things went,but so I can't wait to actually
(34:18):
see how that played out.
I'm sure it's fantastic.
And I will say specificallyabout Redeemer that I have a
friend who has been goingthrough kind of a hard time and
I obviously not gonna say hername, but she's had a little bit
of a rough year.
But she saw your Redeemer showand she said it was one of the
most profoundly spiritualexperiences that she had had in
(34:43):
reconnecting her to God in apretty impactful way.
Jenny (34:48):
So I don't know if I ever showed that with you before,
but my Redeemer show is theRedeemer show and I've seen that
it's it's not.
It's not my show, but the Lordhonestly gave me Christmas show
to teach me how to rent venuesto be able to bring Redeemer to
the world as well, and and thatshow is special and so is
(35:09):
Christmas show.
But the Redeemer is all aboutJesus Christ, like every single
thing is, about his life and hismission, and I just, I honestly
, would never turn me thinkabout it.
I'm just I'm grateful that Icould be a part of it, and in
Christmas show as well.
So I'm just grateful to be apart of preparing, helping,
trying my best to help preparethe world for the second coming,
(35:32):
and that's what.
That's what I'm supposed to dowith my music.
So I'm grateful to be able todo that with wonderful people
like you.
So thank you, jason.
Jason (35:41):
Oh, it's the, it's the honor, honor of my career to do
it and and it's just such apleasure to work with you and
your, your terrific family, andgetting to know them.
And I'm so glad you mentionedAlex.
I just if you, if you've evermet Alex, then you just know
that she has this sparkle andlight in her eyes.
(36:03):
That's just particularly whenshe takes the stage and the
lights come up.
Just her, her love of her craftand and music and you and your
family and the Lord.
All of it is just so evidentand everything Alex says and
yeah, so I'm I'm glad that youmentioned that.
And and again, you will find inthe show notes all the
(36:25):
information about not just theChristmas show but where Jenny
will be with Redeemer next year.
I do happen to know my Virginiafriends that Redeemer is coming
to DC, to the DC area, nextspring.
Is that not true?
Jenny (36:39):
Strathmore Hall on March 28th and the Lincoln Center
March 30th.
We're also doing NashvilleMarch 9th.
Tuicon March 23rd, saturday Ithink it's Saturday, march 23rd
and I'm trying to do Mesa.
I'm trying to get a venue rightthere right now, but we're
coming to Mesa because I've gotchoir and orchestra all ready to
(36:59):
go and also a Brabantel Halland Salt Lake on.
March 18th.
So those are so far the datesthat are locked in for Redeemer.
Jason (37:11):
Love it so again that when you, when you hit Jenny's
website, you'll see not just theChristmas ticketing information
but also the at least the datesthat are locked in for Redeemer
for next year.
Jenny, you're the best.
Thank you for taking some timefor this discussion for our
premier episode of the book dropmic.
(37:31):
Fun to talk about a book thatdrops today.
Actually, this, this book, isofficially available everywhere
today, so we're excited aboutthat and tell your family that I
said hello.
I love them.
I cannot wait to haveadventures with them on the road
over the holidays.
And, in case we didn't mentionit, we do hope that you'll come
to the VIP reception.
(37:51):
Just come.
Come and see, right, come andsee.
Alright.
Thank you, miss Jenny.
Jenny (38:02):
So good.
Thanks, jason, so fun.
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