Eric Baker, a music social media content creator, said that after learning from a mentor about the limited opportunities to play trumpet as a top-level band director, he decided to pursue grad school as a trumpet performance major. Baker was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
“I went to college for music education, I was pretty sure I'd be a band director,” said Baker on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “As I was finishing up my degree, I was having a chat with a mentor, and I asked him—he was a trumpet player and a band director—I just kind of casually said, 'So how much do you get to still play your trumpet?' He said, 'Hardly ever. You know, being a top-level band director, especially in the state of Texas with your marching bands, your competition's very high level. It's a consuming job. I don't really get to play my trumpet anymore.'”
“It was a bit of a gut check for me, and I thought, 'Man, I've put a lot of time into this instrument. I don't think I want to necessarily set it aside,'” Baker said. “ So I made a little bit of a promise to myself to say, 'Let me see if I can get into grad school as a trumpet major, like as a performance major, not education.'"
Baker is a social media content creator and professional musician, now serving as the director of community engagement in music and visual arts at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.