Baker Artist Portfolios

I have been a recording engineer in Baltimore city for many years now, focusing mostly on acoustic music such as Jazz, Classical, and Folk. I am most interested in finding new ways to communicate musical experiences to listeners.

There are many things that are edited out of modern recordings that I believe are actually essential parts of music. I love when I am recording a band in a small venue and the crowd is vocal and energetic. I love when I can hear the jazz musicians communicating on stage to one another during solos. I think these are the things surrounding live music that make it worth capturing. It’s about recording not only the music, but the interaction of that music with the audience and space. And then sharing that interaction with listeners across the world. I am striving to capture not just music but the experience of the event.

Since graduating, I have recorded in nearly every venue throughout the city. I've worked with Henry Wong and Doc Manning at An die Musik for the past several years to help document and share those live concerts. There is a strong live performance tradition in Baltimore  - especially in the jazz community in the form of 'jam sessions' - but these performances have never been recorded. At An die Musik, the combination of intimate atmosphere, fantastic acoustics, and dedicated audience creates a perfect venue to capture these moments. I've worked with hundreds of musicians over the past few years to document their work and provide them with the media necessary to promote their music. Many of these recordings have been released commercially. Critics have described these albums as “unvarnished blues, raw and palpable” (The Acquarian) and “good old-fashioned jazz” (Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun).

I am also passionate about growing the classical "new music" community in Baltimore. I am the Director of Digital Media for Symphony Number One, a chamber orchestra dedicated to emerging composers. I've worked to create all the media needed for new composers to gain greater recognition. This includes promotional videos, media for competitions, and commercial releases of new classical works. 

I am also a dedicated educator in the Baltimore area, teaching the recording arts both at Peabody as Graduate Assistant and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County where I worked as an adjunct and visiting lecturer. I continue to perform as a classical pianist.