Name in high school and now: Barry Baker
Nickname in high school: The Silver Trumpet (from fellow band members)
Address: 3338 Pickwick Place, Lansing, MI 48917
Phone: (517) 886-0256 or (517)648-8742 (Cell)
I am currently retired and do volunteer work with a drop-in center for the homeless at Central United Methodist Church (Lansing) as well as the Capital Area Literacy Coalition.
My wife and I have been married for 42 (almost 43) years and have two sons, who are both married, and two grandchildren.
I still play trumpet (and cornet). I am a 30-year member of the Lansing Concert Band and one of the founding members (12 years) of the Capital City Brass Band. I also performed with the MSU Alumni Marching Band from 1974 - 2002 and the MSU Strolling Spartans (at home tailgate parties) from 1975 - 2010. I play in the Lansing Concert Band's Jazz Band and have played an occasional "gig" professionally around Lansing over the years with various groups. Overall, I have been playing for something over 50 years and still enjoy making people (and myself) happy. Both my sons are musicians, also. My wife and I had the opportunity to tour England and Ireland in 2006 with the West Michigan Concert Winds (our younger son plays trumpet with them; I played with the band and my wife and daughter-in-law were our "groupies."
I graduated from MSU in 1977 with a BA in History. Prior to that, I was in the Naval Reserve from 1962 - 1968 (on active duty from 1963 - 1965). I then re-enlisted in late 1968 and got out for good in 1974 to return to college. I worked as an office manager with the Michigan Press Reading Service from 1977until 1982 and was unemployed for the next three years due to the Reagan Recession. I went to work for the State of Michigan in 1985 and retired in 2007.
We have done some traveling within the US (as well as that trip to England & Ireland) and are looking forward to doing some more in the years to come.
