My New Hand Carved Italian Cello

My parents bought me a student cello in High School and I have played it all these years. It is a beautiful cello and I have loved it. In November, I was practicing my cello and told my husband that I wished I had a cello that the sound was richer for this concert. He asked me if I wanted to go and look at cellos. I told him no because I didn't feel like we could afford one with Christmas coming and I already had one and couldn't justify owning two when I don't play that often. He said, let's just go look for fun, for a date. I thought about it and decided that, it would be a fun date. So we headed on our date to the store I wanted to go to. In the parking lot, I told him that since we were doing this for fun, that I wanted to play all the cellos and not know the price. I just wanted to find the most beautiful sounding cello. That would be the fun. He agreed and in we went.

We had the best person help us. His name was Gavin. He is the string specialist at Summerhays. An excellent resource person in buying a string instrument. He spent 3 hours with us between looking at cellos and bows. I would play a cello and then another. I would choose my favorite between them and then try another and choose my favorite between those two. One cello kept standing out over and over and over again. After I played everything they had, it was clear to me which cello I would buy if we were buying one, it had a truly amazing sound.

Gavin left to go downstairs to get some more bows and while he was gone, we joked around that we should ask the price on this cello just for fun. We have a game we have played for years, where we both guess a price and see who is closest. We both guessed a price, I guessed $30,000. Evan made his guess. When Gavin came back in, we told him that we wanted to know the price on this one. He told us that it was twenty four five. Evan and I looked at each other and thought that the price was fair for the quality sound it had but of course, waaay out of our price range. Gavin corrected us and said that no, it was a $6,000 cello marked down to $2, 450. I thought how could this be, but it didn't matter. We looked at each other and knew it was meant to be. Evan bought it on the spot for me. We also bought a bow, my favorite kind.

I have played that cello a lot since we bought it and it has exceeded my expectations every single time I play it. I feel blessed to own such a beautiful sounding and looking cello. Thank you Evan for that most thoughtful gift and for wanting me to have the best for my all cello concert dream.

My Family

Let me introduce you to my family. I am married to Evan Baker. We have been married for 28 years. Our oldest son is Dirk. He is married to Jami and they have our 2 wonderful grandsons Justin and Casey. They live in Arizona and Dirk has one year left and will have an Electrical Engineering degree.



Our second son is Riley. He married his High School sweetheart Kim in June. They are starting their own business soon.





Our youngest child, is our daughter Salest. She is happy, outgoing, loquacious and such a joy to us as her parents.

Thank you for your help with my dream!

"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,
but for you my heart has no bottom."

~ Unknown

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE
WHO HAS HELPED ME MAKE THIS DREAM COME TRUE!

First, I thank GOD, for giving me on my journey here, ears that could hear the beautiful cello music, eyes that could see so I could read the music, hands to touch the bows and strings so I could play, a body to let me hold my cello and carry me on the many journeys I have been blessed to travel with it, and a sound mind that gives me the opportunity to even be able to play. Not everyone is blessed with these gifts and I recognize that I have been. I acknowledge this great gift from thee and thank thee for abundantly blessing me with them. I hope I honor thee by using what I have been given to bless others.

I want to thank my husband EVAN, for providing in every way, financially, the gift of a new quality sounding cello, taking care of our daughter so I could do all I need to do, a listening ear to roll things by, helping me write music on the computer, encouraging me etc...... the list goes on. He has been a real support in every way to help me make my dreams come true. I couldn't do it without you.

I want to thank my FAMILY, for believing me and cheering me on. My kids have been amazing. Salest you have been a trooper to go everywhere we have had to go and I thank you for being such a big girl while we are there. I also want to thank Uncle Todd and Aunt Rosella for supporting this dream of mine. You are so in tune with this, thanks for being so generous. Thanks to my sisters who constantly call and get excited about it especially Joyce for encouraging me on discouraging days when things didn't go as I had wished. It means alot.

I want to thank one of my dearest friend, you know who you are ;), for your inspiration, counsel, and kind words as I share each step of the way. Your words have been priceless to me. Thank you!

I want to thank Brianna Dickerson for sharing her gift with photography. It is through her photos that this has become all that it could become.

I want to thank Megan Gazaway for her untold hours and hours creating a blog that has exceeded my expectations in every way and for her gift of time to me. I will somehow make it up to you. I feel honored to know you.

I want to thank my facebook friends for their ideas and supportive comments as I have posted things along the way in this journey. Your comments have helped me make final decisions on the different parts of my concert plan that I wasn't sure about. Thank you!

I want to thank Sterling Keyes, Department Head at Orem High School, for believing enough in my dream to sponsor my concert there and for his great support in this.

I want to thank all the orchestra teachers who responded to my email, and for letting me take precious class time to meet with your cellists. Your support and positive response was appreciated. It was a pleasure meeting you all and my hats off to you for all that you do for our kids. I want to thank your cellists for showing me how great the youth of today are and for being excited about my dream with me.

I want to thank my Bishop and friend Paul Jenkins for offering to interview me for his radio show "live on purpose radio." I was honored that he would ask me and include me among the many great people I know he interviews.

I want to thank Orem City Manager Jim Reams for honoring my unusual request to use a room at Orem City offices building for auditioning cellists while Orem High was in transition. I also thank his executive assistant Dawnie, for her help in scheduling every date I needed and for being so great about everything.

I want to thank Louise Wallace, director of Orem City Library and an old friend for letting use the storytelling wing of the library for rehearsals when we were in a crunch to find a place after our old place flooded. She also invited us to come and play at the library when we were ready.

I want to thank The Best in Music Store on 800 North in Orem, for offering their recital hall for a practice location free to our cellists until 2011. Thank you so much.

I want to thank Larry Blackburn an amazing musician for his help in arranging the music parts that were out of our league. The special ensemble groups have amazing solos and parts because of him. Thank you Larry.

I want to thank Alton Wheelhouse for the amazing job he did on arranging and composing music with that rock and rhythm flair that I was looking for. I am so excited for everyone to hear the music he did.

I want to thank Erna Blackburn for burning 60 practice CD's for me so cello players for the all cello orchestra could practice at home. She saved me hours and hours of time.

I want to thank Howard Summers, band/orchestra director at Orem High for his many kindnesses in letting me use his room for rehearsals. He really worked hard to make sure I had what I needed and I feel so grateful!

I want to thank Vicki Jenkins, a friend for helping one of the groups with their music. She was invaluable in helping us learn a very difficult piece of music.

I want to thank Nick Crow, a neighbor and friend, who is also a graphic artist for making such amazing advertising posters for me. I feel so blessed to of gotten something so amazing for advertising.

I want to thank my sister Joyce Piper for recording me playing my cello in scenery settings for the slide show. She did a great job! Thanks for using your awesome camera so they look professional.

I want to thank my son Dirk Baker for getting me the pictures and videos I needed ready so I could put them in video format.

I want to thank my son Riley Baker for letting me use his projector for rehearsals so I could show other cellists what we have done so far and for helping measure the stage so I knew how much room I would have for choreography.

I want to thank Summerhays, Best in Music and Burt Murdock Music for putting up posters for me in their stores.


I want to thank the parents of the cellists that I have met thus far for getting your child to Orem to auditions and rehearsals, and for your great questions.


I want to thank the cellists I have met in this valley. Thank you for getting excited about the concert and for wanting to participate in it with me.