Family Four

Courtesy of the Baker family

The performing group Family Four consists of the four children of Jenny Oaks Baker and her husband Matthew. The Bakers began teaching each of their children at a young age how to play a musical instrument. After Jenny resigned from the National Symphony prior to giving birth to her son Matthew. After his birth, she focused more on helping them develop their talents. She believes she was spiritually guided to help her children find their musical voices. She also said that “Heavenly Father sent us spirits that would be willing to work hard and that have a gift.”[1]

Her oldest daughter, Laura, began on the violin at age three, followed by Hannah on the piano at four, Sarah on cello at three, and Matthew on the violin at three. Jenny thought they could be a string quartet together. Matthew could play the violin, but even as a three-year-old he decidedly rejected it. Jenny would place the instrument under his chin, and he would simply drop it on the ground. They soon discovered that instead of a violinist, he was a guitarist. Jenny was grateful Matthew, at such a young age, could still follow the Spirit and reject that tiny violin. With Matthew’s electric guitar skills and Laura having picked up percussion as well, Jenny said, “Instead of a string quartet, I ended up with a little bit of a rock band.”[2]

The Baker children all play near or at professional level. Jenny has taken them with her to perform internationally and to be part of her videos. They performed on September 6, 2019, for church president Russell M. Nelson's 95th birthday celebration. They also released their first album that month, "Jenny Oaks Baker and Family Four." At the time, Laura was 18, Hannah was 16, Sarah was 14, and Matthew was 12.

“What we have now is precious and I’m so grateful for it,” Jenny Baker said. “I am so grateful that Heavenly Father inspired me to leave the National Symphony so I would have the time to devote to the development of our children’s talents so that we can make glorious music together.”

She knows this season will not last forever—she wants her children to fly, follow their own dreams, and have families of their own—but during this beautiful time together, they have created something wonderful that has brought them closer and given them opportunities to bear testimony of Jesus Christ through their music all around the world.[3]