Jones County High School welcomes a new Director of Choral Activities this school year, Hayden (Luke) Baker of Macon.
Before joining JCHS faculty and staff, Baker taught one year of chorus at Rockdale County High School in Conyers. His choral experience extends from elementary school through college, with two of his most fond choral experiences including the times he had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City, once with his high school choral group, and once after college. Baker also has band experience as a percussionist throughout high school and college and is helping co-teach symphonic band, woodwind, and percussion classes with JCHS Band Director Sean Cleland. Baker is a 2021 graduate of Mercer University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in music education.
While finishing his undergraduate degree, Baker completed his student teaching requirements at Jones County High School during the fall semester of the 2021 school year under the mentorship of former Director of Choral Activities at JCHS, Mystee Wilcox.
“Mr. Baker is a wonderful musician with a beautiful singing voice. He thoroughly enjoyed being at JCHS for his student teaching experience and was excited about the opportunity to teach here. I am so happy that JCHS Chorus students will benefit from his instruction and knowledge,” Wilcox said.
This school year, the group of students Baker taught as first-year high school students are now seniors - a nice “fullcircle” moment, according to Baker. Senior JCHS student and president of the advanced women’s chorus, Addison Davis is one of them.
“Having Mr. Baker at JCHS has helped provide us with a smooth transition of having a new choir director since he already has experience working at JCHS in our program,” Davis said Baker is starting the school year strong by teaching his students the fundamentals of music, including understanding key signatures and building mastery for basic sight-reading, while also preparing his students for the annual fall JCHS chorus concert. The concert is scheduled at 7 p.m. Sept. 26, in the high school auditorium.
Baker’s three choral groups will each perform two songs for the public to enjoy. Ticket sales will open Sept.16.
The three choral groups in the JCHS Choir program are a beginning/ intermediate choir called Dolce, a men’s choir called Choragi, and an advanced women’s choir called Belle Chanteurs. The Dolce group will perform “For the Beauty of the Earth” by Ruthe Elane Schram and “There is Sweet Music Here” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot.
The Choragi group will perform “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” by Karl Dent and “Shenandoah” by Mark Patterson. The Belle Chanteurs will perform “No Time” by Susan Brumfield and “Music Down in My Soul” by Moses Hogan at the fall concert at the end of September.
Baker said he is eager for the 2024-2025 school year.
“My aim is to grow as a director, both in musicianship and leadership skills and be able to pass those skills, wisdom, and passion for music to students,” he said. “I want to help students grow immensely, not only as musicians but to be better, more well-rounded students and individuals.”
