Marilyn Baker

Because my father could only afford to pay for definitely one year of college and maybe a second, I opted for vocational training. Katharine Gibbs School trained me to become a secretary, one of the few fields of work open to young girls at that time. I used my job skills (nowadays obsolete) to leave an unpleasant home situation and to be recruited by the federal government.

Off I went to Washington, D.C. where I learned that there was a whole world beyond the few areas of Providence I knew. Evenings were spent attending classes at George Washington University, culminating with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology.

Office work did little for me intellectually or emotionally, and I wanted to study music full-time, having resumed voice lessons as an elective at G.W.U. I ended up at Eastern Michigan University, where a combination of savings, part-time work, and partial scholarship aid provided me with a Bachelor of Music Education. People had advised me to become a school music teacher, but unfortunately, that did not work out.

After a brief interlude in Massachusetts, I returned to my home state. I am now retired — Yay! — from my last State job as medical claims examiner at the Temporary Disability Insurance, Department of Labor and Training. Now I can put time and energy into my arts: music, acting, and writing. Almost accidentally, I discovered that I can act, and that is now part of my resume.

Obstacles such as aging, Covid, and the breakdown of society have made my “golden years” less golden. Joining Edgewood Village, a village within The Village Common of Rhode Island, has introduced me to other retirees who remain active in their community and in their personal lives. I am hanging in there, staying as active as I can, and pursuing my arts.

Artist’s Statement

Hey, I’m an artist! Only recently did I think of myself this way. Looking back, I see that my story has three components: music, acting, and writing — and the drive to make something of them. 

Music
Music is one of my earliest memories. As a child, I plinked out melodies on a toy piano. My first chorus was the Candace Street Elementary School Glee Club. I began singing lessons as a teen, and joined the Chopin Young Musicians Club. I also took piano lessons and practiced on an old upright Steinway at Axelrod Music Store, falling in love with Steinway pianos. At George Washington University, I resumed singing lessons as an elective a, singing whenever and wherever an opportunity presented: in synagogues and churches, choruses, senior community centers, and solo programs. As a chorus member, a highlight was singing at the White House. After returning to Rhode Island, I was a long-time choir member and soprano soloist at All Saints Memorial Church (Episcopal) in Providence. The minister told me, “God gave you a gift, and you should use it.” I have done so my entire life. Now retired from full-time employment, I sing with Shireinu (Hebrew for our song) based at Temple Sinai in Cranston. From time to time, I sing with a combo at the Pilgrim Senior Center Sing-A-Longs. You won’t see me bent over screeching and screaming; I sing as I was taught, using the voice I was born with. Even as I age, I am grateful that I can still sing. It brings me some respite from stress and gives pleasure to others. 

Acting
Acting did not enter my life early, and I have childhood memories only of reciting occasional monologues. As a working adult, I took a personal day off from my state job so I could join a film production. I caught the acting bug and wanted to do more. Over time, I have appeared as an extra or in a secondary role in national and local independent films and TV. I was given a role in the movie “The Polka King” and placed near the stage where the band was playing, only a few yards from where Jack Black was singing. Who wouldn’t like that? There are not many acting opportunities for older women and not every project includes a grandma. My big break came just last year when I was featured in a television commercial for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island opposite a man of my generation. It was very well-received by viewers and has been extended for another year. I have taken some training in general acting and improvisation, learning to approach acting not as Marilyn but as my character, and to enjoy doing it.

Writing
I began to write during childhood: songs, short stories, and poems. Rereading some of them now, I am amazed at how good they are considering my age when written. It was as if I had created a nicer world than the increasingly unpleasant environment in which I lived. In junior high school, I was the student who crafted words for our class song, set to the music of a chosen popular tune. I wasn’t trying to show off (heaven forbid at that age!). I was simply being myself, doing what came naturally. High school and college were full of reports and term papers that honed my skills. My first published work was for a Hillel booklet at George Washington University. I continued to write work-related projects and sometimes simply to express myself. Teacher magazine printed an article [reprinted below] that I wrote about a sound project I did with students when I was a school music teacher. In childhood, I wrote fiction. In adulthood, I write non-fiction. As a retiree, I can write whatever I feel like saying or sharing, expanding my experience and ability by trying new subjects and forms.