December 3, 1998
Drums & music: Outlet for anger
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Bang the drum slowly.
And quickly. And loudly and softly. Maybe dance around, sing or yell if the spirit moves you. Do whatever you want, just do something to make music and express yourself.
So urges Brian Baker, a music therapist based from San Francisco. Baker was in town this weekend to drum up support to start a music therapy program for at-risk youth in northwest Michigan.
"Music in itself is just about expression," said Baker, founder of Absolute Vibrations, a non-profit music therapy program based in San Francisco. "It is a very powerful tool to channel some of the negative energy in a positive way and these at-risk kids really respond to it. Drumming is a great thing for people who have a lot of anger to work through."
Baker facilitated a community drum circle Saturday afternoon at the Civic Center, which drew 40 drummers of all ages. That night he gave an interactive concert of his original music at Northwestern Michigan College. He also offered a drum playshop on Sunday afternoon at the Dance Arts Academy. All proceeds from these events will go toward establishing a youth music therapy program in the area, modeled after programs he has been doing in San Francisco for years.
"I want to bring some of this back to my community," said Baker, a long-time Traverse City resident. "In San Francisco I work with teens who grew up with a lot of trauma and don't get an opportunity to express themselves or their trauma. Our programs teach them community building, leadership skills and empowerment."
Baker has deep ties to Traverse City. He moved here when he was four years old and graduated from Traverse City Senior High School in 1983, playing football and baseball all through school. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, camping outdoors year round as much as possible.
Baker went on to study engineering at Michigan State University, not at all thinking of pursuing a musical career. In fact, he only began studying music when he was 18, always focusing on sports and outdoor activities while growing up.
Baker credits growing up in the natural beauty of northwest Michigan plus the small town atmosphere of Traverse City as shaping his life today.
"My friends and I all grew up sailing and being in the water and we were always out in nature," Baker said. "We never locked our doors and I learned to trust people."
Although Baker's parents divorced when he was young, eventually his father's career as a professional musician began to have a huge influence on him. Combined with his mother working in the health care field, music therapy seemed a natural fit.
"I recall the whole neighborhood coming over to listen when my dad came to visit," Baker said. "I think that seeing how much music played a community role in my life, that was a really big influence on me when I saw how music therapy could work."
Just as he began studying music, Baker's sister, a physical therapist, introduced him to a music therapist. Baker was not interested at first and then something clicked and he changed his major at Michigan State, entering one of the original music therapy programs.
"They started a music therapy program there in 1945 to help veterans suffering from 'shellshock,' which we now call post-traumatic stress disorder," Baker said. "They discovered that playing music really worked for these people."
Baker moved to San Francisco after graduating from college in 1990. In addition to his work with troubled youth, he works extensively with autistic children and conducts ongoing musical playshops, which he considers a wellness program for anyone.
Baker also continues to develop as a musician and performer. Virtually self-taught on the guitar and numerous percussion instruments, he released a compact disc in 1996, Guitarssionstic Impressions, and is currently working on another one.
"The first CD was about nature and this one will be more about community," said Baker, who recorded the first one using only solar power when he lived without electricity for six years.
Baker is hoping to buy some property in Leelanau County, perhaps with some friends, and set up a base for him when he visits. His whole family still lives here and he wants to set up professional activities to come back to, even if he is living elsewhere for now.
"I feel that Leelanau Peninsula is the best place on Earth," Baker said. "Maybe in ten years I can end up here or at least come here a few months of every year until then."