Skip to main content

Grammys touch a chord with one local nominee

By WTOP Staff

Nathan Hager, wtop.com

ANNANDALE, Va. — After the Grammy Award nominations were announced in that extravagant televised concert special Wednesday night, the excitement took on a unique fever pitch in one house in Annandale.

It came when a mom and her two oldest kids checked the Grammys website for the nominations you don’t see on TV.

“Just as my husband was calling from Australia, he was on a business trip, I saw my name and we all started screaming,” says Jenny Oaks Baker, who just picked up a nomination for the music industry’s highest honor for her solo CD, “Wish Upon a Star.”

Besides raising four children, Baker is a Juilliard-trained, classical crossover recording artist. For seven years, she was a first violinist in the National Symphony Orchestra, which she left in 2007 to devote more time to her family.

She hasn’t stopped working, though. “Wish Upon a Star,” a collection of lushly arranged tunes from Walt Disney movies, is her 10th album, and her first Grammy nomination.

“It’s really the first time my record label has really kind of gone for it,” Baker says.

She’s nominated in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, which despite the title encompasses a wide range of genres this year. Baker, a classically-trained violinist, is pitted against Hawaiian singer Daniel Ho, legendary R&B organist Booker T. Jones, smooth jazz saxman Dave Koz, and former Stray Cat Brian Setzer.

“Are they all men but me?” Baker asked, when I pointed out her competitors to her. “That’s a bonus. At least I get to wear a gown and they just wear a tux.”

Kidding aside, Baker thinks she has a good shot at picking up support among her fellow Grammy voters.

“I really think if people hear my album, it’ll touch their hearts. It’ll touch their souls with music,” she says.

She also gives credit to her arranger, Kurt Besser, as well as to the source material.

“Everyone loves Disney,” Baker says. “It’s not slapstick Disney. It’s sophisticated Disney that really has universal appeal.”

No matter what happens when the awards are handed out Feb. 12, Baker says she’s excited to have “Grammy” attached to her name on future albums, whether as a winner or a nominee.

And she’s already making plans to attend the awards ceremony in Hollywood, wearing her gown. The kids, however, may have to watch from home in Annandale.

“I told them that it’s not a children event,” she says. “I don’t think they’ll let them in, although they’re so cute, they may. That’d be quite a spectacle, wouldn’t it?”

Well before the ceremony, you can see Jenny Oaks Baker perform at the Mormon Temple’s Festival of Lights. She’s giving two free concerts on the evenings of Dec. 11 and 12.

On the Jenny Oaks Baker website, you can hear Jenny Oaks Baker play and purchase her Grammy-nominated album, “Wish Upon a Star” or other CDs.

Follow Nathan Hager and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote