Our featured musician for August 2026 is Clint Baker. Clint has played the French horn with the Fort Collins Wind Symphony for over 25 years. He has been a member of the FCWS board in various roles for many years, and has contributed meaningfully to the ensemble in countless ways! Clint is an active freelance musician and a founding member of local brass quintet “Exquisite Brass”, and he maintains a large studio of horn students of all ages.
What does music-making mean to you personally, and what keeps you coming back to the ensemble?
Making music means sharing something that I thoroughly enjoy with others — my family, friends, our audience, and other members of the ensemble — to be a part of something very special for our community. I cherish every moment I spend with the ensemble and that’s what keeps bringing me back.
What do you do outside of FCWS — professionally and/or musically — and how does it connect to your life as a musician?
I recently retired from my engineering job after more than 40 years, so I now have a lot of extra time on my hands. I continue to play with the FCWS and other community musical organizations. Additionally, I spend my extra time working with French horn students throughout the Poudre School District and other parts of Northern Colorado. Students range from middle school to adults who share my passion — to make music at school, home, to try something new, to pick up the French horn after setting it down for many years, and to connect with family and friends through music.
What does FCWS give to you as a musician, and what do you think it gives to the Fort Collins community?
As a musician, the FCWS gives me an outlet to express my musical enjoyment in an organization made up of my friends and colleagues. For the Fort Collins community, the FCWS provides an opportunity for our loyal patrons to enjoy beautiful music with their friends and families in a setting that brings the magic of music into their lives.
Is there a moment in your musical life — a performance, a teacher, a piece — that really shaped who you are as a musician?
I truly appreciate my parents who introduced me to music; first with piano lessons, and then supporting me in learning how to play the French horn. My band directors and private music teachers who never gave up on me no matter how much I struggled in the early years. And my lovely wife who I met in high school band. Music has truly shaped my life and for so many people, I am forever grateful.