Our people: Conductor connected with music early

Steve Baldock will be directing the Clovis Community Band next Sunday as he's been doing for years.

The free concert is set for 3 p.m. at Clovis Community College's Town Hall.

The theme is "Afternoon at the Movies."

If you listen to Baldock's story of his life it's apparent music has been important to him since he was young.

Baldock talked with The News Tuesday about his life and times.

Q: Where were you born? And what brought you to Clovis?

A: I was born in Dumas, Texas. My father worked for B.F. Goodrich in Borger. Not long after I was born, we moved to Clovis, and then to Artesia.

When I was in the third grade, we moved back to Clovis, my father worked for Hugh Jones Firestone. I graduated from Clovis High School.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My wife, Linda, and I have been married 53 years, we started young.

We have two sons who still live in the area with their families. Patrick and his wife, Kalynn, have three married children and they have our three great-grandchildren among them.

J.W. and his wife, Tammy, have four children, two adult, and two who are still in school.

Q: Talk about your career in music.

A:When I was in the seventh grade at Marshall Junior High, I decided I wanted to be a band director, eventually at Marshall.

My dream came true when I was 25 years old.

I loved being a band director at my old school.

Eventually I moved on to a retail business in town so that I could help parents provide instruments for their school-aged children.

My career changed again when I was offered the opportunity to be the music teacher at Bella Vista Elementary School.

At the time, I was the only male teacher in the school, and I saw every student at least three days a week.

I felt like I had the opportunity to be a role model and mentor and, to this day, I am recognized by middle-aged adults as their music teacher.

I also worked as a principal at James Bickley before moving back into the classroom at Cameo, where I retired in 2010.

Q: You retired from teaching, but you're still busy.

A: In my daily life, I love to read and study the Bible.

My wife and I have also been blessed to travel several times to Europe and once to Japan.

In 2001, I became an ordained minister at the Fairview Primitive Baptist Church here in Clovis, where I still continue to pastor.

Q: What do you like about leading the Clovis Community Band?

A: I took over the band from Jim Barnard in 2018-ish. It allows me to continue to pursue my love of music and waving my baton in front of excellent musicians. I don't think a lot of our community is aware of the Clovis Community Band, and if they are, they might not be aware of its quality.

Q: Tell us about being a retailer.

A: I went to work for Phillips Music in 1983 and became a manager in 1984. Phillips Music was downtown near Nuco Pool Supply.

In 1986 I started my own store called Baldock's Music Note.

That was at 416 ½ N. Main downtown.

I sold band instruments, guitars, pianos for a while, everything related to music. I also did band instrument repair.

I ceased operations in 1990 and went back into teaching.

Q: What inspires you?

A: Music, all kinds of music.

Marching band music, band music in general.

My favorite march is "Stars and Stripes Forever."

And the other side of my inspiration are the Scriptures.

Q: What's the best casserole?

A: There's nothing that really thrills me about eating, I eat to live, I don't live to eat.

My wife reminds me that I like green chile chicken casserole.

Q: Window or aisle seat on an

airplane?

A: Aisle. I have long legs.

Q: Where is your favorite vacation place?

A: We enjoy Europe, Germany, France, Italy.

Q: What's your favorite saying or quote?

A: My favorite saying is, "Coffee is the answer to all questions."

There are too many favorite Scriptures to even start.

Q: You have an invitation for readers to a concert Sunday, Apr. 21?

A: Yes, we are closing out the Clovis Music Festival with a Clovis Community Band concert.

The theme is "Afternoon at the Movies."

It's a free concert. We always do free concerts.

Its at Clovis Community College Town Hall, 3 p.m.