Brimming With Different Talents: Jordan Baird

Jordan Baird has gone from singing in a suit at church at the age of 5 to performing for celebrity judges like Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid. This homecoming Jordan sang the National Anthem to kick off the game against Old Dominion University. Her Campus George Mason sat down with the singing basketball start to learn more about how he balances his musical career, academics and sports.

Her Campus George Mason: Where are you from?

Jordan Baird: I was born in Fairfax hospital, but I grew up in the Gainesville area about 25 minutes from here.

HCGMU: What is your major and year?

JB: I’m a junior and I’m a music performance major. I’m majoring in music, and my focus is in performance.

HCGMU: What is a random fact about you?

JB: Not a lot of people know this about me, but I had seizures for 7 years, and I was supposed to never play sports. They told me when I was in middle school that I wouldn’t play sports. I was on this medicine and as long as I stayed on the medicine I couldn’t drive. I just made a decision at 15 to go off the meds, and with my faith being a part of my life I just trusted that it would work out, and it did. To even be able to be play sports is a big deal. That was a big thing early on that I had to overcome.

HCGMU: When did you start playing basketball?

JB: My granddad played in high school and he won this big championship game in high school and he was a big basketball player. And my older brother played in high school. We’ve always been an athletic family; my brothers and I have always played sports. I played in a league in Gainesville when I was 6, and I played all the way though middle school, and at Stonewall Jackson High School.

I thought I was going to play college basketball, at Shenandoah University, but that fell through, so I took a different route, and decided to focus on music. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, but I never really knew that I was going to be playing in college for sure until I walked on. I tried twice, I tried last year and didn’t make it, and then I tried this year and made it.

HCGMU: When was the first time you performed in front of a formal audience?

JB: The first time I ever sang was when I was 5 in my church, it was pretty funny, I still have a picture from it, I’m in this little suit I’m like 3 feet tall. I sang in church ever since I was a kid, I grew up singing in church. In high school I sang in two different choirs at Stonewall. We did two concerts every year, which is routine. Our junior year our vocal assemble traveled to Florida and sang at a national convention and we ranked top two in the nation so we got to sing in front of 13,000 which was really cool.

I’ve sporadically sang in front of audiences, and then with X-Factor and Idol was where I really did it solo. This past Saturday was the most I’ve sang in front of by myself.

HCGMU: How was trying out for American Idol and X-Factor?

JB: I tried out in 2009. The first round is just a cattle call, there were like 19,000 people, and I made it through a few rounds and I made it to the celebrity judges, and then I was cut after that round, right before Hollywood. The judges were Simon, Randy, Paula and the guest judge was Christine Chenoweth.

I did X-Factor this summer. I submitted a Youtube video and they selected me with a few other people and we got to bypass a few different rounds

We went straight to the live studio audience in Seattle, Washington and sang in Key arena. This time the judges were Simon, L.A. Reid and Paula and Nicole Scherzingers so it was a little bit different of a judging panel.

HCGMU: Do you plan on trying out again?

JB: I would be open to doing it again, I’d be open to doing either one, but the one I’m really looking into that I would choose before those two is The Voice, it looks legit. I would definitely be interested in trying out for that.

HCGMU: Were you nervous to sing at the homecoming game?

JB: Yeah, a little bit I was, that was the most I had sung in front of alone before, but once they started cheering before I even sang, that made it way easier. I felt like people wanted me to do well. With Idol and X-Factor you’re in an environment where everything is so judged and Saturday was just so laid back and everyone was so happy for me. Once I start singing I usually forget about everything else anyways.

One of the coolest things is everyone in my life is talented. My girlfriend, Michelle Fragar, is a killer singer — she toured with a group called Hillsong United. When they toured in Braille she sang in front of 70,000 people. I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by talented people. My whole family and my girlfriend and her whole family   — they’re all super talented.  I’ve definitely had a blessed life.

HCGMU: How are you balancing basketball and singing?
       
JB: My voice teacher has been really accommodating. I knew going into it would be tough, that I’d have a lot going on, but I just have to buckle down and get through it. I just make a to-do list and then I do it. My schedule filled up way, way more than I thought it was going to. It’s been demanding but I just buckled down. It’s been busy but I try to make it happen. My teachers are a big help too, they’re really understanding when I have to re-schedule, they’re flexible. They’ve always had my best interest in mind and I appreciate that. It helps. Basketball isn’t as flexible — practice is when practice is. The music department has really made my schedule feasible. And my advisor is a beast. His name is Michael Ouellette. He makes everything happen scheduling wise, he makes everything possible.

HCGMU: What has been your experience with the basketball team?

JB: It’s definitely met my expectations and went beyond it. Just being able to be a part of the team is awesome. All the games and the practices and traveling, it’s a blast. The extra stuff is just extra on top. The guys are hilarious, they’re so funny. I’ve built some good relationships there, and they’re just a blast to hang out with. Being a part of a D1 program is just a dream come true. I’ve always said I’d play college sports, and then in the latter years of high school I realized it might not be as possible as I had thought, and now it’s happening, so it’s been a crazy experience. Game days are so fun. There’s a vibe in the air, it’s pretty awesome. On the basketball side of things I’ve learned way more than I ever thought I could learn about basketball in the past 4 months. Coach Hewitt is a genius.

HCGMU: What are your plans after graduation?

JB: When it comes to after school I feel like I have a few different options. I have a few different routes that I could take. My dad is a pastor in Manassas, and I could see myself doing music there. I could pursue my solo career and try to get back into the swing of things there. There’s always the option to teach. I have a few different options that probably won’t play out until the times right, so we’ll see. I’m open for whatever. I just love music. Whatever opportunity presents itself. We’ll see once we get a little bit closer.