Randy Baker interviewed by Sondra Loring
Sondra Loring (00:01): Hi, I'm Sondra Loring, and it is November 16, 2023, and I'm here with the amazing Randy Baker.
Randy Baker (00:11): Ha-ha.
Sondra Loring (00:14): (laughs). And, Randy, would you introduce yourself?
Randy Baker (00:17): Hi, I'm Randy. I'm currently a inmate in Greene Corrections, um, enjoying this, uh, amazing class. It's given me a lot of eye-opening experiences and stuff like that (laughs).
Sondra Loring (00:34): Awe. Well, I'd love to hear more. Can you tell me a little more about your time in this class?
Randy Baker (00:40): >Oh, well. Oh, um, (laughs)...
Sondra Loring (00:42): [inaudible 00:00:44].
Randy Baker (00:43): Time here is, uh, very peaceful. It's, um... It reduce a lot of my anxiety. It, uh, uh, I don't know... It's... It makes me feel like I'm not a convict for a moment (laughs).
Sondra Loring (01:05): That's beautiful. Anything else you wanna say or I can-
Randy Baker (01:09): Um-
Sondra Loring (01:09): ... ask another question?
Randy Baker (01:11): You can ask another question. [inaudible 00:01:13] (laughs)-
Sondra Loring (01:12): Okay, we'll keep circling around for sure. Um, what would you like someone in the outside to know about participating in this class?
Randy Baker (01:25): Um, that it's not difficult. Um, it's very, uh, I don't know, uh... It's like soul searching. You- You- You find yourself a little bit doing this class. Um-
Sondra Loring (01:49): How so?
Randy Baker (01:52): Well, when you're doin' yoga and you- you doin meditation and your- you're interacting with other inmates in a... in a setting like this, it allows us to put our guard down and not be so defensive with one another. And it's- it's a very different world than when you're in the dorm-
Sondra Loring (02:20): Mm-hmm.
Randy Baker (02:20): ... and in the j- jail, eh, uh, per se. So I think it's helpful mentally. I think if they do it more often with larger groups of people, I think that probably (laughs) there will be a lot less violence in jail, to be honest.
Sondra Loring (02:36): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That's very interesting. Thank you. Um, tell me about a- a favorite or, you know, any memory from this class (laughs).
Randy Baker (02:46): Um, hmm. Uh, it was the- the very first time that we got up and started walking around in random directions (laughs).
Sondra Loring (03:02): (laughs).
Randy Baker (03:02): I mean-
Sondra Loring (03:03): I remember that (laughs).
Randy Baker (03:04): I mean, like, I was literally watching these uptight, very (laughs) nervous individuals, they're walls-
Sondra Loring (03:14): (laughs).
Randy Baker (03:14): ... dropping every second of that moment. I was like, "Oh, my gosh, this is... this is surreal." You know, it was... it was cool. That was a fun moment (laughs).
Sondra Loring (03:23): Awe (laughs), that's a really great memory.
Randy Baker (03:25): (laughs).
Sondra Loring (03:25): Um, can you say, a little bit, what your experience was when you were watching someone read their writing and then a few people moving while they were reading?
Randy Baker (03:40): Oh, wow. Uh, um... Well, when that happened, I- I thought it was something that (laughs)... that I wouldn't be ever able to see, 'cause, you know... I- I, like, again, you know, when you're in this situation, everybody's very militant. They're very cautious of what they do and how they act because of how others will perceive. 'Cause you could be looked at as a victim or somebody that's soft or somebody... But in here everyone drop all their guards down. They're... Somebody's sayin' poetry while others are dancing and moving. It- It was like... It... I was in awe. I was really in awe, and I was, like, touched, really. I was really moved by that. And I was, like, I don't think anybody else could do that with a bunch of convicts (laughs).
Sondra Loring (04:33): (laughs). Um, I have to say-
Randy Baker (04:36): Uh, You're- You're the convict whisperer, okay.
Sondra Loring (04:38): I gue... I have to say, I wh... that was very moving.
Randy Baker (04:41): (laughs).
Sondra Loring (04:42): Um, I remember that very well, like, "What just happened?" and the discussion that followed. Um, is there anything that you wrote in the written survey about... that you would like to say more about?
Randy Baker (05:05): Um, ahh... in the written survey that I would like to say more about. Um, you know, I- I'm not great at speaking. I'm way better at writing than I am speaking. I- I- I don't know. I growed up with a lot of anxiety behind... I- I'm sure you haven't hear me do it much because I try to control it, but my mannerism are, kind of, are not like others, because I'm trying not to stutter.
Sondra Loring (05:33): Mm-hmm.
Randy Baker (05:33): So a lot of people are like, "Oh, why he's acting like that?" It's 'cause I'm actually pausing so I don't stutter, 'cause I don't wanna be like, "Uh, uh, uh, je, je, do, do." You know? So-
Sondra Loring (05:43): Mmm, mmm.
Randy Baker (05:43): So a lot of my mannerisms give me anxiety, 'cause people-
Sondra Loring (05:45): Mmm.
Randy Baker (05:46): ... just, they don't get it.
Sondra Loring (05:48): Mm-hmm.
Randy Baker (05:49): So-
Sondra Loring (05:49): Thank you so much for sharing that, for your vulnerability. I really appreciate-
Randy Baker (05:54): Mm-hmm.
Sondra Loring (05:54): ... that. And, um, why do you think you enrolled in this art program?
Randy Baker (06:00): Um, one, because I am an artist. I- I like a lot of different types of art. I can draw. I can paint. I can sculpt. I write music. I write poetry. I, um, what else, um... I've- I've made, uh, videos for... rap videos for people, and, like, a lot of forms of art. I- I dance. I know how to dance
Sondra Loring (06:29): Mm-hmm.
Randy Baker (06:29): It- It just, like, all types of arts I really been engaging in my whole entire life, since I was a child. So that's just who I am at the core: a- a creator of art or... and user of art or whatever you wanna call it.
Sondra Loring (06:46): Mm, that is so-
Randy Baker (06:46): (laughs).
Sondra Loring (06:47): ... so beautiful. Um, is there something that you'd like to carry forward with you from this class?
Randy Baker (06:57): Um... Something I would like to carry forward? I hope I learn this- this ability to keep my walls down. I mean, I hope... Growing up, I always had my walls up, always. You know, I don't like to be vulnerable with people because I'm... I always get disappointed. So I always have my guard up, and here it's like not all the way up (laughs).
Sondra Loring (07:27): (laughs).
Randy Baker (07:28): It's not all the way up. Like, it's all, you know? So, I hope I'm able to take that with me and be more vulnerable with people. But this... in this setting it's not very... the wisest decision, but... I mean, in here, per se, like, it's a perfect setting-
Sondra Loring (07:45): Mm-hmm.
Randy Baker (07:45): ... but when you go back out there-
Sondra Loring (07:46): Right, right.
Randy Baker (07:46): ... it's not really a-
Sondra Loring (07:47): Understood.
Randy Baker (07:49): ... a great setting to be vulnerable, you know?
Sondra Loring (07:50): That's right. Yeah, I understand. Yeah. Well, living- living in that crack is very vulnerable, and... but yet that's where the light gets in, they say. You know (laughs)?
Randy Baker (08:03): Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely [inaudible 00:08:04].
Sondra Loring (08:04): My roof is leaking, but I can also see the moon through the-
Randy Baker (08:07): (laughs). Amen.
Sondra Loring (08:09): ... through the... Amen, that's right.
Randy Baker (08:10): The silver lining.
Sondra Loring (08:11): Yeah. Uh, wow, um. Hmm.
Randy Baker (08:21): You want me to interview you now?
Sondra Loring (08:23): Yeah, I think that we're about... we would be changing.
Randy Baker (08:24): Oh.
Speaker 3 (08:24): We're changing.
Sondra Loring (08:29): Okay. So thank you so much, Randy, and we will change.
Randy Baker (08:35): All right.
Sondra Loring (08:35): And I stop the recording.