Obadiah Baker of Cleveland on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Obadiah Baker. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Obadiah, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
As the 1st Shift Manager at one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense manufacturers, Northrop Grumman, my mornings often begin on the production floor—overseeing operations, optimizing workflows, and ensuring the delivery of critical components that support national and global security.

But that’s just one facet of my life. I also serve as the Executive Producer on several film projects currently in development, each driven by a passion for storytelling and social impact. Outside of the corporate and creative spheres, I lead Tender Heart Crusades, a nonprofit I founded that has grown into a global initiative, now active across Europe and multiple U.S. states.

On my off days, you’ll likely find me exploring the cultural pulse of Baltimore City or catching up with friends and family in Washington, D.C. I travel often—both for work and inspiration—and no matter where I go, music is always at the center. As a composer, I continue to write, reflect, and create works that speak to the complexities of the world around us.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Obadiah Baker—a composer, filmmaker, nonprofit founder, military officer, and scholar committed to using creativity as a tool for healing, purpose, and meaningful change.

As a composer, I create music that reflects the emotional weight of our times. My Emmy-winning orchestral piece Winter was born out of the global trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and America’s racial reckoning, blending classical form with contemporary urgency. I often compose from a phenomenological approach—drawing from lived experience to transform emotion into sound, helping people feel what words alone cannot express.

As a filmmaker and executive producer, I focus on stories that awaken empathy and spark reflection. One of my current projects, Fire Lily, follows a young Black dancer in Cleveland who is misidentified and tackled by police while walking home. What begins as a moment of mistaken identity evolves into a poetic, surreal journey that reimagines racial trauma through symbolism drawn from the African fire lily—a flower that only blooms after wildfire. The film offers a meditation on fear, breath, and transformation.

I’m also the founder of Tender Heart Crusades, a nonprofit I launched in New York City that now operates across several U.S. states—including my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio—and throughout Europe. We partner with schools, community-based organizations, and local neighborhoods to provide arts-based education, storytelling platforms, and service projects that empower individuals to overcome adversity and discover a deeper sense of purpose. Our work spans from youth mentorship and in-school residencies to international creative collaborations, all rooted in the belief that compassion, creativity, and community can create lasting change.

Alongside this work, I serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, supporting global information operations at the Pentagon. My military background informs my understanding of leadership, human complexity, and the strategic power of narrative—perspectives I carry into every artistic and humanitarian space I enter.

Before my Fulbright research in Israel, I produced The Shadow Between Us, a two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary inspired by the allegory of artist Sir Shadow: “No one is above or below… that’s why we all have the same color shadow.” The film uses shadow, silence, and movement as metaphors for equality and unity in a divided America, particularly in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy. That work laid the conceptual and emotional foundation for my Fulbright project, where I examined how nonverbal artistic expression—like shadow dance and performance-based storytelling—could cultivate empathy, resilience, and connection among Israeli and Palestinian students navigating generational trauma and identity.

In everything I do—whether through music, film, education, or military service—I’m driven by a belief that we can build bridges across what divides us, and that creativity, when grounded in compassion, can be one of the most powerful tools for transformation.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point in my life—not just globally, but personally. It tested my resilience in ways I never anticipated. After years of carrying the weight of wartime trauma from my service in Afghanistan, I had stepped away from music for nearly seven years. The pandemic, with all its grief, isolation, and forced stillness, created the space for me to confront that silence.

Out of that darkness, I emerged not just as a survivor, but as an artist with a renewed sense of purpose. Composing again was like reclaiming my voice—and my identity. I realized that my experiences, including the pain, were part of a larger calling to use art as a means of healing, connection, and truth-telling. That transformation—going from silence to sound, from soldier to storyteller—shaped the artist I am today and clarified the impact I hope to make in the world

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Keep pushing forward—and don’t give power to people who don’t matter in your life. Stay vigilant, stay grounded, and remember: when the world says no, let the first “yes” come from within. Rejection isn’t the end; it’s redirection. Keep knocking—you’ll be surprised which doors eventually open.

And remember, life is like a river: go with the flow. Don’t waste your energy fighting the current. But if you ever find yourself drifting toward a waterfall, have the courage to shift course. Outside of that—breathe, enjoy the ride, and stay open to the universe’s endless possibilities. There’s more ahead than you can yet imagine.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the film and music industries is that you need a big-name production company or a massive budget to succeed. That’s simply not true.

The Shadow Between Us was produced on a modest budget of just over $25,000, funded through grants and the support of my nonprofit, Tender Heart Crusades. And yet, that film went on to win two Emmy Awards, premiere at the Toronto Black Film Festival, and have its West Coast premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival. When I read the inscription on my Emmy, it doesn’t name a major Hollywood studio—it says: The Shadow Between Us, Tender Heart Crusades, Obadiah Baker. I composed the original score, produced the film, and led the organization that made it possible.

The truth is, you don’t need to wait for permission or validation from the industry. You need to believe in yourself, trust what you bring to the table, and keep creating—even when others won’t open the door. You can build your own platform, and when you do, the work will speak for itself.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m traveling—experiencing new cultures, landscapes, and ways of life. There’s something profoundly grounding about stepping outside of the familiar and realizing how vast and beautiful the world truly is.

But if I had to choose one place where I feel completely at peace, it would be underwater. I love to dive. Some of the most surreal and spiritual moments of my life have taken place on the ocean floor—surrounded by coral reefs, drifting with the current, and watching the most peculiar, beautiful sea creatures pass by. There’s a silence down there that isn’t empty—it’s full. Full of life, movement, and mystery. In that stillness, I feel connected to something greater than myself. It reminds me to breathe, to surrender, and to simply be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tenderheartcrusades.com
• Instagram: obadiahbaker
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ltc-obadiah-baker-edd-mba-cssbb-csm-ab691982/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0NYYcWBjSs&list=RDm0NYYcWBjSs&start_radio=1