Janet started playing cornet aged 11 in the Ramsbury Band before moving to flugel for Swindon Concert Brass. After a music degree she taught as a brass peri, with one of the highlights being conducting the Swindon Youth Band at the 4thsection National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall. She also guested on flugel with the Aldbourne band at a recording of the radio programme “Listen to the Band” in the Festival Hall. She attended many Wessex Youth Band courses as a teenager and was then invited to be flugel tutor working alongside players like Gordon Higgenbottom with Courtenay Bosanko as course tutor. Courtenay made a huge impression and greatly influenced Janet’s later career as a conductor.
After marriage to John, who she met playing in Swindon Youth band, and two young children later Janet took a break from playing and conducting and went on to teach herself saxophone. Going back into teaching as a music specialist she was able to introduce her daughter Ali to the Wessex Summer School and found herself engaged as a tutor again but this time with the saxophone section and as a Junior Band conductor alongside Derek Broadbent and Mike Fowels.
When Ali joined Aldbourne on cornet there was talk of starting a training band and Janet offered her services and in 2011 one was set up. This developed into a Junior and Youth Band which Janet still directs. With the support of the Friends of Aldbourne Band she also takes a brass ensemble in the village school and in the Marlborough secondary school pupils move on to.
For fun, (and with no responsibility to direct or lead!) Janet plays tenor sax in a Big Band and alto sax in a quartet and other ensembles. She enjoys composing and arranging music for the various groups she is involved with.