Jana grew up in Lansing, MI where her cousin first introduced her to the piano at the age of four. By the age of fifteen, she was teaching piano lessons herself as well as accompanying both her high school choir and her local church choir. Jana went on to earn her bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Education K12 from Cedarville University and Olivet College, and has studied at EMU as well. While in college, she was highly sought after as a recital accompanist on campus for both instruments and voice. She also taught piano lessons to college students that were not studying towards a music degree. While at Olivet College in Olivet, MI, she played in the Jazz Band and studied jazz piano.
Jana has worked at Marshall Music in Lansing, MI as a group keyboard instructor and piano teacher, Atlanta Keyboards in Atlanta, GA, and as a private piano instructor ages 4 to adult. She has been teaching piano, classroom music, and choir ever since, along with some guitar classes and voice at several Catholic Schools in the Chicago area. Jana has loved every minute of it. She has worked as a musician playing for weddings, religious services, and musical theatre including accompanying an Irish Dance performance at Drury Lane in Oak Brook, IL.
Jana knows the joy music brings to her life, and she loves inspiring that in her students and working with them. Often, she has worked with students in her music classes and utilized them as accompanists or in music ensembles for Music Programs. She has arranged and re-arranged parts for her students to play. She has also worked with many students in preparation for upcoming competitions or performances.