Jan was born in Moorestown, NJ and in the summer of 1940 moved to Palmyra, NJ, a suburb of North Philadelphia, where she attended school and graduated in 1951. Her two favorite subjects were art and band!
After working a year, Jan joined the US Air Force and, after basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, was assigned to the 543 AF Band (WAF) stationed there. While in the band, whose name was later changed to The US WAF Band, Jan traveled extensively throughout the United States, also visiting Alaska and Puerto Rico. In January of 1958 the entire band moved to San Bernardino, CA. Altogether Jan served five years and nine months and was discharged three months early so she could attend East Carolina College in North Carolina on the GI Bill of Rights.
At East Carolina, Jan majored in Music Education with a minor in voice. She played clarinet in the Symphonic Band and Marching Pirates and bassoon in the Concert Band. She gave an Honors Recital and was a clarinet soloist on the Student Concerto Program. Upon graduation she was awarded a Graduate Assistantship and taught all incoming Freshman clarinet majors.
With a BS and MA in Music Education, Jan went on to teach elementary band in the public schools of Fairfax County, VA for 15 years then switched to elementary general music for the last eight years of her teaching career. For a year after retirement Jan worked for large discount drug store in Woodbridge, VA.
During her years in Virginia, Jan adopted and raised a 10 year old daughter and then raised her grandson there and in South Carolina, where she moved in 1989.
After moving to South Carolina, Jan became active with both the Long Bay Symphony and the Long Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra which she managed for about seven years. After settling in, Jan took art classes with Betty J. Bee, a watercolor teacher at Pepper Gedding Recreation Center. Jan studied with Betty for about 10 years and finally, after joining the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, The South Carolina Watercolor Society and the Back Porch Painters, she decided to try to sell her art. Although still not considered a professional, Jan has sold works near Atlanta, GA and at The Loft at The Howard Gallery here in Myrtle Beach.
|