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| "I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music." - Billy Joel Like most children, Jan Young began her musical career by taking accordion lessons at the age of seven. Oh, that's right...that's not entirely normal! However, during the next 13 years of studying accordion (and a scheduled audition with a talent scout for The Lawrence Welk Show that she blew off...but that's another story...), Jan acquired more musical knowledge, skill, education, and job opportunities. In the eighth grade, she began working as the piano accompanist for her junior high school chorus and musical theatre programs, and a year later took her first piano lessons. (Backwards, but it worked for her...) She continued her work at Rincon Valley Junior High School throughout high school and junior college, earning money to finance, among other things, a trip to Europe in 1976 to sing with the Northern California Chamber Chorale, the choir representing the USA in an international choral competition in Austria. Jan earned a Bachelor of Music Degree with an emphasis in Vocal Education from San Francisco State University in 1980. She has been employed as an accompanist by Santa Rosa City Schools, Santa Rosa Junior College, the SRJC Summer Repertory Theatre (SRT), and Spreckel's Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park. From 1997-2008, she was the director of the Chancel Choir at Cross & Crown Lutheran Church. She now volunteers at the Rohnert Park Senior Center as founder and director of the 35-voice Vintage Choir of Rohnert Park, and additionally directs Sonoma Chanson, a 12 voice (mostly) a capella men's group, and the Wine Country Troubadours, a men's barbershop chorus. Additionally, Jan has sung in two professional choirs (The Byron McGilvray Chorale and The Consort Chorale under the direction of Allan Petker), played accordion at various local events, acted in musical theatre productions with Redwood Empire Lyric Theatre in Santa Rosa and the Pacific Alliance Stage Company at Spreckel's Performing Arts Center, and has been a vocal soloist for memorial services, weddings, anniversary celebrations, and more. | |
| "All the sounds of the earth are like music." - Oscar Hammerstein (Oklahoma, 1943) | | "My Aunt Marian was right...never fall in love with a musician." - Lucy (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 1965) | |
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