Janet started piano lessons at the age of 5. Her first public performance was on stage at the Maplewood Women's Club. 

After studying with local teachers, she auditioned for Seymour Bernstein and became one of his students until graduating from Millburn High School. In 2015, Seymour Bernstein was the subject of an award winning film made by Ethan Hawke. 

Here is a picture of Janet with Seymour taken at the film forum in New York. Seymour has praised Janet for “her great talent and exuberant spirit.”

Upon graduating Millburn High School, Janet attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Her teacher there was Joseph Schwartz, a Naumburg Prize winner and teacher of Jeremy Denk. One of the chamber music recordings made at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1972, can be heard here. 

After two years at Oberlin, Janet transferred to Barnard College in New York City where she graduated cum laude and with honors in English. She was selected to study and perform chamber music with the Columbia/Barnard Music Performance Program. Playing in a trio with a flautist and cellist, her group gave two recitals at the end of each semester in her senior year. 

After Barnard, Janet earned a law degree at The George Washington University Law School. One of Janet's law school classmates recently contacted Janet on the occasion of a class reunion. Since Janet had continued to study and perform music during law school, this friend's first question after an absence of many years was: "Do you have a piano in your law office like you said you would? I will never forget how good you were."

As a practicing attorney in New York, music continued to be a big part of Janet's life. And then, as a young stay at home mom in New Jersey Janet played the piano parts in Shostakovich and Prokofiev symphonies performed with a community orchestra led by professional conductors. 

After a hiatus from serious piano practice and performance, Janet resumed lessons with Karina Bruk and has given five annual concerts to raise money for Hadassah. Now, Janet is poised to expand her music performances to include additional venues and audiences.