Episode #17 - Jan Dixon; cellist & music educator

“I need to create an audience for classical music.”

 

Cellist Jan Dixon has carved an incredible career out for herself as not only a member of the Reading Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Reading Youth Symphony Orchestra and director of the Orchestra Zone program but also as an inspirational music educator in the Berks County area.

 

Luckily for the musical youth of Berks County, Jan was able to overcome an ill-fated encounter with a soda a bottle she was made to play in her elementary general music class which eventually steered her away from wind instruments and led her to the cello.

 

Jan relays stories of Louis Vyner, Wes Fisher “the musical father of all of us in Berks County” as well as her inspirational co-workers at Governor Mifflin like Skip Norcott, Paul Cusano, Bob Cooper and Kathryn Fellman. Jan also credits Paul’s wife, Ann Cusano with helping her find her first teaching job in Norristown.

 

This episode is chock full of other great stories harkening back to days of live music her grandfather played for silent movies, smoke-filled audition rooms and secrets revealed as to how her parents finally got her to practice. 😮 We hope you love this enjoyable conversation as much as we did!

 

Here is Jan’s life…between the notes…