Janet Kinsey was introduced to Grace at the October 2021 Thanksgiving service. She then played for our Blue Christmas service in December and followed this as interim Music Director during January 2022. Janet became our official Music Director on February 1, 2022.
Prior to joining us at Grace, she was Music Director at Northwest Barrie United Church from December 1993 to June 2013, creating an active and dynamic music ministry, after which she retired to put more energies into her family and growing music teaching business, Janet Kinsey Music Studio. Painswick United Church approached her in December 2013 to fill in as Music Director for two weeks. Eight years later (!) Painswick United made the difficult decision to close its doors and Janet once more “retired” from being a church musician. For one month.
Janet completed her musical studies with the Royal Conservatory of Music and has many years of experience singing in, leading and accompanying a variety of adult, youth and children’s choirs. She opened up her private music studio in 2000 and continues to energetically teach piano and private and group vocal lessons to students of all ages and abilities.
Janet graduated in 1984 from Trent University with an Honours History degree and completed a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto in 1986. She was an elementary classroom teacher until 2002, working with students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 as a regular classroom and music teacher, when her studio took on a life of its own. Janet has been thoroughly enjoying self-employment ever since. She is passionate about all things musical, has spent many years teaching and advocating for young people with anxiety issues and ASD, and believes wholeheartedly that if it’s not bringing joy to the participants then there is something wrong. Janet has been happily married to Wyn since 1986 and they are the proud parents of three adult children.