Janet Cramer Australian born, Mid-West raised…

Ms Cramer was born in Marybourough, Victoria, Australia to U.S. parents, Robert and Carol Cramer. After a year as an Aussie, Ms Cramer returned to the States with her parents and grew up in the small, mid-west town of Wellsville, Kansas. Less than an hour from Kansas City, KS, and the State capitol of Topeka, Wellsville sits conveniently along I-35 and has been immortalized by the punk band, The Embarrassment, with their song, “Wellsville”, and is also the hometown of Country Music Artist, Chely Wright, “Single White Female”. (Chely and Janet played softball, basketball, and music together!)

Janet began her drumming journey at age 13 when her parents bought her first drum set. Learning drum set basics by listening to and mimicking the drums from Culture Club records, Janet eventually began taking private lessons in high school, studyiing with Keith Larson (orchestral percussion) and drum set with John Cushon (Oleta Adams) in the Kansas City, KS area. Drums and percussion continued through Ms. Cramer’s university years at Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas. Two and a half hours southwest of Wellsville, along I-35, Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and provided a unique learning environment. Some of Janet’s contemporaries at Wichita State include Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls, David Byrne) and Phil Hawkins (Pete Escovedo, Roy Obiedo). Ms. Cramer received her Bachelors and Masters in Music Performance under the tutelage of Dr. J.C. Combs. She also began her lifelong study and love for Afro-Cuban music with the introduction of guest clinician, Latin Percussion Artist, author, producer, Michael Spiro. Ms Cramer subsequently traveled to Cuba and studied with the late Cuban drummer, Jesus Alphonso in Matanzas, Cuba in 1998.

After completing her Masters in 2000, Ms Cramer moved to Chicago and was determined to get her “street credentials”, so to speak. She immediately immersed herself in Chicago’s Rock/Indie and Blues scenes performing locally with 1/2 Mad Poet (all female power trio) and Linsey Alexander Blues Band (LABB). 1/2 Mad Poet performed numerous times at clubs such as the Lion’s Den, Horsehead Lounge, and Beat Kitchen and in 2001, released a CD entitled “Pictures”. With Linsey Alexander, she performed at Kingston Mines, Blues Chicago, Blues on Halsted, and the Chicago Blues Festival. Since then Ms Cramer has provided the grooves and beats for Blues artists such as the late Chico Banks, Liz Mandeville and the Blue Points, Rodney Brown and Hotrod, and Nigel Mack and the Blues Attack.

In Chicago’s Americana/Folk/Indie original music scene, Ms Cramer has recorded and performed with artists such as Jenny Dragon, Jodi Jean Band, and Congress of Starlings. Among the artists in the Chicago’s Latin Jazz and Neo-Soul genre, Ms Cramer performs with Sandra Antongiorgi, Grupo Cha Cha, and Neal y Janet de los EEUU. Ms Cramer has experience in the cover and tribute band genre as well having drummed for Girlband, and Rock-It Science; and percussion for the Roy Vombrack Orchestra. Currently, she provides percussion for The Lotus Kings- Tribute to the Music of Santana, drums for Close to You- Tribute to the Music of the Carpenters, and Every Shiny Thing- the Music of Joni Mitchell.

Ms Cramer has also contributed to groups as a songwriter. Below is her song featured on Grupo Cha Cha’s album, “This is the Life” (2012).

Ms Cramer is the drummer for Outskirts, an all-female big band and has experience in Music Theatre productions. She has been in the pit for Hell in a Handbag Productions, Chicago Contemporary Music Theatre, a production of “High Fidelity” at Northeastern Illinois University, and more recently the performance, filming, and studio recording of ALL WIGGED OUT, written and starring Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink.

Ms Cramer enjoys performing and recording but also sees the value as a teacher. She has been an Adjunct Music instructor for St. Xavier University, and Trinity Christian College. She as been a private drum instructor in her own studio as well as various music schools such as Senseney Music in Wichita, and currently is a drum instructor for Ensemble Schools in Schaumburg,IL. Since 2022, she has been the online drum instructor for Melissa T Music Lessons out of Baltimore, MD. Along with percussionists, Kalyan Patak, and Jean LeRoy, Ms Cramer is a member of RhythmUnity. This ensemble, as part of the non-profit, International Music Foundation, travels to various Chicago public schools and provides Lecture/demonstrations on various drums and percussion from around the world.

Janet Cramer continues her quest to being a versatile drummer and percussionist both as a performer and an instructor. She enjoys the interaction between band members and audience while performing and immensely enjoys sharing her drumming knowledge to students, young and old.

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