Janette K. Hanson is a member of the Theatre and Music Theatre faculty at Viterbo University, where she serves as collaborative accompanist, vocal coach, music director, pit musician, and rehearsal pianist. She previously served on the faculty at UW-LaCrosse and Sparta High School.

Janette has performed in clinics and concerts with vocal jazz educators Phil Mattson, Steve Zegree, Darmon Meader,  Greg Jasperse, and others.  Her vocal jazz ensembles participated 6 times in the NYC Vocal Jazz Festival.  In January 2020, she was selected to conduct the WI All-State Vocal Jazz ensemble.  Her solo singers have participated in honor choirs and ensembles such as WMEA; ACDA state, regional, and national choirs; Kids from Wisconsin; Dorian; and Singing in Wisconsin.  Soloists have earned honors at NATS, Classical Singer Competition, Dorian, WMTA, jazz festivals, and summer camps.  She has judged show choir solo competitions at Viterbo University, Onalaska WI, Holmen WI, and LaCrosse WI.  She was the 2016 clinician for the Jazz on the Rock vocal jazz festival in Wisconsin, and the 2017 & 2019 Iowa High School Music Association vocal jazz festival judge.  She served as staff accompanist for the National NATS competition in 2019.  She serves as a solo/ensemble and large group judge for Wisconsin School Music Association. 

Janette taught vocal jazz camps with UW-LaCrosse, UW-Whitewater, and Wisconsin School Music Association.  She served for several years as the WCDA Vocal Jazz Repertoire and Standards chair and All-State Vocal Jazz coordinator, and organized the NC-ACDA Vocal Jazz regional honor choir in 2010.  She was awarded a Kohl’s Teacher Fellowship Award in 2009.  She is a member of the VoiceCare Network, American Choral Directors Association, and Music Teachers National Association.

She received her Bachelor of Music Education from Central Missouri State University, and her Masters degree in Education from UW-LaCrosse.  She maintains a private studio where she gives instruction in a variety of voice and piano styles including classical, theatre, accompanying, and jazz improvisation.  She and her husband have four children and four grandchildren.  She is an active accompanist, soloist, clinician, and church musician, and gigs with local jazz bands and her guitar-playing husband.