Janet MacRae
Trumpet & Flugel

From a very early age Janet’s life has been filled with music. She began piano lessons at the age of nine and took up the trumpet while in elementary school, Grade 8.

Throughout High School Janet continued her piano studies and received her Grade 8 from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She also played trumpet in the Concert Band, Jazz Band and the Wind Ensemble.

Someone noticed that Janet had an abundance of musical talent and at the tender age of 15 this girl from Centreville began private study under Bob Oades in Ottawa, the Principal trumpet player of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. This began a yearslong relationship under his mentorship. She continued her studies under Mr. Oades until she graduated from high school and entered Queens University to study music.

At Queens Bob Oades was the trumpet instructor and she studied with him for another 3 years. During her time at Queens Janet began playing occasionally with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, Greg Runions, a well know jazz musician and instructor at Queens, and performing in musical theater.

After 3 years at Queens Janet decided to study Philosophy at Western University for 3 years, a period during which she didn’t play.

In 1994 Janet returned to Kingston and once again began to study with her long time mentor and teacher, Bob Oades for another 2 years.

Janet resumed playing on an occasional basis the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, The Don McCallum Swing Band and various groups. 

In 1997 Janet crossed over from mostly classical and jazz into Pop music, and went on to play in R’n’B bands, Funk bands and Pop bands.

Some of the bands she has performed in are Soul Survivors, The Swing Cats, Funkelstiltskin, Filet of Soul, and The Big Phat Horn Band; all as an original founding member.

From 2008 until 2020 Janet played in Brasswerks, an 18 piece brass ensemble, performing dozens of concerts.

Given her abundance of talent it’s not hard to see why Janet has been called to be in so many different bands. Her depth of training under Bob Oades and deep understanding of music has made her an invaluable member to so many different horn bands.