Janey Ryan was born in Uvalde, Texas. She was immediately adopted by unsuspecting parents, James & Sybil Nance.
Growing up in Texas, Janey was a tomboy who derived great satisfaction in riding go-karts, skateboards (when a skateboard consisted of a piece of 2×6 and an old skate nailed to the bottom by Daddy), baseball with the neighborhood kids and climbing the mulberry tree in the front yard.
She loved talking ~ much to the dismay of that same Daddy, whose favorite word to her was “Shhhh!!!” ~ and elementary teachers were quick to write “Talks Too Much!!!” on her report cards….in INK! A legacy was born!
She grew up in the church of Christ and it is there where she grew to love singing. She gained early notoriety in the earth-shattering duet with Ruby Bertram, “Soup Without Onions”….perhaps you’ve heard tell….
Fast forward, after getting a degree in Music Education, Janey taught for almost 30 years in the field of ~ you guessed it ~ music education. Choral music was her specialty & her super~power (one of them) was teaching middle school-aged kids. (A moment of silence please.)
While she taught, she sang and acted professionally on the side . She experienced the stages of Granbury Opera House, Deep Elum Opera, Abilene Opera Association, Dallas Opera, Dallas Lyric Opera and Houston Grand Opera. It was during her 2 years as a chorister that Janey was fortunate enough to work with Bernstein and Sondheim. (Name-dropping is another superpower of Janeys’, btw.)
In 2012, Janey founded and was the Artistic Director for SoCo Women’s Chorus in Austin, Texas. She directed them until she retired in 2020.
In 2018, Janey began her new passion, watercolor. Her paintings are whimsical and silly. (If you want to check out her art, she’s on FaceBook: DivaLicious Arts)
Upon retirement, Janey moved back to Dallas, but the heat (& the heat of the political climate) caused her to seek cooler shelter.
BOOM! She found her haven on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of WNC in the fall of 2023!
Recently, a neighbor was, herself, looking for a part-time job and found the UUFH listing for a choir director. She sent it to Janey, who was not looking for a job, but it just sounded too perfect for her.
She applied and the rest is history. She’s here!
Contact Janey at music@uufhnc.org.
