Janelle Decker
Assistant Director, Percussion Co-ordinator
Janelle Decker joined the Performance Music staff as Assistant and Percussion Coordinator in the fall of 2020. Starting a new position in the middle of the pandemic certainly had its own unique challenges, but Performance Music at Scranton stood out as one of the few music organizations in the state to continue to offer extensive in-person music-making experiences for students. During that year, Janelle directed the steel pan ensemble, percussion ensembles, bucket drumming classes, and a string octet. Currently, she directs several steel pan groups and a percussion ensemble and assists with concert band and choir rehearsals throughout the year.
From 2014 - 2018 Decker held a percussion chair in the Reading Pops Orchestra, performing alongside many notable artists, including David Benoit, Boston Brass, Brian Bromberg, Brubeck Brothers, Cathy Chemi, Chuck Loeb, Eric Marienthal, Keiko Matsui, Minas Sextet, New York Voices, and Andrew Neu. She currently serves as the principal percussionist of the Scranton Brass Orchestra under the direction of Cheryl Boga and as the principal timpanist of Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Rick Hoffenberg. She also frequently performs with the Electric City Steel Drum Project playing steel pans and Latin percussion under the direction of her former band director and mentor, Frank Torquato.
In the fall of 2016, Janelle began teaching at her alma mater North Pocono High School. She served as the high school orchestra director and assistant band director for one year before she accepted the position as band director at North Pocono in 2017. At North Pocono, Janelle directs the concert band, jazz band, marching band, and steel drum band throughout the school year and has hosted band and orchestra festivals from the district to the state level. In February of 2020, Janelle was named “Northeast Woman” by the Scranton Times.
Janelle graduated from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2019 with a M.A. in Music Education and the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2015 with a B.S. in Music Education and concentration in percussion.