Harper College

Janet Cramer

Janet Cramer Born in Australia to U.S. parents, Janet Cramer has been a professional drummer
and percussionist well versed in a variety of music genres and scenes for almost thirty years. Ms Cramer received her Masters in Music (Percussion Performance) at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.

Upon graduating from Wichita State, Ms. Cramer moved to Chicago and became
a drummer for various Blues artists performing in some of the city’s famous Blues clubs - Kingston Mines, Checkerboard Lounge, and Buddy Guy’s as well as the Chicago Blues Festival. 

Ms. Cramer has also performed and recorded with various Rock, Americana,
Jazz, and Latin Jazz artists in Chicago such as 1/2 Mad Poet, Jenny Dragon, Congress of Starlings, Grupo Cha Cha, and singer songwriter, Sandra Antongiorgi. 

Music Theatre productions include working with companies such as Hell in a
Handbag and Kokandy Productions and university productions at Northeastern Illinois
University and Columbia College. Ms Cramer also performed drums for the filmed
production of “All Wigged Out” by the Grammy winning Bluegrass duo, Marcy Marxer
and Cathy Fink. 

Chicagoland tribute bands Ms Cramer performs with include Supernatural (Music
of Santana; Close to You (Music of the Carpenters); Tapestry (Music of Carole King) and One Voice (Music of Barry Manilow).

Along with her busy performance schedule, Ms Cramer teaches private drum and piano lessons for Ensemble Schools; is a member of the percussion trio, Rhythm Unity, providing lecture/demonstrations on rhythms and drums from around the world to public school students, and facilitates a monthly Women’s Drum Social in Chicago.

Last Updated: 1/17/25