Playing the piano has always been a part of Janet Kaminsky’s life. Her mom was a musician, and she taught Janet to play at age 4. As a child she played for churches and performed, and eventually her love of music grew into a lifelong career.
The piano is also what led Janet and Bill to meet. In 1982 while Bill worked at Bell Laboratories, he decided to take piano lessons through the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Janet was the teacher. Janet remembers, “The student who was supposed to come after Bill didn’t show up one day. It was a hot night and Bill suggested we go out for ice cream.” Their first date followed shortly. “He was the only student I ever dated.” They went to Ravinia, a venue in Chicago, to hear Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto. Janet made fried chicken and Bill thought she must be a great cook, but Janet adds, “but I wasn’t. That was a once in a lifetime fried chicken!” They married anyway, two years later in Naperville, IL.
Both Midwesterners (Janet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Bill from Hammond, Indiana), it was Bill’s job with Air Touch that brought them to California in 1993. By this time, they had three children: Jonathan, Laura, and Dianne, who are all adults now and all play the piano as well. Jonathan lives in Davis, CA with his wife, Kelly. Jonathan is an Environmental Engineer, and Kelly is a veterinary pathologist. They have three fur babies. The Kaminsky’s middle child, Laura, is an elementary school teacher in the Chicago area; her husband, Tom, works in finance, and they have a cat Lulu.
Dianne is an Environmental and Ecological Engineer and also lives in the Chicago area. Her husband, Jonathan, works for the city of Carol Stream, Illinois, and, like her siblings, also has pets. Growing up in Northgate, the Kaminsky kids took advantage of youth sports and activities. Jonathan was involved in sports and scouts. Both girls danced at Contra Costa Ballet School and sang in the Contra Costa Children’s Choir. Dianne also coached soccer at Walnut Creek intermediate school and worked for the Walnut Creek Park District Youth Summer Program for three Summers.
Janet’s father, known as PopPop, moved from Illinois with the family and was like a 3rd parent to t he k ids. I n addition to h is b aby-sitting duties, he provided much enrichment to the lives the of children with his love and many stories of growing up in Wisconsin during the depression and others.
Janet is a performing pianist and a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance. She has taught many Northgate kids and adults over the past 30 years. They have converted their living room into a music studio. Janet says, “It’s such a privilege to see kids grow from age 4 to young adults. They become like an extended family.” She is proudest of the fact that many of her students take their love of music all the way through high school and beyond. “I just want them to love music,” she adds. “I don’t make them play only classical music whatever their interest is . . . Jazz, Disney tunes, popular music; it’s just about music becoming part of their lives.”
Janet is the pianist for the adult choir at Christ the King Church in Pleasant Hill. Bill sings in the choir and is retired now from his career as an engineering manager and security architect for the cellular telephone industry. He also served on the school board for Christ the King Church and is a Eucharistic Minister there. He is an avid golfer, woodworker and photographer. When the kids were young, he coached soccer and baseball and helped with Boy Scouts. Janet was also involved with scouts and coaching soccer. She hosts Zoom meetings for a music-oriented book club.
Bill adds, “During the pandemic when piano classed moved to Zoom, parents started to hear not just how well Janet teaches, but also how she becomes an advisor and mentor to them.” The pandemic also helped Janet realize she could teach via Zoom, and she now has students from all over the country.
Janet and Bill have traveled much overseas and domestically, but their favorite place to go is to their townhouse in Illinois that they bought to have a place close to family and friends. But, they add, “we can’t imagine living anywhere other than Northgate. Our neighbors are caring and helpful. We love the wide sidewalks and enjoy walking through the neighborhood and visiting with neighbors.”
A life filled with music has brought Janet and Bill together and bonded them to this community for 30 years, with many more to come.
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991
Photos By Cantrell Portrait Design and Michael Van Auken Photography
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at knavolio@bestversionmedia.com.