10/19/2026
Happy ! Meet Jancie Wieting ⬇️
This week, we’re getting to know Jancie Wieting, originally from Chattanooga, TN, who plays flute and piccolo with the Sounds of Sawnee.
Jancie’s musical journey began early. She started piano lessons at age 7, inspired in part by her father’s family, who were very musical and encouraged their children to play. In elementary school, she also had wonderful music teachers who introduced their students to everything from classical and patriotic music to Broadway, Disney, and even took Jancie to the opera in Chattanooga. She says she was lucky to have such fantastic music education experiences early on.
At 13, Jancie picked up the flute and quickly found her instrument. She went on to play in Clemson University’s Tiger Band, Concert Band, and basketball pep band, followed by several years of playing in ensembles, churches, and other musical settings.
Life eventually took her in other directions. After moving around Georgia, returning to school to become a pharmacist, and raising her children, her opportunities to play regularly became more limited. But she always knew she wanted to return to a band.
That opportunity came in 2022 when she met fellow Northside Forsyth employee and Sounds of Sawnee horn player Alisa Toy at work. Alisa recruited her to join the band, and Jancie says it felt like it was meant to be. She played her first Sounds of Sawnee concert at our Christmas concert that year.
After such a long break from playing in a regular band, Jancie says she loves being back in a group with challenging music and a regular rehearsal schedule. It has encouraged her to practice in a way she hadn’t in years. She also plays with the instrumental ensemble at Christ the King Lutheran Church, where she is the only flute player playing her part (for non-musicians, each instrument often has multiple parts that are covered in a piece of music. For example, there are usually at least two flute parts), which she says has helped push her outside of her comfort zone.
Jancie especially values Sounds of Sawnee’s welcoming atmosphere and our willingness to bring together musicians with a wide range of abilities. She believes mentoring students is important, both in music and professionally: “You owe it to the next generation to do the same thing.”
That spirit of staying open to new opportunities is something Jancie practices herself. She recently returned to playing handbells, something she first tried back in the 1990s, and has been part of her church’s handbell choir for the past few months. She says it was challenging to pick it back up, but the skills eventually came back to her.
And when she’s not making music, Jancie enjoys traveling, reading, watching sports, and walking her dog. She’s also brushing up on her German using Duolingo in preparation for a trip to Switzerland this December!
When asked if there has been a particular moment when she thought, “I’m really glad I joined this band,” her answer was simple: she feels that way at every rehearsal. She feels lucky to have an opportunity like Sounds of Sawnee available to her.
We’re lucky to have you too, Jancie!
