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Updated 11/2/2023

John McDonnell Tierney

  • M

    MA

Institution/Business Type: Artist / Creative (Individual)

JOHN McDONNELL TIERNEY, PhD

COMPOSER/PLAYWRIGHT/PEACE & SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST

  Director, The Peaceful Educator Foundation (a 501c3 Cultural Non-Profit)

“My idea is simple:  In this time of national dissonance and global crises that we artists focus our work on healing a shattered world, and that we use our art to touch the emotions that motivate people to act with kindness, compassion, and tolerance.”

Description of Work and Background

MY WORK, as Founder and Director of The Peaceful Educator Foundation, simply put, is to advance the mission of the Foundation every day. That mission, clearly stated in all we do, is “To nurture, through the theater arts, a peaceful, just, sustainable future for all humanity’s children.”

John holds a Master of Music Degree (UMASS, 1969) in performance (Trombone) and carried on a full career as a professional thru 2012 with symphony, studio, and swing credentials. Jack studied composition with Philip Bezanson, Orchestration with Joseph Contino, and Harmony with Robert Steele.  More recently (2016-2022) John has writen music, lyrics and books for four full-length musicals known as The Humanity’s Child Musicals:  “Humanity’s Child: The Dream,” Hartford, CT 2016; “Humanity’s Child: A Musical for Today,”  2019 ran for four weeks at the Players Theater Off-Broadway(2109);  “Humanity’s Child: More Than a Musical,” played as an “Audio-Musical” on the Atlanta Audio Fringe Festival, May 2020 through May 2021; and the fourth musical in the series, titled; “Extraordinary Hero,” premiered February 2022 as a "Virtual Theater" (0nlline) is currently available for live productions.

 

 

Find Me

John Tierney (He/Him/His)
Job Title: Composer/Producing Playwright
Phone: 14133374338
Address:
64 Brunelle Road
Heath, MA 01346

Social Media:

Additional Content:

About

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

2012

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

2012

Disciplines

Primary Discipline:

Theater - Musical

Additional Disciplines:

  • Multi-Disciplinary

Activities and Services

Activities and Services:

  • Arts for Social Change / Creative Activism
  • Creation of a Work of Art (Including Commissions)
  • Writing Services
  • Arts Instruction / Lessons
  • Curriculum Development
  • Residency - In School
  • Workshops / Demonstrations / Master Class
  • Audio or Video Recording
  • Residency - Production / Development
  • Professional Development / Training
  • Performance / Concert / Reading
  • Professional Network Gatherings / Events
  • Residency - Community
Seasons Active: spring, summer, fall, winter
Events Per Year: 4

Communities

Populations Engaged:

  • Adults
  • Elders
  • Families
  • General Public
  • LGBTQ Populations
  • Nonprofits

Geographic Reach:

  • Multi-State Region
  • National
  • International

Accessibility of Services

Accessibility of Services:

  • Access accommodations for people who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing

Regarding “Accessibility of Services,” the “services” we provide are original works for musical theater to other producers and companies. Therefore we rely on those who produce our work to provide appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities. As a matter of policy, we do not engage with venues that do not do so.

Media Gallery

I Have Worked With

Affiliations and Accomplishments

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • New England Foundation for the Arts
  • New England Presenters

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • New England Foundation for the Arts
  • New England Presenters

Awards

Awards:

  • Best Musical Nominee; NY Theater Fest. 2019
  • Best Direction Winner; NY Theater Fest. 2019
  • Best Choreography Winner; NY Theater Fest. 2019
  • Production in Residence Grant Winner- Players Theatre - 2019

Education

Education:

  • B.A. in Music Ed., 1967
  • Masters in Music Performance, UMASS, 1969
  • Teaching Fellow in Educational Psychology, UCONN, 1996
  • PhD in Educational Psychology, UCONN, 1997

Artist Info

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue

Ages Served:

  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - Communications
  • Music
  • Theater

Certifications and Training:

  • B.A. in Music ED. UMass,1967
  • M.Mus in Performance, UMass, 1967
  • PhD in Ed. Psych, UConn, 1997

Fee range:

Negotiable.

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue

Ages Served:

  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - Communications
  • Music
  • Theater

Certifications and Training:

  • B.A. in Music ED. UMass,1967
  • M.Mus in Performance, UMass, 1967
  • PhD in Ed. Psych, UConn, 1997

Fee range:

Negotiable.

Touring Artist

NEST Eligible Artist

Technical Requirements:

  • Sound System with 10 Wireless mics. (Headset preferred)
  • Digital Playback System
  • In-house Lighting

Fee Range:

Negotiable.

State of Residence:

Massachusetts

Minimum Number of Performers:

3

Maximum Number of Performers:

7