Joseph Sheehan is a composer, pianist, and educator immersed in three music traditions: jazz, classical, and sub-Saharan African music. Sheehan’s music and performances embrace a diversity of music traditions and perspectives, woven together to express ideas of tolerance, unity, and wisdom. His work is informed by ten years of university studies in classical composition, culminating in a doctoral degree; four in-depth research trips to Ghana and Uganda to study music and dance; and hundreds of performances on piano playing jazz, world music, hip-hop, R&B, and pop.

​

Sheehan is the founder of Kinetic, a music collective whose performance efforts blend global folk traditions and contemporary jazz. Hear Kinetic's music. Read Kinetic's bio.

 

Sheehan’s compositions and piano performances have been heard at music festivals & conferences, concert halls, jazz venues, universities, museums, and theaters throughout the United States, Canada, Uganda, Italy and Ghana. He performs regularly with jazz masters, folk musicians from throughout the world (including China, Cuba, Uganda, and Ghana) , classical ensembles, rappers, and pop musicians. On numerous occasions, he has produced or collaborated on interdisciplinary, genre-defying concerts that thoughtfully blend world music, hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and classical music with dance, poetry, and visual art. 

 

Dr. Sheehan is an Associate Professor of Musicianship at Duquesne University, and an artist faculty at the Clazz International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Italy. At Duquesne, he teaches classes on Musicianship, Songwriting, African Music, and Composition.