Kinetic

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 research trips studying traditional music in Ghana and Uganda; piano performances of jazz, world music, hip-hop, R&B, and pop; and university studies in classical composition.

Sheehan is the founder of Kinetic, a music collective whose performance efforts blend global folk traditions and contemporary jazz. The group has released two acclaimed recordings dedicated to folk songs from Ghana, one in collaboration with members of the Kassia Ensemble. Sheehan’s compositions and 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 has shared the stage with jazz masters, expert traditional musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, rappers, and classical ensembles.

Sheehan teaches Musicianship at Duquesne University, including classes on Songwriting, African Music, and Composition. He is also an artist faculty at the Clazz International Music Festival in Tuscany, Italy.