Finding Aid for Thomas Tierney Music and Papers, 1971-2001 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Service Location	Boxes
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 13-18
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 1-6
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 19-24
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 25-30
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 31-33
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Boxes 7-12
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Poster and Box 34

Email us about these papers | printer

Print this information

Collection Overview

Title: Thomas Tierney Music and Papers, 1971-2001

ID: 26/20/268

Primary Creator: Thomas Tierney (1952-)

Extent: 33.0 cubic feet

Date Acquired: 08/19/2024

Subjects: Alumni, Music Composition, Music theater, New York City, Theater orchestra music

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of commercial musical theater production records, audio recordings, scripts, scores, correspondence, and scrapbooks, highlighting Tierney's career as a Broadway composer. Of note are the production records for The Dream Team, Eleanor, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and Stars and Stripes among many others.

Biographical Note

Thomas Tierney was born in Columbia, Missouri and raised in Murphysboro, Illinois by his mother, Jane Rollo Tierney; Father, Jack Tierney; and step mother Mary Tierney. Facscinated with film and television soundtracks, he began composing in the 5th grade and in the 7th grade he began studying composition with his middle school teacher. In 1965 he received a bachelor's degree in advertising from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, taking piano lessons in the School of Music. Largely self-taught as a composer, he began composing his first student musicals and wrote his first musical review while he was an undergraduate. He would earn a Masters in Radio Television advertising from the University of Illinois in 1968. Following this, he began work on a PhD in communications, but abandoned the degree to pursue a career as a broadway composer in New York city. While in New York, Tierney met his future wife, Maureen.

Between 1977 and 2000, Tierney composed several hit musicals that were performed on Broadway and in local theaters across the United States including Eleanor - An American Love Story, Narnia, Pets!, Ichabod, and The Dream Team. A composer and lyricist for commercial companies, Tierney's work can be heard in commercials for Coca-Cola, Astra USA, Oral-B, IBM, and State Farm Insurance. His song "Bringing the World Closer To You!" served as the theme song and background music for AT&T's pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center. Tierney has performed his own music at Lincoln Center and at the White House. He has won numerous ASCAP awards and served on the Board of Governors at the New York Television Academy.

In 2021, Tierney wrote Five Guys in a Beetle, The Grandest Grand Tour: Europe, 1963, which was published by Sunstone Press and documented his college roadtrip to Europe in 1963.

Subject/Index Terms

Alumni
Music Composition
Music theater
New York City
Theater orchestra music

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: Thomas Tierney

Acquisition Method: Gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Commercial Music],
[Series 2: Musical Theater],
[Series 3: Audio Recordings],
[Series 4: Personal Papers],
[All]

Series 1: Commercial Music

Box 1

Folder 1: ABC Singalong, 1/1982: Music and lyrics. Also: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," music and lyrics, 1979; "It's Plain as A,B,C," music and lyrics; "18 to 49," music and Llrics;
Folder 2: American Historical Truck Museum, 1976: Music, Thomas Tierney
Folder 3: ASTRA Score, 1992: Music and lyrics.
Folder 4: ASTRA Music - Showfiles, Thomas Tierney, 1992-1999: Drafts of music and lyrics.
Folder 5: ASTRA - Jack Morton Productions, 1994
Folder 6: ASTRA - J. Morton Productions, Boston, 1994: Drafts of music and lyrics.
Folder 7: ASTRA '95 - Jack Morton Productions, Boston, 1995: Music and lyrics.
Folder 8: ASTRA '96 - Jack Morton Productions, 1996: Drafts of music and lyrics. Correspondence.
Folder 9: ASTRA Business Show, 1997: Drafts of music and lyrics and business show narrative.
Folder 10: ASTRA '97 - Hollywood, Business Meeting, 1997: Music and lyrics from popular songs by varioius composers.
Folder 11: AT&T- "When the Best Get Better," Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 5/8/1997
Folder 12: AT&T - Epcot, 12/1981: Publicity, correspondence, notes, business calculations, drafts of music, recordings of "Closer to You." (.33 1/3 rpm).
Folder 13: AVON - Producer's Row, 1971-1972: Drafts of lyrics.
Folder 14: AVON - Music and Lyrics Drafts, 1982: "You Make the Difference" drafts.
Folder 15: AT&T - Epcot, 1982: Drafts of music and lyrics for "Closer to You."
Folder 16: AVON - Music and Lyrics Drafts, undated: "You Make the Difference"
Folder 17: Beef Industry Council Commercials, Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 1969
Folder 18: B.F. Goodrich/Caribiner, Commercials, Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 6/1967: Drafts for various commercials
Folder 19: BMW, Jack Morton Productions, 1992: Drafts of presentation for BMW 1992 National Sales Meeting.
Folder 20: Boy Scouts of America, 1972-1973: 1973 National Scout Jamboree invitation; 33 1/3 rpm viinyl disc, news article; music and lyrics of "Growing Together," Thomas Tierney; correspondence.
Folder 21: Cadillac - M. Murphy Productions, 1980: Drafts of commercials: Music, Thomas Tierney; Lyrics, John Foster.
Folder 22: Cadillac - M. Murphy Productions, 1980: Drafts of commercials: Music, Thomas Tierney; Lyrics, John Foster.
Folder 23: Cadillac - Caribiner Proposal, 3/1987: Drafts of music and lyrics of various commercials, Thomas Tierney.
Folder 24: Campbell Soup, 1/1984: drafts for commercials: Music, Thomas Tierney; Lyrics, Lebrowsky
Folder 25: Campbell's Commercial, Campus Productions, 4/1993: Music and lyrics.
Folder 26: Canada Dry - Bicentennial Tribute, 9/1975: Musical tribute in song: Various songs; music by Thomas Tierney; Lyrics by Gordon Auchincloss and Anne Davis.
Folder 27: Caribiner, 1976-1985: Music and lyrics, Thomas Tierney
Folder 28: Caribiner Catalog, 1989
Folder 29: Coca-Cola Commercials, 1977: Music and words for commercials.
Folder 30: Coca-Cola Commercials - Drafts of Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 8/1977
Folder 31: Coca-Cola, John Ogden Retirement, 1979
Folder 32: Caribiner Meeting, 12/1981: "Extraordinary Style," Music and lyrics drafts by Thomas Tierney.
Folder 33: Carriage Lane Commercial, 1965: Drafts, photos, correspondence
Folder 34: Chubb Insurance Commercial, 3/1995: Music and lyrics, Thomas Tierney
Folder 35: Coca-Cola, Jack Morton, 1997: Drafts for commercials; correspondence.
Folder 36: Clairol Commercial, Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 1979
Folder 37: Comart Aniforms Commercial, Music and Lyrics, Thomas Tierney, 1978

Box 4

Folder 1: Renault, 1972: "Get Ready for Renault" music and lyrics.
Folder 2: Sandoz-Caribiner Feb 89, 1988-1989: Contains "Doing It All Together" script, lyrics and music, "The Spirit of Old Can-Do" lyrics and music, "My Systolic Girl" lyrics and music, "Getting It" Coffee Intro lyrics and music, and "The Beta Blocker Blues" lyrics.
Folder 3: Seaman's ITE - Demo, Caribiner 86, 1986: "Getting It All Together" lyrics.
Folder 4: Sextant (Ed Chapman) 3-90, 1990: Correspondence and music and lyrics for "The Endless Horizon."
Folder 5: Siemans Breakaway (Also Signature) 11-03, 2003: Music and lyrics for "A Whole New Way (To Stay in Touch)"
Folder 6: Singer - Anifroms June 1977, 1977-1988: "Great Performers" music and lyrics.
Folder 7: The Skerrett Group - Theater of the Mind - Band Parts and Copies of Original Score, 1979
Folder 8: The Skerrett Group - Theater of the Mind, 1979: Music, lyrics, and storyboard.
Folder 9: Smithkline-Caribiner, 1987: "Look to the Sky" and "Turn it On" music and lyrics.
Folder 10: Sperry Rand (Also Service Bureau Corp) - Mar. Apr. 80 (Caribiner) Ian Ross, Amy Brownstein, Howard Larson, 1980: "When the Best Get Better" music and lyrics.
Folder 11: State Farm-Caribiner Sept 1981, 1981: "Good Neighbors," "The Great State Farm Insurance Rodeo and Round-Up," "One on One," "Phantom Car," "Intro Marston" (After "All Together Now"), "All Together Now," "Hold Your Horses," "Change," and "Things That Last" music and lyrics.
Folder 12: State Farm-Caribiner Sept Oct 1983, 1983: "Good Friends, Good Neighbors," "Good Time Town," "New Neighbors," "The State Farm Tap," "That Winning Feeling," Playoff: "Turning the World Around," "Oh, Bloomington," "The Tap Room Tap," "Family," and "Finale" music and lyrics, as well as the script for State Farm Dimensions '83.
Folder 13: State Farm-Caribiner Oct 83, 1983: Contains State Farm Dimensions '83 programs and newsletters, as well as the music and lyrics for "Getting Together, Staying Together," "Turning the World Around," "The State Farm Tap," "That Winning Feeling," "Good Time Town," "Good Friends, Good Neighbors," "Oh, Bloomington," "Family," and "Person-to-Person Song."
Folder 14: State Farm-Caribiner (1 of 2), 1985-1986: "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor," "Getting It All Together," "The State Farm Way," "The Spirit of Old Can-Do," "Two Bright Ideas," "As American As," "Believe the Dream," "Together" Reprise, "The Pre-Game Parade," "The Big Game," and "The Home Run" music and lyrics, as well as the script for The Big Game from the State Farm 1986 convention.
Folder 15: State Farm-Caribiner (2 of 2), 1985-1986: Contains individual scripts as well as the music and lyrics for "The State Farm Way," "The Personal Touch," "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor," "The Spirit of Old Can-Do," "Believe the Dream," "Together" Reprise, "The Things That Last," and "As American As." Also contains official guides for the State Farm Training Camp Program "Getting It All Together!"
Folder 16: State Farm, 1993: Contains a contact list, a program for "At the Center of it All," the 1993 State Farm Convention, and individual scripts.
Folder 17: State Farm - Bigelow Green-Caribiner, 1996: "Taking Charge!," "We'll Be There," and "Better Neighbors Than Ever" music, lyrics, and script.
Folder 18: Sun Oil Co. (Demo) - Comart-Aniforms, 1981: "Sun in America" music and lyrics.
Folder 19: Sylvania (Bill Levine), 1972-1973: "Movin' Out" and "Goin' All the Way" music and lyrics, as well as the script for "Convention Song - Jerry Simmons & Betty Seay."
Folder 20: Telephone Pioneers- Comart Anifroms Sept 87, 1987: "Believe the Dream," "Alive with American Spirit," and "Pioneer Spirit" music and lyrics.
Folder 21: Union Carbide, 1976-1977: Correspondence.
Folder 22: Union Carbide - Direction 76 Scripts and Lead Sheets (Originals), 1976: "America, Hello," "You've Got a Good Land," and "New Directions" music and lyrics, as well as individual scripts.
Folder 23: Union Carbide Program, ca. 1976
Folder 24: Union Carbide - Miami, FL Apr 76, 1976: "The Spirit is the Same," "Money in the Bank," "Two Hundred Years Ago," "America, Hello," "Hail to Thee, Poor Richard!," "The Proper Mix," "The Customer is Always Right!," "Poor Richard's Almanac," "You've Got a Good Land," and "New Directions" music and lyrics. Also contains a photo album program for the 1976 Chemicals and Plastics National Sales Meeting.
Folder 25: Uni-Royal (Words that End in Action) - Comart-Aniforms Jan 78, 1978: "Words that End in Action" music and lyrics.
Folder 26: Unisys Show (Preston), 1998-1999: "Reach for the Star" music and lyrics.
Folder 27: United Van Lines, 1986: "Company of Partners" music and lyrics.
Folder 28: U.S. Tobacco (Bell & Partners) Apr, 1986: "At the Heart of America," later "Sun in America," music and lyrics.
Folder 29: Washington's Headquarters (N.Y. State) Kissiloff, 1976: Contains brochures for Washinton's Headquarters-Hasbrouck House and Autumns of Iron 2nd draft script.
Folder 30: Western Electric, 1975: Correspondence and a script for Pioneering with Exploring with notes.
Folder 31: Wyeth Ayerst - Proposal - Caribiner Oct 90, 1990: "Going for it All," "A World of Difference," and "Taking it to the Streets" music, lyrics, and scripts.
Folder 32: What's Right About U.S.?, 1975: Script and budget.
Folder 33: World of Westchester (Jack Morton Prod.), 1974-1975: Script.
Folder 34: Broadway Revue Charts/Music, 1997: Contains sheet music from musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Chicago, Miss Saigon, Rent, The Lion King, Sunset Boulevard, Chess and Beauty and the Beast.
Folder 35: Proposals, ca. 1982: "Catch the Feeling," "Great Performers," Reprise: "You Make the Difference," "The Revlon One," and "One" music and lyrics.

Box 5

Folder 1: STA Orchestra Parts Master - #1, Undated

Series 2: Musical Theater

Sub-Series 1: The Dream Team

Consists of materials related to the Dream Team. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Box 5

Folder 2: Satchel - Correspondence with Satchel Page, 1973-1974
Folder 3: Mr. Tambo and Brother Bones - Plot Synopsis and Manuscript Sketches, 1975-1978
Folder 4: Baseball Show - Solly's Sensational Six Plot & Music, ca. 1976
Folder 5: A Whole New Ballgame - Correspondence, 1976-1974
Folder 6: Baseball Show Song Outtakes, 1977-1979: Contains sheet music for "Home Free," lyrics by John Forster and music by Thomas Tierney, "Baloney," lyrics by John Forster and music by Thomas Tierney, "(Kings of) Mexico," "Double or Nothin' Deal," lyrics by John Forster and music by Thomas Tierney, "Thank You Voice," lyrics by John Forster and music by Thomas Tierney. "Too Close to See," lyrics by Joseph Robinette and Thomas Tierney and music by Thomas Tierney, "The Catbird Seat," "High on Hats," lyrics by Joseph Robinette and Thomas Tierney and music by Thomas Tierney, "You've Got to Let Him Go," "I'm Gon' Be in Love This Summer," "I'll Survive," "Someday," "The Hurry-Up Blues," lyrics by John Forster and music by Thomas Tierney, "Baseball" opening song, and "Beisbol South of De Border," lyrics by John Forester and music by Thomas Tierney.
Folder 7: Baseball Show Sketches, 1978-1981
Folder 8: A Whole New Ballgame - Script, 1979
Folder 9: A Whole New Ballgame - Score, 1979
Folder 10: "Dream Team" - Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1979
Folder 11: "Hey Star" - Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1979
Folder 12: "I Want You To Be My Man" - Ruth's Song, Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1979
Folder 13: "My Brother's There" - Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1979
Folder 14: "Sorry for Myself" - Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1979
Folder 15: "A Whole New Ballgame" - Manuscript Lead Sheet, 1979
Folder 16: "You're My Family Now" - Manuscript Piano/Vocal Scores, 1979
Folder 17: The Dream Team - Song Lyrics, Script Cuts, and Manuscript Scores, 1979-1981
Folder 18: "Seems Like a Good Idea" - Manuscript Lead Sheets and Notes, 1979-1985
Folder 19: "You Ain't Seen Ball" - Manuscript Lead Sheets and Notes, 1979-1985
Folder 20: A Whole New Ballgame - Script, June 1981
Folder 21: "Dancing On and On" - Manuscript Lead Sheets, 1981
Folder 22: A Whole New Ballgame - Clippings and Correspondence, 1981-1984
Folder 23: A Whole New Ballgame - Script Draft, June 1982
Folder 24: A Whole New Ballgame - Script, 1982
Folder 25: "Knock One Brick Out of That Wall" - Manuscript Lead Sheet, 1983
Folder 26: A Whole New Ballgame - Final Script, Summer Workshop, 1983
Folder 27: "You Got Me" - Manuscript Lead Sheet, 1983
Folder 28: A Whole New Ballgame - Script, October 1983
Folder 29: A Whole New Ballgame - Notes and Plot Synopsis, ca. 1983
Folder 30: Goodspeed Theater Research, ca. 1983
Folder 31: The Dream Team - Casting, ca. 1983
Folder 32: The Dream Team - Casting and Callbacks for Godspeed Theater, ca. 1983-1985

Sub-Series 2: Eleanor - An American Love Story

Consists of materials related to Eleanor. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Sub-Series 3: Jungle Queen Debutante

Consists of materials related to Jungle Queen Debutante. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Sub-Series 4: Narnia

Consists of materials related to Narnia. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Sub-Series 5: Off-Broadway Musical Theater Pieces

Consists of musical theater and works and music dramas for television, radio, and religious services. Materials are arranged alphabetically by production title and chronologically therein.

Sub-Series 6: Musical Theater Scrapbooks

Contains scrapbooks Tierney created, documenting specific theater productions. Materials are arranged numerically by scrapbook number, which follow a rough chronological arrangement.

Series 3: Audio Recordings

Series 4: Personal Papers

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Commercial Music],
[Series 2: Musical Theater],
[Series 3: Audio Recordings],
[Series 4: Personal Papers],
[All]