The Queen's Cartoonists

The Queen's Cartoonists is an internationally renowned music ensemble based in Queens New York that performs music from classic cartoons and contemporary animation. The performances are synchronized to video projections of the original films, and the band leads the audience through a world of virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy.

Behind the project is a single question: is it possible to create jazz and classical music in the 21st century that appeals to everyone?

The Queen's Cartoonists present a concert for everybody - regardless of age, gender, or familiarity with the concert hall. Tying this diverse concert together are comedic anecdotes involving the cartoons and their composers. The band is on a musical mission of equal parts performance, preservation, and education.

Expect the unexpected from a repertoire that includes the Golden Age of animation, cult cartoon classics, modern animation, and elements of a musical circus! Since its inception in 2015, The Queen's Cartoonists have brought their unique sound to performing arts centres in more than 20 states and have opened for the New York Philharmonic.

Join us for more! Stay for a talkback with Joel “Sweet Sauce McKinley” Pierson - Piano & Intergalactic Relations & Artistic Director, The Queen's Cartoonists.

Joel Pierson has made a career out of music and mockery, or perhaps a mockery of his career in music. He has worked with artists of great repute (the New York Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet), and artists of even greater ill-repute (Linkin Park, Ke$ha). Wayne Newton told Joel he loved him, and Paul McCartney gave him a shoulder massage. He has performed on all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica), and as a songwriter was signed to Warner Brothers Records. His music has been performed by major symphony orchestras including Atlanta, Houston, Toronto, Cleveland, & The Philly Pops. Joel wrote additional music for the 2013 film The Internship and is the author of the books You Suck at Piano & 20 Piano Pieces for People with Emotional Problems. Joel exclusively plays Yamaha instruments.