Johnny Mercer Foundation Partnership

About the Partnership 

The Alliance Theatre and Johnny Mercer Foundation have a longstanding history of collaborating to deliver highly impactful Musical Theater Composition programs to educators and students. Established in 2018, this partnership launched the Alliance Theatre’s Musical Theater Composition residency program, which demystifies the creative process for writing, producing, and sharing new works of musical theater. Additionally, the partnership supports professional learning opportunities for educators of all content areas to access Songwriting as an arts-integrated tool for engaging, interactive learning and alternative assessment.

Free Video & Instructional Resources

Presented by the Johnny Mercer Foundation and the Alliance Theatre, the Musical Theater Composition Video Series includes: 

• Part 1: The Songwriting Process, (4) 10–15-minute instructional videos led by Eugene H. Russell IV 
• Part 2: Introduction to Musical Theater, a 1-hour resource video led by Amanda Watkins
  • Advisory: original lyrics containing adult language are used in “Millwork” (21:22) and “Zazz” (30:26)
• Modeling Strategies: The Songwriting Process, (5) 3-5-minute instructional videos led by Eugene H. Russell IV (featuring 5 students from the Alliance Theatre’s Palefsky Collision Project)

These videos are designed to stand on their own or as a complement to the others, offering educators flexibility to explore, modify, and utilize these tools in a self-led, asynchronous format.  All videos, along with fully developed unit plans and instructional resources, are available for free via vala, an innovative musical theater streaming platform.

Access Video & Instructional Resources

District Partners: How to Get Involved 

The Alliance Theatre and Johnny Mercer Foundation have supported multiple school and district partners in Georgia, including Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County School District, Fulton County Schools, Fayette County Schools, and Henry County Schools. We are thrilled to continue supporting these partners and projects! 

As we continue to expand, we will offer several new partners the opportunity to engage in a fully-funded, 2-hour professional learning workshop focused on the Songwriting Process. These workshops may occur virtually or in-person and will be crafted to address the specific content-area and grade-level needs of up to (30) participating educators. Georgia communities (50+ miles from Metro Atlanta) and national partners from states outside of Georgia are encouraged to express interest by completing the application form below, and a representative from the Alliance Theatre team will follow up to confirm next steps on a rolling basis.

Apply for a Professional Learning Workshop

About the Johnny Mercer Foundation 

The mission of The Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) is to support the discipline of songwriting in the tradition of the Great American Songbook as exemplified by the life and work of Johnny Mercer: lyricist, composer, performer, collaborator and producer. The Foundation continues Johnny’s legacy by partnering with individuals and organizations dedicated to celebrating and nourishing the disciplines he mastered, and the causes he and Ginger Mercer championed.