Douglas Waterbury-Tieman is a professional violinist/fiddler, actor, singer and writer. Douglas grew up in the heart of the Bluegrass in Lexington, KY, where he began playing violin/fiddle and performing at the age of 10. He continued his musical performance career through high school and went on to receive a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre performance at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

Performance Credits include: Off-Broadway;The Robber Bridegroom, Soot and Spit, SeaWife. Regional;Once, The Cotton Patch Gospel, Fiddler on the Roof. TV;Succession. He played fiddle for Clint Black’s musical Looking For Christmas and aboard the cruise ship The Disney Magic. He is a proud collaborative member of The Lobbyists, a band and theatre collective whose Off-Broadway production SeaWife was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Music and appeared in the 2019 National Alliance of Musical Theatre Festival. Douglas’ original bluegrass musical JOHNNY & the DEVIL’S BOX premiered at the Cumberland County Playhouse in 2022. The sell out run was honored with a Nashville First Night award for Best Original Work.

Douglas relocated to Tennessee after living in New York City for seven and a half years during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. He currently lives with his wife, Annabelle, 10 month old son, Oliver, and Goldendoodle, Dandy, in Franklin TN. Douglas is excited and proud to be a part of the Roots mentor team!

Douglas’ Teaching Philosophy: “I believe that the key to successful music education begins by tapping into the individual passions and interests of the student. Building upon this initial seed through imaginative and diverse lesson planning my students can expect to grow into their full potential. Students are the most motivated when they are treated as active co-authors of their learning no matter what their age or level of expertise. My job as a mentor is to provide a supportive and positive environment that will ensure my students leave each lesson encouraged and motivated to make music!”

What’s been the highlight of your professional career — like your biggest spotlight moment to date?
“My biggest spotlight moment was when I got to perform my original musical JOHNNY & the DEVIL’S BOX at the Cumberland Co. Playhouse in the fall of 2022. I wrote this bluegrass musical with the intention of getting to perform as a fiddler, actor and singer. When I stepped out on stage for the first time in the leading role it felt like a dream come true. The production ended up selling out and we even won an award for Best Original Production. The lesson I learned was that dreaming big pays off!”

What type of student will excel best with you as his/her mentor?
“Students of all kinds can expect to excel with me as their mentor. But, especially those who love music and have dreams of making the violin/fiddle a part of their life for years to come.”

What does being a “Mentor” mean to you and why are you excited to step into this role?
“Being a mentor means collaborating with and supporting my mentees through every step of their education. I am excited to step into this roll because I have had so many different kinds of mentors throughout my educational journey and I know what an incredible gift their teaching was to me. I feel honored to be able to continue this tradition of education with my own students.”

What type of music did you grow up listening to? How did it influence your artistry?
“I grew up listening to everything from Baroque music to Pop, from Bluegrass to Jazz. I know that listening this widely to all genres of music has made me a better artist. Even though I don’t play each of this styles regularly I am a lifelong lover of music and I know that it shows in the way I play the violin.”

Where is your favorite local spot? (Venue, restaurant, coffee shop, park, etc.)
“I love grabbing a coffee at Frothy Monkey and walking around Franklin with my family.”

If you could meet one author/performer/creator who would it be and what wold you ask them?
“I would love to meet John Denver, I’d ask if I could play a song with him!”