Bio

The Stand Up For Peace Project is an initiative that promotes peace, understanding and psychic healing worldwide. The Project was conceived and founded by well-known radio advice host and TV personality Dr. Judy Kuriansky, who teaches psychology at Columbia University Teachers College and runs peace workshops and seminars world-wide, and internationally acclaimed pianist/singer/songwriter Russell Daisey, who has played command performances for several American presidents and world dignitaries, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and the Chiniya Lama of Kathmandu, Nepal, among others. Together, Russell and Dr. Judy, two very committed and creative individuals, have collaborated on several songs dedicated to promoting the values and healing in the forefront of the Stand Up For Peace Project’s agenda. One of the most compelling and effective of these compositions is their healing anthem, “Towers of Light.” The song’s title refers to the two beams of light shown at Ground Zero every 9/11 honoring the fallen heroes of the attacks on the World Trade Center. It was written in 2002, immediately following that horrific tragedy to promote healing. Since its inception, “Towers of Light” has been performed internationally, including in concert at the 2006 Hiroshima International Peace Summit which featured three Nobel Peace Prize laureates: the Dalai Lama, Reverend Desmond Tutu and Northern Ireland peace activist Betty Williams. Moreover, the song was performed and broadcast live on the Internet at the Buddhist Churches of America’s (BCA), Shinran Shonin 750th Memorial Anniversary Service concert program, “Take Refuge in the Music,” in San Jose, California; and, along with Japanese Rock star Shinji Harada, in Global Harmony Concerts at the United Nations, NYC; Mexico City for the 2009 United Nations NGO DPI International Conference; Tokyo, Yokohama and Hiroshima, Japan as well as in numerous NYC concerts including Universal Peace Day at Riverside Church, the Central Park Bandshell 9/11 Japanese Floating Lantern Ceremonies and The Sony Club. “Powerful, very powerful.”—His Holiness the Dalai Lama, upon hearing a performance of “Towers of Light” In addition to performing for numerous world dignitaries, Russell Daisey has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in NYC and has performed tours in Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan; Mexico City; and Port Au Prince, Haiti. He also gave over 80 performances at Gracie Mansion for former NYC mayors David Dinkens and Rudolph Giuliani, and Russell and Dr. Judy were both performers in, and producers of, a series of four highly acclaimed September, 2010 concerts with the Hibaku (Survivor) Piano from Hiroshima, Japan. www.towersoflightsong.com Dr. Judy Kuriansky is the co-producer and co-lyricist of the Stand Up For Peace Project and in addition to her other commitments and accomplishments is an expert in trauma. She has assisted in disaster relief after the recent Haiti and Yushu, China earthquakes; the 9/11 attacks; the SARS crisis in China; and the Asian Tsunami. An NGO representative at the United Nations, she is also on the board of the Committee on Mental Health. Her books pertain to interpersonal peace, including “The Complete Idiots Guide to a Healthy Relationship,” and international peace, as with “Terror in the Holy Land: Inside the Anguish of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” and “Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Grassroots Peacebuilding between Palestinians and Israelis,” to name but a few. www.drjudy.com In addition to “Towers of Light,” Russell and Dr. Judy, under the auspices of the Stand Up For Peace Project, have produced and co-written other songs of healing, peace and eco awareness, including their signature self-titled “Stand Up For Peace,” and their environmentally conscious “Going Green.” Watch for their forthcoming CD release that brings these powerful songs and others together in the near future. The Stand Up For Peace project is so critical in this time of world-wide strife and instability and brings a message that is crucial to all of humanity: the healing power of music. Contact: Janet Castiel, Redwood Entertainment, Inc. (212) 543-9998 [email protected], www.redwoodentertainment.com