John Frederick "Jack" Lenz is a Canadian composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organization devoted to the production of music for the Baháʼí community.

Lenz contributed additional music for the John Debney score for Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. Among his current projects is working on a movie about the persecution of Baháʼís in Iran, particularly the story of Mona Mahmudnizhad who suffered under the persecution in Iran, under the title of Mona's Dream. He was music director of 90 Minutes Live, with Peter Gzowski on CBC Television from 1976 to 1978.

He resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Background

Lenz was born in Eston, Saskatchewan. His mother was also raised in Saskatchewan, and his father came to Canada from Hungary during the Depression. While still in his youth, Lenz took piano lessons from Garth Beckett and later studied composition at the University of Saskatchewan. Lenz became a professional musician when he played keyboards and flute for the soft-rock bands Seals and Crofts and Loggins and Messina touring around the world, performing before large audiences, and recording. Lenz' involvement in children's issues stems partly from having seven children of his own, as well as being in an arena which avoids "the conflict between what I believe about music and its sacred nature and dealing with what a lot of programming deals with, which sometimes could be the worst aspects of human nature." Lenz joined the Baháʼí Faith in 1969.

Discography

Film

YearTitleNotes
1985Final OfferTV movie
1994To Catch a Yeti
1995Pocahontas: The Legend—N/a
2004The Passion of the Christ—N/a
2008The Good WitchTV movie
2009The Good Witch's Garden
2010The Good Witch's Gift
2011The Good Witch's Family
2012The Good Witch's Charm
2013The Good Witch's Destiny
2014The Good Witch's Wonder
Left Behind—N/a

Television

YearTitleNotes
1994-1999Due South63 episodes
1995-1998Goosebumps34 episodes
1999-2004Nanalan'Composer and executive producer
2001-2004Doc6 episodes
2003-2005Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye53 episodes
2003-2009The Saddle Club46 episodes
2004-2008Atomic Betty79 episodes
2007-2012Little Mosque on the Prairie88 episodes
2008-2009Big & Small21 episodes
2015-2021Good Witch73 episodes
2018-2019Battle DogsProducer and composer, ten episodes

Albums

YearAlbum/SongRoleNotes
1977FinaleFlutist—N/a
1983OK Blue JaysSongwriter—N/a
2004Go Where Love GoesPerformed by Andrea Bocelli on Andrea

Awards

Gemini Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
1995Best Original Music Score for a SeriesDue South, episode "Free Willie"Nominated
1996Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic SeriesDue South, episode "The Gift of the Wheelman"Nominated
2004Best Pre-School Program or SeriesNanalan'Nominated

External links