Bill Sherman is an American composer, producer, arranger, and orchestrator. He is known for his work on ''
In the Heights
''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of thr ...
'',
''Hamilton'', and ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
''. Sherman is also a member of Team Supreme that co-hosts the
Questlove Supreme
''Questlove Supreme'' is a podcast led by Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) and co-hosted by Team Supreme, which includes Unpaid Bill ( Bill Sherman), Suga Steve ( Steven Mandel), Laiya St. Clair, Phonte (Phonte Coleman) and formerly Boss Bill (Bill ...
podcast.
Biography
Sherman was born in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
to Susan B. Sherman and Dr. Fredrick T. Sherman.
Sherman graduated from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
in
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles (25.749504 km) south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. Middletown is the largest city in the L ...
in 2002. In 2003, he joined his roommate
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...
to form the
freestyle rap
Freestyle rap, also simply known as Freestyle, is a style of hip hop music where an artist normally improvises an unwritten verse from the head, with or without instrumental beats, in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure ...
group
Freestyle Love Supreme
Freestyle Love Supreme is an Improvisational theatre, improvisational hip-hop (also known as freestyle rap) comedy musical group started by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale in 2004 and directed by Thomas Kail. In 2022, the group completed ...
,
while also working with Miranda to orchestrate and arrange the music for ''
In the Heights
''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of thr ...
''.
His work on ''In the Heights'' won him the 2008
Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
The Tony Award for Best Orchestrations is awarded to acknowledge the contributions of musical orchestrators in both musicals and plays. The award has been given since 1997.
Winners and nominees
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Multiple wins
;3 ...
and the 2008
Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album
The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album's producers, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more ...
. He collaborated again with Miranda to produce the
''Hamilton'' album, for which he won the 2015
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album's producers, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more ...
.
Sherman is the musical director for several
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization and Television station, television company that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's ...
shows, including
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
, for which he has written over 3000 songs. He has won three
Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Original Song – Children’s and Animation" for his work on Sesame street: "What I Am" in 2011, "The Power of Yet" in 2015, and "A Song About Songs" in 2018.
References
External links
*
*
American record producers
Wesleyan University alumni
American music arrangers
20th-century American composers
Sesame Street music
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Grammy Award winners
Daytime Emmy Award winners
Tony Award winners
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