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 set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of ...
'',
''Hamilton'', and ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American 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 Workshop until June 2000) ...
''.
Sherman was born in
New York to Susan B. Sherman and Dr. Fredrick T. Sherman.
Sherman graduated from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...
in
Middletown, Connecticut in 2002. In 2003, he joined his roommate
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...
to form the
freestyle rap
Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental beats (Mystrodamus), in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure and with no prior memorization.Kevin Fitzgerald (director), '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme' ...
group
Freestyle Love Supreme
Freestyle Love Supreme is an 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 a Broadway musical run ...
,
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 set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of ...
''.
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
Award records
Mult ...
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 producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
. 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 producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
.
Sherman is the musical director for several
Sesame Workshop shows, including
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American 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 Workshop until June 2000) ...
, 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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