Bill Sherman ’02

Bill Sherman ’02

Bill Sherman won a 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for his work with In the Heights, but there have been many other projects along the way for this 2002 Wesleyan graduate. Read more in our question and answer session with Bill.

Tell us a little bit about Freestyle Love Supreme.

Bill Sherman: Freestyle Love Supreme is a hip-hop improvisation group created by Wesleyan graduates Anthony Veneziale ’99, Thomas Kail ’99, and Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02. It began in the basement of the Drama Bookshop in New York where Lin and Anthony would freestyle with each other during rehearsal breaks from In the Heights readings. Soon, the group expanded to include a number of MC’s and instrumentalists, improvising songs and scenarios with the help of a word suggestion from the audience. I play keyboards, providing the musical accompaniment, along with our beatboxer, Shockwave. Freestyle Love Supreme has been fortunate enough to perform at the Aspen, Edinburgh, Australian, and Montreal Comedy Festivals.

What has your experience been like working with Sesame Street?

BS: Well, like many other children of my generation and other generations, I was brought up on Sesame Street. It was, and still is, the “go-to” television program for children. I remember thinking that it was pretty unbelievable that I would now be writing songs for them. When they told me I had to write a touching, epic song in which Big Bird talked about his love for Sesame Street, I thought, “Wow!, my career has now reached it’s pinnacle!” In addition to writing for Sesame Street, I am also the music director and composer, along with Thomas Kail, for the new Electric Company on PBS. The Electric Company is a new take on the show that was watched and loved by many in the 70’s and 80’s. Essentially, we are trying to utilize hip-hop and other current music to teach today’s children.

How has In the Heights changed your life?

BS: I think a better question would be, how has In The Heights “not” changed my life. When I was at Wesleyan, I worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda on a number of his original musicals including Basketcase and On Borrowed Time. I had never seen In The Heights when it was at the ’92 Theater. Once we graduated, Lin invited me to a meeting with Thomas Kail and Neil Stewart. Lin had told me that they were interested in doing something with In the Heights and that I had to come to the meeting. I can safely say that my life has been pretty unexpected since that day. Never did I imagine that I would be working on a Broadway musical or that I would be writing music for a living. At Wesleyan, I had studied West African popular music and had very little idea where that would take me. As we worked on In The Heights over the years after college, it became clear that we were definitely onto something. It took us seven years to fully realize what that was. In that time, because of In The Heights, and because of Lin asking me to come that meeting, I have established a career as a composer and get to do a job that I love every day. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to pursue the path that I have always wanted and I consider myself incredibly fortunate.

What projects do you plan on working on next?

BS: Well, I am currently writing the music for five more episodes of the Electric Company that we are filming through the end of May. Additionally, I am gearing up for Barrio Grrl! The Musical, a children’s show that I composed the music for that is premiering at the Kennedy Center this fall with a book and lyrics by In the Heights book writer Quiara Alegria Hudes. In the Heights will begin its first national tour this fall so we are in the process of getting everything ready for our new cast and band. And finally, I am starting a record label (Yellow Sound Label). I am very excited about it, as the label will be producing new albums from incredibly talented artists like Chita Rivera, Alan Cumming, and Chris Jackson coming this fall!

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