Podcast Summary: All Of It (WNYC)

Episode: Bill Sherman On Writing Your Kid's Favorite Songs ([August 18, 2025])

Overview

This episode, selected by producer Luke Green as a “producer pick,” features Bill Sherman, celebrated music director for Sesame Street and Broadway orchestrator, discussing his multifaceted career in children's music, education, and legacy. Sherman joins host Alison Stewart to share his musical origin story, offer insights into writing hits for kids, and dig into his work on the new PBS Kids puppet series Donkey Hodie. The conversation is lively, warm, and filled with both music geekery and heartfelt reflection on shaping young minds through song.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bill Sherman’s Musical Origin Story

• Long Island Roots & Early Influence
  • Sherman recounts wanting to be a marine biologist as a child, then shifting to music after a transformative experience with elementary music teacher Gary Meyer—who, serendipitously, now plays saxophone in the Sesame Street band.
  • Quote: “His name is Gary Meyer...and he now is the saxophone player in the Sesame Street Band. So I sort of did a little paying forward...” (02:19)
• Wesleyan University & The “Wesleyan Mafia”
  • Attending Wesleyan was pivotal—he became friends with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who introduced him to musical theater.
  • Sherman learned on the fly as a music director for college productions, eventually co-developing In The Heights with Miranda and others, a process that took eight years.
  • Quote: “There's a lot of ... everywhere I go now these days, like, somebody, you know, somebody went there.” (03:47)

2. Songwriting Process and Environment

• Creative Spaces & Rituals
  • Sherman splits his time between a custom windowless home studio in Westchester and working at his girlfriend’s kitchen table in Hoboken.
  • He often gets song ideas while driving, using voice memos to capture melodies—and isn’t above letting naps reboot his creativity.
  • Quote: “Most of the times when I'm writing a song, it's when I'm driving from one place to another. So I'll drive and I'll voice memo a melody or whatever…” (05:39)
• Collaboration & Knowing Your Limits
  • If he feels creatively stuck, he’s learned it’s better to call a colleague rather than “force it.”
  • Quote: “If you know you don't have it, that's okay. And like, find somebody who has it and then everybody wins, you know?” (06:29)

3. Writing Songs for Kids

• Adapting for Short Attention Spans
  • Kids’ songs must be compact—usually about 90 seconds—and densely packed with catchy hooks and information.
  • Sherman emphasizes the need for “all killer, no filler,” with no long intros, breaks, or held notes.
  • Quote: “It’s always all killer, no filler... the challenge is also, like, you don't have a ton of time to do that, so you have to start big.” (07:26)
• Making “Great Songs,” Not Just “Kid Songs”
  • Sherman doesn’t write “down” to young audiences; he aims to make songs as compelling as any pop hit kids might hear elsewhere.
  • Quote: “I'm always telling them...don’t think about writing a kid's song. Think about writing a great song.” (08:16)

4. Donkey Hodie: Creative Freedom & Musical Styles

• A “Carte Blanche” Experience
  • Sherman enjoys remarkable genre freedom on Donkey Hodie, ranging from bluegrass to EDM to sea shanties.
  • He appreciates the trust from Spiffy Entertainment and Fred Rogers Productions, even when some ideas get reined in for being “too ridiculous.”
  • Quote: “One day, donkey will be singing a bluegrass song, and then the next day there'll be, like, an EDM thing...and I love that.” (09:25)

5. Honoring Legacy: Fred Rogers & Sesame Street

• Pressure & Responsibility
  • Sherman reflects deeply on inheriting the musical legacy of icons like Fred Rogers and Joe Raposo. He considers himself a steward, aiming to uphold their standards.
  • Quote: “If at any moment I feel like...Fred or Joe Raposo or whatever wouldn’t be proud of this, then I should quit.” (11:10)
• Creating the “New Classics”
  • He acknowledges that writing for such legacy institutions often feels like trying to make “new classics”—a daunting yet meaningful challenge.
  • Quote: “As I took over at Sesame Street, and with Don Quixote, it was like you were writing the new classics. But that's a really hard bar to set...” (12:12)

6. Behind a Donkey Hodie Song: The “Sea Shanty”

• Sherman details how he tackled writing a sea shanty for the show (12:53). It involved learning a new musical meter (6/8, 3/4) and composing on accordion for a whimsical effect.
• Quote: “One does not often lead with—unless you’re like Weird Al—one does not like lead with the accordion.” (14:39)

7. Life at Sesame Street & “Magic Moments”

• A Typical Season
  • Sherman shares the production rhythm: scripting and composing early in the year, quick shoots, and post-production starting around July.
  • Guest Stars and Surprises
    • He recounts sessions with Ed Sheeran and Nick Jonas nailing one-take harmonies, and Macklemore humorously parodying “Thrift Shop” at an early hour.
    • Quote, on Ed Sheeran: “He’s known as, like, just nailing it the first time all the time...and then he goes, ‘Do you want me to sing the harmonies?’...He just…proceeded to do all of these harmonies.” (16:53)
    • Quote, on Nick Jonas: “He...came in, and he added all of this stuff...Everything was one take and just nailing it. And I was just like, well, that was really impressive.” (17:17)
  • Celebrities’ “Oval Office” Awe
    • Visiting the Sesame Street set is, Sherman says, “like walking into the Oval Office,” prompting awe and nostalgia in celebrity guests.
    • Quote: “Some people just, like, turn into a child again...there’s so much magic in here.” (18:31)

8. Favorite Songs & Milestones

• Favorite Song: “What I Am” Performed by will.i.am
  • Sherman’s first Sesame Street song, “What I Am,” holds special meaning, composed with Chris Jackson.
  • Reflecting on the “Earworm” Legacy
    • He expresses admiration for the timelessness and complexity of classics like “Sunny Days” and “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” (19:50)
• Awards & The E(G)OT Club
  • Sherman jokes about his Emmy, Grammy, and Tony (“EGO”) status, and the pressure from his mom to complete the EGOT with an Oscar.
  • He notes how several colleagues have achieved “EGOT” honors recently, many via work in theater and children’s music.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• On paying forward early influences:
  “His name is Gary Meyer, and he now is the saxophone player in the Sesame Street Band. So I sort of did a little paying forward…” (02:19)
• On working in multiple genres for Donkey Hodie:
  “One day, donkey will be singing a bluegrass song, and then the next day there’ll be, like, an EDM thing…and I love that.” (09:25)
• On the challenge of kids’ songs:
  “It’s always all killer, no filler…you have to start big.” (07:26)
• On creative humility:
  “…if you know you don’t have it, that’s okay. And like, find somebody who has it and then everybody wins, you know?” (06:29)
• On the awe of Sesame Street:
  “Walking onto the Sesame Street set is like walking into the Oval Office…I assume that it’s that same sort of, like, take your breath away moment.” (18:31)
• On the pressure and privilege of legacy:
  “If at any moment I feel like…I’m not like Fred or Joe Raposo or whatever wouldn’t be proud of this, then I should quit.” (11:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:04] — Bill Sherman’s musical beginnings on Long Island; early influences
• [03:20] — College at Wesleyan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the eight-year development of In The Heights
• [04:58] — Sherman’s creative process and studio setup
• [07:11] — The distinct challenge and philosophy of writing for children
• [09:14] — Donkey Hodie: musical freedom and genre exploration
• [10:36] — Upholding the Fred Rogers and Sesame Street legacy
• [12:53] — Behind-the-scenes on composing a “sea shanty” for Donkey Hodie
• [15:45] — A year in the life of Sesame Street music production
• [16:42] — Musical surprises with guest celebrities
• [18:18] — The “magic” and nostalgia experienced by Sesame Street visitors
• [20:16] — Sherman’s favorite Sesame Street song and discussion of musical “classics”
• [20:53] — Career awards (EGO/EGOT reflections) and film scoring ambitions

Tone & Style

The episode blends curiosity, warmth, and playful banter, with Sherman’s self-deprecating humor and earnestness shining through. Alison Stewart creates space for both technical wisdom and human stories, making the episode insightful for creatives and parents alike.

For more episodes of All Of It, tune in weekdays from 12:00 – 2:00PM on WNYC or stream on the WNYC website.