Sherman Williams – Covering the Earth in EMusical
Life is a winding path of self-discovery, and local artist Sherman Williams has found a way to laugh at and learn from it while sharing his spark and talents with the world.
We sat in a local coffee shop sipping our iced teas. Still sweating from the Georgia summer heat, I ask him to tell me his story – “How did you get here?”
He starts with his time spent in the Air Force. Sherman explains that the military has a way of “making you realize what you want to do.” Traveling has always been intriguing to Sherman. While spending some time in South Korea, Sherman found a group of hip hop performers that made him feel at home. He had fallen in love with the art of hip hop in middle school.
“This one’s funny,” he laughs. A self-proclaimed nerd, (because I can’t see it) Sherman tells me he has a background in a type of martial art/dance called Capoeira. This Afro-Brazilian cultural tradition is both a fight and a dance, and Sherman spent time in his early life learning the practice. “It looks exactly like break dancing,” he explains. In middle school he saw some guys doing what he thought was “a really bad version of Capoeira.” Sherman went over to correct the guys, who watched his moves and said, “What are you doing?” Sherman told them that he was doing Capoeira and asked what they were doing. They were break dancing, and when he asked, “What’s that?,” the guys took him in. Sherman was intrigued from the start and, from that day forward, he says he just kept on doing it.
Fast forward to South Korea, and Sherman found himself drawn to a crowd that shared his passion, break dancing is a language that needs no common words. “The world of hip hop is so universal,” Sherman says. Sherman had the opportunity to attend a world breakdancing competition there, the R16, which was an experience he says he’ll never forget.
After returning to the states, Sherman moved back to Georgia and, without a studio to practice dancing in, decided to dance in front of Barnes and Noble. Some people saw his moves and admired his skill, and referred him to a local studio that was looking for a teacher. Six years later, he’s still teaching hip hop at Company C Academy of Dance in Columbus.
His travels around the world have given him a diverse background, and Sherman explains that he’s been able to accumulate a lot of different methodologies and techniques, all contributing to his style and expression.
Sherman describes himself as a performer, and dance isn’t his only act. Music has been a part of Sherman’s life even longer than dance. “I grew up playing violin and guitar,” Sherman explains. He performed often in church and also sang in choirs. Trained classically in violin, Sherman enjoys exploring different genres with his instruments. He experiments by playing jazz and even metal on his violin. Sherman took inspiration from the way his first music teacher, David Hinson, could push him out of his comfort zone and into the place where he truly embraced his creative talents. “There is no true limitation to genre when it comes to instruments,” Sherman says “You just have to know the theory of the genre.”
Sherman went on to attend Full Sail University, where he got his associates in game design. His plan was to make music for video games and commercials. A self-proclaimed anime nerd, he says his music almost always ends up sounding like an anime opening.
Sherman says writing his own music has been perhaps one of the biggest learning experiences of all for him. He remembers having one of his songs played at a venue where the DJ began ripping the song apart. While most people would be heartbroken at the criticism of something so much work had gone into, Sherman took it as an opportunity to regroup and learn how to mix and master and produce a better-sounding result. His hard work paid off. In 2020, Sherman wrote and self-produced his first album called True Lullaby. He has published work consistently every year since, creating it all in his home studio. With hints of reggae, synthesized movement, and R&B, Sherman’s songs all have one thing in common: they are hopelessly romantic. “They’re either really happy or sad and depressing,” Sherman laughs. Under the creative name of EMusical, Sherman’s songs can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, and TuneCore.
One of the biggest factors in his musical evolution, he says, is having people who “are willing to be honest with you.” Instead of letting criticism dull his light, Sherman has learned to, as he says, “take emotion out of it,” and continue to grow and expand his knowledge as a musician.
Sherman’s talent and optimism add color, movement, and inspiration to the community. He’s an active participant in the local dancing competition and Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser Dancing With The Stars. In addition, he serves on the Columbus Music and Entertainment Council, where he collaborates on ideas for creating a cohesive ecosystem between the music industry and our local economy.
In line with his optimistic spirit, Sherman has written a book that he hopes will be helpful to others. In 2018 he wrote and published “The Search,” a book that details his dating ups and downs and encourages others how to maximize their singleness. “The book is a time machine,” Sherman explains, “I can’t go back and fix any of that stuff, but I can encourage others to not make the same mistakes.” A link to order “The Search” is on Sherman’s Instagram and linktree @_emusical_.
Sherman’s story may seem simple, but it’s what he’s done with his life that stands out, the way he turns whatever life throws at him into a lesson, and transforms pain into strength. His smile and the sparkles in his eyes are sincere, and his desire to share a piece of himself with the world is too. Sherman is unique in that he is unmistakably positive. He really believes it will all work out, and his belief is contagious.
Sherman shares his work on his social media account @_emusical_.
By Natalie Downey