William Ackerman
Encyclopedia
William Ackerman is a Grammy winning guitarist and composer of acoustic-based instrumental music
. He founded and ran for many years the influential New Age
record label Windham Hill Records
.
but was adopted by a couple who lived in Palo Alto, California
. A self-professed poet and musician who briefly studied guitar with Robbie Basho
, Ackerman grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area
. He attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School and Stanford University
. Before finishing his studies at Stanford, Ackerman dropped out to become a carpenter
. Ackerman had composed some pieces of music for a performance of Romeo and Juliet
at Stanford. In 1975, without having played a "paying gig"
Initially William Ackerman kept up his job as a builder but recording music took up more of his time until he was working on music full time. Ackerman ran his music label Windham Hill Records for years. He did just about everything from picking cover art to producing the records. Early albums featured himself (It Takes a Year) and his cousin, fellow guitarist Alex de Grassi
Turning: Turning Back (1978). Although in later years critics would single out Ackerman's records (especially Childhood and Memory) and De Grassi's first record, the album that gained Windham Hill Records notice was the 1980 recording by George Winston
Autumn. This record was well reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine
and, as a result of this national exposure the record began selling in large numbers. For many years it was the best selling album in the Windham Hill Catalog.
Ackerman found that life as a record label executive was, in his own words, "making him crazy." His marriage ended in divorce and he eventually moved out of the Bay Area and across the country back to his old residence near Brattleboro, Vermont
in Windham County
. In 1992 he sold half of his stake in Windham Hill Records to BMG and stopped recording and producing. Life in Vermont away from the record business proved enjoyable and so Ackerman sold the remainder of his stake in Windham Hill Records in 1996. He currently lives in Brattleboro and produces music from his nearby studio Imaginary Road.
William Ackerman's musical influences are Erik Satie
, John Fahey
, Robbie Basho
, and Leo Kottke
. William Ackerman has told an anecdote about his musical debt to John Fahey. One of his early pieces of music sounded a great deal like a Fahey composition titled The Last Steam Engine Train and so he visited Fahey, asked him if he thought the music was too similar, and played him the tune. Fahey said "You can have it!". The tune in question is "The Rediscovery of Big Bug Creek, Arizona", from It Takes a Year.
On guitar tuning
s, William Ackerman has said that none of his songs use the standard guitar tuning. For example, his song "Processional" has the D string tuned up to an E, and the high E string tuned down to a C with a capo
on the 5th fret. He also says that only two songs share the same tuning (at least as of 2000). Ackerman's love of non-standard tunings (coupled with the use of a capo) allows him to play melodies where many of the notes can be played without fretting them allowing the strings to "ring free". He shared his love of non-standard tunings with Michael Hedges.
Since selling his share of Windham Hill, Ackerman has released four new albums, Sound of Wind Driven Rain 1998, Hearing Voices 2001 (both were nominated for a Grammy), an album re-working some great signature songs - Returning 2004 (which won a Grammy award), and PURE 2006, again with some previous materials, but with some new work as well.
In addition to discovering George Winston, William Ackerman's other great discovery was Michael Hedges
. Ackerman has often told the story of how he heard Hedges performing in a Palo Alto cafe and immediately wrote a recording contract for him on a paper napkin. Hedges and Ackerman performed concerts together for several years in the early 1980s and played together on one of William Ackerman's albums. Some other notable artists he produced include Liz Story
and Shadowfax
. He has recorded many artists in his personal recording studio, Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont
. An airlock door at the studios bears the names of at least 84 artists who have recorded in the studio, including Michael Manring
, Philip Aaberg
, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, Michael Hedges, Preston Reed
, Eugene Friesen
, Happy Rhodes
, Samite
, Tom Bodett
, Jeff Pearce, Jeff Oster
, Dana Cunningham
, Zade Dirani
, Martin Sexton
and Karen Hesse
.
Ackerman was also a judge for the 4th annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
Of late, William Ackerman focuses on producing other musicians and performing in a select few concerts. On June 1 and 2, 2007, at Bruce Willis
's theater, The Liberty Theatre in Hailey, Idaho, Ackerman joined Jeff Pearce, Jeff Oster
and Patrick Gorman for debut concerts showcasing some of the wide variety of musical styles he works with.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. He founded and ran for many years the influential New Age
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
record label Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records
Windham Hill Records is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment specializing in Acoustic, New Age and Folk music. Originally founded in 1976 as an Independent record label by guitarist and carpenter William Ackerman and his then-wife Anne Robinson, Windham Hill was a successful and well-respected...
.
Career
William Ackerman was born in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
but was adopted by a couple who lived in Palo Alto, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. A self-professed poet and musician who briefly studied guitar with Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho was an American composer, guitarist and pianist, and one of the pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in America.-Biography:...
, Ackerman grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. He attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Before finishing his studies at Stanford, Ackerman dropped out to become a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. Ackerman had composed some pieces of music for a performance of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
at Stanford. In 1975, without having played a "paying gig"
- "(a) group of friends and informal fans got together and collected about $300 in five dollar bills to send me into a recording studio. I picked a studio out of the phone book named Mantra Studios (it was the 70s after all!). I walked into that room and made a record I called The Search for the Turtle's Navel in two afternoons." (William Ackerman, liner notes for Returning, 2005).
Initially William Ackerman kept up his job as a builder but recording music took up more of his time until he was working on music full time. Ackerman ran his music label Windham Hill Records for years. He did just about everything from picking cover art to producing the records. Early albums featured himself (It Takes a Year) and his cousin, fellow guitarist Alex de Grassi
Alex de Grassi
Alex de Grassi is an American Grammy Award-nominated fingerstyle guitarist.-Early life and influences:Though born in Yokosuka, Japan, de Grassi grew up in San Francisco, California, where his grandfather played violin for the San Francisco Symphony and his father was a classical pianist...
Turning: Turning Back (1978). Although in later years critics would single out Ackerman's records (especially Childhood and Memory) and De Grassi's first record, the album that gained Windham Hill Records notice was the 1980 recording by George Winston
George Winston
George Winston is an American pianist who was born in Michigan, and grew up mainly in Miles City, Montana as well as Mississippi and Florida. He attended Stetson University in Deland, Florida and lives in Santa Cruz, California.-Background:...
Autumn. This record was well reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and, as a result of this national exposure the record began selling in large numbers. For many years it was the best selling album in the Windham Hill Catalog.
Ackerman found that life as a record label executive was, in his own words, "making him crazy." His marriage ended in divorce and he eventually moved out of the Bay Area and across the country back to his old residence near Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
in Windham County
Windham County, Vermont
Windham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 44,513. Its shire town is Newfane.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. In 1992 he sold half of his stake in Windham Hill Records to BMG and stopped recording and producing. Life in Vermont away from the record business proved enjoyable and so Ackerman sold the remainder of his stake in Windham Hill Records in 1996. He currently lives in Brattleboro and produces music from his nearby studio Imaginary Road.
William Ackerman's musical influences are Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
, Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho was an American composer, guitarist and pianist, and one of the pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in America.-Biography:...
, and Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
. William Ackerman has told an anecdote about his musical debt to John Fahey. One of his early pieces of music sounded a great deal like a Fahey composition titled The Last Steam Engine Train and so he visited Fahey, asked him if he thought the music was too similar, and played him the tune. Fahey said "You can have it!". The tune in question is "The Rediscovery of Big Bug Creek, Arizona", from It Takes a Year.
On guitar tuning
Guitar tuning
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
s, William Ackerman has said that none of his songs use the standard guitar tuning. For example, his song "Processional" has the D string tuned up to an E, and the high E string tuned down to a C with a capo
Capo
A capo is a device used on the neck of a stringed instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch. It is frequently used on guitars, mandolins, and banjos. G.B...
on the 5th fret. He also says that only two songs share the same tuning (at least as of 2000). Ackerman's love of non-standard tunings (coupled with the use of a capo) allows him to play melodies where many of the notes can be played without fretting them allowing the strings to "ring free". He shared his love of non-standard tunings with Michael Hedges.
Since selling his share of Windham Hill, Ackerman has released four new albums, Sound of Wind Driven Rain 1998, Hearing Voices 2001 (both were nominated for a Grammy), an album re-working some great signature songs - Returning 2004 (which won a Grammy award), and PURE 2006, again with some previous materials, but with some new work as well.
In addition to discovering George Winston, William Ackerman's other great discovery was Michael Hedges
Michael Hedges
Michael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
. Ackerman has often told the story of how he heard Hedges performing in a Palo Alto cafe and immediately wrote a recording contract for him on a paper napkin. Hedges and Ackerman performed concerts together for several years in the early 1980s and played together on one of William Ackerman's albums. Some other notable artists he produced include Liz Story
Liz Story
Liz Story is an American pianist. She was born in San Diego, California. She attended the Juilliard School, studied under Sanford Gold and received additional education in Germany. In the 1980s she emerged as a prominent figure in new age music and recording artist at Windham Hill Records...
and Shadowfax
Shadowfax (band)
Shadowfax was a new age/electronic musical group, best known for their albums Shadowfax and Folksongs for a Nuclear Village. In 1988 they won the Grammy for Best New Age Performance for Folksongs for a Nuclear Village...
. He has recorded many artists in his personal recording studio, Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. An airlock door at the studios bears the names of at least 84 artists who have recorded in the studio, including Michael Manring
Michael Manring
Michael Manring is an American electric bassist from the San Francisco Bay Area, .-Biography:...
, Philip Aaberg
Philip Aaberg
Philip Aaberg is an American pianist, keyboardist, and composer. He gained international recognition through a series of successful piano recordings released on Windham Hill Records. Although classically trained, Aaberg incorporates classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and new music elements into his...
, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, Michael Hedges, Preston Reed
Preston Reed
Preston Reed is an American fingerstyle and tapping guitarist.- Biography :Preston Reed learned guitar as a child on his father's guitar and, for a short time, classical guitar with a too-severe teacher. When he was 16 his interest was rekindled by Jorma Kaukonen's acoustic guitar-playing in Hot...
, Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen
Eugene Friesen is an American cellist and composer.Friesen is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and performs with Howard Levy and Glen Velez as Trio Globo...
, Happy Rhodes
Happy Rhodes
Happy Rhodes is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and electronic musician with a four-octave vocal range. She has released 11 albums since 1986.- Family :...
, Samite
Samite (musician)
Samite is the stage name for African musician Samite Mulondo. Originally from Uganda, Samite now lives in Ithaca, New York. He plays the flute and kalimba, a type of thumb piano....
, Tom Bodett
Tom Bodett
Thomas Edward "Tom" Bodett is an American author, voice actor and radio host. He is also the current spokesman for the hotel chain Motel 6, whose commercials end with the phrase, "I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we'll leave the light on for ya."-Career:...
, Jeff Pearce, Jeff Oster
Jeff Oster
Jeff Oster is an American brass instrument player who has recorded flugelhorn or trumpet with artists such as William Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records...
, Dana Cunningham
Dana Cunningham
Dana Cunningham is in the upper echelon of contemporary instrumentalists as a solo pianist. Her third recording, The Color of Light was released in June, 2007 from her label, . The Color of Light was produced by William Ackerman, who built Windham Hill Records into one of the most successful...
, Zade Dirani
Zade Dirani
Zade Dirani is a Jordanian pianist and composer whose compositions blend world, classical, and pop music.He has had great support from King Abdullah II of Jordan, Queen Rania, Princess Haya, and also Queen Noor. He has performed before Queen Elizabeth, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, amongst others...
, Martin Sexton
Martin Sexton
Martin Sexton is an American singer-songwriter and producer originally from Syracuse, New York.- Early life :Sexton grew up the tenth of twelve children in a working class Irish-American family. He acquired his first guitar, a Sears & Roebuck acoustic, at the age of 14 and later played in local...
and Karen Hesse
Karen Hesse
Karen Hesse is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults, often with historical settings.-Life:...
.
Ackerman was also a judge for the 4th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
Of late, William Ackerman focuses on producing other musicians and performing in a select few concerts. On June 1 and 2, 2007, at Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
's theater, The Liberty Theatre in Hailey, Idaho, Ackerman joined Jeff Pearce, Jeff Oster
Jeff Oster
Jeff Oster is an American brass instrument player who has recorded flugelhorn or trumpet with artists such as William Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records...
and Patrick Gorman for debut concerts showcasing some of the wide variety of musical styles he works with.
Discography
- The Search for the Turtle's Navel (later renamed: In Search of the Turtle's Navel) (1976) – Solo guitar.
- It Takes a Year (1977) – Solo guitar.
- Childhood and Memory (1979) – Mostly solo guitar, a few duets.
- Passage (1981) – Re-recordings of older pieces as duets (including one with George Winston), a few solo guitar pieces.
- Past Light (1983) – Mostly duets (including one with Michael Hedges).
- Conferring with the Moon (1986) – Mostly duets and some trios.
- Imaginary RoadsImaginary RoadsImaginary Roads is the seventh album by New Age guitarist William Ackerman.-Track listing:#"The Moment in Which You Must Finally Let Go of the Tether Which Has Held Your Hope Airborne" – 5:42#"A Region of Clouds" – 4:42#"If You Look" – 5:39...
(1988) – Mostly duets and trios. - The Opening of Doors (1992) – Mostly duets and trios, several pieces with electric guitar (by BucketheadBucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
) and electric keyboard. - A Windham Hill Retrospective: William Ackerman (1993) – A package of previously recorded tracks.
- Sound of Wind Driven Rain (1998) – Half solo guitar, half duets or trios, most songs were new.
- Hearing Voices (2001) – Most songs feature the human voice, many different singers were used.
- ReturningReturning (album)Returning is a compilation album by William Ackerman, released in September 2004 through the record label Decca. In 2005, the album earned Ackerman the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.-Track listing:# "The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter" - 4:18...
(2004) – Re-recordings of older pieces, nearly all as solo guitar tracks. Won the 2004 Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Best New Age AlbumGrammy Award for Best New Age AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
category. - Pure Will Ackerman (2006) – A package of previously recorded tracks.
- Meditations (2008) – 7 new pieces and 7 new versions of previously recorded tracks with new orchestration. Nominated for the 2008 Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Best New Age AlbumGrammy Award for Best New Age AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
category. - New England Roads (2010) – 9 new pieces and 4 new versions of previously recorded tracks.
Trivia
- Before starting his own record label, William Ackerman sent a copy of the music for his first album to several other record labels, including John Fahey's Takoma Records. He was rejected by all of them. Several years later John Fahey wrote back a short letter saying "Dear Will, I've reconsidered..." (anecdote told by Ackerman at the Windham Hill 30th Anniversary Concert).
- Other artists who performed on Ackerman's records include: Darol AngerDarol Anger-Career:Darol Anger entered popular music at the age of 21 as a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet. Anger played fiddle to David Grisman's mandolin in The David Grisman Quintet's 1977 debut. He co-founded the Turtle Island String Quartet with David Balakrishnan in 1985 and performed,...
, Chuck Greenberg, Michael ManringMichael ManringMichael Manring is an American electric bassist from the San Francisco Bay Area, .-Biography:...
, Happy RhodesHappy RhodesHappy Rhodes is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and electronic musician with a four-octave vocal range. She has released 11 albums since 1986.- Family :...
, Jeff OsterJeff OsterJeff Oster is an American brass instrument player who has recorded flugelhorn or trumpet with artists such as William Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records...
.
External links
- William Ackerman's Official Site
- Windham Hill Official Site
- Innerviews interview of William Ackerman a very detailed interview, conducted in June 1998
- Piero Scaruffi - The History of Rock Music: 1976-1989 - The New Age and World-music
- Windham Hill Records history 1982-1989
- Imaginary Road Studios Will Ackerman's Studio in Vermont
- Airlock door at Imaginary Road Studios
- Shows at Liberty Theatre