Rick Sherman is an Award Winning Composer, Musician, Talented Audio Engineer - An Orange County Gem

Over the past 26 years, Rick Sherman has become widely recognized as one of the most skilled audio engineers and prolific composers for the video and film industry in Orange County. Working out of his own recording studio, Sherman Sound Suite, which is located within the South Coast Media Center complex (one of the larger video post-production facilities in Orange County), Rick uses computers, analog and digital MIDI musical instruments, and digital recording technology to compose and record soundtracks, as well as provide a wide variety of audio engineering services (voice-over recording, editing, sweetening, noise reduction, sound effects, sound design, and ADR) for various television shows, commercials, films, and corporate videos. Sherman received an Emmy Nomination in 2010 for his music and audio engineering work on the feature-length World War 1 documentary “Voices of a Never Ending Dawn”. Sherman's client roster includes Century 21, Mattel Toys, Isuzu, Hooked On Phonics, The Vons Companies, Allstate Insurance, Mazda, Subaru, Carl's Jr., Tarbell Realty, Sea World, Toshiba, Toyota/Lexus, Taco Bell, Ditech.com (the national TV spots for 7 years), Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the list goes on. Rick's music can be heard (as it has been for the past 14 years) every weeknight on KOCE-TV with his theme song for “Real Orange”, a news magazine show about Orange County. Sherman has received numerous awards from the International Television and Video Association and the Association of Visual Communicators for his musical compositions. Rick is a composer and publisher member of ASCAP, one of the primary U.S. music licensing/performing rights organizations, and a member of the Media Communications Association. For two years, Rick Sherman served as President of the Media Alliance of Orange County, an organization dedicated to elevating the awareness and image of the film and video production/post-production media industry in Orange County. Sherman was Executive Producer of the 2005 and 2006 Newport Beach Film Festival Awards Ceremonies.

Rick has engineered and co-directed literally thousands of voiceover sessions for television and radio commercials, infomercials, dramatic film shorts, documentaries, and corporate videos. Sherman has also taught beginning, intermediate, and advanced voiceover classes at his studio.

Rick Sherman began playing the piano in his home town of Kansas City at the age of four, emulating his father, professional pianist Art Sherman. Rick began performing professionally in a rock band at the age of 12 with three of his best friends, and continued with them through junior high school, high school, and college. While in college, Rick studied music theory and composition privately with instructor John Elliot. After receiving his B.A. degree in Psychology from Kansas University, where he taught Parapsychology and minored in music, Sherman performed in various groups in Kansas City and, starting in 1975, in Southern California. Sherman's synthesizer playing is featured on the record album "High Tide", recorded by the Lido Jazz All-Stars, while his most notable band experience was with the group "Mandrill", an afro-latin/jazz-fusion funk band which had previously recorded 14 albums on various major record labels, including United Artists, Polydor, and Arista. Sherman has also served as a keyboard product demonstrator for musical instrument companies Fender Rhodes (demonstrating the Chroma synthesizer), Roland Corp. US (demonstrating various MIDI keyboards and sound modules), and InVision Interactive (demonstrating the renowned "Miroslav Vitous Symphonic Orchestra" sample library). Sherman's piano studies continued under the tutelage of Dick Powell in Costa Mesa and Terry Trotter (accompanist for Natalie Cole, and composer of the theme for “Everybody Loves Raymond”) in Studio City.

Sherman uses high-tech musical equipment for both live performance and in his recording studio. For live performance, he often uses digital musical instruments to perform in a modern "one man band" format. Over the past 30 years, Sherman has appeared most frequently at popular nightspots in Newport Beach. Enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowds request everything from The Doors to Duke Ellington, Billy Joel to Garth Brooks, The Moody Blues to Miles Davis, and James Brown to Neil Diamond, and Sherman convincingly plays it all. Vocalists frequently pop in for impromptu performances. Past sit-ins have included Dick Dodd (The Standels), Otis Brown (The Drifters), and the late, great Bobby Hatfield (The Righteous Brothers). Orange County performances for Rick Sherman over the years have included The Disneyland Hotel, Cattleman's Wharf, and Mr. Stox Restaurant in Anaheim, as well as The Villa Nova Restaurant, The Village Inn, Cafe Lido, The Velvet Turtle, The Cannery, and The Hyatt Newporter in Newport Beach.

Artist Steve Simon has honored Sherman with “landmark” status by including him in his book “Newport Beach; Celebrating Ninety Years”. Sherman is the only person thus recognized in this book of paintings of Newport Beach landmarks.

Rick has performed year after year for many popular annual Balboa Island events, including The Artwalk, The Celebrate Balboa Island Parade, and the Fire Station Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The City of Newport Beach chose Sherman for the main entertainment at the grand opening of The Bob Henry Memorial Park. The Orange County Business Journal utilizes Sherman year after year to perform for its “Women In Business”, “Family Owned Businesses”, and “Entrepreneur of The Year” high-profile events.

Along with the nightclub performances, private parties, weddings, and corporate functions that Rick performs for, another aspect of live performance for which he has received recognition involves his work for various charitable organizations. Sherman has raised funds for the American Red Cross, served as musical director for Mothers and Others Against Child Abuse (including a roast with Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Stan Freeberg, Buzz Aldrin, and fashion critic Mr. Blackwell), and has provided annual Christmas party performances for the past several years for Project Cuddle, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the children at the Orangewood Children's Home. Rick received his Lifetime Membership Award, alongside Magic Johnson, from Mothers and Others Against Child Abuse.

Editor's Note:  Rick is one of the nicest people in our business.  He has a long history of promoting the entertainment arts industry in Orange County and supporting anyone who needs a hand or encouragement.  To contact Rick about help with your project, you can email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.