William Ackerman

William Ackerman(born November 16, 1949) is an American guitarist and record producer who foundedWindham Hill Records.

William Ackerman
Also known as	Will Ackerman
Born	(1949-11-16)November 16, 1949
Genres	New-age,jazz, pop
Occupation(s)	Musician, record producer
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Windham Hill,Imaginary Road, Lifescapes
Website	williamackerman

Career

Early years

Ackerman was born in Germany. His adoptive father was a professor of English at Stanford University.He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attendedNorthfield Mount Hermon Schoolin western Massachusetts. He returned to Palo Alto to study English and History atStanford University.

His life took a turn when he discovered he had a fondness for carpentry. He was five credits short of graduating when he left Stanford to work as an apprentice to a Norwegian boat builder. In 1972, he founded Windham Hill Builders in Palo Alto while playing music for Stanford theater productions and performing impromptu concerts in town.

Windham Hill Records

With money borrowed from friends, he recorded his first album,The Search for Turtle's Navel,later changed toIn Search of the Turtle's Navel,on his own label,Windham Hill Recordsin 1976. His second album,It Takes a Year,he released in 1977. Shortly thereafter, Will recorded and produced an album entitledTurning: Turning Backby his cousin, guitaristAlex De Grassi.This was followed byRobbie Bashowhose music had inspired Ackerman for years. He left carpentry to pursue music full time in 1980. During that year, the label received national attention via the success of a piano album byGeorge WinstonentitledAutumn.He then discovered guitaristMichael Hedgesat a concert in Palo Alto and immediately signed him to the label. Other musicians in the catalog wereDarol Anger,Mike Marshall,Liz Story,and the bandShadowfax.In time the genre associated with Windham Hill was calledNew-age music.

In 1982,A&M Recordsbecame Windham Hill's distributor. The label was selling millions of albums, and Ackerman became a wealthy man. Despite outward signs of success, he was diagnosed with depression. By 1984, Ackerman no longer wanted to run a large corporation. He left California for Vermont. He built Imaginary Road Studios inDummerston, Vermontand has continued to work as a producer.The walls of his studio are covered in more than 20 Gold and Platinum records from US and overseas sales.

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards

• Best New Age Album,Returning,2004
• Nominated, Best New Age Album, Brothers, 2021

Zone Music Reporter Awards

• Album of the Year,The Gathering,2012
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album,The Gathering,2012
• Lifetime Achievement Award, 2013
• Album of the Year,Flowby Flow withFiona Joy,Lawrence Blatt, and Jeff Oster, 2017
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album,Flowby Flow with Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt, and Jeff Oster, 2017

Discography

• 1976In Search of the Turtle's Navel(Windham Hill)
• 1977It Takes a Year(Windham Hill)
• 1979Childhood and Memory(Windham Hill)
• 1981Passage(Windham Hill)
• 1983Past Light(Windham Hill)
• 1986Conferring with the Moon(Windham Hill)
• 1988Imaginary Roads(Windham Hill)
• 1992The Opening of Doors(Windham Hill)
• 1998Sound of Wind Driven Rain(Windham Hill)
• 2001Hearing Voices(Windham Hill)
• 2004Returning(Mary's Tree)
• 2008Meditations(Compass Productions)
• 2010New England Roads(Compass Productions)
• 2017Flow(LMB) -- with groupFlow
• 2018Was It This Lifetime(West River)
• 2019Four Guitars(independently published)
• 2019Promise(LMB) -- with groupFlow
• 2021Brothers(Retso)
• 2021Positano Songs(Imaginary Road)

See also

• List of ambient music artists

External links

• Official website
• Innerviews, 1998
• Windham Hill Records history 1982–1989
• Airlock door at Imaginary Road Studios