William Charles Patrick Sherwood, better known as Bill Sherwood (June 14, 1952 – February 10, 1990) was an American musician, screenwriter and film director. Sherwood was born in
Washington, D.C., and grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan. A talented violinist, he attended the
National Music Camp and graduated from the
Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan in 1970, where he majored in composition. He then moved to New York City, where he was a composition student of
Elliott Carter at
The Juilliard School. Discouraged by his progress and fascinated by the cultural and social upheavals going on in New York at the time, he discontinued his composition studies, eventually enrolling at
Hunter College as a composition major, where he earned a degree and made several short films.