Will Shishmanian

Progress update on growing my curls back out for the first time in over a decade // all hotel bathrooms have better lighting than my bathroom so I legally must take advantage // Crashing OUT? Or crashing IN? Is this something? #transman #ftm #queer #curlyhairgrowth

Back in NYC after the 10th @atlantisevents cruise that I’ve played guitar for! Highlights include: - The acoustic cover of “Human Nature” I got to do with the incredible @cacophonydaniels ❤️ - Sitting in a beach cabana for 15 minutes in Cabo before we got kicked out into the sand (we were not paying hotel guests lol) - Tearing it up on the dance floor with @brandojamesmusic and @itsalyssawray (not to mention Alyssa’s three stellar shows, which I have no pics/video of 🥲) - @theeavioncehoyles bringing down the house with the Atlantis debut of his show @deartinashow - Singing backing vocals with @brianjnash supporting @amberiman_ on her two transcendent shows - Collecting rocks on the beach (and getting this gay little guitar duck from one of our recurring guests) I’ll be land locked until the next cruise in July! See you then 🚢🏳️‍🌈 #atlantiscruise #guitarist #lgbtq

MARCH. It was an absolutely unhinged month in the world, but I love my people and my community, and somehow feeling motivated enough to just keep trying, and doing what I love, no matter what ❤️🏳️‍⚧️ Highlights include: - @atriptothemoonmusical album release show - Working diligently on @trummmusic and my new musical (and I’m personally back on a new draft of @amberlandmusical this month!) - Going to one of the baby showers @kdawndumas helped plan, looking very yeehaw queer auntie and uncle - @sophiebmusical at @prospectmusicals IGNITE Festival - @_jake_mendes_ show at Pangea (no show photos, but peep that post show pasta 😍) #marchdump #guitarist #nycmusicians

Still listening to @atriptothemoonmusical almost exclusively since the album came out last week 🌝 Thanks to @giocoppolaphoto for these incredible pics from our album release show! Forever grateful to be in community with such wonderful, talented people, especially now. Thanks to @adamjrineer for bringing us all together, and for writing a sick fucking rock opera 🎸👽 #atriptothemoon #rockopera #livemusic #fenderstratocaster

Posting this song from @thirdsex1930 from our show on Tuesday, despite my little flubs, because I think it’s so relevant right now. The fact that the original text that @adamjrineer adapted was from 1930 is both a reminder that trans people have always existed — we are not a TikTok trend, and that we are in another cycle of fighting this same fight. I’ve sang this song “The Desperate Struggle” a bunch of times, but embodying this story of a trans man struggling with his government identification almost 100 years ago, when we’re still here dealing with it in 2026 was a little surreal (and a little challenging, if I’m being totally honest. The lyric “It’s so easy to kill a person from the desk of bureaucracy” has really been sticking out to me, especially since the original author points out that he was TRYING to just be a regular member of society. We are human, we are your neighbors, your friends, your peers, your lovers. And while it’s a challenging time, this evening reminded me that what we have now that we didn’t always have access to in the past is community. So while I feel afraid for the future, I feel grateful for all the wonderful people in my life who I know will have each other’s backs. #trans #newmusicals #nycmusicians

Let’s keep this party popping…on second thought, let’s not pop the party! @willshish first joined us as part of the @moxieartsnyc Incubator launch concert and we’ve been trying to lure him back to the balloon ever since! Will is meticulous and really makes the guitar sing. We’re so glad to have him rockin’ with us March 27th as part of @prospectmusicals ’ Ignite Festival (which featured his musical @amberlandmusical last year).

🚨This is a sentimental @adamjrineer appreciation post! (yes, THAT Adam J. Rineer, Jonathan Larson Grant Winner!) 🚨 Ahead of the @atriptothemoonmusical live album release on March 3rd (and the release show which you should absolutely not miss), I wanted to take some time to reflect on not only the stages of this show that I’ve gotten to be a part of, but the whole trans musical theatre world that Adam has created, and the community that has emerged around it, including @thirdsex1930 , of course. When I think about all the truly fucked up things happening in the world to our trans community, this space to create, explore, support each other, sing, cry, laugh, try new things, get a ride home, pile into a diner, and more, feels like a true sanctuary. Not only has Adam’s music given me a huge push I needed as a guitarist, but gives me hope for the future of theater, and that audiences may truly see us, trans creators, as people who can just be as genius and giving and wonderful as our cis peers. So if you’re free March 3rd at 8:30pm, head on over to Club Cumming to hear us play some stuff from Moon, Third Sex, and one of Adam’s new pieces. As always, I’m so honored to be a part of it ❤️🏳️‍⚧️🎸 #atriptothemoon #newmusicals #nycmusicians

Perhaps it was the 30 hour trip home after my flight was cancelled, or the general state of the world, but I am finally posting my roundup from last month’s cruise gig, which was the NINTH @atlantisevents cruise that I’ve played guitar for! And this one honestly makes the top 3, for me. The Atlantis band played 9 days in a row, 13 shows, for 6 incredibly talented artists: @amberiman_ @robhouchen @nickrburroughs @lagoonabloonyc @mattfdoyle and @marymacofficial Other highlights include: - Our beloved bassist @mohanritsema ‘s birthday! - An incredible canoeing excursion in Cartagena, Colombia with the best tour guide ever, @yeimyguzmangarcia - Going to the gym for the first time with @justintambini (next time, maybe I’ll go TWICE) - Getting to connect and spend time with so many friends, old and new - I also really loved having my longer hair, which sounds small, but this is the longest I’ve let it get since transitioning, and it’s been a nice personal reclamation (alas, a haircut gone awry has lessened some of the curl on the sides since this trip, but it’ll grow back, eventually 🥲) For the folks who go on Atlantis cruises, the band will be back in April, July, and November this year. See you on the ocean! #guitarist #cruiseshiplife #atlantisevents

First show of 2026 was made of DREAMS, pun intended!! Thank you @sydstephan for having me on guitar for Songbirds of the 70s. This is my absolute favorite era of music, and it was such a joy to get to live in and learn the guitar parts of some of my favorite artists, like Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, the list goes on. In addition to Sydney singing lead, you’re hearing the sweet sounds of @sabinademidovich and @ericbyers__ on vocal harmonies, @svulpes on bass, and @ajdrumz on drums! #fleetwoodmac #livemusicnyc #stratocaster

Happy Holidays, folks! ✨ Despite my serious “don’t fuck up this song” face, I had a blast being back on bass for @ucancallmesis with her annual Sismas production this week, and getting to support vocalists such as @bnoelthomas on “This Christmas”, as heard here! This was my last show of the year, but I’m already looking forward to what’s on the calendar (and what MIGHT be on the calendar) in 2026 👀 Hope everyone is getting some time to rest and spend some time with loved ones before the new year ❤️ #thischristmas #bassguitar #holidayspirit

“Single Petal of a Rose” - a Billy Strayhorn tune arranged beautifully by our drummer @storycm.music , performed at @henriettahudson last night for @queerjazzcollective 🏳️‍🌈🎸 And that’s none other than @adamjrineer on keys and @calvinkaleelmusic on upright bass. You can also hear @not_dragging go “YEAH” during an improved moment, which absolutely fuels me, despite the fact that my concentration face is like 😐 One more gig before the new year! See you at Sismas on the 23rd! #jazzguitar #telecaster #jazzstandard

NOVEMBER!!! Birthday celebrations, family/friends/chosen family, Wicked For Good, cats. Thank you to everyone who made the month special ❤️ #november #birthdayparty #thanksgiving