Joel Shearer

Joel Shearer is a Los Angeles–based sound artist, composer, and experimental musician working at the intersection of sonic immersion, haptic design, and spatial experience. His practice explores the emotional and physical dimensions of sound, creating environments that are both felt and heard.

As a collaborator with the arts and research lab Chromasonic, Shearer has composed sound for large-scale immersive installations, including Making Sense of Color—a collaboration with Google Design Studio presented at Salone del Mobile 2024—as well as experiential works exhibited at Miami Design Week and throughout Los Angeles. His work in these contexts integrates sound and light into spatial, meditative compositions rooted in resonance and perception.

As a solo artist, Shearer has released over 200 works spanning ambient, instrumental, and mood-driven music. Through the manipulation of analogue instruments, his recordings explore the subtle effects of tone, frequency, and texture, evoking emotional and physical states.

Prior to his work as a sound artist, Shearer spent over two decades recording and touring with artists including Alanis Morissette, Dido, Annie Lennox, Damien Rice, Michael Bublé, and Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros. His guitar work is also featured in film scores such as 127 Hours, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Trolls.

Bridging performance, sound design, and physical form, Shearer’s intention with his work is to invite audiences into contemplative, multisensory spaces where sound becomes a medium of presence.