Name: Brielle Liebman
Hometown: Wayne, NJ
Major: Popular Music
Minor: Social Justice
Year: Junior
Involvement: Feminist Collective E-board member, highly involved with the music department
Fun Fact: I have a twin sister who is also my best friend!
Favorite Quote: “A good song reminds us what we’re fighting for.” – Pete Seeger
Brielle Liebman is the effortlessly cool girl walking around campus with a guitar on her back while rocking an awesome pair of boots, but what truly makes Brielle cool is her blend of compassion and ambition. The singer/songwriter has a voice that is not only beautiful but that shares a kind message. Brielle brilliantly channels her ideas of equality and social justice into a creative outlet. Additionally, whether she’s facilitating a meeting of the Feminist Collective or organizing a showcase, Brielle has a way of bringing people together for a cause. Her musical abilities, passion for social justice, and displays of leadership are what make Brielle our Campus Celebrity this week.
HC: How long have you been singing and playing guitar?
BL: I have been singing since I can remember. A lot of the things I did as a child contribute to what I do now. I have been writing poetry since I was five years old probably, whenever I could write words. I would sing and write melodies with my twin sister in elementary school all of the time for fun. My first somewhat serious experience singing was my fourth grade talent show that my sister and I did with my best friends. I started playing guitar the summer before 8th grade, so I was 13 years old. That would be around 7 years now.
HC: Have your musical and feminist journeys helped shape your college experience?
BL: In a lot of ways, my musical and feminist experiences have been my only college experiences. Because I am a commuter, the only campus life I experience is the campus life that I stay for. The music department is so small, so Shea feels like a family. I think honestly, if I weren’t music major, I would not have made as many friends as I have because I don’t think other departments are as isolated as we are. I think its safe to say I met all of my friends through music or social justice activities.
Furthermore, on an actual musical stand point, being in this school has greatly changed my songwriting. When you get here to study music, it’s like the jazz presence just engulfs you, and you cannot avoid it. You either start to resent it, or you accept it and become influenced by it. I did the latter. I really respect our jazz musicians, and I have listened to jazz much more as a William Paterson student than I would have otherwise. It changed the chords I choose to use in my songs, the melodies I write, and the Shea practice culture changed how seriously I take my art, in a very good way. People are pretty focused.
And my feminist journey! The Feminist Collective gave me an outlet to talk about all of my frustrations, the things I just can’t stop thinking about. I am consistently disappointed or angered by social injustices, and to meet a group of people (by extension YDS and other social groups on campus as well) that want to see equality the way I do has really enlightened me. Being at a rally or protest with your friends and fellow activists is such an empowering experience. The girls on the Fem Coll E-board have been so much fun to work with, and as a group we are pretty focused and organized. I see our campus getting more involved with social justice issues, and it just warms my heart and keeps me inspired.
HC: What has been your greatest achievement here at WPUNJ?
BL: My greatest accomplishment has just been all the progress that the Popular Music major has had. If you ask any Pop student, they will tell you how involved I am. The major is only 4 years old and is very open to development. My sophomore year, my friend Allison Mckenzie and I created the Popular Music Showcase, which was greatly successful. We convinced the Music department to let us have midday credit for it. (If you are music major, you understand how awesome that is.) I made a Stevie Wonder chamber ensemble for the Pop majors, which was our first ever chamber ensemble, and we conceptualized the idea of a dialogue day for the Pop students. I think that really helped the rest of the Music department understand what the Pop students did, and appreciate that we could write songs in a way that perhaps they couldn’t. Last semester, we had a Michael Jackson ensemble that I guess I was more or less in charge of conceptualizing, though all five members were very focused and involved so it was really a team effort. And again, I ran the Popular Music Showcase with my friend Bobby Mahoney, and again, it was successful. I think I have personally tried to push the boundaries that our major was given at its birth and prove to the rest of the department that the Popular Music students are very talented and that they should have faith in our abilities to succeed! I personally believe in us very much.
HC: If you were to give your younger-self a piece of advice, what would it be?
BL: I guess that depends on which “younger-self” I would be talking to! In a lot of ways, I don’t feel so separate from her. But in high school, I would probably tell myself to practice guitar more. I would also just try to convince my senior year self that life would get better and that I would eventually grow from what I had been experiencing. It would have been nice to know that in pain, there was purpose.
HC: What helps you get through the hectic semester?
BL: I just try to not extend my energy into things that are not important to me. I will work hard to stay on track with what I have to do. I think because I really love what I am studying, the work excites me, and that keeps me motivated.
HC: What do you hope to accomplish within the next year?
BL: In the next year, the Feminist Collective is hoping to create a social justice music and art festival on campus. It is definitely a big project to take on, and we need all the help we can get! (Ahem, anyone reading this, if you want to help, contact me!)
On a more personal level, I have been recording in Shea all of last semester, so I am hoping to release an EP soon, and I would love to find consistent band mates to record and play shows with.
HC: Do you have any post graduation plans?
BL: After graduation I really want to focus all of my energy on songwriting, promoting, and performing in a way that will hopefully garner success. I really just want to perform the music I write and get involved more in the world of activism. I also have been very interested in the field of ethnomusicology, and I definitely am considering going to grad school at for it — maybe not right after college though.
Follow Brielle and her music on social media. “Like” her on Facebook and listen to her on YouTube.