Fourth Estate Newspaper

Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Photo by Meg Skop/Fourth Estate Pantene Pro Voice winner Libbie Schrader performed at Common Grounds Nov. 10. Good Times Programming sponsored the event.

Walking into the Common Grounds Coffee House Nov. 10 night, one would've seen a woman with shining, red hair playing a piano for about 30 students. She is independent artist Libbie Schrader, a singer and songwriter with a pop/rock style who just kicked off her Midwest colleges and clubs tour.
After graduating college, Schrader was in a band, which took part in a competition in "Rolling Stone", called Pantene Pro-Voice. The competition was about celebrating what women had to say, Schrader explained.
"I have a song about a late period, and I thought we should record that song," Schrader said. "Isn't the contest about celebrating what women have to say?"
The band was the winner of the event, beating out over 1,200 other female competitors for the award. The prizes of the competition were a nationwide tour with the singer, Poe, and a demo deal with Atlantic Records.
She and her former band also opened three shows on Jewel's "This Way" tour. But, the band soon broke up after the contest and tour.
"We had never done anything off of our college campus, and then suddenly we were opening for Jewel in front of 5,000 people," Schrader said. "Then we went home and there were 20 people at the club. It was too much for us."
Now she's performing solo. She appeared on the 2006 "Gilmore Girls'" season finale, performing her song, "Sweet When You Wanna Be." Schrader also has songs featured on a wide variety of MTV shows, including "The Hills," "True Life" and "Parental Control."
Her songs tend to be about verbalizing and valuing feminine experiences.
"I have a song about how I don't know how to be a beautiful girl, which I think a lot of people feel that way," Schrader said.
She also has a song called, "Wish You Were the Woman," which talks about when a guy chases after a girl and gets her, it's deemed to be noble. But, when a girl chases after a guy it seems uncool and not fair, Schrader said.
Haley Schoblodcher, a UW-Green Bay nursing student, said she thought Schrader was unique and liked the covers that she played, including Journey's song, "Don't Stop Believing."
Schrader also covered the songs "No One," by Alicia Keys and "Dancing in the Dark," by Bruce Springsteen.
Philip Sharrow, a student majoring in environmental policy and planning, thought she put a lot of emotion into the performance.
Schrader said she enjoys playing at colleges but has bigger ambitions for herself and her music.
"I would like playing large venues with a whole band, but I'm happy to play whenever I can play," Schrader said.
She has also met with five different major record labels. She still hasn't broke through but hopes to sign with a label soon.
Students who attended the performance said they enjoyed the show.
"I thought she was a really good singer," Brittany LaMere, a UWGB social change and development major, said. "She had a good voice, and I think she is going to get pretty far with her music."

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