photo by Katelyn Edwards
Brave Sounds Entertainment, a student-led music development organization, aims to grow and nurture a music community on Bradley’s campus.
Founded in 2013, BSE originally functioned as a record label and organizer of on-campus concerts, bringing Chance the Rapper to Bradley during its first year. This semester, the group’s focus shifted to more intimate work with individual student and community artists.
As a professional resource to advance artists’ musical endeavors, BSE helps artists obtain copyrights and patents, manage social media, design logos and cover art, write songs and produce music videos and images. The organization does not focus on any particular genre or talent in music, but rather allows students of all music tastes and backgrounds to share and develop their interests.
Sophomore graphic design major Harland Reid serves as the artistic development chair for BSE.
“[BSE] is criminally unknown on campus,” Reid said. “It can help local musicians get some opportunities Bradley, as a school, won’t be able to offer.”
This work not only helps struggling artists, but also offers experiential, hands-on learning for anyone looking to get involved in the music industry.
BSE is currently working with singer/songwriter junior advertising major Lizzy Young.
“It doesn’t matter what major you are; anyone can join,” Young said. “[BSE] allows me the opportunity to study my field, while not having to give up what I love the most – music.”
Young said she can sing and write, but she was in need of instrumentals. BSE added piano, guitar and drums to her lyrics and voice, developing songs Young hopes to gather into an EP.
Lauren Rainey, junior music business major and president of BSE, said she is excited about the organization’s accomplishments this semester.
“I think the best thing is just seeing [Young] light up as she hears everything put together, as she realizes her music is happening and not just a figment of her imagination anymore,” Rainey said.
Within the next year, Rainey said she hopes BSE will work closely with three to four more local artists like Young.
Members of BSE said typically end up working or just hanging out for hours past the end of meetings, and often spend time together outside of the organization, according to Young.
“Every person [in BSE] is unique and has their own strengths and areas of expertise, yet they all somehow fit together so that the whole organization is like … a bunch of pieces from different puzzles that somehow fit together to make a different puzzle,” Young said.
Senior accounting major Jim Geoffrey said he also found a music community through BSE, and has since both hosted and performed in house shows and concerts around campus.
“If not for BSE, I may have never found local music,” Geoffrey said.
For those interested in getting involved, Brave Sounds Entertainment meets every Thursday at 8 p.m. in Constance Hall Room 113. For more information, check out their website https://bravesoundsentertainment.com/ or email bravesounds.ent@gmail.com.
