By Liz Hammond, Asst. Living & Arts Editor
There’s a certain aura to new musicians. They have a nervous energy. They tend to stumble over their words about the band because it’s never something that they had to think about.
Senior Seth Schilling, lead singer and guitarist of the band BrokenStar, didn’t show any nervous energy when he sat down at the Starbucks table.
He shook my hand immediately and with a grin said, “Wow, this is so rad.”
Schilling, who had been in a band previously, had never performed his own music in front of people, but especially
not his fellow peers.
So when BrokenStar took the stage for the first time at “Big Man On Campus” last April, no one could believe they had never done that before.
Schilling said that the whole idea of performing was organic. He mentioned it to his bandmates, juniors Milo Brooking and William Meriney, all three of whom are in the fraternity Phi Mu Alpha at Susquehanna. All were in agreement that it was time they won something to really solidify their title as a band.
Fast forward to September 2018, the group performed at the Market Street Festival.
According to Schilling, this was their first performance on a stage in front of people who weren’t their peers. One of the staff members at the festival came up to Schilling afterward and told him how much of an amazing job they did.
For Schilling, this was the positive affirmation he needed to keep going.
With most bands, the hardest part isn’t performing, but rather figuring out what genre they fit in to so they can appeal to the most amount of people.
“I would say we give off an alternative emo-grunge vibe, if that makes sense,” Schilling laughed.
Schilling named some of his inspirations: Pearl Jam, Weezer, Queen and Led Zeppelin.
“All of these bands really focus on why they’re writing the songs and the audience they’re writing to,” Schilling
explained. “It’s not just for [commercialism].”
All of these bands are also open to exposing the most intimate details of their life in any of their given songs.
“My favorite [BrokenStar] piece, ‘Pillowcase Race:’ it’s about a personal experience and it’s my favorite song to play. The music where I expose myself is my favorite … When I’m up on that stage singing, I can just clock out and feel the music,” Schilling said.
Fellow Phi Mu Alpha brother, senior Alex Kurtz said: “Seth has a personality that transitions really well into his music and matches the vibe of the band. His sarcasm and humor really come alive when he gets on stage and creates a more personal relationship for the audience.”
Artists have so many thoughts going through their mind at one time. Schilling is no exception: you can almost immediately tell he is a singer-songwriter. He has a way with words that is so fluid, almost everything he says could be a lyric.
This transcends into BrokenStar: the band knows who they are playing to.
The three collectively put together a show where everyone’s eyes are watching. No one can look away, which is a big reason why they won “Big Man On Campus.”
They are a band that makes you just want to know how they do it: how they work so well on a stage that they aren’t familiar with.
For Schilling, the answer is easy: “The writing process is so organic. I pick up either the electric or acoustic guitar and
play chords that sound cool.” “Then I sing over it with different melodies and words and then bring it to the band,”
Schilling continued. “I enjoy a more collab atmosphere and more investment from other members. It’s a lot of trust on our parts to make sure we are making the best we can.”
Brooking said, “Seth has this natural ability to care for everyone and that makes him great for interacting with people on-stage.”
“He really reaches out a lot emotionally when he performs, especially if the audience is already engaged a bit,” Brooking continued. “I know I’ve seen bands both with and without that connection and I always have a better time at a show when it’s there.”
Luckily for BrokenStar, it’s apparent that they have a fearless leader, ready to strip himself and give everything to the art of his craft.