The summer blockbuster movie season has begun! I’ve always loved movies, and I especially appreciate how music intertwines with story lines and contributes to the emotion and feel of a film. I love it when I leave a movie still humming the tunes to the songs played in the background, like the scores of the Star Wars or Harry Potter series.
AAUW has helped fund the graduate education of a woman who creates just such musical art. Erika Lieberman, a 2005–06 AAUW Career Development Grantee, is a composer for movie shorts, films, and video games.
The daughter of a writer-director, Lieberman has always been interested in music. However, it wasn’t until just before her 30th birthday that she decided to make a career change from publishing. She figured that “if you’re going to struggle, it may as well be for something you love!” The AAUW grant allowed her to devote both her emotional energy and her time to her degree.
Lieberman’s work is distinctive in the composing world thanks to her use of exotic instruments and folk styles. She performs with a variety of unique instruments, such as the sarod, found in the Middle East and Central Asia; the oud of North Africa; the tabla, played in India; the uilleann pipes of Ireland; the English concertina; and the hammered dulcimer, found in Europe and Asia. Her unique sound fits nearly any project, from video games to period films. Christy Carew, president of Forest House Music, said in an e-mail that Lieberman is a “unique composer with a style that is wholly her own … one of the new film scoring voices to keep your eye and ears on.”
A sampling of Lieberman’s work — including songs like “Forest Journey,” “Vampire Castle,” and “The Sunchasers” — can be heard online. I strongly encourage you to listen to her songs. I found myself mesmerized by the unique tones and instruments. Lieberman’s work for the short film That’s My Majesty was performed live at Lincoln Center in New York City. Her portfolio includes a multitude of films, television shows, and games. You may also have caught her music in films and shows such as Suburban Madness; Till Death Do Us Part, starring John Waters; and Guiana 1838.
Now Lieberman has shifted her focus to a new genre — video games. As indie films presented fewer opportunities, she was attracted to the video game industry’s fast-growing nature. She founded her own game-music company, Sonic Legends. Lieberman is exuberantly proud of the work they are doing and hopes to see her company become the go-to music licensing resource for indie video game developers. Lieberman does not downplay the hard work that has gone into this company. “Running your own company is really hard and really scary,” she says. But reading articles about Sonic Legends’ success or the positive experiences composers have had when working with her makes it clear that the experience has been wholly worthwhile.
Be sure to keep an eye out for her name in movie or video game credits!
This post was written by AAUW Fellowships and Grants Intern Elyssa Shildneck.










