Bill Lieven - Director of Music and Liturgy

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Fort Atkinson, WI with my parents and two older sisters.  After graduation from Fort Atkinson High School, I attended UW Whitewater for one year as a Business Major, then transferred to Carthage College in Kenosha, WI where I received my BA in secondary Choral Music Education with organ as a primary instrument and voice as a secondary instrument.  After working fulltime at St.  Kilian Church in Hartford, WI for two years I went to Graduate School at UW – Madison, where I finished with a M.A. in Organ Performance.  After Graduate School I worked fulltime as Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Joseph Church in Grafton, WI, then came here to St. Eugene.  I am married to Sue Lieven, a teacher at Milwaukee German Immersion School and we have two high school age children, Samantha and James.

What do you do as St. Eugene Director of Music and Liturgy? 

As Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Eugene, I am responsible for all the musical/liturgical aspects of our prayer life together.  I direct the Adult, Bell, Children and Resurrection Choirs as well as manage the Instrumental Group and guest Instrumentalist.  I also organize and help form our liturgical ministries, such as Communion Minister and Reader.

What is the best part of the your job? 

My favorite part of the job is accompanying the assembly during Masses.  It has always been a thrill to listen to the voices of God’s people raised in song.

What would you be doing if you were not called? 

I am not sure what I would be doing if not for this; it seems a good fit for my gifts, but I also enjoy teaching immensely.

What are you reading these days?

I am always reading 2 or 3 books at the same time.  Usually, something for professional development or theology, a biography, and something fictional, lately that being stories based on medieval life, murder, mayhem and that sort of thing.

Favorite movie quote

"." Field of Dreams (1989)

What was your first car?

My first car was a fire engine red, Ford Granada purchased, I might add, from a very reputable junk yard outside of Fort Atkinson.  It carried me through undergraduate work until pieces of the engine would fall out while I was driving.  My motto at the time was “If it is still running just keep going.”