Since founding Peoria Music Live seven years ago, Kindall Reuschel has been financing the bulk of the operation out of her own pocket.
Reuschel said she has kept PML running because of her love for music, Peoria and its people. But she does not believe PML — a music management and promotion platform — is sustainable without financial support from the community.
Proceeds from Hire A Housewife, Reuschel’s cleaning business, had helped her fund PML in the past. But last year, staffing issues at Hire A Housewife forced her to make a choice between coordinating live music events or running her business.
“To keep the cleaning business open, I would have to start cleaning again full time leaving me no time for live music,” Reuschel said. “I had to choose between the business that paid the bills or the business that fills my heart.”
Since closing Hire A Housewife last August, Reuschel has been working a variety of side jobs. PML hosted the fundraising event PML Takeover last October at Peoria’s 3300 Event Center, and Reuschel launched an online fund-raiser last month. The current fundraiser will continue through the end of the year and Reuschel’s goal is $40,000. PML will also host a second PML Takeover event in October.
“Music drives the local economy,” she said. “Places that host live music keep a larger percentage of dollars spent there local than chains do. Music isn’t just a nice thing to have … it is a necessity. “
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria Music Live raising money to continue operations
Reporting by Mike Kramer, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
