WHO I AM

My name is Rachel Powell. I'm a pianist and vocalist based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and I've spent the better part of my adult life in fine dining and hospitality — reading rooms, serving guests, understanding what makes an experience feel unforgettable.

I've also spent a significant part of my life surviving things I never should have had to survive. Domestic violence. Physical trauma that left a titanium plate under my eye. I gave away a kidney because someone else needed it more than I did. And through every single one of those chapters, music was there — the one constant, the one thing that belonged to me.

I am The Vintage Songbird. Solo piano and vocals — jazz, soul, torch songs, classic rock, Broadway — performed in the intimate, elegant spaces where live music transforms an evening into a memory. Wine bars. Fine dining restaurants. Resort lobbies. Private events. The kind of music that makes people stop mid-conversation and just feel something.

I have 20 years of front-of-house and hospitality experience. I have an active LLC, liability insurance, professional contracts, and 21 venue outreaches already sent. I have warm leads at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Brother Luck's restaurant, and Garden of the Gods. I have equipment. I have the talent. I have the story.

What I need is a runway to get there.

WHERE EVERY DOLLAR GOES

This is not a vague ask. Here is exactly what $13,000 makes possible:

The $13,000 Breakdown

PA System Upgrade

Professional sound for resort lobbies & fine dining rooms

$3,000

Operating Reserve

3-month stability fund so I can say yes to gigs without panic

$3,000

Professional Website

Booking-ready, press-kit quality presence

$2,000

EPK Video Production

The video that gets me in the door at The Broadmoor

$1,500

Marketing & Promotion

Year 1 social ads, printed materials, campaign assets

$1,500

Microphone Accessories

Stands, cables, redundant backup kit

$350

Stage Aesthetics

Custom branded backdrop + LED uplighting

$350

IEM Monitors + Travel Bags

Professional ear monitoring + equipment protection

$300

Total

$13,000

I've already invested $3,000 of my own money to get here — the Roland FP-30X keyboard, a Sennheiser microphone, a Bose S1 Pro speaker, and my LLC formation. I have active liability insurance through Lloyd's of London. I am not starting from zero. I am starting from almost there.

HOW TO BE PART OF THIS

Every contribution — no matter the size — is a vote for this story having a different ending.

$10

THE KIND STRANGER

You believe in this. That means something. Your name goes on my private "Founding Supporters" list — the people who were there at the beginning.

$25

THE NOTE OF SUPPORT

I'll send you a personal thank-you voice memo — me at the piano, recorded just for you. Because live music should feel personal.

$50

THE FRONT ROW

Digital download of my first recorded EP the moment it releases, plus your name on my website as a founding supporter of The Vintage Songbird.

$100

THE SONG DEDICATOR

I'll dedicate and perform a song to you at one of my live shows, with a personalized video message sent to you before the performance.

$250+

THE PATRON

A private 30-minute virtual performance — just for you, or a group you choose. The Vintage Songbird, in your home, on your screen.

WHERE THIS GOES

My first filmed live performance is happening this Memorial Day weekend. Active grant applications are in motion — Amber Grant, IFundWomen, and the Colorado Creative Industries Arts in Society Grant. The Vintage Songbird LLC is registered, insured, and already in conversation with venues across Colorado Springs.

The three-year plan is clear:

Year 1 — establish 3–4 monthly residencies and replace my serving income.

Year 2 — reduce HVAC hours as music revenue grows, land the Broadmoor and Cheyenne Mountain.

Year 3 — exit the day jobs entirely, expand beyond Colorado Springs, release original music.

I am turning 40 in October. I have been through things that would have ended most people. I am not most people. And I am not waiting anymore.

"Music was the one thing no one could take from me.”

Help me finally give it to the world.

— RACHEL POWELL · THE VINTAGE SONGBIRD

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