Riverbend Strings relocation, renovation for Community Space

This little journey of mine has been a beautiful ride. Finding my way forward here in Sherbrooke has been a lot of trial and error, and gobs of community support along the way. Many folks spent a good bit of time wondering what it is I was doing in this little shop, and honestly I wasn't loud about what it was because I was trying to be fluid and let the community and the market of the region guide how things should go. Now that things have settled, I find myself teaching and helping coordinate a nice combination of private and group music lessons, running a small community orchestra, while running a workshop that focuses on instrument rentals and restorations as well as bow-making. Things have evolved and unfolded in a way that has set a clear (ish) course for the first time and it feels great. I can see these paths continuing, bringing more teachers (and hopefully eventually employees) on board, being able to have more retail offerings, and stabilizing for long-term success.

A key part of my goal is to purchase the building for sale on Old Hill Road near the school.

Many of you reading this will already know my plans and hopes for this building, should I be able to acquire it. The simple version is that I can use it to continue doing what I’m doing (more efficiently) as well as create a space that will be open to the community. It’s not huge, but the space is large enough I can house my workshop as well as offer a front space for music-making, community hangouts, jam sessions, a safe place for teens and tweens to come after school to do homework, etc… In a rural community where we have very few spaces like this (not even a library with consistent hours), I truly believe in the value this could bring. And indeed, it would also be self-serving in that it would allow my business a space to stabilize and grow, while being near enough to the school to be able to better support my children and their often intense medical needs.

What does this community space look like? A comfortable, relatively open space with enough seating, a piano for practice for students that don't have one at home, wi-fi to connect for whatever you might need, and instruments that are available to pick up and play with no expectations or judgement. It's a space that could be booked in advance for what might be needed: a study group, a band practice, a first aid class, you name it. It will take a bit of time to make it a reality, but not as much as you might think. I'd love to make it a goal to have this space available within a few months of acquiring the building.

So here I go, doing this difficult thing of asking for help. I'm looking to raise funds. I'm hoping that my friends, family, and community believe in this idea or want to support what they see happening. And let me tell you, every little bit helps. $5 may not feel like much, but it does help - and beyond that, it shows me that I'm not alone in my belief that this idea and my little business adds value to our community. I sure hope it does, and hope you feel the same.

Now what happens with the money that is raised here? I have a loan approved through CBDC up to a certain amount, but it's not quite enough to meet the negotiated price, and doesn't cover costs of the small renovations that will be needed to create the community space. So ideally, the funds raised help push me over the finish line in the building purchase and set the business up with a bit of breathing room to start on the renovations to make the community space happen. I’m also working on raising my own funds, so anything above and beyond what is needed will roll into something I actually have been planning to fundraise for properly and that’s the Riverbend Scholarship Fund. No matter how this goes, I’m planning to start an account that is dedicated solely for folks that would like to take lessons/classes/rent an instrument but need assistance with some or all of the cost. I will eventually open this fund up separately to the community to contribute if they wish, as there are just so many caring folks here that will absolutely support their community if it's a cause they can get behind.

So in a perfect world, I raise the needed funds to get into the building and open the community space this fall, with enough left to seed the Scholarship Fund. The world is often not perfect though, and so the backup plans are as follows:

1) I can't raise the funds in time for fall but simply wait until the time is right and financing is feeling firm and make an offer and move ahead on the purchase.

2) I don't raise enough, circumstances change and I can't buy the building or someone else buys it before I can get a new offer on it and/or financing in place - the funds then go towards renovating the current rental space to better accommodate larger group lessons and create private studio - remaining funds go towards Riverbend Scholarship Fund. Community space would still be a goal, but on a smaller scale.

3) If renovations in the current space aren't possible for whatever reason, funds would go towards the Scholarship Fund as well as exploring other opportunities such as donating instruments to the Municipal Recreation Department, running outreach programs/concerts, etc.

Finances and business are complex, and I'm open to direct conversation. There are lots of specifics I'm leaving out here but happy to share. If anyone has questions or feedback for me, I'm all ears and happy to share anything that may be useful. I have no secrets. Also happy to share my business plan for those that are interested.

So if you've ever been moved by your own love for making music, if you know the gift of someone putting an instrument into young hands (regardless of how long they learn), if you understand the challenges of rural living and the lack of artistic and creative opportunities that can come about, if you see the value of having a safe place free of expectations or cost in a community of any size, or if you just love our little family and want to help us strengthen the community our kids are being raised in while strengthening my business, then you may consider it worthwhile to contribute something. You might also think it's worthwhile but find yourself unable to, or unwilling, and please know that I have no expectations here. Anything that comes of this will be a great and happy surprise, and if nothing does, then there is no harm done. Either way, I'm grateful that you are a part of my journey and the support you've shown so far. Thank you

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** Important note to add: Many of my family and friends are located in the US, and the funds raised here are shown in CAD. USD have a higher value, and so any donations input will cost something like 73% of what is input. For example, the 10,000 goal is more like 7,400 in USD. A $10 donation would process as about $7.40 USD.