By Kaitlyn Rubertone
Think about this for a second: if you could do something for the rest of your life and make enough money to financially sustain yourself, what would it be?
When my colleague asked this question to us this summer, the answers varied from running flower shops and bakeries to being stay-at-home parents, or any job that provides fulfillment without financial reward. After thinking about what truly brings me joy, my response was that I’d want to run a small music venue. Something is quite beautiful about an empty venue being filled with people gathering under a shared purpose. It’s magical to think about an hour or two dedicated to being in the moment, enjoying something as a whole. I dreamed about building the place where the next big artist was able to make their big break. I thought about how I could create a venue that both new and existing artists would want to play at. I got excited about all the new genres of music I would discover by giving musicians a home to do what they love. I wanted to become the community staple that both residents and tourists looked forward to frequenting.
Unpacking this question now, as I’ve had the opportunity to dedicate the last four months into understanding the policies behind local live music venues and the problems they face, this answer is somewhat facetious.
