Raise the Barn Capital Campaign Newsletter- Spring

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SPRING CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2021

In This Issue Unspent Youth Ensemble Sponsors Lobby

Donor Recognition Opportunities Business Spotlight

More Than a Music Hall

Foundation Spotlight Meet the Architect Paul Lewandowski

$4,000,000 Goal

Raised to Date

$2,443,620

SPRING CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2021

Unspent Youth Ensemble Sponsors Lobby Jim Shaffer and his wife, Lynn, have been long time supporters of 317 Main.

As a member of the ensemble, Unspent Youth, Jim has found that the golden years may be the best time to learn and explore music. When Music Education Director, Chris Moore, observed that the 317 facility was over programed after school hours, but under programed in mid-morning weekdays,

Unspent Youth Ensemble

he had the idea of inviting retirees to form a group that would meet at 10 am Wednesday mornings. “He introduced us to each other and assigned Teaching Artist, Jake Hoffman, to be our coach. On March 2, 2016 we went downstairs and started jamming together, and we never quit."

After brainstorming group names over the next few months, the group decided to call themselves Unspent Youth, “because most of us did NOT spend our youth on music, but rather on things like building careers and raising families. Now in our retirement, we are able to revisit the time that wasn’t spent on music in their early decades. " The Shaffers wanted to increase their support of 317 Main and saw a naming opportunity in our new building as a perfect match for collective fundraising in the ensemble. Over the last few months, Jim began reaching out to his other band mates about leaving a legacy and soon the support began to grow. Every member of the ensemble donated, giving them 100% support from the group. Unspent Youth is excited to leave a music legacy at 317 Main for both young and old. "We are all over 70, and many of us have said that it sure feels good to be our age and still getting better at something. I have no illusion of having talent, but it has been a real source of joy and growth for me".

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Help Raise the Barn To learn more about 317 Main’s Raise the Barn campaign and our vision for the future, please contact Anne Gray at anneg@317main.org. Like the Shaffers and members of Unspent Youth, you have an opportunity to provide transformative support in helping us Raise the Barn prior to the public launch of the campaign.

We encourage you to reach out to one of our Capital Campaign Cabinet members, to Sally Struever (sally@317main.org), or to John Williams (john@317main.org), to discuss making a gift or pledge to this incredible campaign. By doing so, your generosity will go a long way toward ensuring we raise the $600,000 goal we’ve set prior to May 1st. We thank you in advance for your stewardship of our organization and your passion for music and your community; and for those who have already given so generously, we THANK YOU for getting us to this point!

Unspent Youth Lobby Rendering

Donor Recognition Opportunities Donors with gifts of $30,000+ will be given the opportunity to have a plaque installed in the proximity of the room/space. All other gifts will be recognized on a donor wall inside the new building.

The Hall at 317 Front Piazza Recording Studio Music Therapy Studio Café Music Garden Little Roots Room Upstairs Lobby

$500,000 $250,000 RESERVED RESERVED $250,000 $150,000 $100,000 RESERVED

Catering Kitchen Large Ensemble Room with Windows Group Music Lesson/Ensemble Rooms (4) Conference Room Lower Lobby Large Group Music Lesson/Ensemble Rooms (3) The Hall at 317 Main Green Room Individual Music Lesson Rooms (8)

$75,000 $60,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $30,000

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT In 2018, Gorham Savings Bank was looking to open a new branch location in Yarmouth, ME. A proponent of maintaining the uniqueness of Main Street, it was important to Gorham Savings to find the right fit in the local community to establish their new home.

After settling on a historic building in town, Gorham Savings saw a unique opportunity to help support another icon of Main Street. Recognizing the role that 317 Main plays in building community in the region, Gorham Savings wanted to help us achieve the dream of an expanded facility and graciously committed to a three year Capital Campaign contribution.

SPRING CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2021

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

More Than a Music Hall In our new expansion, The Hall is designed to accommodate 200 people seated, which means that it will have plenty of room for dancing groups of 150 people or more.

This is music to the ear of local dancers. The floor is a sprung floor, which means 2-3 layers of stringers between underlayment and subfloor that serve as shock absorbers for the action of dancing, giving dancers bounce and easing strain on bodies. It is also being built with CLT, cross-laminated timber, which leaves exposed wood on the interior, that when combined with other panels, makes for optimal acoustics for the music setting the tone for any type of dance we are doing.

317 Dancers See a Bright Future in The Hall

By Marian Dalton and Robb Spivey

. Through a lucky connection between Chris Moore, Director of Music Education, and English country dance enthusiasts, 317 Main began hosting English country dance classes 5 years ago. A partnership with the Yarmouth Historical Society made offering the class possible through use of their facility. We were able to overcome the fact that the concrete floor covered in carpet was bad both for footing and joints and the shape of the space was not conducive to a full circle of partners. We were beginning to outgrow the space when the Historical Society needed to close for major repairs. Fortunately Chris found us another temporary home at the First Parish Church in Yarmouth, and then a third at the Harrison Junior High School, but all this wandering hasn't help connect new potential dancers with the series. And then there's COVID, which hasn't helped.

Social dancing was one of the activities hardest hit by the pandemic since one not only actually touches partners, but the exercise may increase respiratory aerosols while you are in close proximity with them.

With great regret we suspended classes last March. While we are itching to dance again, it may still be a while before it is safe to gather. Yet we hold in front of us the vision of a permanent home in a larger space with good acoustics, a sprung wood floor and a stage for musicians. There is even a real piano so our band doesn't have to keep lugging a keyboard in every week! Space could also provide more opportunities for periodic general admission dances, outside of class structure, which could help publicize 317's programs.

We anticipate this stability will encourage even more people to discover the joys of English Country Dance, including its elegant, gracious, uplifting live music, physical and mental exercise, and regular friendly social interaction.

SPRING CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2021

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FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT

Jane's Trust Jane’s Trust has awarded a $100,000 grant to support the efforts of 317 Main Community Music Center (317 Main) to expand our facility and better serve the growing need for music education in the community.

Since 2003, Jane’s Trust has awarded over 1,000 grants totaling more than $150 million to nonprofits in greater Boston, northern New England, and Florida focused on education, environment, health and welfare, and arts and culture. The grant to 317 Main was one of the Trust's final competitive grants, made in 2019.

This investment from Jane’s Trust supports 317 Main’s commitment to continuing to meet the increasing demand for equitable access to music education in Maine. With this support, 317 Main is well on our way to reaching our $4 million fundraising goal. The campaign is designed to fund the creation of new building space that will house much-needed additional teaching studios, community spaces, and a multi-purpose hall. The project is slated to break ground in the spring of 2021.

Campaign Cabinet Justin Whitlock, Campaign Co-chair Tay Veitch, Campaign Co-chair John Williams, Executive Director Cass Baker Gail Cinelli Shari Elder Fred Frawley Crickette Gray Peter Haynes Jeff Schwartz Jim Shaffer Hans Underdahl Dennis Welsh Jeffrey White Staff: Molly Burk, Director of Foundation Relations Lisa Frates, Director of Marketing and Communications Anne Gray, Campaign Coordinator Sally Struever, Director of Development Campaign Counsel: Ronnie Weston & Evan Weston, Bull Moose Group SPRING CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2021

Meet the Architect Paul Lewandowski, the founding force behind Paul Designs Project, finds his inspiration for the new 317 Main building in the interlay of guitar fretboards, French parlor rooms, and the uniqueness of 317 Main's current Italianate-style building.

He's constantly looking at the physicality of instruments to inform how sound interacts in all of the spaces in the new building.

Paul Lewandowski

Paul was immediately drawn to not just the 317 Main project, but the people as well. He is excited to bring something truly unique to Maine that will become a regional attraction for music lovers of all ages. His design primarily focuses on sustainability and functionality by reducing the building's carbon footprint and introducing energy-saving systems and building features.

Hear more about the design and building process by watching an interview with Paul. https://vimeo.com/521427555/97766c9d8d

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