Weathersfield music series hopes to “get everyone back together”

Bill Brink, a singer and songwriter from Springfield, Vt., will perform the inaugural concert of the Weathersfield Summer Music Series Friday, July 9.
Bill Brink, a singer and songwriter from Springfield, Vt., will perform the inaugural concert of the Weathersfield Summer Music Series Friday, July 9. Photo provided by Bill Brink

WEATHERSFIELD, Vt. – Local music supporters and the town of Weathersfield are partnering to provide an outdoor music series to give residents a much needed social respite from the 15-month ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and area musicians a venue to resume their art.

The Weathersfield Summer Music Series, the brainchild of Bill and June Brink of Springfield, Vt., aims to simultaneously fill two demands in the southern Windsor County region: a new source for live music and another venue for local musicians who have had limited work for over a year due to pandemic restrictions.

“There really wasn’t much around here for music besides getting hired for a gig at a bar or something,” June Brink told The Eagle Times. “We wanted something outdoors.”

The series, which kicks off Friday, July 9, will provide free live music every Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hoisington Field (sometimes called the Perkinsville Soccer Field) in Perkinsville, Vt. The 11-week series is slated to run through Friday, Sept. 24.

The Weathersfield Parks and Recreation Commission is sponsoring the music series, which town officials hope will help to bring the community back together after a difficult year and additional months of quarantining and gathering restrictions.

“We think this is a great way to get everyone back together,” said Weathersfield Town Manager Brandon Gulnick.

Hoisington Field is an ideal location for public gatherings, organizers said. There is ample lawn space, a pavilion with tables for chess or checkers, a basketball court and a playground.

Brink said she is currently working to secure food truck vendors. The biggest challenge now, according to Brink, is raising donations and sponsorships to fund the series through the scheduled dates. While the concerts are free to the public, Brink hopes to raise a total of $7,000, a conservative budget needed to pay musicians and cover expenses like the sound equipment and advertising.

The town of Weathersfield is funding $1,000 to cover expenses of the first two concerts, according to Brink. The expense per show will vary based on the number of musicians performing.

Despite having only a short time-window to launch the music series this year, Brink said it felt particularly important to assist local musicians sooner. “Most of the musicians we know lost all their gigs last year,” Brink said. “And that was a lot of income for a lot of people. So we thought let’s get them a gig.”

Musicians, including Brink’s husband Bill, have been “dying to play” but the available venues remain limited, according to Brink. “The problem now is that everything is opening up but musicians everywhere are [competing] for the gigs,” Brink said. “There’s not a lot left for the little guys.”

Brink hopes with enough additional funds to offer special treats like a free pizza or free ice cream night for attendees.

People wishing to donate are encouraged to send a check by mail or in-person to the Town of Weathersfield at Martin Memorial Hall, 5259 US Route 5, P.O. Box 550, Ascutney, VT 05030. Checks should be made to The Town of Weathersfield and include a note specifying a summer music series donation.

For additional payment questions, people may contact the office at 802-674-2626.

Though Brink would prefer donations be sent directly to the town, people wishing to donate by PayPal may do so through Bill Brink’s PayPal account at www.billbrinkmusic.com. Paypal donations should also include a note indicating it as a donation to the music series.

Businesses that donate will be named at each show and listed on Bill Brink’s musician website and the Weathersfield Summer Music Series Facebook page, according to Brink.

Brink said at the end of the summer series she plans to release a film that showcases one song performance from each performing act, with hope to air it on Springfield Area Public Access Television.

For more information about the event, including the concert schedule and performers, visit the Weathersfield Summer Music Series Facebook page or www.billbrinkmusic.com.

 

reporter@eagletimes.com

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