When Will Prinzen discovered the historic building in Ingersoll, Ont., that would later become his office, one of the first things he noticed were the high ceilings, which he suspected would be ideal for acoustics. The financial advisor with Keybase Financial Group Inc. – who also likes to sing – ran with that instinct. A few months after setting up his office, Prinzen helped to launch a performing arts program in the same building.
This program, called Live@99, is Prinzen’s way of giving back to the community he has called home for 20 years. Having been involved in performing arts throughout his life – in choirs, plays and other endeavours – Prinzen has witnessed the challenges that go along with making a living in that industry. Some of the money raised from tickets to Live@99 performances goes to the performers; the rest, to a range of local charities.
Says Prinzen, now 47 years old: “If we forget about arts and culture, we’re missing out on the spirit [of a place], because they create the spirit in a community.”
Live@99 is named after the venue – 99 Thames St. South – which once housed one of the town’s original banks. The space sat empty for four years before Prinzen leased it to run his new independent financial advisory practice after working at TD Canada Trust for about 20 years.
Prinzen launched Live@99 in collaboration with Victoria Gydov, a local opera singer who was actively seeking new opportunities to perform. The pair hosted the first Live@99 concert in October 2012, with Gydov recruiting and organizing the performers and Prinzen handling the logistics.
Gydov’s connections in the arts community were instrumental in bringing the Live@99 concept to life, Prinzen says: “It wouldn’t be the same, had she not come along. This has given her one more venue to display her talent, and also to help others in the industry.”
The inaugural concert featured five musicians from various genres: John Taylor, a classical and jazz guitarist; Michel Castillo, a singer and pianist; Jenna Kayln, a country singer, songwriter and guitarist; and Gydov, who sang alongside pianist Yolanda Postma.
“The quality that we had that night was amazing, it was absolutely amazing,” says Prinzen. “They’re passionate about their art.” For the event, Prinzen transformed his office into a piano bar, with a cash bar and tables and chairs for the patrons, who could sit and enjoy the entertainment. Tickets were $20 each and sold out in just three days. Altogether, the evening raised about $1,200, with the bulk of that going to the performers and the remainder to the Oxford Community Foundation, which provides grants to organizations and charities based in the region, including the Salvation Army and the Victorian Order of Nurses.
Prinzen is thrilled to be able to support local artists. Because many musicians are asked regularly to perform at various functions for no charge, that makes it challenging for them to earn a steady income doing what they’re passionate about.
“In the financial services industry,” says Prinzen, “I could be an average or above-average advisor and probably eke out a pretty good living. If I were an average or above-average musician, though, it’s very difficult to make a living. The way the [music] industry is set up, you either starve or you’re on top of the world. This tries to bridge the gap.”
In addition to supporting the musicians financially, Live@99 helps them get the exposure that Prinzen believes they deserve: “When I look at arts and culture, we focus on the superstars. But we forget about all those others. And I honestly think there’s quality in those others, and we need to appreciate them more than we do.”
Supporting local charities is extremely important to Prinzen. He makes financial contributions whenever possible. But as he has been operating his independent practice for only about a year and is still working on building his book of business, he likes the idea of donating his time and expertise to charitable causes.
“As a new business, I have to manage my budgets,” he says. “At this moment in time, I’d rather be involved. I can donate my time as opposed to my money.”
Prinzen encourages other financial advisors to think outside the box in terms of giving back to their communities. Rather than donating money to charity, Prinzen suggests, find ways of creating opportunities for others: “How can you create jobs? What can you do? You’re living in a very privileged position, and now is not the time to be stingy.”
Prinzen also is a member of the local chapter of Rotary International, through which he has helped organize such initiatives as the local Christmas parade, a children’s fishing derby and a “Rotary Roses” fundraising campaign. Prinzen also is on the board of directors for the Children’s Aid Society of Oxford County and has served as a board member for the Ingersoll Business Improvement Area.
Prinzen also volunteers with the Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts (ITOPA), for which he sponsors, produces and performs in various plays – including having played the role of Snoopy in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.
In a unique effort to support both the ITOPA and another local charity last spring, Prinzen hosted a wine-and-cheese gathering at which he sold tickets to a special screening of an ITOPA play. The fundraiser also featured a silent auction, with all the proceeds – about $1,500 – being donated to the Oxford Community Foundation.
Based on the positive response to the first Live@99 concert, Prinzen expects that program to become a regular event on the town’s arts calendar. The voice of Ingersoll is definitely going to be heard.
© 2013 Investment Executive. All rights reserved.