AUSTIN, Texas, May 17, 2022 – In another sign of its commitment to the Austin music industry and its economic impacts, PNC Bank today announced a year-round sponsorship with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).
The bank’s new sponsorship with HAAM, an entity which provides affordable healthcare for greater Austin’s low-income, working musicians, will make PNC the organization’s exclusive financial education partner, and the presenting sponsor of HAAM Day, Austin’s biggest fundraising event supporting local musicians. In addition, PNC has also agreed to become a stage and VIP party sponsor at the HAAM Corporate Battle of the Bands, which features bands representing local businesses vying for the title of Austin’s Best Corporate Band.
“We’ve built strong relationships across a number of platforms here in Austin to support and enhance our unique culture, which is deeply rooted in music,” said Dillan Knudson, PNC regional president for Austin. “That ecosystem includes music venues where our clients, employees, citizens, and visitors enjoy a wide variety of musical entertainment and philanthropic organizations that either directly support the music industry or utilize music for educating our children or supporting our underserved populations. At the center of this ecosystem is the musician, and supporting their prosperity is paramount. This agreement amplifies our ability to directly support local musicians by supporting HAAM’s mission, providing financial wellness to HAAM members and through directly hiring HAAM members to perform at PNC events throughout the year. PNC’s Main Street banking model has given our local team the resources to execute an Austin-centric strategy and make a significant impact on our unique and thriving region.”
At the crux of the sponsorship is the exclusive financial education partner component, which will involve PNC hosting several financial education workshops to help educate HAAM artists on how to best manage their personal and business finances. The bank’s presenting sponsorship of HAAM Day will also help facilitate the fundraising event that aims to make a difference in the lives of the more than 2,600 musicians covered through HAAM services. The all-day event is scheduled for Sept. 13, 2022, and includes over 200 performances across Austin that culminates in a public concert at Moody Amphitheatre, with a special musician to be announced.
The bank’s stage and pre-party sponsorship of HAAM’s Corporate Battle of the Bands, held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, will include one band entry and the opportunity to host the initiative’s pre-party at PNC Plaza at ACL Live, a new outdoor event venue located outside of the ACL Live venue. The bank’s band entry, all part of the local leadership team, features Knudson on guitar, Private Bank Market Leader Stephen Jeffrey on bass, and Head of Corporate Banking Steven Gonzalez on the drums.
“We are so grateful for PNC Bank’s investment, both financially and intellectually, into the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and also its contributions to the local Austin music community as a whole,” said Paul Scott, HAAM CEO. “It is clear, PNC Bank understands the value our musicians bring to Austin, both culturally and economically, as well as the importance of addressing musician’s pressing and urgent needs, so they can remain in Austin, playing the music we all love to enjoy. In a recent survey, we found the average HAAM member lost around $10,000 in income during 2021, and nearly 65% or our members were behind on bills or accrued credit card debt as a result of this lost income due to COVID-19. PNC Bank’s investment in HAAM will help us sustain healthcare for our members while also supporting our musicians with financial education and literacy opportunities to sustain them in their music careers. This large investment gives us hope in the future trajectory of our organization - thank you, PNC Bank!”
The partnership is the most recent milestone for PNC in its investments in the Austin music community, which started in October when it announced it had become the Official Bank of ACL Live and Austin City Limits. In March, PNC became the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Exclusive Live Music Partner, allowing the bank to continue supporting local artists by providing live musical entertainment at all in-person chamber events throughout the year.
In early May, PNC also announced a unique partnership in the form of a new residency program, one that showcases a different local musician each month exclusively at PNC Plaza at ACL Live. The program is produced in tandem with the Austin Music Foundation’s Artist Development Program, which supports the viability, growth and visibility for Austin’s musical talent through a number of ways.
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
CONTACT:
Alejandro Ortiz
(281) 433-5640
alejandro.ortiz@pnc.com
