Music is often seen as vital to a community. And, Gable Music Ventures has been providing that venue since 2011.
Delmarva Public Media's Jenny O'Connor has this audio portrait with Gable Music Ventures co-founder Gayle Dillman as she steps away from the business and the vibrant music scene in Delaware that she helped create.
O'CONNOR: For 15 years, Gable Music Ventures has been a driving force behind Wilmington's modern music scene. What began as one mother's effort to create a safe space for her daughter soon expanded into a full-fledged music events company, one that celebrated original artists and nurtured young talent. Today we look back on how Gable began; the mission that guided its work and the legacy founder Gayle Dillman leaves behind as she steps into retirement. This is Jenny O'Connor. Gable Music Ventures started back in 2010 when co-founder Gayle Dillman's daughter Erica was in high school and struggling with anxiety. She learned to cope with playing and writing music and taking lessons from Jeremy Hebbel at Accent Music in Wilmington, Delaware.
DILLMAN: And I quickly realized that music was really important and really important for people's mental health, and I think we see that even more today. And I realized though she was underage. She was 15, 16 years old and there's no place for her to play. And so we, Jeremy and I put our heads together.
O'CONNOR: The two eventually created the first annual Yorklyn Rock Showcase where Erica was able to play for nearly 100 people. That success inspired Gayle and Jeremy to officially join forces.
DILLMAN: There's a need for original music to be platformed in Wilmington. Jeremy and I put our heads together and we said, we're going to do this business that we came up with "Gable Music Ventures" and Gable was part my name and part his name.
O'CONNOR: From there, they began creating local pop-up events to give small emerging artists the chance to showcase their talents for a real audience.
DILLMAN: What we accomplished with Wilmo Rock Circus was to get 10 local rock bands and have people just go from stage to stage pivoting, looking at the bands. I think that was really revolutionary, and I think it was really great, and people at the end of the night said, are you doing this next week?
O'CONNOR: That work eventually grew into larger, internationally recognized events like the Ladybug Music Festival. They also produced a number of other events that solidified their reputation for carving out space for local artists.
DILLMAN: You know, sometimes you don't know your impact, and when I announced my retirement, people came out of the woodwork just telling me how much I had shifted the direction of their life in terms of having opportunities to perform music that they didn't have before, and they didn't know how to go about getting that. I'm going to toot my own horn for a second. The current music scene that exists today was really energized by what we did 15 years ago.
O'CONNOR: The company also built its reputation on advocacy, especially for the little guys who needed representation and deserved to be paid fairly for their work.
DILLMAN: There's lots of horror stories about bands that get booked and don't get paid and are asked to play for exposure or something like that, and we never did that. We really tried to find good opportunities or create really good opportunities for musicians.
O'CONNOR: Now, as Gayle moves toward retirement, she's looking for trustworthy hands to take over Gable Music Ventures, meaning she needs someone committed to supporting young performers and honoring the values that the business was built on. She's also looking for someone who has the grit for the business because as she said, "it's not for the faint of heart", and one thing can make that a lot easier.
DILLMAN: Passion to create more space around Ladybug, to do other things, to keep that brand going and to integrate more women.
O'CONNOR: And although it's bittersweet, Gayle says the timing is right for her to step back.
DILLMAN: It became very evident to me that Ladybug needs a different type of energy behind it than what I could do. 15 years of doing something, you get a little burned out with it.
O'CONNOR: Gayle plans to stay involved long enough to train her successor and ensure future productions meet the GMV standard.
DILLMAN: Whether you're running a show that has 10 people in it or 10,000 people in it, run it the same way with the gold standard. Hit that bar each time.
O'CONNOR: For Gayle Dillman, stepping into retirement isn't an ending. It's an invitation for the next leader to carry the mission forward, to protect the artist, honor the craft, and make sure every performer, no matter their age or experience, feels valued. I'm Jenny O'Connor for Delmarva Public Media.
