The Jamming Center: Why We Play

Most financial planners don't moonlight as rock stars.

Matt Sivertsen has been involved in the music scene for a long time. Matt Knoll had never performed on stage before this. Both are senior financial planners at The Planning Center. Both are on Common Chord's board. 

And somehow, their team managed to pull together a full band from their office. 

"For whatever reason, from The Planning Center, we do have a lot of people with some musical background," Sivertsen says. "So we're able to put together a full band, which is kind of unique." 

Unique might be underselling it. 

From Boardroom to Stage

Sivertsen joined Common Chord's board in 2020—right as the organization was figuring out its identity. He's watched Common Chord grow from scattered programming into something coordinated. Something embedded in the community. 

"It's pretty cool that they can have a thread from somebody just getting started to people that are just passing through on tour across the country," he says. 

Knoll joined the board two years ago. He's the Director of Financial Planning at The Planning Center. He's also discovering what it feels like to perform in front of a crowd. 

"It's a different kind of energy when all of a sudden you're up there with your coworkers and you're on a stage and people are watching you," Knoll says. "I don't think businesses get an opportunity like this very often." 

He's right. Most businesses don't. 

Most businesses write checks and call it community engagement. Battle of the Businesses asks for something harder: vulnerability. Collaboration. The willingness to share another side of yourself in front of your clients; all in the name of raising money for music education. 

Why This Matters (Even for Financial Planners)

Sivertsen’s son attended Kids Rock Camp and Blues Camp over the years. His nieces and nephews too. He's seen what happens when kids get an outlet to perform at a young age. 

"I wish I had that experience," he says. 

That's the quiet admission behind all of this. Not just "this is a good because..." but, "I see what this does for kids, and I wish I'd had it." 

Knoll sees it differently—music as universal connector. 

"Music is one of those unique things that can really affect everybody, right?" he says. "Everybody can connect through music where there's probably not a lot of spaces like that in the world today." 

That's what Common Chord builds. Spaces where financial planners and sales reps and realtors and journalists all show up on the same stage for the same reason: because access to music shouldn't depend on your zip code or your family's income. 

What The Cultural Trust Amplifies

Sivertsen talks about the shift he's seen since Common Chord became a Cultural Trust Legacy Partner. How it's no longer just independent organizations doing independent work. 

"Just trying to create that continuity so that it's not all these little independent things, but how can we connect and really bring all that culture together?" he says.

That's the model. 

The Cultural Trust doesn't replace what Common Chord does. It amplifies it. It funds the unrestricted work—staff, space, sustainability—so Common Chord can focus on what it does best: putting live music in the community and creating pathways from the first chord a kid learns to the stages where professionals perform. 

The Planning Center gets it. Sivertsen and Knoll both sit on Common Chord's board. They see the budget. They see the impact. They know what unrestricted funding enables. 

And then they take that knowledge, strap on a guitar, and get on stage with their coworkers to prove it. 

This Is Why We Play

"It provides opportunities that kids wouldn't have," Knoll says. "Or even just local musicians and other community members. So, it's a great way to bring connection and provide opportunities." 

The Planning Center could have written a check and called it done. 

Instead, they built a band. They showed up. They made themselves visible in the work. 

Because participation isn't about the spotlight. It's about proving that culture matters enough to step outside your comfort zone, rally your coworkers, and build something together. 

Individual participation. Collective access. Not performance. Investment in what comes next. 

This is why we play — because Culture Matters Here, and it always will.

Nine companies. Nine stories. One stage. All supporting Common Chord.

Battle of the Businesses | April 11 | Redstone Room | Tickets: SOLD OUT!

If you would still like to donate towards the music education and opportunities Battle of the Businesses provides, you can do so by clicking the button below.