Dec 06, 2021 Music

THAT THEY DO THAT IN THERE.

ARE WE READY TO GO? GREAT.

UM, WELL, I, I, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE, UH, UM, TWO ARTISTS, UM, IN THIS FORM HERE.

UH, NITA, THE FIRST ARTIST IS NITA TRAVELER.

UM, SHE GOES BY ANITA, SHE'S NEWER TO AUSTIN, UH, BORN IN MISSISSIPPI OF EAST INDIAN ORIGIN AND, UH, WAS RAISED JUST OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON, D C UH, SHE'S UM, FABULOUS, UH, CLASSICAL PIANO PLAYER AND A SINGER SONG WRITER AND HAS RELEASED TWO ALBUMS IN SEVERAL SINGLES.

SHE HAD ONE OF HER SONGS FOR GET ME FEATURED ON THE VOICE.

UM, SHE HAS BEEN IN LA FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS, FROM 2015 TO 20, AND, UH, IS NOW IN AUSTIN AND CONTINUING TO CONNECT WITH THEIR FANS THROUGH, UH, MOSTLY LIVE STREAMS AND RELEASING SOME NEW MUSIC AT THIS POINT.

SO, UH, TO NEED THAT EVEN BABY, IT'S HARD TO BE WHO YOU, YOU FEEL.

SO SCOTT STAY BABY.

IT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU'RE JUST IN YOUR OWN WAY.

DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY TRY TO THEIR BEST WAS

[00:05:12]

THIS WAS, THIS WAS INTRODUCTION IN AUSTIN.

THAT'S BETTY SUE.

I, UH, WANTED TO, UH, PRESENT HER HERE.

SHE WAS ONE OF THE, UH, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN VIDEOS LIKE THIS BEFORE THE BIG SECRET.

YOU MAY ONE SECOND.

THERE'S A PROBLEM GOING ON.

SORRY.

YOU MIGHT THINK THE PROFESSIONAL ANIMATOR OR TO LEARN SOME FANCY EDITING PROGRAM, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

IN FACT, WE KNOW YOU CAN MAKE A PRO THAT WE GOT IT STOPPED.

I APOLOGIZE.

GO AHEAD.

OH, NO WORRIES.

UH, SO IT, IT WAS FOR ME, UM, SHE WAS, UM, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST STATION, AMERICAN FEMALE ARTISTS THAT I KIND OF SAW PROMINENTLY ON THE, ON THE SCENE WHEN I CAME, UM, TO AUSTIN, UH, SEEING HER ON THE COVER OF SOME, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PUBLICATIONS AND WHATNOT.

AND THAT WAS QUITE, QUITE INSPIRING.

UH, UH, JUST TO SEE THAT FOR ME, UH, BETTY SUE WAS RAISED OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON BY FIRST-GENERATION KOREAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS.

UH, SHE SAID YOU GATED AT UT AND, UH, GREW UP LISTENING TO THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK AND COUNTRY RADIO.

UH, SHE HAS WON SEVERAL AWARDS, UM, INCLUDING NEW FOLK AT KERRVILLE AMONGST OTHERS.

AND IT'S PLAYED SEVERAL FESTIVALS, INCLUDING MANY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, KERRVILLE, ET CETERA.

UM, DURING COVID I'VE REALLY SEEN BETTY SUE KIND OF, UH, GO BAKE ON A LIVE STREAM AND A LOT OF EVENTS THAT SHE'S BEEN RUNNING AND CONNECTING TO AUDIENCES THROUGH LIVE STREAMS. AND, UH, UH, JUST BEFORE THAT, UM, I ALSO KNOW THAT BETTY SUE IS, UH, ONE OF THE TRIO WITH REBECCA LOBBY AND GRACE PETTIS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TOURING QUITE NONSTOP WITH, UH, NOBODY'S SERVED WITH THE NOBODY SKILL PROJECT.

SO THIS IS BETTY SUE, UH, RECORDING AT, UH, OWN, UH, 5 1, 2 STUDIOS HERE IN AUSTIN.

FOR THE NEXT ONE SHOULDER RANDOM.

MOST OF GETS YOU NOWHERE DONATE.

MY CONSCIOUSNESS HAS NO LUXURY I'M HOLDING.

I HOPE THAT THINGS DON'T MAKE ME FEEL AS OPEN, LIKE EVERYDAY IS LOOKING EVEN HOPELESS.

I HOLD MY HEAD UP LIKE A KINGDOM RIGHT.

IT LOOKS LIKE I'M PLAYING THE WRONG VIDEO.

GIVE ME A SECOND

[00:10:31]

WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR BETTY SUE'S VIDEO, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

TO, UM, ITEM, WANT APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? SO EVERYBODY CAN TAKE A MOMENT.

HOPEFULLY, UH, LAST MEETING WAS COMPLICATED, SO I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT STAFF ON DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OF CAPTURING THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND THE, UM, THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONERS ON, UM, ONE ITEM IN PARTICULAR.

SO, BUT YES, I WOULD SECOND THAT MOTION TO APPROVE.

SO ALL IN FAVOR ORANGE.

GATLING HANES SPOKE ABOUT ALL OF THAT AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, BUT REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE WITH, UH, SOME INTEREST IN THOSE PROJECTS TO ATTEND THAT INFORMATION SESSION AND BRING QUESTIONS.

SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

SORRY, WHO MADE THE MOTION? OKAY, THANKS.

YEAH, I WILL.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE CHAIR'S REPORT

[2. CHAIR’S REPORT]

AS WELL.

CAUSE THAT'S BRIEF.

UM, JUST WHILE WE'RE SORTING OUT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HERE, UM, WHICH IS LIKE THE THEME FOR THIS MEETING, I THINK THAT THERE WAS CAR TROUBLE AND ELEVATOR TROUBLE AND EVERYTHING TONIGHT.

SO THIS IS JUST PAR FOR THE COURSE.

SO I APPRECIATE STAFF TURNED TO SORT THIS OUT.

UM, BUT YEAH, SO THIS, THIS IS OUR DECEMBER MEETING.

I WANTED TO THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S AHEAD FOR US IN 2022.

UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL DEFINITELY BE WRAPPING UP IS THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, BUT THERE'S ALSO A WORKING GROUP FOR A JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH ARTS, LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES.

SO WE WORK A LOT WITH CITY FUNDS AND PUBLIC FUNDS.

UM, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IN PARTICULAR DEALS WITH HOT FUNDS WITH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES IS EVERYBODY HERE, UH, BESIDE ME KNOWS, UH, BUT THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC, UH, ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCE WORKING GROUP IS LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN, UH, SOME PARTNERSHIPS POSSIBLY WITH AIRBNB, ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE ANYTHING, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT GROUP IS REALLY JUST AN, A BRAINSTORMING MODE.

SO THAT'S, UM, DEFINITELY AHEAD, BUT ANOTHER BIG ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, BUT NOT REALLY COMPLETELY TACKLED, UM, AS A GROUP, AS A, AS A COMMISSION IS THE AFFORDABILITY OF REAL ESTATE.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOWER REAL ESTATE PRICES IN AUSTIN, BUT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT WAYS TO THAT WE CAN BE A VOICE FOR AFFORDABILITY IN AUSTIN, SO THAT, UM, WOULD INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS AFFORDABLE VENUE AND PERFORMANCE SPACE, UH, THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, THEY INDICATED TO US LAST TIME WHEN THEY WERE HERE.

UM, AND IN VERONICA PRESENTED TO US AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THE ADC IS GOING TO BE REALLY FOCUSED ON INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EVERY DEVELOPMENT, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF ABOUT IN EVERY DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY TAKE ON.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE OUR COMMISSION TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOU AND ADVOCATE FOR.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO FORM A WORKING GROUP OR WHATNOT, WE WILL LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S A BIG ONE TO TACKLE, BUT REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL AGAIN, UM, EVEN WITH, AS I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER WITH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO, TO FILL THAT FUNDING GAP AND DO SOME REALLY VISIONARY THINGS WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE VENUE SPACE HERE.

UH, AND ALSO ON THAT NOTE TOO, WITH VENUE SPACE, UH, LAST, LAST THING ABOUT THIS.

SO WEDNESDAY MORNING AT 9:00 AM AT THE LONG CENTER, THERE'S GOING TO BE A Q AND A ON THE CULTURAL TRUST RFP THAT HAS JUST OPENED.

SO, UH, THERE'S 16.9 MILLION AVAILABLE AND FUNDING FOR, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S MORE LIKE VENUE SPACE.

I WON'T GO OVER ALL OF THAT.

AND

[00:15:01]

THERE'S ALSO A ZOOM LINK FOR THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, AS A MUSIC COMMISSION, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO POST THAT.

UM, AND THE AEDC HAS A CULTURAL TRUST WEBSITE AS WELL.

SO, BUT, UM, I I'LL FORWARD THAT INFO TO, UH, TO OUR STAFF LIAISON KIM, AND SHE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE OTHER MUSIC COMMISSIONERS.

AND I JUST ENCOURAGE ALL THE MUSIC COMMISSIONERS TO PLEASE SHARE THAT WITH YOUR NETWORKS.

UM, AND THAT'S IT FOR CHAIRS REPORT.

SO WE'LL PUT THE PRESSURE BACK ON STAFF TO SEE IF THEY CAN PULL UP BETTY SUE'S VIDEO AND STAFF, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED MORE TIME TO WORK WITH THAT WEEKEND, WE CAN POP BACK INTO THAT AT ANY MOMENT.

I FEEL GIVE US SOME TIME TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PLAY THAT.

WELL, WHY DON'T WE, SINCE LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO OLD BUSINESS.

SO I'LL MOTION TO MOVE, UH, FOR A UP TO NOW.

SO THAT'S DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

UM, OH, FOUR EIGHT.

DO YOU WANT TO START? WELL, I FIGURED WORKING GROUPS IS, UH, NOT SO HEAVY A TOPIC OF SOME OF THE ONES WE'RE DEALING WITH.

SO IT'S EASIER TO JUMP IN AND OUT OF WORK FORAYS.

I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN OLDEST.

IS THERE A SECOND?

[3b. Discussion and Possible Action on which working groups are still active and which are dissolved.]

OH, I NEED THREE B.

SORRY.

I SAW, I SAW WORKING, SORRY.

THREE B SECOND, SECOND.

YEP.

WE HAVE TO VOTE JUST TO MOVE IT UP TO, WE HAVE TO VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR JUST IN CASE.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO OUTLINE WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, SO WE CAN, UH, KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND, AND CONFIRM THAT WE, THE ONES THAT HAVE SORT OF QUIETLY DISSOLVED, WE WANT DISSOLVED, AND WHETHER WE WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THE STRUCTURE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE, UH, 14 WORKING GROUPS ON THE LIST.

UH, THREE OF THEM ARE MUSIC COMMISSION ONLY.

I KNOW FOUR OF THEM ARE MUSIC COMMISSION ONLY AND ARE CURRENTLY TECHNICALLY ACTIVE.

UH, THREE ARE WITH THE JOINT WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION.

AND SOME OF THEM I THINK ARE ACTIVE IN SOME OF THEM ARE TECHNICALLY ACTIVE, BUT I'M NOT SURE ANYTHING'S ACTUALLY, ANYTHING'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

AND THEN WE GOT SIX THAT ARE, HAVE TECHNICALLY DONE THEIR WORK AND MADE THEIR REPORT OR THEIR NOMINATION OR WHATEVER IT IS.

AND, UH, IN THEORY THAT THAT LETS THEM DISSOLVE.

SO, UH, UH, THE FIRST THREE ARE THE MUSICAL ONLY ONGOING ONES, WHICH ARE SYSTEMIC RACISM, FINANCE, WORKING GROUP, AND, UH, STAFF.

WASN'T CLEAR ON WHO'S ON THAT ONE.

THAT'S FLED BY YOU RN ESTABLISHED APRIL 5TH THIS YEAR.

YES, THAT IS, UH, JUST ME AND GAVIN ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO'VE BEEN IN THE FINANCE.

WE MADE A REPORT.

UM, WE COULD MAKE OTHER REPORTS, BUT WE MADE THAT ONE REPORT.

SO I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD AND RE DISSOLVE THAT ONE FOR NOW.

AND, UH, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO MOTION TO REMOVE ON THAT BECAUSE ONCE YOU MAKE A FINAL REPORT, THREE IN THREE AUTOMATICALLY HAPPEN, ALL RIGHT, NEXT ONE IS GENDER EQUITY, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ONGOING.

IT'S ONGOING.

WE'VE BEEN ON A LITTLE BIT OF A HIATUS BECAUSE THE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN VERY CONSUMED WITH LIVE MUSIC FUN.

BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT HAS A PROGRAM THAT SHE'S WORKING ON THAT, UM, SHE WOULD LIKE THE COMMISSION SUPPORT ON, AND IT IS RELATED TO THE GENDER EQUITY WORKING GROUP.

SO THERE WILL BE SOME SOMETHING NEW FORTHCOMING SOON.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE THAT'S MUSIC COMMISSION ONLY, AND CURRENTLY ACTIVE IS THE ONE WE ESTABLISHED LAST TIME, WHICH IS THE LIVE MUSIC FUND GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDERS AND THAT SCOTT SHAKA STEWART AND NOT KABALE.

AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THAT GROUP, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY A LIST OF THOSE FOR THE RECORD.

OH YEAH.

KNOCK A BALL.

LIKE, DO YOU WANT TO, UM, I CAN, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I CAN EMAIL OVER? I THINK SO.

YEAH, I CAN AND I CAN SPEAK TO IT.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE ONES THAT, UH, OTHER THAN DISSOLVING FINANCE, WE WANT TO KEEP GOING FOR THE MOMENT.

ARTS AND CREATIVE SPACE BOND.

WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE HAVE THREE CREATIVE SPACE, BOND, JOINT

[00:20:01]

THAT'S FROM 2018, WE HAVE A LAND DEVELOPMENT AND PERMITTING WORKING GROUP.

WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE, THE FUNDING EX EXPLORE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY TO FUND ARTS AND MUSIC.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S ONE THAT STAFF WASN'T SURE WHO WAS ON THAT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN ACTIVE WITH THAT ONE.

SO LAUREN, A WARRANT AND ORRIN AND, UM, AND MYSELF, OR, OKAY, GREAT.

AND, AND WHO'S ON FROM THE ART SIDE IS SALINA SUSSMAN.

AND, UM, HI.

HI, MAY.

AND HEIDI SMALL BLOCK, I THINK IS HOW HER LAST NAME IS PRONOUNCED, BUT YEAH.

AND LULU AND LULU.

SO, UH, SO THAT ONE'S ONGOING ACTIVELY, THE CREATIVE SPACE BOND HAS THAT MET IN AWHILE.

THERE'S A, THAT STUART ORIN, LOU CRUCEY BRETT AND SHAKA, MY GUESS IS HADN'T MET IN A WHILE.

WE KIND OF FINISHED UP ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

GEE.

SO WE CAN LET THAT ONE DISSOLVE.

SO CREATIVE SPACE, BOND, JOINT DISSOLVE.

UH, THEN, UH, I'VE BEEN, WAS INVOLVED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PERMITTING GROUP AND WE HAVE NOT MET IN A LONG TIME EITHER.

AND DOG WAS THE OTHER PERSON ON THAT FROM US.

PART OF ME WONDERS IF WE ESTABLISH A LIAISON GROUP WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION THAT, UH, JUST IS ONGOING AND TAKES ON EVOLVING ISSUES THAT INVOLVE BOTH SIDES RATHER THAN CREATING A BUNCH OF MICRO GROUPS.

BUT I, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, OR, OR WE MAY, I MEAN, IF WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, AS IS MY HOPE THAT WE'RE TAKING ON SPACE ISSUES, I THINK LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS, IS, AS IT RELATES TO ZONING IS DEFINITELY GOING TO FALL UNDER THAT.

SO I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS MAYBE I PUT IT ON THE BACK BURNER, SO THAT'S THE CASE WE'LL NEED SOMETHING.

COULD DOUG IS NO LONGER ON THE COMMISSION.

SO WE BE IDEAL IF WE HAD AT LEAST ONE MORE PERSON FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, JOIN ME ON THAT ONE.

AND WE COULD REACTIVATE IT.

I MEAN, WE WERE HAVING MEETINGS ALL THE TIME AND THEN CODE NEXT, WENT AWAY.

AND THEN LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE LAST IS, THE LAWSUIT THAT KIND OF SHUT DOWN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, THEN IT CHANGED ACRONYMS. UM, AND THEN THAT LAWSUIT IS COMING IS LIKE THERE'S STUFF HAPPENING WITH THAT NOW.

SO I DO THINK LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS GOING TO COME BACK, IS GOING TO RESURFACE IN 2022.

SOUNDS GOOD.

WHO IS INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT PARTY? THIS IS A MUSIC AND ARTS DISGUSTING, THE VERY SEXY LAND DEVELOPMENT AND PERMITTING, UH, CODING.

SO, UH, SO KIM, DID YOU GET THAT? OKAY, GREAT.

UM, WELL THEN I'M GONNA MAKE MYSELF A LITTLE ACTION ITEM TO EMAIL US ALL AND GET THAT GOING AGAIN.

OH, HERE WE GO.

WE'RE FAR ENOUGH.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.

I'M SORRY.

NO, THAT'S FINE.

UH, DO WE WANT TO TABLE THIS, DO BETTY SUE AND COME BACK OR WE WANT TO FINISH THIS UP AND THEN DO BASIC.

I THINK WE'RE GETTING TO THE END BECAUSE THE REST ARE TANGLY DISSOLVED.

SO WE'LL WRAP UP THIS ITEM REAL QUICK AND THEN WE'LL ALL RIGHT.

WILL YOU MOVE ON? CAN I JUST, UH, STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M ALSO A PART OF THAT, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP.

UM, THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, LAUREN AND I, AND I ALSO WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT, UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING UP, UH, AFFORDABILITY AND LAND USE PERMITTING STUFF IN THE FUTURE, UM, MAYBE THIS LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP WILL BE WRAPPED UP AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT AREA.

AND THEN THAT MIGHT FREE SOME OF US UP, UH, TO SWITCH OUR FOCUS TO A DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE NOT ON YOUR OWN GRANT WITH THAT.

SO THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN.

SO THE LAST LIST, THESE ARE ALL ONES THAT HAVE MADE REPORTS OR NOMINATIONS AND ARE CONSIDERED DISSOLVED SINCE WE NEVER ACTUALLY DISCUSSED IT.

AND WE'VE GOT, I THINK TWO OF US FROM EACH COMMISSION IS PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD.

AND THEN WE REPORT BACK AND HAVE THE FULLER CONVERSATION.

[00:25:01]

JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT NO ONE IS ACTUALLY STILL MEETING OR THINKS THAT THIS IS, SHOULD BE AN ONGOING GROUP.

SO THERE'S LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP.

I GAVE A FINAL PORT.

I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN, BUT, UH, THAT WAS A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS THAT'S CON DISSOLVED.

THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC, AND THAT DISSOLVED AND JUST SPEAK UP IF THERE YOU'RE LIKE, OH NO, NO, WE'RE STILL MEETING A ADVISORY GROUP TO GUIDE THE DISTRIBUTION OF DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS.

THE PROGRAM ENDED.

SO THAT, THAT ONE DISSOLVE VENUE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP PROGRAM ENDED IN THAT ONE DISSOLVED THAT A WORKING GROUP FOR A D NOMINATION, THE NOMINATION WAS MADE DISSOLVED.

AND FINALLY, UH, THE WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES, RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND CRITERIA FOR THIRD PARTY FOR LIVE MUSIC FUND AND AUSTIN MUSIC, DISASTER RELIEF FUND, UM, THAT, THAT ALL, THEY ALSO Y'ALL ALSO REPORTED BACK.

UM, THAT WAS SHAKA YOU GAVIN, LAUREN, BALI AND SCOTT.

YEP.

SO THAT JUST A QUICK SUMMARY, THE ACT OF ONES THAT LEAVE THOSE WITH SYSTEMIC RACISM, GENDER EQUITY, LIVE MUSIC FUND GUIDELINES IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDERS, AND THEN JOINTLY WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN, UH, ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES THERE.

WE GREAT.

AWESOME.

THANKS FOR HELPING US WITH THAT.

HOUSEKEEPING.

I KNOW YOU AND I WILL BOTH SLEEP BETTER TONIGHT KNOWING THAT WE FINALLY WORKED THROUGH THAT IDA.

[MUSICAL PERFORMANCE (Part 2 of 2)]

WELL, NOW WE GET BACK.

NOW, IT'S GOING TO FEEL LIKE A REAL TREAT, UH, AFTER THAT, UH, IT GETS TO WATCH THIS VIDEO PERFORMANCE FROM BETTY SUE

[00:30:40]

OLD BUSINESS THREE, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PROCESS FOR NOMINATING BOARD REPRESENTATION FOR THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

WELL, THAT WAS TOTALLY WORTH WAITING FOR HER OF, UH, AWESOMELY TALENTED LADIES FROM DISTRICT SIX.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD, LIKE WALLY ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS? NO.

JUST THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION FOR ACTUALLY CREATING THIS FORM HERE FOR REPRESENTING ARTISTS.

THAT'S THAT'S JUST WONDERFUL.

UM, BETTY SUE, UH, SHE'S.

SHE'S JUST HAS, UH, SHE PLAYS A WHOLE RANGE OF, UH, MUSIC.

UH, SHE'S GOT SOME REALLY SOFTER BALLADS THAT ARE JUST AMAZING.

AND THEN SHE HAS THIS, THIS END OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE SHE'S PLAYING A MORE HEAVIER MUSIC.

SO IT'S, IT'S AN ARTIST THAT I REALLY ADMIRE.

UM, ALL RIGHT, WELL, EVERYBODY BE SURE TO GO CHECK THOSE LADIES OUT.

THEY'RE AMAZING.

AND THEIR BANDS ARE GREAT, SUPER TALENTED.

UM, OKAY, SO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE DON'T HAVE ANY TONIGHT.

UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ON TO, UH,

[3a. Discussion and Possible Action regarding process for nominating board representation for the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC).]

THE AEDC.

SO WE HAVE MUSIC HAS OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BOARD AND CURRENTLY THAT'S EMMETT BELIVEAU, BUT, UM, THE WAY THE CALENDAR RUNS ON THAT APPOINTMENT, IT'S A ONE-YEAR APPOINTMENT AND THAT'S WRAPPING UP.

UM, SO EMMA, I WAS IN TOUCH WITH EMMETT AND HE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE AND THE WAY WE, HE WAS NOMINATED.

AND INITIALLY THERE WAS A NOMINATING COMMITTEE, A WORKING GROUP THAT HANDLED THAT.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, I GUESS A CHOICE, UH, IN FRONT OF US, WE CAN EITHER, YOU KNOW, RE REAPPOINT, UH, AN ELBOW, OR WE COULD GO BACK INTO A, A NOMINATING PROCEDURE AND LOOK AT OTHER CANDIDATES.

AND SO WE'RE, I'M LOOKING AT YOU BECAUSE YOU HAD HANDLED THE, THE LOGISTICS OF THAT BEFORE.

AND IF YOU HAD ANY THOUGHTS ON THE PROPER PROCESS.

WELL, UM, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE A CHOICE BEFORE US, RIGHT? IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S JUST GONE BY, IN A FLASH.

NOW WE CAN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AGAIN AND, UH, AND, AND RECON RECONSIDER PEOPLE, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST I WOULD LIKE TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THE REST OF US, UH, FEEL ABOUT ENIN.

DO WE FEEL WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING? IF SO, I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY OKAY FOR US TO SAY, HEY, WE EXTENDED ANOTHER YEAR AND THEN WE'LL RESUME THE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION AGAIN, EITHER HE MIGHT WANT TO LEAVE, OR WE MIGHT WANT SOMEONE NEW AND THEN WE CAN BEGIN A NEW PROCESS, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A WHOLE LOT SIMPLER IF HE WANTS TO STAY.

AND WE WANT HIM TO STAY JUST TO HAVE HIM STAY.

SO I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WE SATISFIED WITH HIS, WITH HIS PERFORMANCE SO FAR? YEAH.

I MEAN, IT'S INDICATED THEY'VE, I MEAN, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO DO IN 2021.

THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION IS A NEW AND FLEDGLING ORGANIZATION.

UM, SO HE, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE KEY WANTS TO, UM, DIG IN AND DO MORE WORK.

THERE'S A LOT AHEAD OF THEM.

UM, HE DID SEND AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF THE ADC, WHICH IS THAT THERE'S BEEN AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP FORM TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF THE AEDC ADMINISTERING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND AT SOME POINT.

UM, AND SO HE'S A MEMBER OF THAT WORKING GROUP, SO, UM, HE'S DEFINITELY COMMITTED TO PARTICIPATING GOING FORWARD.

I DON'T, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH HIM CONTINUING, UH, AND I KNOW OUR OTHER, THE OTHER PERSON THAT WE HAD CONSIDERED WAS LIKE A TOP CONTENDER AT THE TIME BECAME THE, THE ARTS APPOINTEE.

SO, UM, HE'S, HE'S THERE AND REPRESENTING, UM, THE COMMUNITY WELL, SO I'LL THROW IT OUT TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS, IF ANYBODY HAS FEELS LIKE WE WANT TO, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER CANDIDATES OR, OR JUST A ROLE WITHIN IT, THE SCHOOL, YEAH.

FOR TERESA.

THINKING BACK ON WORKING ON THAT GROUP, UM, AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ALL HAD, AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE, UH, OTHER, UH, CANDIDATE WHO IS, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING THAT POSITION ELSEWHERE, KNOWING ALL THE WORK THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TO DEVELOP THAT AND THAT IT'S NEW.

I, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW,

[00:35:01]

IT FEELS LIKE ALL THE TIME WHEN WE'RE IN THESE POLITICAL SCENARIOS AND SUDDENLY THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IF IT'S HASN'T DEVELOPED AS FAR, THEN YOU HAVE TO START ALL OVER, UH, WHICH PROBABLY WOULDN'T SERVE VERY WELL.

AND ALSO JUST REMEMBERING, UM, EMITS A RESUME AND ALL THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE, UM, IN THE PAST, EVERYONE ON THE COMMITTEE FELT LIKE HE WAS VERY STRONG CONTENDER, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT HIM STAYING ON.

I I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, COMMISSIONER MAHONE'S THOUGHTS BECAUSE, UH, YOU WERE ON THE, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU WERE WITH THIS CHOCOLATE.

UH, IF I RECALL, WE WERE LOOKING AT BOTH, UH, CARL AND EMMETT, AND WE SAID IF ONLY THEY COULD BOTH BE ON THE BOAT ON, ON THE AEDC AND POOF THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, UH, ON, ON THE, ON THE MATTER.

UM, I MEAN, I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF THE TIMEFRAME AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH, YOU KNOW, SEEING THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOW THROUGH INTO THE NEXT YEAR.

I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH HIM REALLY ONE-ON-ONE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, HIS PRESENTATIONS TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THOROUGH AND, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE RHYTHM OF, OF WHAT'S AND TO KEEP THEM ON AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR AND REVISIT, REVISIT.

WELL, I MEAN, UNLESS, UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE, UH, YOU KNOW, EMMETT WANTS TO STAY, WE WANT EMMA TO STAY, SO THEREFORE I MOVE THAT WE REAPPOINT EMMETT BELIVEAU AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE AEDC FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

ALL INSIDE HERE.

GRAHAM SECONDED ALL IN FAVOR.

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY AT HOME AGREES.

ITEM THREE C IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AFTER UPDATE FROM THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP.

FANTASTIC.

WELL, I'LL LET HIM KNOW, AND I KNOW HE'LL BE PLEASED AND, UH, HE'LL HOPEFULLY BE JOINING US AT THE JANUARY MEETING AND I'LL HAVE AN UPDATE ABOUT WHAT THE WORK, I THINK THAT THAT WORKING GROUP I MENTIONED, UM, IT WILL BE BEING THIS MONTH AND THE AEDC SHOULD BE MEETING NEXT MONDAY.

SO HE'LL HAVE UPDATES FOR US IN JANUARY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO CAN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WATCH OR ATTEND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN WATCH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY ATTEND ADC MEETINGS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE RECORDED, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, AS, AS MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, STAY UP TO DATE WITH THAT.

UM, BUT YEAH, LOTS GOING ON WITH THE ADC IN 2022, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY INVOLVED, UM, AND THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GIVING OUR INPUT AS A COMMISSION.

OKAY, AWESOME.

SO WE ALREADY DID THREE B AND SO

[3c. Discussion and Possible Action after update from Systemic Racism Working Group.]

SO, UH, PITCH IT TO COMMISSIONER MY HOME.

UM, WE'RE STILL ON PAUSE THAT GROUP.

I THINK WE CAN, UH, TAKE THAT OFF THE AGENDA FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER MONTH OR SO TO GO THROUGH WITH THE LAB MUSIC, UH, FARM WORKING GROUP.

WE'RE KIND OF ON A HIATUS RIGHT NOW.

IT'S THE MAIN FOCUS, SO.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

SO I'LL JUST CHECK WITH YOU LATER IN DECEMBER AND SEE IF YOU WANT TO DO HAVE IT ON THE JANUARY AGENDA.

I KNOW WITH THE HOLIDAYS, IT MIGHT NEED A LONGER PAUSE, BUT I'LL JUST SAY WE'LL PROBABLY BE LOOKING MORE LIKE THE SPRING, IF I'M BEING HONEST WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, MY BABY COMING IN AND EVERYTHING.

SO, UM, YEAH, SO JUST TO BE REAL, I DON'T SEE ANY MOVEMENT SINCE LIKE A LOT OF IT IS INVOLVED WITH THE POLICE.

THAT'S COMING FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION.

WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME ORGANIZATION ON MY END, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

SO, YEAH, I'M THINKING MORE OF THE SPRING FOR THE PICK UP THAT.

I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE IN THE, UH, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEMIC RACISM WORKING GROUP THAT ARE NOW WORKING ON LIVE MUSIC FUND? UM, SO THERE'S LIKE MUSIC FUND IS TAKING A LOT OF ENERGY FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, SO THAT'S A BIG FOCUS RIGHT NOW.

EXACTLY.

AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON.

SO YEAH, I THINK, UH, WE'LL JUST TAKE A LITTLE COST.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE GOT ON THE TABLE THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME MORE, UM, FOLKS WITH A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SKILL SET THAN THE FOLKS THAT WE HAD IN OUR INITIAL GROUP.

OKAY, COOL.

[00:40:01]

THAT IS ALL OF OLD BUSINESS.

SO, UM, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND WE HAVE, UM, SOME SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.

I THINK ONE OF THE SPEAKERS IS ACTUALLY HERE FOR ITEM FOUR B UH, BRUCE .

SPEAKER FOR ITEM FOUR, A AND THAT'S EILEEN BRISTOL.

THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.

I'LL JUST, UH, WE'LL PAUSE ON THAT.

AND THEN, UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR FIRST

[4a. Discussion and Possible Action following update from the Working Group on the Live Music Fund Eligibility Requirements/Stakeholders.]

UH, WHO'S REPRESENTING THE SAHARA LOUNGE.

HELLO? WOO.

I'M EILEEN BRISTOL AND I, UH, ON AND MANAGE, UH, SAHARA LOUNGE, WHICH IS THE EAST SIDE VENUE.

WE'RE PRETTY WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING A DIVERSE LINEUP OF BANDS.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I WAS TOLD BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE'LL, WE'RE KIND OF WHERE WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF AUSTIN GO.

SO I HAD SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS, UM, ACTIVITY THAT'S GOING ON NOW.

UH, WE DO, UH, LIKE I SAY, WE'VE BEEN GOING FOR 10 YEARS.

WE HAVE EVERY SATURDAY AFRICA NIGHT, WHICH IS OUR ONGOING RESIDENCY.

WE WON THE 2020 MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST ONGOING RESIDENCY.

WE WERE SO EXCITED BY THAT.

WE STARTED OUT MAYBE WITH EIGHT PEOPLE SHOWING UP ON A SATURDAY NIGHT AND NOW ON A GOOD NIGHT, WE MIGHT HAVE 200 PASSED THROUGH THERE.

SO IT'S, UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT.

UM, WHEN I THINK SO, AND I PLAY BASS IN FOR THE FOB BAND.

SO I AM APPROACHING THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDING FOR ARTISTS OF COLOR, THROUGH THE EYES OF A VENUE OWNER AND A BOOKER AS WELL AS A BAND MEMBER.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY I'M WHITE, BUT I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE BANDS THAT I PLAY WITH.

UM, SO ONE THOUGHT I HAD IS IT, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE FUNDS GO TOWARD ONCE THE BANDS ARE DEVELOPED AND ARE IDENTIFIED.

AND I'M HOPING THAT THAT'S A TRANSPARENT PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE CAN OPENLY SUBMIT.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT A COMMITTEE COMES UP WITH A LIST OF BANDS, BUT ONCE THEY'RE IDENTIFIED, LIKE A LOT OF THE BANDS THAT I KNOW WOULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER IT'S WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS, PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS, UM, PERHAPS SOME BOOKING SUPPORT, HELPING THEM GET CONNECTED WITH FESTIVALS TO GET THE NAME OUT AROUND THE COUNTRY, UH, DOING THINGS SO THAT WHEN TOURISTS DO COME TO AUSTIN, THAT THEY WANT TO GO HEAR A CERTAIN BAND CAUSE THEY'VE HEARD OF THEM AND IT'S NOT LIKE, CAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE A DESTINATION VENUE.

SO PEOPLE MIGHT HEAR ABOUT SAHARA FROM A FRIEND, BUT WE'RE NOT DOWNTOWN.

SO PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO RANDOMLY GO IN THERE.

UM, WHICH IS FINE.

WE'RE HAPPY WITH WHO WE ARE, BUT I LIKE THE IDEA OF PROMOTING SOME OF THE BANDS, UH, TO JUST TO GET THEM BETTER KNOWN SO THAT PEOPLE DO COME OUT AND ALSO KNOW AS A PERSON WHO RUNS A VENUE AND DOES BOOKING AND HAS TO PAY THE BILLS THAT WE CAN HAVE A FANTASTIC BAND.

THAT'S JUST AMAZING MUSIC AND THERE MIGHT BE 10 PEOPLE THERE.

SO IT'S THE NOTION OF MAKING SURE THAT ARTISTS OF COLOR GET A FEE, A FAIR PAY IS IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME GETTING THEM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, I DON'T KNOW.

WE CAN ASK YOU QUESTIONS.

MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ELSE DID YOU HAVE TO SAY TO US? SO, UH, I SEE THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO GET THE BANDS PROMOTED AND IT'S NOT JUST TO GET MONEY INTO THE HANDS OF THE MUSICIANS.

THAT'S BASICALLY BECAUSE THEN IT'S A WIN-WIN AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO VENUES ARE GOING TO WANT TO BOOK THEM BECAUSE THEY GOT A CROWD OUT BECAUSE IF I DON'T SELL ENOUGH TOPO, CHICO, I'M OUT OF LUCK, EVEN IF I LOVE THE BAND, YOU KNOW, SO, AND I BROUGHT A LIST OF BANDS.

I JUST TYPED THIS UP RIGHT BEFORE I CAME THIS LIKE 30 BANDS THAT WE BOOKED IN THE PAST YEAR THAT I THINK WOULD QUALIFY.

UH, WE HAVE AFRO JAZZ AND MUNCHIE GIDDY EGG BEKO, UH, IN THE CREWS SAY HARA ALL-STARS MOSES AND THE SUBWOOFERS, THE MADNESS KIKO VM IS OUR MALA NOTA SYSTEM, POSITIVE, CRUCIAL PROFIT, MEGA 10, JEFF LOFTON, EASY COMPADRE SUNDAY, RAY FREDERICO, SEVEN

[00:45:01]

BLUE VINYL CRATES ON THE STEREO, LATIN DUKES, LOS ARCOS, LOS PATTERN, DARROW, STELLA CUMBIA, EXTRA MANTICA EXECUTIVE STEEL BAND LEDDY GARZA, SUGAR WILLIAMS, PAULA MAYA, HAIL MARLEY, AFRO FREAK AND RICA.

LEGORRETA IVY ROOTS AND RAY ARTIEGA.

SO THE, THE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THOSE VANS TO ANYBODY.

SOME OF THEM GOT A CROWD OUT, SOME OF THEM NOT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'M JUST HOPING THAT IT WILL BE REALLY TRANSPARENT.

HOW DO PEOPLE APPLY? AND ALSO THAT THERE'S SUPPORT, NOT JUST THAT PEOPLE THAT MUSICIANS CAN TAKE HOME MONEY IN THEIR POCKET, BUT THAT THERE'S SUPPORT SO THAT CUSTOMERS COME OUT.

SO THAT IT'S MORE SATISFYING, FRANKLY, AS A BASS PLAYER, WHEN THERE'S A DANCE FLOOR FULL OF PEOPLE, IT'S A LOT MORE FUN THAN WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 10 PEOPLE THERE.

SO, SO THERE'S THAT SIDE, BUT ALSO FROM THE VENUE SIDE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SELL BEVERAGES.

SO THANK YOU.

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU AND YEAH, SO YOUR EARS SHOULD TOTALLY BE BURNING BECAUSE EVEN THIS LADY AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT YOU TODAY.

UM, SO I, I AGREE AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE, THE NEED FOR PROMOTION AND STAFF HAS TALKED ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ARTISTS BEING PART OF THIS, BUT JUST, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THIS OR NOT, IF I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE PROMOTION FUNDING FOR THAT, ARE YOU SEEING THAT IS JUST AS A SEPARATE SLICE OF THE FUND THAT THE CITY MANAGES AND PROMOTE SPANS, OR WOULD THAT BE IN INCLUDED IN THESE GRANTS, THESE FIVE TO 10 POTENTIAL FIVE TO $10,000 GRANTS? LIKE WHAT ARTISTS SPEAK IN BE ASKED TO USE A CHUNK OF THAT FOR PROMOTION, OR IF YOU, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW YOU THINK THAT COULD WORK I'M FRANKLY, PLAYING CATCH UP ON HOW THE WHOLE THING WILL WORK AND I'VE HEARD THIS AND THAT.

UH, SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE WERE POTENTIAL GRANTS, BUT I KNEW THAT THERE WANTED TO BE SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS THAT WERE EITHER BLACK, UH, LATIN OR ASIAN.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.

SO BY POCK, UH, ARTISTS AND PROMOTERS RIGHT NOW, AS THE, AS THE GUIDELINES ARE WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, AND WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP DISCUSSING ELIGIBILITY, BUT AS THE GUIDELINES ARE WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, UH, BIPAP ARTISTS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY SCORE MORE POINTS.

AND THEN ALSO WOMEN IDENTIFYING LGBTQ AND ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES.

SO THAT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY SUPPORT FOR THOSE.

SO THEN IT WOULD, SO IT'S POSSIBLE.

IT WOULD JUST BE LIKE A ONE-TIME GRANT AND NOT LIKE AN ONGOING, LIKE IT'S NOT FOR EVERY TIME SOMEBODY, LIKE IF SYSTEM POSITIVE PLAYS A, A GIG, THEY DON'T GET NECESSARILY GET SUPPORT FOR THAT, BUT IT'S MORE FOR THE BAND.

UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME LATITUDE FOR CREATIVITY.

DEFINITELY.

SO IT COULD, THERE'S BEEN TALK OF HOW IT COULD BE USED TO ESTABLISH A RESIDENCY, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE USED TO PARTIALLY FUND LIKE A TINY FESTIVAL.

I MEAN, IT REALLY, I THINK, UM, IT REALLY IS GOING TO DEPEND ON THE PEOPLE APPLYING, LIKE HOW, WHAT IDEAS THEY HAVE FOR HOW THEY USE THIS, THOSE GRANTS.

UM, AND IF THEY CAN FIT WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA OF THIS, THIS OVERLAY THAT WE'VE VOTED ON FOR PRESERVATION INNOVATION AND ELEVATION.

UM, SO I MEAN, IT COULD BE A LOT OF THINGS.

UM, BUT YEAH, WE WOULD LOVE FROM, I GUESS, FROM THE VENUE OWNERS PERSPECTIVE, LIKE HOW, HOW YOU SEE, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY WHY YOU CAME HERE, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE, UM, FROM THE VENUE OWNER PERSPECTIVE, LIKE HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELVES FITTING INTO THIS PROGRAM? WELL, I GUESS I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A PORTION OF THE HOTEL TAX THAT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.

AND YOU SEE, OH, THERE'S THREE LATINO PEOPLE THERE.

SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE PACKAGE.

UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, I MEAN, EITHER THERE IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY TO SAY IT DOESN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TO SAY THAT, OKAY, IF YOU BOOK THIS, UH, BAND LGBTQ BAND OR THIS, UH, ASIAN BAND OR LATINO BAND, THAT IF YOU BOOK THEM THAT YOU WILL GET THIS MUCH MONEY, IT'S JUST FEELS FUNNY.

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD RATHER SEE THE SCENE EXPLODE AND EXPAND AND YOU KNOW, I'M SO HAPPY AT SAY HARA, WHEN WE HAVE A REALLY RACIALLY MIXED CROWD, I LOVE IT.

YOU KNOW, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE FUTURE.

IT'S LIKE, IF YOU JUST GOING TO GO TO BLACK SHOWS OR WHITE SHOWS OR, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE FUTURE IS WHEN PEOPLE MINGLE AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE SITTING ON OUR PATIO AND THEY'RE TALKING AND YOU GO OUT THERE AND THERE'S A LONG TABLE

[00:50:01]

AND THEN HERE'S A COUPLE OF BLACK GUYS AND SOME WHITE GIRLS OVER THERE AND THEY'RE ALL TALKING.

THEN I FEEL LIKE, WELL, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR SOCIETY BY MINGLING AND NOT BY ISOLATING.

AND SO TO ME, GETTING THE PUBLIC GENERAL PUBLIC INTERESTED IN EXPLORING SOME RNB OR EXPLORING SOME AFROBEAT MUSIC OR EXPLORING SOME COLUMBIA, OH MY GOD.

IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT COLUMBIA, THEY SHOULD FIND OUT ABOUT IT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I FEEL.

I MEAN, FOR ME, SAHARA IS LIKE, IT'S A BUSINESS, BUT IT'S REALLY A SOCIAL MISSION.

IT'S A, IT'S A MISSION.

IT'S, IT'S A SPIRITUAL THING TO ME.

AND, AND SO I, I, YOU KNOW, MUSIC IS SPIRITUAL.

SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE COMMUNITY, TO GET PEOPLE, TO TALK TO EACH OTHER, TO, UH, DEVELOP ARTISTS, YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK TO PEOPLE AT THE CLUB I'M LIKE, SO DO YOU PLAY AN INSTRUMENT YET? NO, I'M TOO OLD.

I'M LIKE, NO, YOU'RE NOT.

YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, AUSTIN IS SUCH A FRIENDLY PLACE.

IT REALLY HAS A REPUTATION OF THAT.

AND, AND I FEEL LIKE WE CAN THROUGH SOMEHOW THROUGH THE FOND SUPPORT ARTISTS AND GET MORE DIVERSITY IN THE VENUES IN A WAY THAT'S HEALING AND IS NOT JUST THROWING MONEY AT SOMETHING, BUT REALLY GETTING PEOPLE INTERESTED IN IT.

UH, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT WORKING GROUP.

UM, I JUST WANT TO SEND A SHOUT OUT TO A SAHARA LOUNGE AND EILEEN ALL THE GREAT STAFF THAT HAVE WORKED THERE THROUGH THE YEARS.

UM, SARAH LOUNGE WAS VITAL TO MY CAREER AS A MUSICIAN ARTISTS IN AUSTIN.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, UM, GAVE US A PLATFORM AND OBVIOUSLY WE BUILT IT INTO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS LASTED FOR OVER 12 YEARS, BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET GET GOING IN AND SITTING DOWN.

AND I LAND LIKE, WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE GOING TO BRING PEOPLE IN LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE THERE FOR OVER FOUR YEARS AND BROUGHT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGH THAT VENUE IN A VERY UNSAFE WAY.

IT WAS ALWAYS A LOT OF MAGIC AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE PARTIES IN AUSTIN EVER.

YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE THE PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FIND IT WAS PEOPLE LIKE EILEEN, UM, THAT ALLOWED US TO CREATE THAT.

SO I JUST WANT TO SEND A SHOUT OUT TO EILEEN AND SARAH LOUNGE FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, UH, WITHOUT BODY ROCK, YOU KNOW, BODY ROCK WAS LIKE A BIG PART OF OUR ABILITY TO TAKE RISKS IN AUSTIN AND TRY OUR OWN, OUR OWN EVENTS AND OTHER, OTHER VENUES, OTHER PLACES TO THROW THINGS AT, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHEN WE GOT HERE.

SO THANK YOU, SARAH LAOS, TAKE YOU OUT LANE.

BUT, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR CREATIVITY, EILEEN WITH THIS, AND, UM, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME PERSONALLY, BUT I FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, THOSE BANDS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED COULD ALL COME TOGETHER AND CREATE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AS THE HAIRLINE HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THEM CAN, YOU KNOW, APPLY FOR A GRANT AND, AND, AND FOCUS ON SAHARA LOUNGE THAT THEY WANT TO CREATE A WHOLE SCENE AND ENVIRONMENT AROUND THAT AND FIGURE OUT HOW THEY COULD COOPERATE AND CREATE PROMOTIONS TOGETHER OR, OR WORK AND FIGHT OR FIND SOMEONE TOGETHER TO, TO, TO, TO JUST DO PROMOTION FOR THAT ENTIRE COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT.

THIS IS REALLY, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, THOSE BANDS TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT, TO, TO WORK TOGETHER WITH VENUES, TO WORK TOGETHER WITH PROMOTERS, TO WORK TOGETHER WITH, UM, WHO THEY CHOOSE, UH, TO THROW EVENTS THAT THEY, UM, DREAM OF FILMING, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, AN EVENT LIKE BODY ROCK.

CAN YOU IMAGINE A BODY ROCK STARTED OUT WITH $10,000? YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WITH NOBODY REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ONLY HAD A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE COMING UP GOING AND WHAT DIFFERENCE THAT COULD HAVE MADE.

SO THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THAT OPPORTUNITY.

SO I LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO SEND YOU A SHOUT OUT, SEND YOU SOME LOVE CAUSE, UM, YOU WERE CRUCIAL NON-DEVELOPMENT.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

UH, SINCE I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE, THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO AT SAKARA LOUNGE AND CREATING THIS, UM, REALLY A REAL MUSIC HUB FOR US, UM, AT YOUR VENUE.

UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WISDOM IN, IN WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THIS BEING A SOCIAL MISSION AND THE SPIRITUALITY AROUND MUSIC COMING FROM THE CULTURE THAT I COME FROM THAT IS, THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY IT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC, IT IS SPIRITUAL.

UM, SO I JUST

[00:55:01]

WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.

I, I JUST, UM, I HAVE PLAYED THERE AND I JUST HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS THAT PLAY AT YOUR VENUE, UH, DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.

I'D LIKE TO SHARE JUST FOR A SECOND TOO, BECAUSE IT CONNECTS TO THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH ANOTHER COMMISSIONER TODAY.

I LEANED THAT.

I MEAN, I LOVE AFRO FREAK.

I LOVE DEE MADNESS HAVE SINCE I FIRST MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1992, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES UP FOR ME RIGHT NOW IS THAT SOME OF OUR VENUES, UM, ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT I CAN THINK OF DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND WAS REALLY BOOKING ONE OF THE MORE DIVERSE COMPARED TO OTHER CLUBS IN THIS TOWN.

UM, AND NOW THE PREVIOUS OWNERS ARE HAVING TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.

UM, THAT WAS A REALLY HURTFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO LOSE THEIR SPACE.

YOU KNOW, THERE WERE EVERYBODY FROM, UH, GOD REST, HIS SOUL MC OVERLORD, THE VALLEJO GUYS, THEY HAD SALSA NIGHT.

THEY BOOKED A LOT OF THE BIPAP ARTISTS THAT, THAT I PERSONALLY LOVE.

AND I DISCOVERED OTHERS.

I WENT TO DANCE SALSA WHEN I NEVER, I'M NOT, I DON'T DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, AND YOU TURN ON PEOPLE TO OTHER THINGS, JUST LIKE YOU'RE DESCRIBING THAT IT IS NOT ONLY YOUR DREAM, BUT AS YOUR REALITY THAT YOU'RE CREATING WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND PART OF THIS CONVERSATION TODAY WAS ABOUT HOPING THAT WE CAN COME TO A COMPROMISE IN SOME WAY IN THIS WAY THAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT BEING CREATIVE, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IN ORDER TO HELP BOTH THE ARTISTS THAT ARE WORKING IN THE VENUES AND THE VENUES REMAIN, UM, SUSTAINABLE TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.

HOWEVER, THE GRANTS FLOW IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IS HEALTHY.

AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, SEPARATION AND DIVISIVENESS ON THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT OF HOW DO WE DO IT.

AND A LOT OF FEAR AROUND IF WE GIVE IT TO THE VENUE, THEY MAY NOT DO THE RIGHT THING.

IF WE GIVE IT TO THE ARTISTS, THE CLUBS MAY FAIL.

IF THEY GO AND BOOK THEIR FESTIVALS AND THEIR SHOWS AND PUBLIC SPACES OTHER RATHER THAN THE VENUES.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT BECAUSE IT ALSO GIVES FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO THAT FOR THAT.

AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE FROM THE NEWS AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF MORE VENUES WOULD COME OUT AND YOU COMING OUT TONIGHT WAS VERY IMPORTANT AND THOUGHT PROVOKING.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM TOMORROW.

WILLIAMS, I THINK TOMORROW YOU HEAR A BUS TIME, YOU HERE REPRESENTING EKU.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

UM, BASICALLY, UM, MY NAME IS TOMAR WILLIAMS AND, UM, I AM A MEMBER BOARD MEMBER.

RBQ AUSTIN, AND ALSO I'M IN A BAND CALLED TOMORROW.

UFC'S, I'M NOT SOME OF Y'ALL I'VE HEARD OF THAT BAND AND, UM, I'LL SHAKE A LEG OR TWO EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO SAY EILEEN, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT BECAUSE I, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO AUSTIN IN 1985 WITH MY BROTHERS, IT WAS CALLED TC LOUNGE AND I WAS LIKE 15 YEARS OLD WHEN MY BROTHER'S PLAYING THAT SPOT.

AND THE COOL THING IS SHE KEPT THE SAME NOSTALGIA, THE SAME FIELD FROM TCS LOUNGE, AND I PLAYED SAHARA LOUNGE A FEW TIMES.

SO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE SAME BIBLE HE SHARED IT.

UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON IS BASICALLY, UM, I AM ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL AND, UM, ON THE LOUD MUSIC FUND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BEING A MUSICIAN IN THE CITY SINCE 85, MY BROTHERS AND I, WE REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, PLAYING SHOWS, I MEAN, LIBERTY LUNCH, RIGHT OVER HERE, SOMEWHERE STEAM BOATS.

THAT'S NO LONGER HERE.

UH, UH, ANTONE'S UM, THE CONTINENTAL CLUB, WE WERE SO FORTUNATE TO COME IN AND DO THOSE SHOWS, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE REALIZED THAT, UM, WHEN YOUR FAN BASE STARTS TO FALL OFF, BECAUSE IT DOES HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WE DECIDED TO GET INTO THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF ACTUALLY SUSTAINING OUR, YOU KNOW, MUSIC CAREERS IN THE CITY, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY LEVELS OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF IN THIS CITY.

UH, SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS GO INTO THE STUDIO AND START PRODUCING A BUNCH OF MUSIC.

AND THAT BEING SAID, OR MAKING THAT HAPPEN, WE HAD SOME PRETTY COOL REGIONAL SUCCESS BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES.

AND THEN LO AND BEHOLD, GOD BLESS THAT WE, WE HAD A REALLY COOL HIT BY MY JONES TO, UH, 2005 OR 2004, UH, STEEL CHIP AND PAUL WALL, SLIM THUG.

I MEAN, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

AND SO WE GOT A CHANCE NOT ONLY TO JUST BE ABLE TO PLAY LIVE.

SO WE JUST STARTED PRODUCING MORE.

[01:00:01]

SO MY WHOLE TAKE IS THAT BASICALLY THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES WHEN THINGS SLOWS DOWN IN THE LIVE MUSIC SECTOR, WHAT IS THAT OTHER THING YOU CAN DO TO HELP SUSTAIN YOURSELF? SO I WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THEM, SOME POINTS THAT Q AUSTIN STANDS FOR OR STAND ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUNDING, RECORDINGS THROUGH YOUR PRODUCTION.

UM, IF YOU ARE AN AMAZING BAND IN AUSTIN AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PRODUCT, AND YOU'RE NOT IN THE STUDIO RECORDING, BASICALLY YOU CUTTING YOURSELF SHORT TO SUSTAIN YOUR CAREER IN THE CITY.

AND, UM, AND ALSO NEW PEOPLE MOVING LIKE A 117 20 PEOPLE MOVING TO THE CITY.

SO SOMETIMES HOW DO THEY HEAR ABOUT YOU? SOMETIMES IT'S NOT BY THE CLUBS.

IT'S ABOUT HAVING YOUR SONG ON THE RADIO MUSIC, VIDEO PRODUCTION, MY BROTHERS AND I, WE DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S GET INTO THE VIDEO PRODUCTION PART OF THIS INDUSTRY.

SO WE PRODUCE OUR OWN VIDEOS, UM, MUSIC PUBLISHING IN 2005, BEING THAT WE HAD THAT AWESOME SUCCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO SIGN AND I'M SORRY.

YES, SIR.

WE WERE ABLE TO SIGN WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING, UM, AN EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING.

AND TO THIS DAY, WE'RE STILL WORKING.

IN FACT, ON MY WAY DOWN HERE, I GOT A EMAIL FROM UNIVERSAL ASKING US TO USE OUR MUSIC FOR A SHOW COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.

AND IT'S GONNA BE A LACK OF CONTINUING CONTINUATION SHOW.

SO BASICALLY WE TALKING ABOUT SYNC IN LICENSING AND ALL THAT MAJOR STUFF AND ALSO DISTRIBUTION.

SO WHEN YOU DECIDE TO RECORD YOUR ALBUM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU GOT YOUR PRODUCT OUT THERE, UM, SOMETIMES YOU NEEDED A DISTRIBUTOR TO ACTUALLY HELP GET YOUR PRODUCT TO THE MASSES.

AND SOME DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

I MEAN, IT SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY INVOLVE, CAUSE MY BROTHERS AND I, WE, WE FORMED OUR OWN RECORD LABEL.

SO WE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT'S IMPORTANT.

WE SIGNED OUR FIRST ARTISTS TO SOUTHWEST DISTRIBUTION OUT OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

THEY'RE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, BUT IT ACTUALLY HELPED MOVE THE PRODUCT AND REPLICATION OF VINYL AND CASSETTES.

YOU KNOW, IT TAKES MONEY BECAUSE IF YOU RECORD AN ALBUM IN THE STUDIO AND YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PRINT A PRODUCT, IT'S JUST A PRODUCT THAT'S GOING TO BE DEAD IN THE WATER.

SO THAT IS IMPORTANT.

AND THEN ALSO BROADCASTING TB.

WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO FIND A REALLY COOL PUBLICIST THAT WAS ABLE TO GET US ON SHOWS LIKE 1 0 6 IN PARK.

I'M JUDGING HIP HOP FRIDAY WITH CHAMELEON AND, AND THINGS TRL AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO BASICALLY FINDING PEOPLE THAT CAN ACTUALLY HELP, YOU KNOW, SUSTAIN YOUR CAREER AS A MUSICIAN.

BUT THEN IN 2012, WE DECIDED TO COME BACK TO THE ACTUAL MUSIC SCENE AND START WRITING AND PERFORMING ON STAGE AGAIN.

CAUSE I WAS BORN ON STAGE.

I WAS, I WAS 11 YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS PLAYING.

SO UNDERSTANDING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT ON MANY ASPECTS.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE CITY WAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO LIKE GET THE LAST HANDOUT OR JUST BE, IT WOULD JUST, THE PLAYING FIELD WAS NOT LEVEL AND WE WILL ALWAYS SEEM TO BE OVERLOOKED.

AND LIKE I SAID, BEEN HERE SINCE 85 AND I'VE SEEN MANY ASPECTS OF THE, OF THE CITY CHANGE FROM 85 TO 2021.

SO MY TAKE ON IT IS BASICALLY LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD, YOU KNOW, CAUSE THERE ARE SOME AMAZING LATIN ARTISTS, SOME AMAZING ASIAN ARTISTS, AMAZING BLACK ARTISTS THAT NEVER GET A CHANCE TO BE HEARD OR SEEN JUST BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE PLAYING FIELD IS NOT LEVEL AND BEING THAT SAYS HARA LOUNGE, BUT SHE SPOKE ON ARLENE.

SHE GIVES CERTAIN PLATFORMS. CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT IT ALL WORKS IN THE ECOSYSTEM.

IT ALL PLAYS OFF ONE ANOTHER.

SO I DO BELIEVE IF WE DECIDE TO GIVE THE MUSICIANS A CHANCE TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THE MONEY TOWARDS, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY PLAYS FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK OR FIND A, SOME MUSICIANS IN THE CITY SOMETIMES PLAY ONLY TWO NIGHTS IN A MONTH.

AND MAYBE THAT ONE PERFORMANCE MAY NOT BE THE MONEY TAKE HOME OR YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND THEN IT MAY BE THAT ONE IN ONE MONTH THEY MAY BE THE ONE THAT JUST SAY, OH, THAT WAS A GREAT ONE, BUT IT MAY BE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS BEFORE YOU GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT AGAIN.

SO I'M LOOKING AT, IF YOU WANT TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF AS A MUSICIAN IN THIS CITY, THE ECOSYSTEM IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH IF WE GIVE THE ARTISTS A CHANCE TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLACE THEIR MONEY, BECAUSE YOU PUT THE POWER BACK INTO THE MUSICIANS HANDS SO THEY CAN BE VALUABLE AND TO CREATE WITHOUT STRESS AND SAN I'M GOING TO GET THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, BUT I DO HAVE A GRANT THAT'S COMING THAT I CAN ACTUALLY WORK IN THE STUDIO AND RECORD THIS ALBUM BECAUSE WHEN MY BAND TOMAR NEAR SEAS IN 2021 IN FEBRUARY, WHEN EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN, IT WAS AWESOME THAT WE, WE LANDED A SONG, ONE OF OUR SONGS ON THE SHOW, RIVERDALE AND

[01:05:01]

BUDDY HEARD A RIVERDALE ON THE CW NETWORK AND EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN IN FEBRUARY, BUT THAT WAS AN AMAZING PAYDAY FOR US WHILE WE WERE JUST SITTING ON THE COUCH.

I WAS WATCHING THAT WITH MY MOM AND DAD, BUT I KNEW THERE WAS A PAYCHECK COMING IN THE MAIL.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OURSELVES A VERY VALUABLE IN ALL ASPECTS ASPECTS OF THIS INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY AUSTIN, TEXAS, WE ARE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

LET'S KEEP THAT ROLLING.

AWESOME.

THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TO THAT SIDE OF THINGS.

UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. WILLIAMS? OKAY.

WELL, I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THOSE THAT THIS WORKING GROUP IS TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY.

SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PRODUCTION SIDE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON IT AS A, I WANT TO JUST MENTION, I'VE SEEN TAMARA A NUMBER OF TIMES AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS SO RIGHT ON, IT IS NOT JUST PLAYING AND BEING UP ON STAGE.

IT IS THE HUB, THE WHOLE ECONOMIC WORLD OF MUSIC THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN.

AND THAT'S HOW YOU ARE HERE TOMORROW, A YEAR FROM NOW 10 YEARS FROM NOW, 20 YEARS FROM NOW BY DOING JUST WHAT HE SAID, SO RIGHT ON MAN.

THAT'S GREAT.

LIKE THAT, YES, IT CAN BE DONE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU TO BE, UM, ANOTHER, UH, ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION I HAD, UH, SHARED TODAY, UM, OR I LISTENED TO TODAY CONTRIBUTED TO, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION WITH A GROUP OF WOMEN MUSICIANS, VERY DIVERSE GROUP ON ZOOM.

WE'VE BEEN LIKE A SUPPORT GROUP FOR EACH OTHER OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND ONE OF THE WOMEN'S WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEPARATE FROM LIVE MUSIC PLAYING, CAUSE WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT, HAVE EVERYTHING'S SHUT DOWN.

WE, A LOT OF US PIVOTED TO LIVE STREAMS. WE COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THAT ACTUALLY WORKED.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING A LIVING, SOME OF US DOING THAT.

AND UM, BUT ALSO SOMEONE MADE A COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS CONCERN THAT STREAMING, UH, PLATFORMS ARE MOVING IN A DIRECTION POTENTIALLY WHERE WE MAY BE ACTUALLY HAVING AS ARTISTS TO PAY, TO HAVE OUR STUFF RELEASED.

CAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

AND SO WHEN I'M LISTENING TO YOU, I'M THINKING MY THOUGHTS TODAY.

AND A LOT OF WHAT WAS SHARED WAS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH PLAY LIVE BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO OTHERS IN, IN A, IN A, IN A REAL TIME SPACE AND HOW MUCH YOU LOVE PLAYING ON STAGE AND THAT YOU WERE BORN ON STAGE FEELS LIKE, BUT ALSO, UM, IN THE RECORDING IN REGARD TO RECORDING, WE HAVE THE STREAMING, BUT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT CREATING ACTUAL PRODUCT TO OFFER TO NEW FANS AND OLD, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPACES AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

AND, AND THAT SPEAKS TO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE SAYING SIMILAR THINGS, AS FAR AS THE ECOSYSTEM, IT'S GOTTA BE LIVE, BUT IT CAN'T ALWAYS BE LIVE AND IT'S GOTTA BE RECORDING AND IT'S GOTTA BE EXPRESSING.

AND THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN A RECORDING SCENARIO WITH, WITH, WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR BAND FAMILY, WITH PEOPLE YOU WORKING WITH.

SO I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT TOO.

LIKE THE CONTRAST THERE'S CONTRAST WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE AND, YOU KNOW, PRODUCTION, UH, CREATING RECORDINGS, BUT THEN THERE'S A SYMBIOSIS THERE OF HOW WE KEEP, I MEAN, WE'RE MUSICIANS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING BASICALLY.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO JUST FIND THE SPACE WHERE WE HAVE THAT EXPOSURE AND WE HAVE THAT CREATIVITY SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE MONEY FLOWING AND TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES.

WELL, SPEAKING ON THAT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, SPEAKING ON THAT I, WHAT WE DID, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING THAT IT WAS ME AND MY THREE BROTHERS, WE DECIDED AT SOME POINT TO GET JOBS AND UM, AND THEN GO INTO STUDIO FOUR TIME, NOT FULL TIME, OR PART-TIME ASIDE FROM WORKING A REGULAR JOB, BUT THEN NOT EVERYONE IS, YOU KNOW, SET OUT TO GO AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION.

THEY WANT TO JUST BASICALLY CONCENTRATE ON THEIR, THE MUSIC.

SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IN THAT ASPECT, IF YOU COULD FIND A REALLY COOL PLACE, I CAN GIVE YOU LIKE AN AWESOME RESIDENCY, YOU KNOW, ONCE A WEEK, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN BUILD YOUR FAN BASE.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, UH, TAKING SOME OF THE FUNDS AND ACTUALLY USE THAT TOWARDS YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR RECORDING.

SO YOU ACTUALLY KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE WHILE YOU'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON YOUR PRODUCT IN THE STUDIO, YOU ALSO BUILDING A SET FAN BASE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WRITE SONGS AND THEN YOU TRY THEM OUT AT YOUR SHOW AND SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT WORK LIVE.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND SAY, OKAY, THAT DIDN'T WORK.

SO YOU CAN'T DO BOTH.

IF YOU GET A REALLY AWESOME SPOT THAT YOU COULD DO A RESIDENCY, IT CAN BE LIKE THREE TO SIX MONTHS OR EVEN A YEAR.

BUT I FEEL AS THOUGH THAT IF YOU WANT TO DO DUAL CITIZENSHIP

[01:10:01]

SO THAT IS MY BIASES.

IF YOU CAN FIND A RESIDENCY IN A REALLY AWESOME SPOT, BUILD YOUR FAN BASE, JUST LIKE I SPOKE ON, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE MOVING TO AUSTIN, TEXAS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND THEY MOVE HERE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT THING OR THE NEXT THEY THINK IS THE NEXT THING.

BUT IT'S BEEN HERE FOR LIKE 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW? AND SO YOU MIGHT BE THAT NEXT THING TO THEM.

SO THAT IS MY TAKE ON, BASICALLY, IF YOU WANT TO DO BOTH AT THE EXACT SAME TIME AND NOT WEAR YOURSELF OUT, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I'M SORRY.

I JUST WANTED YOUR TAKE ON THAT CONNECTION THAT THE BOTH ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THAT IT'S NOT ONE OR THE OTHER.

THANK YOU SO IMPORTANT.

TELL THEM, WELL, LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING, MAN.

YES, SIR.

IF, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT EVEN TAKE IT, YOU SAID 85 Y'ALL CAME HERE IN 1985.

WE ONLY HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK THAT FAR.

LET'S EVEN SAY 10 YEARS LATER, YOU GUYS ARE FIGURING THINGS OUT AND STILL, YOU KNOW, BUILDING.

AND I KNOW, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN STILL TIPPING WAS, BUT IT WAS AFTER THAT.

UM, OH, IF THERE WAS A LOT OF MUSIC FUND AVAILABLE TO YOU, UM, IN THAT TIME WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING, UM, DO YOU THINK, UM, AS AN INDEPENDENT MUSICIAN, AS, AS, AS A, AS A BUSINESS PERSON, AS YOU WERE THAT YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN THAT FIVE TO $10,000 AND CREATED OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, ALSO THE OTHER, OTHER, UM, SECTORS THAT, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MOST DEFINITELY A SHOCKER.

YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT HAPPENED, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ACTUALLY WROTE THAT SONG FOR AN ARTIST THAT WAS SIGNED TO OUR LABEL, BUT HE DIDN'T WRITE LYRICS TO IT.

SO WE TOOK IT TO SWITCH THE HOUSE AND STILL TIPPIN IS NOW IS SO HE'S KICKING HIMSELF EVERY SINGLE NIGHT AND DAY, BUT I'M GONNA SAY THIS.

IF WE HAD A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY TAKE OR USE FUNDS OF THAT NATURE BACK THEN.

AND, UM, CAUSE WHAT WE WERE DOING, NOT ONLY WE WERE JUST IN THE STUDIO RECORDING, WE WOULD TAKE THESE ARTISTS AND WE WILL PUT THEM ON SHOWS.

WE WILL ACTUALLY SET UP OUR OWN SHOWS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AND CREATE A SHOW AND CREATE A, WHAT YOU CALL IT, AN EXCITEMENT TO COME TO.

AND SO WE WERE DEFINITELY DEALING WITH VENUES ONE-ON-ONE, YOU KNOW, SO IT WAS A, IT WAS A, IT WAS A, IT WAS A MARRIAGE BECAUSE YOU CAN DEFINITELY RECORD SOME AWESOME STUFF IN THE STUDIO, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLATFORM TO, TO SHOWCASE IT, THEN IT'S PRETTY MUCH, LIKE I SAID, HIS DEAD IS DEAD IN THE WATER.

SO THE VENUES WERE VERY IMPORTANT BACK THEN AS WELL.

SO YES, WE WOULD USE SOME FUNDING, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE PRODUCING FOR ARTISTS THAT ASSIGNED TO YOUR LABEL, IT CAN BECOME VERY EXPENSIVE, VERY EXPENSIVE.

AND YOU HAVE SOME ARTISTS THAT ARE DIVAS AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN SIGNED YET.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND SO, UM, IT CAN GET EXPENSIVE.

SO THE MUSIC FUNDING THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY WOULD HAVE USED BACK THEN WERE BEEN TOURS, UH, RECORDING AS WELL, AND THEN ALSO MARKETING AND THEN ALSO CONNECTING WITH PROMOTERS IN THE CITY OF THE AWESOME PROMOTERS THAT WERE THERE WERE KNOCKING THINGS OUT BACK IN THAT TIME, CONNECTING WITH THOSE GUYS OR THOSE YOUNG LADIES THAT WERE PROMOTING CONCERTS.

SO YES, WE WOULD HAVE USED THE MONEY WISELY.

I TH I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY TURN THAT INTO $50,000, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

THE WAY THAT, THE WAY THAT AS SUCCESSFUL IS Y'ALL WERE SO IT'S LIKE FOR ME, YOU KNOW, UM, THE FOCUS IS ON LINE MUSIC, BUT THERE'S NOTHING SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY CAN'T WORK WITH, UH, A MARKETING PERSON, A PR PERSON, A, ANY OF THAT, THERE'S NOTHING SAYING THAT THEY CAN'T DO THAT.

THERE'S NOTHING SAYING THAT THEY CAN'T ENGAGE WITH THOSE SECTORS.

AND A MATTER OF FACT, IF THEY DO, I'M SURE THAT THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A, A PEOPLE WOULD TAKE NOTE, WHOEVER IS ADMINING AND LOOKING AT THAT APPLICATION WOULD TAKE MOST OF THAT.

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THE LOUD MUSIC FUNDING RIGHT NOW THAT SAYS THAT IT'S ENCOURAGING PEOPLE NOT TO WORK WITH THOSE SECTORS.

AND I LIKED THAT BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES ACTUALLY, YOU DO HAVE A LOT OF MUSICIANS THAT BECOME LACKADAISICAL, UM, UH, COMPLACENT.

AND SO SOMETIMES IF THEY DO RECEIVE FUNDS OF THAT NATURE, MY TAKE ON IT, WE HAD A FEW, YOU KNOW, MAN, THERE WAS OUR LABOR BACK THEN.

I'M HONEST.

THEY PROBABLY WOULD'VE BLEW IT OFF.

AND SO, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, WE ALL PUT TRUST IN EACH AND EVERY, EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF US WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY BEING DISTRIBUTED LIKE THAT.

BUT WE HAD TO BE REAL WITH OURSELVES.

YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE IS GOOD WITH MONEY, NOT EVERYONE IS GOOD WITH KNOWING HOW TO USE MONIES FOR CERTAIN SITUATIONS OR CERTAIN IMPORTANT SITUATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR CAREER.

I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE FACED WITH IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO, WHEN IT COMES TIME TO GET MUSICIANS, MONEY, EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR FISCAL ABILITY, BUT VENUES NOT SO MUCH, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE VENUES SURVIVE OR NOT, NOT EVERY VENUE IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE,

[01:15:01]

EITHER.

NOT EVERY VENUE IS, IS A VERY PROGRESSIVE OR LAZY OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO USE, NOT EVERYBODY IS WORKING AT FULL CAPACITY AND DOING THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE EITHER.

SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CHALLENGE IN THE NARRATIVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, THERE'LL BE MUSICIANS THAT MAY NOT USE THE MONEY VERY WELL FISCALLY, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME LIKE YOU EXACTLY LIKE TURN THAT INTO SOMETHING OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTION.

AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I TEND TO WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT RATHER THAN THE FEW, BECAUSE WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE VENUES THAT AREN'T FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND DON'T DO THIS JOB, BUT WE SET, WE TEND TO ALL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MUSICIANS, IT'S LIKE, OH, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

OH, YOU KNOW? YEAH.

THE, THOSE DEFINITELY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT, AND I KNOW A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE VERY, VERY RESPONSIBLE AND VERY FISCALLY SOUND AND DO A GREAT JOB, HIRING OTHER PEOPLE AND BRINGING IN COMMUNITIES AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT SECTORS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WELL, THANK YOU SHRUNK THERE.

UH, EVEN PRODUCER FROM THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

THERE IS THERE, THERE WE GO.

UM, FROM, OKAY, LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING THAT YOU OR YOUR STUDIO WERE TO GET A $10,000 GRANT, JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, CAN YOU KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF LIKE, HOW DO YOU, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES AND EVERYTHING, HOW, HOW THAT, HOW THAT MONEY WOULD GET SPENT? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHEN YOU DEALING WITH A RECORDING STUDIO, IF YOU, NUMBER ONE, IF YOUR STUDIO IS NOT UP TO DATE, YOU KNOW, TO BRING IN TALENT, TO RECORD IN YOUR STUDIO, THEN YOU WON'T GET THE BUSINESS.

UM, AND BEING THAT NOW THINGS ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN THEY WERE WAY BACK IN THE EIGHTIES.

AND THE NINETIES, YOU KNOW, SOFTWARE IS A LOT CHEAPER OR THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS SOFTWARE.

SO BASICALLY THAT'D BE THE NUMBER ONE THING TO ACTUALLY CONCENTRATE ON IS MAKING SURE THAT YOUR STUDIO IS ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO RECORD THAT WOULD LOVE TO COME AND RECORD YOUR STUDIO AND THAT, AND SECOND, YOU KNOW, UM, BASICALLY, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE ARTISTS THAT COMES INTO THAT COMES INTO YOUR STUDIO.

IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO NOT JUST ONLY DO A SINGLE OR AN EAP, THEY MAY COME BACK AND DO THE SECOND ALBUM.

SO THE STUDIO MUSICIANS THAT ARE, WHICH I KNOW A LOT IN THIS CITY, THEY STRICTLY WORK OUT OF THE STUDIO, BUT THEY ARE STILL MUSICIANS.

AND THEY, ONCE IN A WHILE, THEY MAY BE CALLED OUT TO DO A KEYBOARD, YOU KNOW, SITTING IN WHATEVER, BUT THEY GO BACK TO THEIR STUDIO.

THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS ECOSYSTEM IN AUSTIN WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC.

AND SO, UH, THEY WILL USE THAT MONEY TO BASICALLY USE, I MEAN, USE A TOURIST, YOU KNOW, GEAR OR SOFTWARE OR THE NEW PLUGINS THAT ARE COMING OUT, THAT ARTISTS ARE WALKING IN AND SAY, HEY MAN, DO YOU HAVE THAT NEW VOICE ON TERRORISM, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, MAKE ME SOUND LIKE KANYE WEST, YOU KNOW, POINT TO WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, UM, YES, I GOT THAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO BASICALLY THE FUNDING WOULD ACTUALLY HELP THE STUDENT MUSICIANS OR THE PRODUCTION MUSICIANS KEEP THEIR GEAR IN GOOD QUALITY WORK IN ORDER.

OH, MY MIKE'S NOT ON, I THINK IT'S FINE.

I'M JUST TOO QUIET.

UM, WE'LL LET YOU SIT DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT AND IF WE HAVE A QUESTION, WE'LL PULL YOU BACK UP, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING ALL OF THAT.

UM, THAT DETAIL IS REALLY HELPFUL.

AND SO THEN, YEAH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET THE COMMISSIONERS TICKET AND NAGA VOLUMES, I'VE BEEN FACILITATING THIS WORKING GROUP, SO I'LL LET YOU GET THE UPDATE.

YEAH, SO THE WORKING GROUP IS IN PROGRESS.

SO I WILL JUST GIVE A QUICK UPDATE.

UM, WE MET FOR THE FIRST MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19TH.

UM, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED EITHER IN PERSON OR THROUGH ZOOM.

AND, UM, THE GOAL OF THIS WORKING GROUP, UM, IS TO ESSENTIALLY DISCUSS, UM, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS AND HOW THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND.

UH, WE HAD PARTICIPATION FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSIONER, SO SIGNED UP FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UM, MYSELF COMMISSIONER MAHOEN, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN AND COMMISSIONER GOLD.

UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN IS GOING TO ATTEND THE, UH, THE SECOND MEETING.

HE WAS UNABLE TO IT IN THE FIRST ONE.

WE ALSO INVITED FOLKS THAT WERE PARTICIPANT AND HAD A VIEWPOINT ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IN THE LAST MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING.

UH, SO WE HAD, UM, CODY COLVIN, UH, REBECCA REYNOLDS, MOBLEY, MORGAN DAVIS, UM, AND TAMARA WILLIAMS, ALEX VALEHO.

UM, AND THEN A COUPLE OF THE PARTICIPANT COMMISSIONERS INVITED A FEW OTHER, UM, STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING, UM, UH, JANE HARVEY, WHO WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND, UH, THIS LAST ONE, BUT SHE WILL BE ATTENDING THE NEXT ONE THAT WE'LL BE HOPING, UM, DOLLY ANURADHA FROM AN ARTIST AND,

[01:20:01]

UH, SHE WAS ALSO UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS ONE.

SHE WOULD BE ATTENDING THE NEXT MEETING.

UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UH, AND, UH, MR. MCMILLAN, HAROLD MCMILLAN WAS IN ATTENDANCE, UM, ESSENTIALLY PRESENTING GROUPS, UM, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE THAT WERE PARTICIPANT IN THE LAST MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING ON THIS SUBJECT, UH, FROM GROUPS LIKE, UH, BLACK AUSTIN MUSICIANS, COLLECTIVE MMA AND DQ AUSTIN.

UM, WE BASICALLY, UM, THE FORUM INVOLVED, UM, UM, EVERYONE IN THE MEETING, SHARING VIEWPOINTS AND, UH, AND, AND AROUND THE BEST USE OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.

AND, UM, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS A HEALTHY EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND QUESTIONS AND COMMENTARY AROUND EACH OTHER'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

EEQ PRESENTED THEIR IDEA THAT, UM, UM, UH, MR. WILLIAMS JUST SHARED HERE, UH, AROUND SUPPORTING A BROADER ECOSYSTEM, UH, BMC WAS SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, THIS IDEA AROUND CHANNELING FUNDS, PRIMARILY THROUGH MUSICIANS, UM, USING, UH, THE DEI LENS.

UM, AND, AND IT JUST TO JUST TO REITERATE THE PI GUIDELINES, BUT FRAMEWORK FOR EDI DEI WAS ESSENTIALLY ALREADY, UH, UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION IN THE LAST SESSION.

SO THAT WAS NOT UNDER EDI, WAS NOT UNDER DISCUSSION.

IT WAS JUST PURELY STAKEHOLDERS AND, UM, AND MMA SMOKE SPOKE TO, UH, THEIR PROMOTER, UH, THE IDEA OF THE PROMOTER SYSTEM, INCLUDING VENUE PROMOTERS, INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS AND INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS, UH, FORMING THE CORE RECIPIENT BASE OF, UH, THE FUND.

SO LASTLY, THE GROUP WILL BE MEETING AGAIN IN MID DECEMBER, UM, WITH, WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN ATTENDANCE, UM, AND, UH, THE AGENDA, UM, WE HOPE WILL BE MORE POINTED TO IT'S EXPLORING, COMING UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATION AS A WORKING GROUP OR ALTERNATELY BRINGING BACK THE INPUTS FROM THIS WORKING GROUP TO THE GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE, IN, IN THE LIVE MUSIC LMF WORKING GROUP.

AND, UM, PERHAPS THE COMMISSIONERS COMING UP WITH, UH, UH, A COMMON NOTE, A BLEND OF A PLAN, OR ESSENTIALLY COMEBACK TO THIS COMMISSION AND PRESENT THE FINDINGS AS THEY ARE, UM, AS TO WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS WORKING GROUP IS.

SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS AS TO HOW TO ARRIVE TO, UM, HOPEFULLY A COMMON, A BLEND OF IDEAS WITH ONE RECOMMENDATION COMING TO BACK TO THIS MUSIC COMMISSION TO VOTE.

UM, ALSO VERY OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, UH, COMING BACK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, DIVERGENT OR, OR SOME COMMON IN SOME DIVERGENT IDEAS.

WE WILL REPORT BACK AFTER THE, UH, NEXT, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETING.

WE CAN PRESENT THAT, THAT BIT OF HOMEWORK, UM, TO, UH, THE LEADERSHIP THAT USUALLY SITS HERE, THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL.

OKAY, AWESOME.

WELL, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT HAS PUT TIME INTO THAT.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT AND THEN MORE WORK TO BE DONE THIS MONTH, WHICH I KNOW DECEMBER IS ALWAYS A SUPER BUSY MONTH.

SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT ON.

UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TO BRING TO THE COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, A REPORT WHERE I'M DESCRIBING SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE, AS A GROUP CAN TAKE THAT UP AND SEE, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT WITH, AND THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.

IF NOT AS THIS BODY CAN GIVE OUR INPUT TO HELP, UH, KNIT THOSE IDEAS TOGETHER, TO FINISH THIS UP AND, AND GET IT DONE.

UH, ONE THING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM THE WORKING GROUP, I MEAN, DOES IT JUST SOMETHING FOR Y'ALL TO CONSIDER, BUT, UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN SUPER HELPFUL HEARING EILEEN AND TAMAR, UH, TALK ABOUT LIKE THE STUDIO SIDE AND THE VENUE SIDE.

AND OF COURSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WORKING MUSICIANS ALL ALONG, BUT, UM, TALK ABOUT HOW, IN AN ECONOMIC SENSE, HOW THE MONEY FLOWS THROUGH THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS, HOW, UM, IT CREATES A SYMBIOSIS THAT PATRICE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

LIKE, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT ON PAPER.

UM, IT CAN EVEN JUST BE A FLOW CHART OR SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THAT THAT HELPS US THAT'LL HELP US ALL TO DIGEST IT.

IT ALSO IS VERY HELPFUL TO PRESENT TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

UM, AS WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, IF WE CAN SAY LIKE, LOOK, WE, THIS SUPPORTS THIS, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY COMES HERE AND THEN IT SUPPORTS MUSICIANS THIS WAY.

AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO MUSICIANS, THEY CAN SPEND IT HERE AND HERE.

AND ALL OF THESE THINGS GROW THE MUSIC ECONOMY.

AND SOME OF THAT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, CAUSE PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN AND BUYING DRINKS AND GOING OUT TO DINNER, UH, BUT BUYING RECORDS OR HEARING SOMEBODY SONG ON RIVERDALE AND THEN THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO COME HERE TO AUSTIN AS A TOURIST BECAUSE THEY REALIZE WHAT AN AMAZING MUSIC SCENE WE HAVE.

SO, UM, I DON'T WANT SHELL TO OVER-ENGINEER THAT, BUT IF YOU CAN SOMEHOW SHOW THAT AND, AND

[01:25:01]

CAN WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF THAT STUFF? IS THAT, IS THAT OKAY? UM, IT IT'S, IT'S, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE WORKING GROUP AND EVERYTHING AND, AND IT, AND IT KIND OF, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE'RE KIND OF SILOED OFF AND, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT SOME PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE SITTING HERE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU ALL'S OPINIONS ARE ABOUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THE FUNDS AND, AND, AND, AND ALL THAT STUFF.

I MEAN, THE WORKING GROUP IS ONE ENTITY, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LIKE, KIND OF HAVE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY A HEALTHY HEARTY DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT THIS NOW, SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF GET EVERYTHING SORT OF OUT IN THE OPEN IF WE, IF, IF, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE WILLING AND ABLE TO.

SO, UM, YEAH, SURE.

YOU KNOW, ONLY, YOU KNOW, THE STUDIO SIDE OF THINGS, THAT'S IN ADDITION TO NOT JUST, UM, A STUDIO THING.

I MEAN, I, UM, IT'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS MUSIC AND THERE'S BEEN, UM, SOME, UM, NICELY DRAWN, UM, CHARTS AND, AND THINGS AND WHATNOT.

AND I JUST, I CAN'T HELP, BUT THINK THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL, UM, AND I, I PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS NOT RELIEF MONEY.

UM, BUT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF MUSICIANS OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT NEED HELP.

AND THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BENEFIT FROM, UM, THIS FUN.

AND I THINK THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS, IS IN AGREEANCE WITH THAT COMPLETELY WHOLEHEARTEDLY 110%.

I THINK IT'S THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO THE MUSICIANS.

THAT IS, THAT IS THE ISSUE.

SO, UM, IN OUR WORKING GROUP, UH, SESSION MEETING THING, UM, WHEN I MENTIONED, AND I STAND BY THIS IS THAT IF THERE ARE MUSICIANS THAT IF WE'RE NOT PRIORITIZING MUSICIANS FIRST AND FOREMOST, THAT IT'S A NON-STARTER FOR ME.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I STAND BY.

UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO ADHERE TO, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET ME AWAY FROM, AND I WILL NOT VOTE FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T PUT MUSICIANS FIRST.

UM, AND IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM, UM, THERE WAS FROM MY SCHEDULE C OF MY, MY, MY OWN TAX RETURN FROM 2020, THERE WAS $10,897 THAT WAS SPENT, UM, IN THE STUDIO.

UM, AND, UH, ONE OF MY PRODUCERS JUST BOUGHT A BMW.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT, UM, A WEBSITE COSTS $236, UH, MARKETING COSTS, 1645, UH, DROPBOX, UM, CLOUD SHARING $120, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, $673 FOR, FOR CELL PHONE EXPENSES FOR THE GEAR $375 FOR ACCOUNTING, $6,045 FOR ADVERTISING.

THIS IS 20 $19.

UM, $23,983 ACTUALLY WENT TO PAY BAND MEMBERS, UM, IN 2019.

AND, UM, THERE'S, UM, $1,487.

AND I CAN'T READ MY OWN HANDWRITING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S THAT TOO.

UM, SO I MEAN IT, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EMPOWERMENT IN HAVING MUSICIANS DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THESE FUNDS, IF THEY WERE TO GET THEM.

AND THERE, THERE ISN'T A DEBATE OVER, WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE ANY BARS WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE IN THESE STUDIOS.

I DON'T THINK ANY OF THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE AN ISSUE HERE.

I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE, THE QUESTION IS, UM, DO WE, UM, IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW, TRUST THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT VENUES OR STUDIOS ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO THAT, YOU KNOW, W WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IN THE WORKING GROUP, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERTICAL INTEGRATION METHOD, IF THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO, I GUESS, MAKE IT TO THE MUSICIANS IN, IN, IN A, IN A, IN A REASONABLE FASHION, THAT'S NOT JUST PAYING THE CITY RATE FOR, FOR AN ARTIST TO PERFORM IN SET VENUE.

UM, I DO AGREE WITH TOMAR.

ABSOLUTELY.

I DO THINK THAT THERE IS, UM, I THINK COVID HAS GIVEN US A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO SEE AND INNOVATE AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT ASIDE FROM BEING IN THE VENUES, BUT THAT IS IN ADDITION TO, AND NOT, UM, UM,

[01:30:01]

AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS IS, UM, IT'S, I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO BE QUICK HERE BECAUSE I'M BEING MINDFUL OF TIME, BUT THERE ARE THERE THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT HERE THAT HAS A POTENTIAL TO DO SOMETHING, AND WE WE'VE ALREADY PASSED SOME REALLY GOOD, WE PASSED, YOU KNOW, THE PRESERVATION AND INNOVATION AND ELEVATION THING.

WE PASS THAT PART OF IT AND THAT'S HISTORIC, AND THAT'S REALLY GOOD, AND THIS AND THIS BODY HAS DONE THAT.

AND THERE'S NO ONE THAT IS SAYING AT ALL THAT VENUES ARE GOING TO BE LEFT OUT OR ANY OF THESE THINGS AT ALL.

WE NEED THE VENUES JUST LIKE, UM, VENUES NEED US.

BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE ARTISTS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO IN VENUES OVER THE LAST YEAR.

SO, UM, IN CARES MONEY, UH, THERE'S BEEN 55 MILLION, $998, 900 9880 $7, $55 MILLION IN PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM, MONEY AND SPO MONEY THAT HAS GONE TO VENUES.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ARTISTS OVER THAT SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, WHAT YOU HAVE IS A $225,000 FROM THE RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.

AND CODY WORKED REALLY HARD ON THAT.

UM, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.

LIKE AGAIN, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I RECEIVED SEVERAL OF THOSE GIFT CARDS, THREE OF THOSE GIFT CARDS, MYSELF, UM, SHAKA $75,000 AND GIFT CARDS FOR GROCERIES AND WHATNOT, BUT THAT PUT TOGETHER WITH THE CARES MONEY IS $5.3 MILLION, THAT'S IT? AND YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE SWATH OF, OF, OF MUSICIANS, THESE PEOPLE THAT WRITE THESE SONGS AND POUR THEIR HEARTS INTO THIS MATERIAL, WHETHER IT'S COVERED BAND OR OTHERWISE.

AND THEY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN IT'S HISTORIC AND SAYS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD IS SAYING, HEY, WE CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING THE RUCKUS IN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD BY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

AND I THINK THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT.

UM, SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT THERE FOR NOW, BUT I WANT TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO SEE WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING ELSE.

I THINK THIS, JUST SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT REAL QUICK, BECAUSE, UM, WE DO, SO I, I DON'T WANT TO THINK OF IT AS A RELIEF SON.

I DEFINITELY WANT US, UH, OUR CITY TO THINK OF THIS AS AN INVESTMENT AND MUSIC HERE IS A UNIQUE INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN AND THAT, UM, THE CONTENT IS OFTEN CREATED BY INDIVIDUALS.

SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THERE ARE SUBSIDIES OR INVESTMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BIGGER COMPANIES OR THAT AN OWNER OF A SOCCER TEAM OR, OR SO ON AND ORIN, YOU, UM, HAD SOME REALLY INTERESTING OR NOT INTERESTING, I MEAN, JUST A REALLY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF HOW OUR INDUSTRY WORKS KIND OF FROM, FROM THE GROUND UP.

AND IT'S UNIQUE HERE.

DID YOU WANT TO, I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IT WAS SO NICE THE WAY THAT YOU DESCRIBED IT.

SO I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE WORDS OUT OF YOUR MOUTH AND CLAIM THEM AS MY OWN.

SO I'M GOING TO THROW IT TO YOU WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, WAS IT ABOUT THE INNOVATION? WELL, WHEN YOU EMAILED ME AND SAID, SO HERE, LIKE OUR MUSIC, OUR, OUR, OUR MUSIC BUSINESS KIND OF GROWS FROM THE MUSICIANS UP THROUGH THE VENUES AND THE CONTENT CREATORS.

SO IN THAT SENSE, EVEN THOUGH, UM, SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT INDUSTRY THAT GENERALLY LIKE KIND OF A HIGHER LEVEL A CORPORATION WOULD, THE MONEY WOULD GO INTO THE, TO THE CORPORATION, NOT TO THE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING MICROCHIPS OR WHATEVER AUSTIN IT'S.

YOU ARE THE UNIQUE NATURE OF, OF MUSIC AND MUSIC HERE IN AUSTIN IS THAT PROVIDING, UM, INVESTMENT DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT ARE NOT HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE CONTENT CREATORS.

SO THAT IS A WAY TO INVEST IN THE, IF SOME ARE, ARE, ALL OF THE FUNDS WERE USED IN THAT WAY, IT IS STILL AN INVESTMENT, NOT, UM, NOT A, JUST A RELIEF CHECK, BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE MUSICIANS OR PROMOTERS.

UM, WHOEVER ELSE IS INCLUDED AS IS, YOU KNOW, SMALL VENUES, STUDIOS, WHATEVER IS DETERMINED.

I MEAN, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO COME FORTH WITH CREATIVE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMMATIC IDEAS.

SO IT'S NOT JUST AS YOU PUT IT GAS MONEY IN THE TANK.

THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

UM, THE FIVE TO $10,000 AMOUNT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THIS MONEY JUST TO BE RELIEF.

WE DON'T WANT IT TO PUT GAS

[01:35:01]

IN THE TANK.

WE WANT IT TO FUND SOMETHING BIG AND BODACIOUS, AND THAT INNOVATION WILL GET, UH, WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'LL GET.

UH, SOME OF IT, MUCH OF IT WILL NOT PAN OUT AT ALL.

UH, BUT FOR THE THINGS THAT DO SO FOR, SO CHUCK IS EXAMPLE WHEN YOU WERE DISCUSSING WITH TOMAR, UM, ABOUT HOW TAKING THE $10,000 AND TURNED IT INTO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MILLION DOLLARS, UH THAT'S UH, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT, UH, USING AN EXISTING BUSINESS MODEL, SUCH AS THE VENUE AUDIENCE TYPE OF THING.

YOU'LL GET MORE OF THE SAME.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, IN CERTAINLY SOME VENUES WILL TAKE RISKS, AND THOSE ARE THE MORE SUCCESSFUL VENUES THAT REALLY THAT BREAK BREAK BARRIERS.

BUT THE IDEA HERE TO ME IS TO TAP THAT CREATIVITY OF INDIVIDUALS GIVE THEM ENOUGH MONEY TO TRY SOMETHING BRAND NEW.

AND THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT IT WILL INVOLVE LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE, WHERE THEY WILL NEED A VENUE.

UM, AND THE VENUES WILL, WILL, WILL, WILL STAND TO BENEFIT THAT WAY, BUT IT BUBBLES UP FROM THE BOTTOM RATHER THAN THE, UH, REINFORCING THE EXISTING BUSINESS MODELS.

SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT AT THAT, THAT BOTTOM UP.

I WANTED TO DESCRIBE IT THAT WAY AGAIN, JUST TO REINFORCE FOR ANYBODY LISTENING AT HOME OR ANYBODY ON COUNCIL.

LIKE, WE'RE NOT THESE, AREN'T JUST LIKE HANDOUTS TO THIS, OH, THIS POOR MUSICIAN, LIKE THIS IS FOR MUSICIANS SO THAT THEY CAN, AS YOU SAID, BE EMPOWERED AND CONTRIBUTE AND HELP GROW THE ECONOMY.

UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL HAD THIS AGAIN THAT I WANTED TO ASK.

I MEAN, YES, I AGREE WITH ALL OF THAT.

I SEE THIS AS SEED MONEY.

THIS IS MONEY THAT'S MEANT TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT HAVE GREAT IDEAS AND DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO TRY THESE IDEAS, TO GET THEM STEPS FORWARDS.

EXACTLY.

AS YOU KNOW, BOTH CHAKA AND AURA WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, TURN 5,000 INTO 500 INTO 5 MILLION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GROW PEOPLE WITH THIS MONEY IS MY BELIEF.

NOW AT ONE CONCERN THAT I WANT TO DO ADDRESS NOW, SCOTT IS BECAUSE THE DEFINITION OF MUSICIAN IS A BIG THING.

YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED YOUR PRODUCER, WHO HASN'T BMW.

UM, I'VE GOT A SEVEN YEAR OLD CAMRY, BUT CAN YOU CONSIDER ME A MUSICIAN? YOU DON'T REALLY LET ME, SO YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.

WELL, IT WAS, IS THAT A RHETORICAL QUESTION OR ARE YOU ASKING? IT'S A REAL QUESTION.

THERE IS THAT DIFFICULTY OF DEF DEFINITION FOR ME.

SO, UH, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE GUIDELINES FROM, FROM EDD ARE, ARE, ARE GREAT FOR IDENTIFYING THAT, BUT ACTUALLY, UM, THE GUIDELINES THAT THE MMA GUIDELINES PUT OUT AS FAR AS LIKE LEVEL ONE, LEVEL TWO, I THINK THOSE CAN BE REWORKED A LITTLE BIT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I THINK, AND WE JUST GOT SOMETHING FROM, FROM EKU AUSTIN AS WELL, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, THOSE GUIDELINES ARE PRETTY GOOD AT IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT MUSICIANS ARE, WHAT TIERS, UM, WHAT QUALIFIED FOR WHICH, FOR WHICH DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUT WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT SOMEONE THAT JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LEARN HOW TO PLAY.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB WHEN IT GETS HARD AT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND TRY AND GET SOME OF THIS MONEY AND, AND, UM, NOT HAVING DONE ANYTHING AT ALL.

WE DEFINITELY WANT PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR AWHILE AND, AND, AND, AND ARE DOING THAT.

UM, AND MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE GOTTEN THAT THE PROFESSIONAL, LIKE THEY'VE GOTTEN AT LEAST SOME MONEY FROM DOING THIS FOR A WHILE FOR, FOR, FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, I THINK MAYBE IS THAT AS YOUR QUESTIONS.

SO MY POINT IS, IS THAT I JUST LOOK AT MYSELF AND AFTER 38 YEARS OF MAKING A LIVING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, SOME PEOPLE, OH, YOU'RE JUST A TECHNICIAN.

YOU KNOW, I'VE PROBABLY GOT A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT WOULD ARGUE WITH YOU ON THAT.

YOU KNOW, I DO SEE MYSELF AS A MUSICIAN, I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE I WAS 14 YEARS OLD.

I PLAYED A LOTS AND LOTS OF RECORDS.

OF COURSE, MOST OF THEM ARE THE ONES I MADE.

SO I HAD AN EASY CHOICE THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO MY POINT IS, IS, IS NOT TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN A DEBATE WITH YOU.

UH, BUT OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MUSICIAN, UH, DEFINITION NEEDS TO BE BROAD ENOUGH TO LOOK AT A, YOU KNOW, ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE MUSICALLY CREATIVE AND ACTIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY, I THINK, AND THE DIFFICULT THING, AND THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT THING.

IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU START TO TAKE A STEP, ONCE YOU TAKE A STEP, BESIDES ARE YOU ALIVE PLAYING, IF THAT'S THE ONLY DEFINITION THAT'S QUITE NARROW AND WOULD BE SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC, IF YOU STRETCH IT ALL THE WAY TO WHERE, LIKE I OWN, YOU KNOW, I OWN 22 VENUES ON, ON SIXTH STREET, ARE YOU MUSICIAN? HELLO? YOU KNOW, BUT

[01:40:01]

AND IT NEEDS TO BE BROAD ENOUGH TO INCLUDE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MUSICALLY INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY MANAGEMENT, NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, THOSE, THOSE MIGHT BE WHERE YOU DRAW A LINE AND I'M NOT HERE TO DRAW THE LINE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S HOW TO FIGURE THAT LINE OUT.

BUT I DO WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THAT THERE IS A BROADER DEFINITION THAN I HOLD AN INSTRUMENT ON STAGE.

CAUSE LIKE, IF YOU'RE A SENIOR, ARE YOU A MUSICIAN OR JUST A SINGER? AND I DON'T MEAN THAT IN A DEMEANING WAY, BUT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT.

AND YOU KNOW, MY HEAD GOES BECAUSE OF COURSE YOU ARE, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT DEFINITION SOMETIMES GETS RATHER NARROW.

AND I I'M EAGER MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT TOO NARROW TO BE ABLE TO CHOKE OFF, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE.

NOT JUST, UH, WHO'S NECESSARILY ELIGIBLE, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT DEFINES A MUSICIAN, BUT, UM, WHAT THIS MONEY CAN BE SPENT ON, ON AS FAR AS LIKE, IS IT A SINGLE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE SERIES, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO DO AS AN ARTIST TO GROW YOUR CAREER, UH, SO THAT IT CAN TRULY BE SEED MONEY, UM, FOR THE NEXT STEP THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE.

CAN I SHARE, UM, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT'S A STEWARD BECAUSE THAT'S A ACTUALLY RYAN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT THE OTHER DAY, THAT, I MEAN, WHEN WE RECORDING YOUR STUDIO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIKE ANOTHER BAND MEMBER, UM, UH, BECAUSE OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION, UH, TO THE SOUND.

BUT, UM, BUT ANYWAY, I, I WAS REALLY GLAD TO HEAR, UM, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR IN THE MEETING, UM, FROM, UM, EILEEN AND TOMORROW AND, AND ALL OF YOU GUYS AND, UH, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS OF BEING A MUSICIAN IN THIS TOWN, UM, EVEN REPRESENTED JUST IN OUR BODY HERE, UM, ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION.

UM, FOR ME PERSONALLY, UH, THE JUICES IS AT PERFORMING LIVE FOR A BIG CROWD OF DANCING, UM, HUMAN BEINGS THAT ARE ALL JUST EXPERIENCING THIS WONDERFUL COLLECTIVE EFFERVESCENCE OF JOY AND TRANSCENDENCE.

AND LIKE THAT IS, TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PINNACLE, THAT'S, THAT'S MY GOAL.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT I LIVE ON ON THAT.

UM, BUT I THINK THE THING THAT, UH, THAT HAS, HAS BEEN DISCUSSED SO FAR THIS EVENING IS THAT THERE, THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER ASPECTS THAT ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.

UH, AND ONE THING THAT I'VE BEEN, THIS IS KIND OF CRYSTALLIZING SOME THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT LATELY IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, LIKE WHAT WOULD HELP ME, UM, AS AN ARTIST, IF I, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE TO, TO GET SOME GRANT MONEY, WHAT WOULD I DO WITH IT? AND FOR ME, ONE OF THE BARRIERS HAS BEEN, UM, GETTING REALLY GOOD DOCUMENTATION OF ALL THE BANDS I'M IN GETTING REALLY GOOD, HIGH QUALITY VIDEO, HIGH QUALITY, UM, CONTENT, SO THAT YOU CAN THEN, UM, PROMOTE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UH, IN A, IN A WAY THAT REALLY CAPTURES WHAT IT IS.

UH, AND SO I THINK AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, WE TALK ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ONE THING, BUT, BUT LIKE, LIKE SHAKA BROUGHT UP, A LOT OF US REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED HARD TO, UH, RUN OUR LIVES, OUR CAREERS AS A SMALL BUSINESS.

AND, AND WE'VE, WE'VE MANAGED OURSELVES VERY WELL, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF BEING A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, BUT WHAT WE NEED IS SOME, SOME FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN HIRE SOME PROFESSIONAL VIDEOGRAPHERS VIDEOGRAPHERS TO CAPTURE OUR BAND, TO, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, PROMOTE US, UM, ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THESE SORTS OF THINGS.

AND IT'S, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE SINGLE LIVE PERFORMANCE, UM, OR, OR A PARTICULAR OR A SINGLE SERIES, UM, THAT'S ONE THING, AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING, BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF HELPING SOMEBODY BUILD THEIR CAREER SUSTAINABLY, UM, I MEAN, IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM THAT SUPPORT, UH, TO, TO BUILD UP AN AUDIENCE SO THAT ANYTIME THEY GO OUT AND PLAY, WHETHER IT'S THIS PARTICULAR PERFORMANCE THAT THEY'RE ORGANIZING FOR THIS PROGRAM OR ANYTHING ELSE, I THINK THAT IS, IS EVEN MORE POWERFUL IN HELPING THEM TO BUILD THEIR CAREER.

SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THESE FUNDS BECAUSE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR SOURCE OF BEING HOT FUNDS.

UM, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY THAT WE CAN FOLD THE TOURISM ASPECT INTO, UM, RECORDINGS, VIDEOS, MARKETING, AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PUTTING, YOU KNOW, LIVE FROM AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, ON EVERY SINGLE VIDEO THAT GOES OUT OR WHATEVER.

UM, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BROADEN, UM,

[01:45:01]

UM, AND THEN THAT IS, AS EVERYBODY HAS BEEN SAYING, IT CREATES THIS, THIS GROUNDSWELL.

AND I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT WE CAN BE CREATIVE.

AND I THINK THAT THE GUIDELINES THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT, UM, THAT EDD HAS PUT TOGETHER FOR US AND THE PI GUIDELINES AND EVERYTHING WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, IT IS ALREADY A VERY GOOD JUMPING OFF POINT FOR KEEPING THE BAR HIGH IN TERMS OF APPLICANTS, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE FUNDS.

SO I'M NOT REALLY SUPER WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY COMING IN AND APPLYING WITHOUT HAVING THE, THE EXPERTISE OR THE EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD GET REALLY GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS THAT WASN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, WORTHY OF, OF THOSE FUNDS.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT PROCESS AND PUT IN PLACE.

BUT, UM, YEAH, NOW I'M JUST RAMBLING.

I DO THINK THAT, UH, THAT BROADENING THE SCOPE IN THAT WAY, BUT ALSO ALLOWING THE MUSICIANS TO DECIDE HOW THAT SEED MONEY NEEDS TO BE SPENT FOR THEM AND WHAT MAKES MOST SENSE FOR THEIR CAREER AND THEIR PRIORITIES.

SO THAT'S ALL.

AND I'M GOING TO SAY THINGS THAT MIGHT BE UNPOPULAR IN THE MOMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW, UM, IN REGARD TO THIS CONVERSATION.

I WANT, I WANT TO JUST SAY, UM, IT'S A REALLY TRICKY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE A MUSICIAN, UM, THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT STEWART, THAT YOU ARE A MUSICIAN AND, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, SCOTT, WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY INTERESTING BACK AND FORTH IN THIS COMMISSION AND, AND I, I LIKE IT.

UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD SAY THIS TO ME TOO, ABOUT FLASHING NUMBERS UP LIKE 55 MILLION, BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP.

BUT THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY PAYCHECK PROTECTION, HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE MUSICIANS PARTICIPATED IN THAT PAYCHECK PROTECTION, BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB.

LIKE I HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB.

AND I THINK THAT, UH, AT LEAST MY EXPERIENCE OF YOU ONE-ON-ONE IS THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD HEART.

AND I HOPE THAT NOT EVERYONE IS JUST COMPLETELY MADE UP THEIR MINDS WHERE WE CAN'T LISTEN TO EACH OTHER AND I'M TRUSTING THAT WE CAN.

AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AS YOU SAID, AND I RESPECT YOUR STANCE, UM, IF, IF WE'RE GOING IN A DIRECTION WHERE WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE LIVE MUSIC FUND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT, STAKEHOLDERS, YAYA, IF WE DO GET OURSELVES IN A PLACE WHERE WE ARE DOING A LIVE MUSIC FUND, BUT WE ARE NOT INCLUDING VENUES BECAUSE THEY GOT $55 MILLION FOR PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO MAY LARGELY BE MUSICIANS, PAYCHECK PROTECTION, BECAUSE THEY TAKE RISKS TO SIGN 10 YEAR, 15 YEAR, 20 OR 30 YEAR LEASES, AND A PANDEMIC HAPPENS, THEN WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CUTTING OFF THE HEADS OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING REAL QUICK.

UM, I'M NOT DISCOUNTING THE VENUES FOR HAVING THAT.

THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING IS THAT ARTISTS HAVE GOTTEN VERY, VERY LITTLE HELP WHILE VENUES A LOT OF VENUES, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT A LOT OF VENUES HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF HELP.

THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'M SAYING THERE, AND THAT'S DATA THAT'S BACKED UP BY, AND YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT AS A MUSICIAN, THAT I, I FEEL THAT, YEAH.

YOU KNOW, BUT I ALSO AM VERY, YOU KNOW, I'M FAMILY ORIENTED AND CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, LIKE SHAKA SAID, WE DON'T ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE VENUES THAT AREN'T MANAGING THEIR MONEY RESPONSIBLY.

SOMETIMES WE DO.

AND I SURE DON'T WORK AT THOSE PLACES.

I DON'T WORK AT THOSE PLACES THAT DON'T PAY MUSICIANS PROPERLY.

I DON'T PLAY AT PLACES THAT PERSONALLY PAY ME OUT OF A PERCENTAGE OF THE BAR.

THAT'S JUST NOT, DOESN'T ADD IT DOESN'T WORK FOR MY BUSINESS MODEL.

UM, 90% OF THE DOOR WORKS FOR MY BUSINESS MODEL OR A HUNDRED PERCENT, AND THOSE ARE THE VENUES I PLAY AT.

AND SO I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR VENUES WITHIN THIS, AND I'M GOING TO ASK FOR LISTENING,

[01:50:01]

SO I JUST, I'M GOING LIKE YOU TO CONTINUE TO SAY, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE MUSICIANS FIRST, BUT I'M ALSO SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE LIVE MUSIC, ESPECIALLY IN CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR IN TEXAS.

UM, WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A SHELTER, WE DON'T HAVE A SECURITY OR AT LEAST PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT THAT SAFE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.

IT'S GOTTA BE SHELTER.

THERE'S GOTTA BE A SOUND SYSTEM.

THERE'S GOTTA BE A SOUND MAN OR WOMAN, UH, YOU KNOW, SOUND PERSON WHO MIGHT BE A MUSICIAN TOO.

AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT.

AND IT MAY MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE PASSED PI, YOU KNOW, WE CONSIDER INCLUDING VENUES IN SOME WAY, LIKE I'VE SAID IN THE PAST WHERE, WHEN WE HAVE THESE REQUIREMENTS, THESE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTING PIE THAT THE VENUES THAT MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN THIS MUST FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS AND THAT'S MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO I WOULD ALSO JUST POINT OUT, LIKE, IF WE CUT THEM OUT, WE'RE ALSO CUTTING THEM OUT OF HAVING TO EVOLVE.

RIGHT? SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT CUTTING THEM OUT PER SE.

LIKE FOR INSTANCE, LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST SAY THAT SOMEONE MUSICIAN X WERE TO GET A GRANT FOR $10,000, AND THEN THAT MUSICIAN DECIDES, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A GIG ON FRIDAY, BUT MAYBE I CAN DO SOMETHING ON A WEDNESDAY OR A TUESDAY OR A MONDAY, ONE OF THE SLOWEST NIGHTS A WEEK, YOU KNOW, AT A PARTICULAR VENUE OR SOMETHING.

AND THEY CAN GO IN AND, YOU KNOW, PITCH TO THAT VENUE THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, HOW ABOUT YOU OPENING UP YOUR DOORS? WE CAN DO THIS.

THIS IS HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN GET FOR THIS.

AND IT'S NOT A PAY FOR PLAY THING, RIGHT.

BECAUSE PAYING FOR PLAYS, MEANING MEETINGS THAT YOU'RE PAYING TO SELL TICKETS OR WHATEVER, LIKE ALL THOSE SCHEMES AND WHATNOT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE HOSTING, LIKE ANY EVENT, LIKE BASICALLY THE MUSICIAN HAS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, BREAD TO GO AND SAY, LET'S OPEN UP THE DOORS ON A SLOWEST NIGHT.

LET'S BRING SOME PEOPLE IN, LET'S SELL SOME DRINKS AND LET'S STIMULATE THE ECONOMY THAT WAY.

AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT, I MEAN, I JUST, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT I AM LIKE ANTI VENUE HERE.

I'M A MUSICIAN.

LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, I'M, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT, WHAT THIS IS AT ALL, LIKE FULL STOP.

I MEAN, I WAS OUT THERE PICKETING WHEN THESE VENUES WERE WAITING AND WAITING FOR THIS MONEY TO COME IN.

I WAS RIGHT UP RIGHT THERE ON THOSE STEPS WITH PAT ATX EM AND MUSICIANS AND VENUES.

I WAS OUT THERE AND I WAS ADVOCATING THAT THESE BEEN USED, GET THIS MONEY.

AND, UM, AND THEY, THEY GOT IT.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE MUSICIANS TO GET A LITTLE BIT NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE MUSICIANS TO BE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO, TO OF, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER WHAT IT IS THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO VERSUS, YOU KNOW, SENDING AN EMAIL AND THEN MAYBE WAITING 12 WEEKS TO, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY HOPEFULLY GET BOOKED ON A SLOT THAT MAYBE THEY WANT TO DO.

LIKE, IT'S LIKE, NO, LIKE, LET'S, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS $3 MILLION IN TERMS OF EMPOWERING MUSICIANS AT VENUES AND OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

LET'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S LIVE STREAMING CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE, PEOPLE HAVE MOBILE STREAM DECKS.

NOW THEY CAN COME OUT TO DIFFERENT VENUES.

THEY CAN, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO.

AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN, ARTISTS IN GENERAL, WHEN THERE'S AN ACTUAL, UM, UH, W W W WHEN THERE IS FUNDS AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.

AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHERE I'M COMING FROM.

AGAIN, I'M NOT ANTI VENUE HERE.

I'M JUST PRO MUSICIAN.

GOT IT.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

AND LET'S BE CAREFUL TO NOT CREATE THAT VENUE OR MUSICIAN.

AND LET'S SAY THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY.

$3 MILLION IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR IT TO BE VENUE CENTRIC.

UM, WE DIDN'T, UH, DIDN'T GET EXPRESSED ON, UH, IN THE MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP, THE CURRENT ONE WAS, UH, WAS THAT A POINT WAS MADE, UM, BY ONE OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS, UH, MOBILY.

I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT SOMEHOW WE CREATIVELY CREATE THIS RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T WANT IT TO FEEL, YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ANTI VENUE.

I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE I'M ANTI MUSICIAN WE'RE FOR BOTH.

SO WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS, IS ALL I'M SAYING, OKAY, CAN WE GET ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE,

[01:55:01]

AND THE QUESTION WAS ASKED BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT? UH, AS, AS PROPOSED TAKE THE YEAR AND DO SOMETHING HISTORIC, THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE.

UM, WHEN WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT SOME OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP STOP WAS THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN GROUPS THAT WERE NEVER BROUGHT TO THE TABLE.

THERE'S CERTAIN GROUPS THAT WILL NEVER RECEIVING ATTENTION.

THERE ARE CERTAIN GROUPS THAT WILL NEVER RECEIVING FUNDS, AND IT WAS HEADED IN THE DIRECTION OF BEING THE SAME OLD, SAME IN AUSTIN, WHERE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS AND VENUES AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE EMPOWERED, UM, GET THE MONEY AND IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRICKLE IT DOWN TO MUSICIANS.

AND WHAT, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS CENTERING MUSICIANS.

WE NEVER SAID IT WAS NEVER ABOUT VENUES VERSUS MUSICIANS.

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THAT.

IT WAS ABOUT TAKING A MOMENT TO SAY, HEY, THIS HAS BEEN AN UNFAIR GAME.

THERE ARE MASTERS.

AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE WORKERS.

YOU CAN CALL THEM SLAVES OR WHAT IT, THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CONTROL THE SITUATION.

AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET, UH, GET THEIR CAREERS GOING AND, AND, AND SUPPORT THEMSELVES.

AND NOT TO SAY THAT THE VENUE, ALL VENUES WORK THIS WAY, BUT IT'S, IT'S IMBALANCED.

IT HAS BEEN IMBALANCED AS INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE FOR THE MOST PART HAVE NOT BEEN THE ONES THAT CREATE A LOT OF THE WEALTH IN TERMS OF THE CULTURE OF THIS CITY.

AND SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT A DIALOGUE ABOUT CENSORING THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT.

IT'S NOT ABOUT TAKING VENUES OUT OF THE PICTURE.

IT'S ABOUT CENSORING.

THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND, AND, AND KEPT OUTSIDE OF THESE ROOMS IN THESE SPACES FOR A LONG TIME.

AND SO WE, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE, WE DON'T ADDRESS THAT.

WE DON'T GET DOWN TO THAT QUESTION OF WHY WE CAN'T TAKE THIS YEAR TO DO SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE IN THIS CITY, AS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITOL, AND SAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO INVEST IN THIS SPECIFIC GROUP THAT HAS BEEN UNDER INVESTED IN, IT'S NOT ABOUT BELIEF.

THIS IS ABOUT FACTS.

IT'S JUST ABOUT FACTS.

YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S NOT ALWAYS MALICIOUS, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN CREATED BEFORE WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE 2019, IT WAS WORKING, IT WAS IMBALANCED.

IT WAS WRONG.

ARTISTS, MUSICIANS WERE NOT GETTING OPPORTUNITIES.

THEY WERE NOT GETTING RESOURCES.

WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT.

THAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS MOMENT.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS YEAR.

AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO FUND YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS, MUSICIANS, AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS.

AND WE WANT YOU TO WORK WITH VENUES.

IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITH A COORDINATE STUDIO, YOU WANT TO DO THIS HYBRID CREATIVE, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO DO? HERE'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, DO THAT FOR A YEAR.

AND, AND WE CAN CREATE MECHANISMS, WHICH WE CAN EVALUATE, BUT WE CAN ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, MAKE A PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR.

THIS IS THE PHASE PHASE ONE.

WE INVEST IN MUSICIANS PHASE TWO SECOND YEAR, WE DO THIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE CAN BUILD ON IT, BUT I STILL, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD AN ARGUMENT YET IN ALL THESE SPACES, I'VE BEEN WHY WE CAN'T TAKE THIS FIRST INITIAL YEAR AND GO BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, LOOK, FIRST YEAR IS ABOUT REALLY JUST, WE'VE MADE SOME MISTAKES IN THIS MUSIC INDUSTRY.

WE WENT, THIS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE 10,000.

I WAS LIKE A MAKE-UP FOR ALL THE F ALL THE, UH, UM, UH, MARGINALIZATION THAT HAS OCCURRED SPECIFICALLY TO, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS OF COLOR IN THE CITY.

WE KNOW WE'VE MADE THAT MISTAKE.

WE'RE GOING TO, TO INVEST IN THEM.

WE'RE GOING TO SAY TO THEM, HEY, WE VALUE YOU.

WE VALUE YOUR PRESENCE AND WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH, BUT HERE'S, HERE'S, HERE'S, HERE'S AN ATTEMPT TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP DOING THAT.

BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ADD THESE THINGS IN THE YEARS TO COME.

BUT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT SAID THAT VENUES WOULDN'T GET $10,000 TO GRANTS TO HIRE MUSICIANS OF COLOR OR WHATEVER WE WOULD, THAT WOULD ALREADY BE THROUGH COUNCIL, WE WOULD ALREADY BE GIVING OUT THAT MONEY.

I GUARANTEE YOU, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING AND CENTERING MUSICIANS WHO ARE UNDERVALUED IN THE CITY AND WHO ARE NOT TREATED AS EQUALS IN THIS CITY.

UM, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND THIS AND THAT.

AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO, IT'S ALL, THIS IS FEAR OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS MONEY, BECAUSE, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME WAY.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LOANS AND BANKS AND EVERYTHING, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T TRUST THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO WITH IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION.

IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF LACK OF VALUING OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FOR.

YOU SAY, LOOK, ALL I NEED, ALL I NEED IS A LITTLE BIT OF HELP.

AND I'M NOT, THIS IS NOT ABOUT RELIEF.

THIS IS ABOUT, I HAVE IDEAS.

I HAVE CREATIVITY.

I HAVE BEEN DOING THESE THINGS WITHOUT THIS MONEY.

I'VE CREATED THIS AMAZING THING IN MY COMMUNITY, BUT $10,000 WILL HELP ME TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THAT POSITION RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? AND SO, LIKE, AS I SAY, IF TOMAR CAME DOWN HERE WITH THE ENERGY THAT HE HAD, AND HE, AND SOMEONE GAVE HIM

[02:00:01]

$10,000, I GUARANTEE YOU, HE, HIS RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT FASTER.

AND ME AND MYSELF PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN VENUES LIKE THIS HAIR LOUNGE AND EVERYTHING, I GUARANTEE YOU, IF I HAD STARTED AT SAYING, I DON'T HAVE A $10,000 BODY ROCK WOULD BE A DIFFERENT SITUATION, BUT IT'S NOT.

WE STILL BUILT WHAT WE WANTED BECAUSE WE HAD THAT PASSION.

BUT YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? THESE THIS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THEY'RE GOING, GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.

THERE ARE THOSE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT, BUT IT, I FEEL LIKE WHAT W WHAT DOESN'T GET ANSWERED IN THIS CONVERSATION, WHY WE CANNOT TAKE THIS YEAR, THIS FIRST INITIAL AND NOT GO A YEAR AND SAY, THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE MUSICIAN.

THIS IS THE YEAR, THE INDEPENDENT PROMOTER, THE LOUD MUSIC SECTOR BELIEVES IN YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU EVERY, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, $10,000 IN WHATEVER, EXTRA THINKING TO PUT ON TOP OF THAT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT YOU DO, GO AND DO IT.

AND THEN SECOND YEARS ABOUT THIS, AND THE THIRD YEAR IS ABOUT THIS.

AND THE FOURTH YEAR IS ABOUT THIS AND THE FIFTH YEARS ABOUT THIS.

WHY CAN'T, WHY CAN'T WE START WITH THAT THOUGH? THAT'S WHAT I DON'T, I DON'T HEAR.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHO HAS THE ANSWER TO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T, I MEAN, MAYBE WE CAN SHAKA.

AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS, UH, A PROCESS QUESTION WITH THE CITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT, SO YOU KNOW THAT I I'M HEARING YOU ON THIS.

SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT LOGISTICS.

LIKE, THAT'S SOMETHING, I THINK THAT YOU GUYS, IN THE WORKING GROUP AND IN YOUR WORK, YOUR WORK WITH CITY STAFF ON, IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A MULTI-YEAR PROGRAM, HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.

AND WHAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.

SO WE DO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER IMPORTANT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

AND SO GRAHAM, I WOULD LIKE GRAHAM TO SPEAK IN, AND THEN I'M GOING TO LET NAGA VOLLEY WRAP IT UP ON THIS DISCUSSION.

SO GO AHEAD, GRAHAM.

SO I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES AND JUST A HANDFUL OF THOUGHTS HERE.

FIRST OF ALL, WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT WHAT EDD IS ALREADY PROPOSED IS MUSIC, MUSICIANS, CENTRIC, AND VERY SPECIFIC, AND, UH, USING THE PI GUIDELINES AND ALL THAT.

AND GIVEN THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE HOPING TO WORK ON, I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE HELPING THEM, UH, DEFINE THAT MORE CLEARLY BROADEN IT.

IF WE'RE TRYING TO BROADEN IT IN CERTAIN WAYS, AND THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT CLOSER RATHER THAN SENDING THEM BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

UM, I WORRY THAT WE CREATE A MOVING TARGET FOR STAFF.

OF COURSE, OUR, OUR COMMISSION MAKEUP KEEPS CHANGING.

AND, UH, AND WITH THAT IN MIND, I WONDER IF WE S WE THINK SHORT-TERM ON THIS PARTICULAR FIRST YEAR WHILE HAVING THE MUCH LONGER DISCUSSION OF THE, UH, THE MULTI-YEAR PLAN AND OF THE LONG TERM VISION.

AND SO I THINK, I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT FULL CONSENSUS ON WHAT OUR LONG-TERM VISION IS, AND WITHOUT THAT GOALPOST, AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT BENCHMARKS, OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE MEASURABLES, LIKE, IS THIS PROGRAM WORKING? AND IF IT'S WORKING GREAT, WE EXPAND AND DEVELOP IT.

THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM IS NOT WORKING.

FUNDING MECHANISM, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

HOW CAN WE CREATE MORE EQUITY ON STAGE? OR HOW CAN WE DO THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT? SO MY THOUGHT WOULD BE THAT WE, WE DO HAVE THIS FIRST YEAR, THE MUSICIANS CENTRIC AS, AS A FOUNDATION FOR A PROGRAM THAT IS PLANNED TO EVOLVE AND ENCOMPASS THE FULL ECOSYSTEM.

I LIKED THE IDEA OF BROADENING WHAT THE DEFINITION OF WHAT A MUSICIAN, A MUSICIAN IS.

I, UH, I WORRY AS MUCH AS I, I AND THE MAYOR, I THINK AS WELL, WANTS TO SUPPORT THE FULL ECOSYSTEM.

IT IS CURRENTLY CALLED THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, WHICH CAN BE A CONFUSING THING.

IF WE START, UH, USING IT FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT TYPICALLY CALLED LIVE MUSIC.

UH, THAT SAID, I THINK THAT'S GIVEN THAT THIS IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF FUNDING, THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM RIGHT NOW.

I WONDER IF WE WANT TO RE DEFINE IT.

CAUSE WE'RE GIVING THAT'S A HUGE GOALPOST SIGN FOR STAFF WHO ARE WORKING ON THE DETAILS OVER THERE, MAKING THE DETAILS FOR A LIVE MUSIC FUND.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT YOU GENERALLY, YOU TALK ABOUT A LOT IN MUSIC.

YOU TALK ABOUT STUDIO MUSIC, THE MUSICIANS ARE ALIVE, AND THE PRODUCERS, THE PRODUCERS ARE ALSO MUSICIANS ARE ALIVE.

UH, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT WE CALL LIVE MUSIC IN TYPICAL DAILY SPEECH.

AND SO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A FULL ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT FUND IN THE LONG RUN, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING MORE NARROW ON THAT AND HELPING THE KNOW WHAT IT IS WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO? SO MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE THAT WE TAKE A CARVE OUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE MONEY, UH, ASIDE FROM EVOLVING THE STAFF PLAN, BUT TO MAKE THAT 30 YEAR VISION, 10 YEAR PLAN THREE YEAR ROLL OUT OF WHAT THE FULL EXPANDED, UH, UH, UH, PROGRAM

[02:05:01]

AND I THINK WE CAN HAVE A MILLION, UH, WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, BUT THAT'S WHY I THINK SOME ACTUAL FUNDING TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT WE WORK WITH, THAT THE COMMUNITY WORKS WITH TO CREATE THAT UNIFIED VISION THAT WE ALL FEEL GOOD ABOUT, AND THAT WE'RE GIVING STAFF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT MOVING AROUND ALL THE TIME.

IT EVOLVES, OF COURSE, AS THE COMMISSION EVOLVES, AS WE UNDERSTAND THESE PROBLEMS MORE, BUT REALLY CREATE SOMETHING THAT CREATES, UH, A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE FOR FUTURE COMMISSIONERS, FOR FUTURE STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS AS A COMMUNITY.

THANKS, GRAHAM.

UM, SO PATRICE, DID YOU WANT TO POP IN REAL QUICK BEFORE NAVALI WRAPPED UP? I KNOW JUST ALREADY SHIFTED.

I JUST, I WOULD'VE RESPONDED WITH, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE ON THIS COMMISSION, WHO'S SAYING THAT THEY DON'T WANT THIS TO BE MUSICIAN CENTRIC, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THERE'S CONFUSION ABOUT THAT, BUT IT FEELS THAT WAY.

AND THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT'S BEING SAID, I THINK.

UM, YEAH, YEAH.

OR HAVE TO, SO AS A DOM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SOMETIMES I'M JUST CLUMSY LIKE THAT.

UM, SO YEAH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT THIS, THIS FUND, UM, SHOULD BE, UM, PRIORITIZING MUSICIANS LIKE THE COMMISSION ALREADY, UH, UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED LAST TIME WHEN WE WERE, UM, UH, ALSO AGREEING ON THE PI GUIDELINES, BEING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR, UH, THE OVERALL LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, THINK ALL CHANNELS WITHIN THE, UM, ECOSYSTEM ARE IMPORTANT.

BE IT VENUES, BE IT RECORDING STUDIOS, BE IT SYNC LICENSING PUBLISHING IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

AND IF WE LOOK FORWARD, ALL THESE CHANNELS ARE VALID PATCH FOR A MUSICIAN TO BUILD THEIR CAREER, UM, FOR THE OD SPECIFICALLY, UH, AND I'VE JUST WRITTEN THIS DOWN BECAUSE I WOULDN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THIS.

THE HEART FUND USE USES ALLOW FUNDING FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT PROMOTION IMPROVEMENT AND APPLICATION OF THE ARCH.

AND IT INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF POSSIBILITIES FROM INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL MUSIC DRAMA FOR GOD, DAH, DAH, THINGS THAT DON'T ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY COMMERCIAL MUSIC CENTRIC, BUT THEN IT ALSO INCLUDES MOTION PICTURES, RADIO, TELEVISION, TAPE, AND SOUND RECORDING, AND ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION, PERFORMANCE EXECUTION AND EXHIBITION EXHIBITION OF THE MAJOR ART FORMS. SO ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ACCORDING TO THE TAX CODE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF A DIRECT LINE ESSENTIALLY DRAWN FROM THE ACTIVITIES THAT THIS FUND IS, UH, YOU KNOW, COVERING TO TOURISM AND TO HOTEL OCCUPANCY, BUT IT'S ALSO AGREED AND GENERALLY AGREED THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC PRESCRIPTION ON HOW THAT LINE NEEDS TO BE DRAWN.

SO ESSENTIALLY THERE IS FLEXIBILITY AROUND HOW THIS FUND CAN BE USED AS LONG AS IT'S IN SOME FORM SERVING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IN, IN, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN SERVING TOURISM, UH, DIRECTLY.

AND IF THAT CAN BE STATED, UM, THEN IT IS A FAIR USE.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY THAT PRESCRIPTIVE TO WHERE IT HAS TO BE.

YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF A DIRECT LINE ONLY IN THIS CANNOT HAPPEN.

SO THIS IDEA OF EXPANDING THIS CURRENT FUND AS, AS IT STANDS TODAY, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SAYING IT'S A LIVE MUSIC PROGRAM TO BROADER, UH, TO THE BROADER ECOSYSTEM IS, IS, IS, IS, IS, UH, IS IN MY OPINION A GREAT IDEA TO DO THAT WITHIN THIS PROGRAM.

UM, SO I MEAN, AND, AND, AND, AND ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL EXAMPLES THAT I THINK OFTEN THIS CONTEXT AS WE IT'S 19 75, 1 OF THE DEFINITION DEFINING MOMENTS IN AUSTIN'S MUSIC HISTORY WAS WHEN THE ACL BROADCAST SHOW HAPPENED IN 1975.

AND THAT WAS NOT AT A LIVE MUSIC WHEN YOU, THAT WAS NOT SOME RECORDING STUDIO.

IT WAS A PERFORMANCE BY WILLIE NELSON.

AND THAT THAT'S WHAT PUT AUSTIN, OR ONE OF THE DEFINING THINGS THAT CREATED THE BRAND OF AUSTIN AS A, AS A MUSIC CAPITAL.

AND THAT WAS TECHNOLOGY AT WORK IN 1975, PROBABLY CUTTING IT, CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AT THAT POINT OF TIME.

SO IT IS IN THE, MY OPINION

[02:10:01]

IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS FUND NOT BE PREDICATED ON MAINTAINING STATUS CODES.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE WHAT WE HAVE, AND THEN TRY TO USE THIS FUND IN A MANNER THAT BUILDS INTO THE FUTURE AND BUILDING THE ECOSYSTEM, UM, IS, IS A GREAT WAY TO BUILDING INTO THE FUTURE BUILDING WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT REALLY COMES INTO PLAY IN SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THIS ECOSYSTEM.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE THE MAGIC ALSO WILL.

SO ALL CHANNELS FOR A LOT OF MUSICIANS WORKING THROUGH THE VENUES, THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT CHANNEL.

SO THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN SOME FORM OR THE OTHER FOR A LOT OF OTHER MUSICIANS.

THEY CAN GO FROM A RECORDING STUDIO STRAIGHT TO CREATING A MUSIC VIDEO TO TAKE TALK, OR OR, OR YOUTUBE AND BLOW UP AND COMPLETELY BYPASS IT IN LAYERS OF THE VERTICAL.

SO, SO I THINK WE SHOULD CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S FUTURE FORWARD AND, AND, AND NOT, NOT ON STATUS COAST AND, BUT REALLY BE INCLUSIVE TO THE BRODICK ECOSYSTEM, ESSENTIALLY.

SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, AND REALLY WHEN, WHEN I HEAR ALL THE VIEWS AND, AND THINK OF ALSO THE DISCUSSIONS THAT CAME UP IN THE WORKING GROUP END OF THE DAY, AT THIS POINT OF TIME, THERE ARE TWO THINGS.

THERE IS THERE'S THE EDD PROPOSAL, THAT'S A BASELINE, AND IT IS SERVING AS A BASELINE PROPOSAL.

ABSOLUTELY BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY PASSED THE PI GUIDELINES.

AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN THE PROPOSAL THAT ARE SERVING AS A BASELINE ON TOP OF THAT, THERE'S A CLEAR, OPEN ITEM ON HOW, IF AND HOW VENUE LOCAL VENUE PROMOTERS CAN BE IN THE MIX.

IS THERE CONSENSUS AROUND THAT? AND HOW DO WE BROADEN THIS FUND? THE NEXT THING BEING, HOW DO WE BROADEN THIS FUND TO THE ECOSYSTEM? THESE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT ARE OPEN RIGHT NOW ON THE TABLE.

AND IF WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF A BLEND OF IDEAS AROUND THESE TWO ITEMS, I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME KIND OF A COMMON PLAN, UH, JUST VERY QUICKLY.

AND I KNOW, I'M SORRY TO, FOR TAKING UP A LOT OF TIME HERE ON THE MULTI-YEAR PLAN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE SOME EXAMPLES.

IF I MAY REQUEST THE CITY TO HELP ME HERE OR HELP US OUT HERE, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A PLAN THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR MULTIPLE YEARS, AND WE HAVE SEEN SUCH AN EVOLUTION HAPPEN IN REALITY, AND IN, BECAUSE, BECAUSE FOR ME, WE ARE IN THIS MOMENT AS A COMMISSION, THE WAY ALL OF US SITTING HERE, THIS, THIS BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE TO MAKE SOME CONCRETE DECISIONS AROUND HOW THIS LIVE MUSIC FUND CAN BE DESIGNED MOVING FORWARD.

AND WE CAN CHOOSE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS HERE AND COME UP WITH THE PLAN THAT IS SUSTAINABLE OVER AT LEAST THE NEXT FORCE, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF FORESEEABLE YEARS OR, OR, OR, OR A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPANTS HERE IN COUNCIL AND OTHER PLACES WOULD CHANGE.

AND IT'S IT'S THEN BEYOND OUR CONTROL TO EVEN MAKE A COMPLETE RECOMMENDATION.

SO IN PRINCIPLE, I LOVE THE IDEA OF A MULTIPLE LAYER PLAN.

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT IN ACTION THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER AREAS IN THE SYSTEM THAT, WHICH WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FEEL GOOD ABOUT PUTTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOGETHER, BELIEVING THAT IT'LL ACTUALLY COME TO FRUITION IN THAT MANNER IN A MULTI-YEAR STRATEGY.

AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MA MUSIC VENUE PREPAREDNESS FOR ACCESSIBILITY, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FOLLOWING A PRESENTATION BY OUR SPEAKER, BRUCE ELEPHANT, WHO IS ALSO OUR TRAVIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR AND VOTER REGISTRAR.

WELL, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATES AT THE NEXT MEETING AND YEAH, THANKS.

Y'ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK.

SO WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON THE NEXT ITEM FOR B THAT HAS BEEN WAITING REALLY PATIENTLY.

UM, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THAT ITEM DISCUSSION

[4b. Discussion and Possible Action on Music Venue Preparedness for Accessibility for People with Disabilities following presentation by Bruce Elfant, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar]

SO HE'S GOT A PRETTY MAJOR DAY JOB, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT, MR. ELEPHANT, AND THANKS TO OREN FOR, UM, BRINGING THIS, UH, ITEM ONTO OUR AGENDA.

THANK YOU ALL, EXCUSE ME, A LITTLE BIT SLOW THESE DAYS.

CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME THROUGH THE MASK.

I'M BRUCE ALPHA, TRAVIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, AND FEDERAL REGISTRAR.

UM, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES OR AFFORDABILITY TONIGHT, UM, CAUSE I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET YELLED AT, UM, BUT I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT CODA RECENTLY.

UM, BEFORE I WAS TAX ASSESSOR, I WAS A TRAVIS COUNTY CONSTABLE FOR 20 YEARS AND PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES TO US TO ENFORCE, UM, ACCESS RIGHTS, ADA, UH, THE NATIONAL ADA LAW, UM, HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAD A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR HANDICAPPED PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND I WORKED WITH A LOT OF BUSINESSES

[02:15:01]

TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO UNDER ADA.

SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO ALL PUBLIC PLACES AND TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

AND THIS IS A, AN ISSUE THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.

SO WE WENT OUT TO THE, UH, CODA, UH, CONCERT FOR THE ROLLING STONES A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND I WAS STILL ON CRUTCHES.

AND BEFORE I WENT OUT THERE, I CALLED AND SAID, OKAY, I'M ON CRUTCHES.

HOW'S THIS GONNA WORK? AND THEY SAID, NO PROBLEM.

UM, WHEN YOU GET THERE, TEXT US, WE'LL SEND A GOLF CART.

UH, WE'LL BRING YOU FROM YOUR CAR TO YOUR SEAT.

UM, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

UM, THEY BROUGHT ME TO THE OUTER GATE AND I WAS ON CRUTCHES AND HAD TO, IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT AND IT WAS UNEVEN GROUND AND IT WAS REALLY CROWDED.

UM, THERE WAS A TENT THAT SAID, UH, ASK ABOUT ASSESSABILITY HERE.

UM, DISABILITY ASSESSABILITY.

IT WAS AN UNSTAFFED UM, AFTER GETTING TO THE FIRST, UH, GRAND STAND, I COULDN'T GO ANY FARTHER.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN Y'ALL GET ME A WHEELCHAIR OR SOMETHING? I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE WHEELCHAIRS.

WE CAN GET YOU A STRETCHER.

I WAS, I'M NOT GOING TO BE PUT ON A STRETCHER.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

AND FINALLY, THEY DECIDED THAT THEY'D LET ME, UH, SIT WHERE, WHERE WE WERE GETTING OUT WAS EVEN WORSE.

UM, THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE 90 MINUTES BEFORE THEY COULD SEND SOMEBODY FOR ME.

THEY SAID, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRY TO GET TO THE GATE.

AND THERE'S AN AREA WHERE YOU CAN SIT.

UM, AND I DID, IT WAS ANOTHER HALF MILE TO GET TO THE GATE ON CRUTCHES.

AND, UH, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF DISABLED PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AND ON THE CURB, UH, THERE WERE NO CHAIRS, NO NOTHING, NOBODY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO BE PICKED UP.

UM, AND THIS WAS THE CONCERT ENDED AT 11.

WE GOT TO THE, UM, THAT AREA ABOUT MIDNIGHT.

AND ONE PERSON SAID, OH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR Y'ALL UNTIL EVERYBODY ELSE HAS GONE.

AND, UH, SO WE WERE AMONG THE LAST TO LEAVE.

UH, THEY WERE RUDE TO DISABLED PEOPLE.

SOME OF THE STAFF, UM, WE WATCHED THEM DROP AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO WAS DISABLED ON THE GROUND AND, UH, WE DIDN'T GET HOME UNTIL A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING SITUATION.

AND I'M, I'M MORE MOBILE THAN A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, CODA IS A WORLD-CLASS VENUE AND I KNOW THEY CAN DO BETTER.

WE WANT THEM TO DO BETTER.

UM, WE WANT ALL OUR VENUES TO BE WELCOMING AND WE WANT IT TO BE A GREAT EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR, FOR ALL OUR CITIZENS, UH, THOSE WHO ARE ABLE AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE.

AND SO I'VE ASKED CODA, UM, TO, UH, PUT TOGETHER A, A DISABILITY ACCESS TASK FORCE AND LET'S GO THROUGH WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK.

LET'S LOOK FOR BEST PRACTICES AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR SIMILAR TYPE VENUES.

AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING.

I THINK CODA REALLY COULD DO BETTER.

UM, AND, UH, WE WERE TALKING AND, UH, THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, WITH OTHER VENUES WITH, WITH, UH, VENUE OWNERS AND WITH VENUE PATRONS AND WITH PEOPLE IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, ARE WE DOING, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? HOW CAN WE HELP THESE VENUES? UM, AS I SAID, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY PRESENTATION, THE VAST MAJORITY OF BUSINESSES WANTING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REQUIRED UNDER ADA AND FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY KIND OF DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DO.

UM, MY WIFE TOOK ME TO A BARBECUE PLACE AND A BUDA I COULDN'T GET IN BECAUSE THE THRESHOLD WAS TOO HIGH ON THE DOOR.

UM, ANOTHER PLACE, THE DOOR WAS TOO NARROW FOR MY WHEELCHAIR AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE BUSINESSES, UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT ALL THE VENUES ARE WELCOMING AND REASONABLY ASSESSABLE, UM, FOR ALL OUR, FOR ALL OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY, AND, AND I WOULD LOVE TO WORK.

OH, I DO HAVE ONE MORE THING THAT MY STAFF WOULD KILL ME.

IF I DIDN'T SAY I'M ALSO THE TRAVIS COUNTY VOTER REGISTRAR, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE A HIGH VOTER REGISTRATION RATE, BUT IT TAKES A LOT TO KEEP THAT UP.

AND WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, UM, TO, TO KEEP OUR VETERANS STATION RIGHT HIGH, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT OUR MUSIC PATRONS ARE PART OF THE ELECTORAL MIX AS WELL.

AND SO NOW I'M DONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND YES, THAT IS AN AWESOME IDEA ABOUT, UH, HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH REGISTERING MORE VOTERS AND USING THE MUSIC COMMUNITY FOR THAT.

SO, UM, I KNOW YOU AND ORAN SPOKE A LOT, SO I'LL LET OREN KIND OF TAKE OVER AND TALK ABOUT HOW THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN BE, UH, SUPPORTIVE AND HELPFUL WITH YOUR IDEA.

I WOULD LIKE THE INTENTION OF WHATEVER WE DO AS A MUSIC COMMISSION TO BE, TO HELP AS, AS, AS BRUCE SAID, TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT WRONG AND TRY TO PREVENT THINGS LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE AND TO ESTABLISH BEST PRACTICES THAT WE CAN HELP BUILD WITH CODA AND THEN APPLY TO ALL VENUES IN TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE WITH DISABILITIES IS, UM, DENIED THE EQUITY THAT, UH, THAT ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE HAS OF ACCESSING MUSIC.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I'M SURE WE ARE, ARE ALL SHOCKED AND SADDENED TO HEAR ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD.

UH, AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE THE KIND OF THING WHERE WE'RE BLAMING CODA.

I'M QUITE THANKFUL THAT THEY'RE BRINGING MUSIC BACK AND THEY'RE BRINGING SUCH A LEGENDARY BAND.

UM, WHAT, UM, I I'D SAY THIS SHOULD NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO US BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE RESTARTING PAINS COMING OUT OF COVID.

AND

[02:20:01]

WE'RE IN A WONDERFUL SITUATION BECAUSE BRUCE, WITH YOUR, UH, POSITION WITH THE COUNTY AND OUR POSITION WITHIN THE CITY, WHATEVER CITY COUNTY ISSUES MAY BE COMING UP WITH CODA CAN BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS TASK FORCE THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING.

UM, HAVE YOU HEARD BACK FROM CODA ABOUT THIS TASKFORCE? AND COULD WE, THE MUSIC COMMISSION PROVIDE ONE OR MORE DELEGATES TO THE TASKFORCE TO HELP ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? I'VE HEARD BACK THROUGH A BACK CHANNEL THAT I SHOULD HEAR SOMETHING IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

AND SO I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT.

AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT, UM, FOR Y'ALL TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT TASK FORCE AND FOR THE, UH, THE CITY COMMISSION WITH DISABILITIES TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE TASK FORCE AS WELL.

AND I'LL, THEY WON'T BE MY TASK FORCE THAT THAT'LL BE THERE, BUT I'LL CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT.

AND, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN DO, WOULD YOU, UM, WE CAN PASS A RESOLUTION OR, AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD REALLY BE NECESSARY TO ANY OF US HAVE, HAVE CLOSE TIES WITH THE MUSIC FOLKS AT COTA? NO.

WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE SHOULD BE FIXING, RIGHT.

IT IS MY DISTRICT.

AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN HAS DONE SOME WORK WITH THEM AND I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO CONNECT SOME DOTS THERE.

SO THAT'S HELPFUL.

UH, YEAH, I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLINTO US, AND SHE, SHE IS WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THIS AND MORE THAN WILLING, SHE REALLY WANTS TO.

AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A TASK FORCE TOGETHER.

WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES AND THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WORLD-CLASS ACCESS PLAN JUST LIKE THE FACILITY OUT THERE.

AND THAT HOPEFULLY THAT'LL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT STEMS TO, UM, ALL OUR VENUES.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVE ISSUES HERE.

WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE TALK TO PEOPLE.

UM, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE ACCESS.

AND I SHOULD, I WOULD BE REMISS IN NOT MENTIONING THAT WE SAW GRAHAM, UM, SATURDAY NIGHT, VERY ASSESSABLE AND THE CONCERT WAS GREAT TOO.

D DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY, UH, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR BRUCE OR, OR COMMENTS ON, ON THE TOPIC? I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION, UH, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF EVERY ATTEMPT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO CONTROL VOTER REGISTRATION IN A CERTAIN WAY, I'VE BEEN REALLY, UH, LOVE THE IDEA OF EXPANDING VOTER REGISTRATION AS FAR AS, AS WIDE AS WE CAN IN THE MUSIC COMMISSION OR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, I THINK IS MAYBE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE VOTING WORLD AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM BE A STRONGER VOICE.

WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH Y'ALL.

I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE TO WALK INTO A VENUE AND SEE A VETERAN STATION TABLE BY THE BEER, BY THE, YOU KNOW, BY THE BAR AND HAVE THE, UH, THE PERFORMERS DO A SHOUT OUT WHEN YOU GO GET YOUR BEER, MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED TO VOTE.

THAT THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUS PARTNERSHIP.

I WOULD DEFINITELY PARTICIPATE IN TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT, LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, I ATX M HAS A PROGRAM, UM, ATX AND VOTES, AND I KNOW SCOTT HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH THEM, SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD AVENUE OF CONNECTION.

CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF LEGWORK AND, UH, WORKING TO REGISTER VOTERS THROUGH THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.

UM, YEAH.

AND, UM, BRUCE, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY HELLO AGAIN.

UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN THE FLESH AND, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, UM, FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.

I MEAN, YOU REALLY, YOU REALLY DO AN INCREDIBLE, UM, JOB AND LIKE, UH, LIKE, UM, COMMISSIONER GOLD SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER, UH, TO HELP STRATEGIZE AND BEEN IN ZOOMS AND ON YARD STREAMS AND

[02:25:01]

ALL THAT STUFF.

AND I JUST, UM, I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

I'M SORRY THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AREN'T BETTER.

UM, BUT THE ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS THEY REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE MESSING WITH IT, THEY, I MEAN, THEY JUST, THEY, THEY, THEY DIDN'T KNOW.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW, THEY HAD NO IDEA.

SO, UM, WHATEVER YOU NEED, I GOT YOUR BACK.

APPRECIATE IT.

I APPRECIATE IT.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE, WE'LL HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING WITH THEM AND WE'LL COME UP WITH, UM, WITH A VERY GOOD, UM, UM, PLAN.

AND THANK YOU.

AND AGAIN, THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL SERVING, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.

I CAME TO AUSTIN IN 1976 AND THERE WAS LIVE MUSIC, BUT NOTHING LIKE IT IS TODAY.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M SO PROUD THAT WE'RE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AND WE'VE JUST NEED TO KEEP IT UP AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS TO ENJOY IT.

ABSOLUTELY.

THERE WAS, THERE WAS ALSO AN ARTICLE ON, UM, UM, IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT WAS POSTED ABOUT THE, UM, THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE IN THE BOOM OF AUSTIN.

UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY 180 PEOPLE THAT MOVED HERE EVERY SINGLE DAY, I THINK IN, OR AN AVERAGE IN 2020.

AND JUST, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY IT'S IT'S IT'S, UM, SMALL NOW, BUT I THINK IT COULD BE SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER IN TERMS OF LIKE SAFETY AND ISSUES REGARDING, UM, VENUES.

CAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE A TRAGEDY AND ASTRO WALL TO LIKE, WE DON'T WANT THAT HERE.

SO LIKE, I MEAN, WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS FAR AS A TASKFORCE OR SOMETHING, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVEN JUST BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, ERICA, IS THERE, IS THERE, YEAH.

ERICA, WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE GROUP THAT WHEN I SPOKE WITH YOU ABOUT THIS, WHAT WAS THE OTHER GROUP THAT YOU FELT WOULD HAVE, WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, THE CITY GROUP THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY, I THINK WAS THE EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE.

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS.

THEY WORK WITH CODA AROUND SOUND AND THEIR SPECIAL EVENT PERMITTING FOR IF THERE'S A SITE PLAN CHANGE.

SO I WOULD REACH OUT TO BILL MANO AT AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS TO, YOU KNOW, ASK ANY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, FOR THIS, AS FAR AS THE CITY IS CONCERNED, WORKING WITH CODA.

THAT'S GREAT.

UH, OKAY.

SO WE WERE SAYING DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING REALLY READY FOR A RESOLUTION FOR US TO TAKE ACTION, BUT WHEN THAT TASK FORCE GETS FORMED, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE ON IT.

AND WOULD ANYONE ELSE ALSO LIKE TO BE OKAY, YOU HAVE THIS GUY, SCOTT AND CHRIS.

I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION.

UH, SO, WELL FIRST THANK YOU FOR COMING TO CHURCH ON SATURDAY.

I SURELY SHAPED THAT, UH, DEEPLY, AND, UH, WE DON'T NEED TO DO A DEEP DIVE ON THIS, BUT I'M CURIOUS, SORT OF WHAT THE CURRENT STATE OF THESE THINGS ARE LIKE, HOW DO THE ADA GUIDELINES GET ASSESSED AND ARE THERE UPDATING FUNDS FOR, YOU KNOW, SAY YOU GO THROUGH THAT DOOR AND IT'S TOO NARROW.

UH, ARE THERE, ARE, ARE, IS THERE FINANCIAL HELP FOR VENUES WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, TO MAKE THE DOOR BIGGER? OR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAD TO ADHERE TO THOSE GUIDELINES AND HOW TO ADD, OR IS THAT PURELY ON THE VENUES SIDE AS FAR AS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY? SO YEAH, IN THE PAST THERE HAVE, HAS BEEN FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT'S IN PLACE TODAY.

AND WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE THE MEETING THIS EVENING AND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO EXPLORE, UM, IN THE CARES ACT OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

IT SEEMS LIKE FIRST, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEED IS.

AND ONCE WE FIGURE OUT THE NEED, UM, THEN WE CAN START, UM, SEEKING THE FUNDING TO HELP THE VENUES TO DO THIS.

UM, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE MONEY OUT THERE.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY THE NEED, WE WANT TO REALLY TRY TO HELP THE VENUES AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

UH, OKAY, GREAT.

SO THERE'S NOT A CURRENT SOURCE OF MONEY THERE, THERE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT CURRENTLY AS FAR AS WE KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE, I'M JUST NOT ALLOWED TO SEE.

I SEE.

WHO, SO YOU WERE A CONSTABLE AND THEN CHARGING.

SO IS THAT MUST, IS THAT STILL THE CASE THAT THE CONSTABLES ARE UNFORCED? WHO DO, WHO WOULD WE TALK TO ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF INFANT? PARTIALLY THE COUNTY CONSTABLES DO ENFORCE A DISABILITY PARKING.

THEY DON'T WORK AS MUCH WITH THE BUSINESSES AS I DID.

UM, BUT, UH, WHERE I WAS PRECINCT FIVE, THEY STILL HAVE A VERY ACTIVE PROGRAM.

AND, UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT SINCE I BECAME A TAX ASSESSOR, BUT, UM, ALL THOSE EMOTIONS CAME POURING BACK

[02:30:01]

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

DO YOU KNOW THEN WHO WOULD BE INTERFACING WITH THE VENUES FROM THE CITY ABOUT ADA GUIDELINES? I DON'T, UM, THERE'S AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY COMMISSION WITH, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS ANYMORE, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT PERSON MIGHT BE THE, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD BE THE, YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING WE COULD GET MAYBE A SORT OF AN UPDATE OR A BRIEFING FROM THAT PERSON.

SO WE'RE PREPPED WHEN THE TASK FORCE COMES AND WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS.

SURE.

IT LOOKS LIKE ERICA HAS SOME INFORMATION.

SO AGAIN, I WOULD DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO BILL MATTO WITH AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS.

CAUSE I THINK FIRE FIREWOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, BE IN CHARGE OF LOOKING AT SITE PLANS, TO BE SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL OF THE SPACING REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR CODE AS WELL AS SAFETY, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ADA REQUIREMENTS.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

WE, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, BRING BILL INTO THE CONVERSATION JUST TO GET AN UPDATE.

AND THEN ALSO THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WOULD PAY FOR THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS, UH, FOR VENUES IN ORDER FOR THAT.

UM, WE COULD POSSIBLY REACH OUT TO ADAPT OF AUSTIN.

THEY MIGHT, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S CONNECTED WITH THEM, BUT THEY'RE, UH, UH, A GRASSROOTS DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUP AND, UH, THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION ADAPT AND THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER OF DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN AND WORKING WITH, UM, CODA AND WITH Y'ALL.

COOL.

WE'RE AT THE LAST PART, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANYBODY GO, DO WE WANT TO ADD A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UH, ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION AS BRUCE SUGGESTED? I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO DISCUSS IT NEXT MONTH, BUT UH, I KNOW SCOTT, YOU COULD W I, I NOMINATE YOU TO, UH, TO SHEPHERD THIS ONE BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU DID WITH THE ATX VOTING BEFORE THAT MIGHT BE TO DO WHAT I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

SO I KNOW, I GUESS ORIN, YOU'LL PROBABLY KEEP IN TOUCH AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THIS.

UH, OKAY.

SO I THINK

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, JUST, UH, TO, TO, TO LEAD THE DISCUSSION ON HOW THE, HOW WE, AS THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN ENCOURAGE THE MUSIC COMMUNITY TO DRIVE VOTER REGISTRATION.

I'LL SECOND.

AND, UH, AND I ALSO VOLUNTEERED OUT.

SO DO WE VOTE? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

SO, UH, DO YOU WANT TO RESET MOTION TO ADD THE AGENDA ITEM, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON VOTER REGISTRATION? THAT'S GOOD.

SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOTION SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR.

I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

UH, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, INCREASING THE CITY RATE FOR MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN.

ALRIGHT.

SECOND.

SO ALL IN FAVOR AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS.

SO YES, YES.

I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ADD A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN, FOR THE CITY, THE CITY RATE FOR VISITORS IN AUSTIN.

THAT DO I NEED TO SAY THAT AGAIN? OKAY, KIM IS THAT, IS THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO VOTE.

I'M JUST A MOTION AND A SECOND OPEN IT ON THE AGENDA.

MADDOW ON ADA IN AUSTIN MUSIC VENUES.

YOU HAVE TO REMIND ME EVERY TIME FOR TWO YEARS NOW.

OKAY, AWESOME.

UH, DO WE WANT TO INVITE, IT WAS A BILL TO GIVE US A REPORT ON ADA, UH, AND AUSTIN VENUES.

I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO GET AHEAD OF THAT.

IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TURNING THE TASKFORCE IN IT.

GO KNOWLEDGEABLY.

OKAY, THEN.

SO, UM, MOTION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

FOLLOWING UP REPORT BY BILL

[02:35:01]

YEAH, ONE SECOND.

UH, WHO WAS THE SECOND? THAT WAS, THAT WAS ME.

AND THEN YOU MENTIONED YOUR TWO PRIORITIES FOR 22.

AND I WONDER IF WE WANT TO START TO WORK ON THOSE.

LET'S NOT DO THAT IN JANUARY.

UM, BUT PROBABLY WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE FEBRUARY AGENDA BECAUSE I DO THINK WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT WITH, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON THE LIVE MUSIC UPDATE.

SO YEAH.

SO MOVE THAT ITEM, UH, FOR A, WE'VE MOVED THAT INTO OLD BUSINESS FOR THE NEXT NEXT MEETING.

SO I WOULD MOTION THAT WE DO THAT.

UM, AND THEN I'D ALSO MOTION THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER AEDC UPDATE AT THE, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEING A RECURRING ITEM.

SO, SO YEAH, EVERY SECOND THAT, OKAY.

I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME.

ROLLING OUT OF THE HOLIDAYS.

I THINK THAT'LL BE, BUT I'LL KEEP US, THAT'LL GET US BACK ON OUR TOES.