[00:00:01]
UM, THE, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, SCHEDULED FOR JULY 5TH AT AUSTIN ENERGY MUELLER HEADQUARTERS.
OUR CHAIR, NAGA, UH, CHARLA IS DELAYED.
SHE SAID SHE'LL BE ON HER WAY AND SHE'LL BE HERE IN APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MINUTES.
SO SHE'S ASKED ME TO BEGIN THE, UH, BEGIN THE MEETING, UH, AND TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE, UM, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS.
[CALL TO ORDER]
LET'S CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.UM, NOW I WOULD BEGIN WITH A MOTION.
THE FIRST THING THAT'S ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE, UH, VERY LARGE AUDIENCE HERE, AND THEY DESERVE TO BE HEARD BY, UH, CHAIR CHARLA, I MOVE THAT WE DELAY THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION UNTIL AFTER, UH, CHAIR CHARLA ARRIVES.
UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S A, I THINK KIM MCCARSON HAS A POINT OF ORDER.
DID, DID WE ALREADY GIVE YOU THE SIGNUP PAGE? OKAY.
UM, SHELBY, IF YOU CAN HAND HIM THE SIGNUP PAGE.
ARE THERE A LOT ON THE, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, OR ARE THEY ALL SIGNED UP FOR AN AGENDA ITEM OR NUMBER FIVE? THERE'S THROUGH HERE.
SO YOU CAN, THERE'S TWO SIGNED UP FOR GENERAL, BUT THE REST OF 'EM I THINK ARE SIGNED UP UNDER ITEM FIVE.
SO I MOVE THAT WE DELAY THE GENERAL SPEAKERS TILL A POINT WHEN AFTER CHAIR CHARLA ARRIVES.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE OF THESE MICS ON AT THE TIME, OTHERWISE WE GET NASTY FEEDBACK.
IS THAT MIC STILL ON OVER THERE? YEAH.
UH, SO, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YES, SIR.
UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DA CHAIRS, UH, SECONDS.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF NAVAL SAY, AYE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR MEETING OF JUNE 5TH.THEY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED, UH, HAS, UH, HAVE, HAVE WE HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES? OKAY.
SO IF THERE ARE NO PROPOSED CHANGES, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 5TH MEETING? MOTION TO APPROVE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 5TH MEETING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, THE NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM IS LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS UPDATE BY KIM CARSON, PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
AND I BELIEVE WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, GIVEN THAT THEY, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A NICE SUMMARY OF THIS ALREADY, THIS NAVAL CAN CATCH UP ON.
SO, MAY I ASK, UH, KIM, TO BEGIN THE, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER TWO, LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS.
UH, UH, I THINK IT'S CSAP IS ITEM TWO, IS THAT RIGHT? CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN ITEM THREE IS LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG MINUTES.
YOUR, YOUR COR UM, THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANT PROGRAM, UH, TESTING PROGRAM, WHICH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ALSO YOU, KIM.
[2. Creative Space Assistance Program (CSAP) update by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department.]
MCCARSON.I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
AND I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, HO HOTEL.
SORRY, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATE.
SO, THERE WERE 152, UH, APPLICATIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED FOR THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE SOME DEMOGRAPHICS HERE.
MOST OF THOSE WERE, UH, RENT STIPEND REQUESTS, WHICH IS COMMON WITH THIS PROGRAM.
[00:05:01]
HAD A 62% OF THE REQUEST FOR RENT HELP, AND 36% WAS, UH, FOR LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS OR OTHER SPACE RELATED NEEDS.USUALLY THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE, UH, UPGRADING BATHROOMS, UPGRADING STAGES, SEATING, THAT KIND OF THING, THAT CAN HELP ORGANIZATIONS SELL TICKETS, UM, AND STAY IN THEIR SPACES.
SO THEN WE ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF REQUESTS FOR GAP FINANCING.
UM, TO THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, APPLICANTS LED BY RACE OR ETHNIC GROUP BREAKDOWN.
UM, MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE OR ETHNICITY, 74 MAJORITY WHITE, OR PREFER NOT TO ANSWER.
AND, UM, EQUALLY LED BY WHITE OR DIVERSE RACE ETHNICITY WERE 12.
UM, THE DISTRICTS THAT MOST OF THESE APPLICATIONS CAME FROM WERE DISTRICT THREE, ONE, AND NINE, UM, MORE FEMALE OR NON-BINARY THAN MALE 66.
UH, SAID THEY WERE, UH, L G B T Q I A LEADERSHIP LED BY NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND HERE'S SOME DEMOGRAPHICS, BREAKING IT DOWN TO, UH, THE AWARDS.
SO THERE WERE 65 AWARDS MADE OUT OF THE 152 APPLICATIONS.
AND, UM, OVER THERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CHART, YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, APPLICANTS.
IT'S THE SAME DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN THAT WE SAW ON THE LAST SLIDE.
UM, MAJORITY DIVERSE RACE WAS BEHIND THAT AT 28.
WE HAVE THE, UH, FEMALE OR NON-BINARY AND MAJORITY MALE BREAKDOWN UNDERNEATH THAT 30 VERSUS 29.
AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS MOSTLY IN THREE, ONE AND NINE.
SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE TYPES OF QUALIFYING BUSINESSES AND HOW THE MONEY WAS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS EITHER, UM, LIVE MUSIC VENUES, MUSEUMS, ART GALLERIES, UM, THEATER PERFORMANCE SPACES.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT IF YOU WERE A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS, YOU HAD TO QUALIFY AS, OR YOU COULD APPLY AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST, OR YOU COULD APPLY AS AN ARTS NONPROFIT.
UM, MOST OF THE AWARDS WENT TO ARTS NONPROFITS, AND THAT WAS 42% THEN WAS THEATER PERFORMANCE SPACE AFTER THAT.
INDEPENDENT ARTISTS AT 15% LIVE MUSIC AT 12%, AND MUSEUM ART GALLERIES AT 11%.
AND JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME APPLICANTS AND, AND SOME OF THEM WHO WERE AWARDED, UH, CHECKED OFF MORE THAN ONE BOX.
UM, THEY WERE MORE THAN ONE THING.
THEY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A LIVE MUSIC VENUE AND ALSO A PERFORMANCE SPACE OR A GALLERY AND A PERFORMANCE SPACE.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP IN THAT.
SO AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT.
UH, YEAH, I, I I HAVE A QUESTION.
ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SAY, WHICH ARE THE RECIPIENTS? SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, 12% OF THE AWARDS WENT TO LIVE MUSIC.
CAN YOU TELL US WHO THOSE 12% ARE, WHICH, WHO ARE THE AWARDEES ARE? WE HAVEN'T RELEASED THAT YET.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A PRESS RELEASE COMING OUT ABOUT THAT, BUT I DIDN'T BRING THE LIST WITH ME, UM, IN ANTICIPATION BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY RELEASED THE INFORMATION YET.
UH, MAYBE YOU WENT OVER THIS IN THE FIRST SLIDE.
I MIGHT, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT IS THE, UM, THE TURNOUT COM, UH, THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S INCREASED OR DECREASED? I COULD PROBABLY FIND IT REALLY QUICKLY, BUT I'VE JUST, WELL, IT'S INCREASED QUITE A BIT AND EXCELLENT.
AND THERE'S PROBABLY A COUPLE REASONS FOR THAT.
BUT, UM, ONE IS THAT THERE WAS MORE MONEY IN THE POT THAN USUAL.
UM, AND, AND THE OTHER ONE IS I THINK WE DID A LOT OF OUTREACH, UM, AND TO DO DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT GROUPS THAN IN BEFORE, UM, DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, BUT YEAH, THERE'S, THERE WERE DEFINITELY A LOT MORE APPLICATIONS.
UH, I THINK I HAVE THE NEXT, UH, ITEM AS WELL.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, I, I, I DID HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
WHEN I SEE THAT ONLY 12% OF THIS MONEY WENT TO THINGS THAT ARE EXPLICITLY LIVE MUSIC, EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BE MORE ARTS, FINE ARTS,
[00:10:02]
PERFORMING ARTS, UH, UH, UH, THEATER, UH, MUSEUMS, UH, UH, ANY, ANY REASON WHY SO LITTLE OF IT ON THE FACE OF IT APPEARS TO BE GOING TO MUSIC? THAT'S BEEN THE TREND, UM, WITH THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE IT.WHEN WE OPENED IT TO, UH, FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES, THE, UM, LIVE MUSIC HAD BEEN A LITTLE BIT FEWER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, IT COULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE REASONS, BUT IT COULD BE THAT A LOT OF THE FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES AREN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, USED TO APPLYING FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
A LOT OF ARTS NONPROFITS HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY'RE READY FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW WHEN THEY COME OUT AND, UH, AND APPLY FOR THEM.
SO I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A REASON.
UM, BUT THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE TREND THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS OF CSAP.
WELL, IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS ON THE TOPIC OF CSAP, UH, SHALL
[3. Live Music Fund collections update by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department.]
WE MOVE ON TO, UM, THE NEXT STAFF BRIEFING ITEM NUMBER THREE, LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS UPDATE.WE'LL JUST SKIP THE TITLE PAGE AND WE'LL GO STRAIGHT TO THAT SECOND SLIDE.
THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GRAPHIC THAN WHAT YOU HA ARE USED TO.
I USUALLY GIVE YOU A SPREADSHEET.
UM, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE SIMPLER AND A LITTLE PRETTIER TO LOOK AT.
UH, SO THE, UH, THE LATEST COLLECTIONS TO DATE ARE 3 MILLION 295, 360 7.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, FROM ON YOUR GRAPH, WE START WITH OCTOBER IN BLUE, THEN NOVEMBER IS ORANGE IN THE STACK, AND THEN NEXT YOU CAN'T SEE IT, IT'S JUST A LINE.
SO IT'S A VERY, IT DOESN'T SHOW UP THERE VERY WELL IN THE GRAPH, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER THERE.
AND THEN IT WAS JANUARY, IS THIS YELLOW GOLD COLOR, 798,000.
THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER BLUE 323.
THAT WAS FEBRUARY, MARCH, AGAIN, IS A LINE.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS 30 DAYS REPORTING BEHIND THE FACT.
SO YOU WOULD EXPECT MARCH TO BE THE BIGGEST, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN SOUTH BUY OCCURS.
BUT ACTUALLY IT WAS REPORTED, AND THEN BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
THEY'RE APRIL, SO, SO THAT, BUT YOUR SOUTH BUY IS THAT BIG HUGE CHUNK OF BLUE, WHICH SHOWS UP IN APRIL FOR AT EIGHT 854,923.
AND THEN THE LATEST NUMBERS WE HAVE ARE MAY, UH, 3 38, 7 73.
UM, AND SO THAT IS YOUR TOTAL, UH, THE YEAR END ESTIMATE IS 4,043,166.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I THINK OREN'S DOING SOME MATH OVER THERE.
OH, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M JUST TAKING NOTES, BUT 4 MILLION IS BIGGER THAN 3.5 MILLION, SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
IF I RECALL, THERE WAS SOME MONEY LEFT OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH MONEY IS THAT, KIM? WELL, THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE ANYTHING FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING BEING DISTRIBUTED, UH, FROM THE, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR IS TOTALLY SEPARATELY CONSIDERED HERE.
THIS IS JUST FOR 2023, NOT FOR 2022.
YOU, YOU'RE TALKING 2023 INCOME.
SO THE, THE GRANT CYCLE THAT WE JUST COMPLETED, AND THAT MONEY IS ABOUT TO BE DISTRIBUTED, IS NOT ON THIS PAGE.
YEAH, I'VE, I WAS JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THE, WHAT THE SURPLUS WAS FROM LAST YEAR WHEN WE COLLECTED AND HAVE DISTRIBUTED.
RIGHT THERE, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A SURPLUS SURPLUS, RIGHT? YEAH.
IS THAT RIGHT? AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
OR IS THAT WHAT'S IN SAVINGS? HELLO, EVERYONE.
UM, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
SO WE STARTED COLLECTING DECEMBER, 2019.
SO THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A BIG DECREASE, OBVIOUSLY, DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE HAD ABOUT 62 MIL, I MEAN, UH, 6,000, UH, 6 MILLION, 200,000, UM, ALREADY IN THE TILL.
SO, AND THEN THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE, SO THIS JUST
[00:15:01]
THE ESTIMATE ON TOP OF THAT.AND SO NO MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT FROM THIS, EXCEPT FOR SOME MARKETING FUNDS WITH VISIT AUSTIN.
THAT'S OUR DIGITAL SPEND THAT WE DO WITH THEM ANNUALLY.
AND THEN, UH, WE'VE JUST NOW, OF COURSE, ARE SPENDING F Y 23, UH, WITH A LONG CENTER GETTING, UH, ADMIN FEES AND AWARDS OUT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ON TOP OF, SO IT'S PROBABLY THAT 62 LIKE, OR 6.2 MILLION MINUS 4.1 MILLION FOR THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, PLUS, YOU KNOW, AN ESTIMATE HERE.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE DO WANNA BUMP IT UP FOR NEXT YEAR, CUZ WE HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET ALLOCATION THAT WE WILL ASK FOR, UH, REGARDING THESE NUMBERS.
AND THAT WILL HAPPEN IN JULY, IN JUNE AND JULY.
AND, UH, SO LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
SO THERE IS A BALANCE, BUT THAT 4.1 HAS BEEN SPENT, AND THEN THIS IS STILL AN ESTIMATE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY AT IS AT ABOUT 3.3 RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE HOPING BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'LL BE AT THE 4.0, WHICH IS, UH, THE ESTIMATE THAT BASED ON TRENDS, AND THEREFORE BY THE THEREFORE, IF, UH, IF MY NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, THERE'S AN, THERE WAS A SURPLUS OF 2.1 MILLION, WHICH IS A 6.2 MINUS THE 4.1 THAT WE SPENT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO YOU'VE GOT 2.1 MILLION IN THE BANK.
WE'RE EXPECTING ANOTHER 4.0 MILLION TO COME IN THIS YEAR, AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT 3.3 MILLION IN THE BANK.
SO THAT MEANS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT 6.1 MILLION IN THE FUND THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEND.
WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD EXPECT, AS WE HAD DISCUSSED DURING OUR BUDGET TIME, THE ALLOCATION FOR F Y 24 WILL BE AROUND 4.5.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO BUMP THAT UP BY AT LEAST 500,000.
UH, BUT THERE IS ROOM FOR AMENDMENTS WITH ACTUALS THAT COME IN AT, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THERE'S SOME WIGGLE ROOM THERE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE APPROVED, OR THAT'S WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED FOR THIS BUDGET IS FOUR, YOU KNOW, AROUND 4.5 TO GET UP, YOU KNOW, TO GET THAT UP.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE KEEP SOME MONEY IN THE TILL, UH, TO SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY.
AND SO WE'RE DEFINITELY BEING MORE CONSERVATIVE THERE AS, AS WE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE.
I'LL, WHY DON'T I JUST FINISH OFF, FINISH OFF THIS ITEM, AND THEN WE'LL PLEASE.
WE'LL, TRANS, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME.
DOES, UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR, UH, KIM REGARDING THE COLLECTIONS OF THE HOT TAX FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND TO DATE? OKAY.
UH, IN THAT CASE, I, UH, ONE, ONE THING, IT'S NOT A QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S MORE OF A, OF A STATEMENT.
I, I, UM, LOOKING AT THE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, I KNOW THAT WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME, BUT I, I, I JUST WANT TO, I NEED TO MAKE A MENTAL NOTE OF THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR US TO SEE KIND OF LIKE A, LIKE A WEATHER VEIN QUARTER OVER QUARTER, MONTH OVER MONTH IN TERMS OF LIKE EXACTLY HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, MONEY WE'RE BRINGING IN EVERY, AND I KNOW THAT WE DO THAT REPORTING ANYWAY, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY GOOD TO LOOK AT THAT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THE LOCAL ECONOMY IS BEING STIMULATED IN, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN MONTHS VERSUS OTHERS, AND REALLY SEE THAT AS A WEATHER VEIN FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS AND VENUES AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT, AND HOPEFULLY I'LL REMEMBER THAT IN A FEW MONTHS WHEN IT COMES BACK.
WELL THAT CONCLUDES, UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS.
SO AT THIS POINT, UH, OUR PERMANENT CHAIR, UH, UH, NAVAL CHARLA IS NOW WITH US.
I'VE MOVED THAT WE TRANSFER MY TEMPORARY CHAIRSHIP BACK TO ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE PERMANENT CHAIR.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER DAVILA SECONDS.
ALL IN FAVOR? I APPRECIATE THAT JUDGE.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I TURNED ON.
I SAW THE RED AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG.
UM, THESE, THESE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND I PUSHED THAT BECAUSE I WANTED THEM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU AS WELL.
[00:20:01]
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION OR I SPEAKING ON THE TOPIC? PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.AND YOU JUST FINISHED, UH, NUMBER, NUMBER THREE.
NUMBER THREE, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
GET THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN, UH, BEFORE, CAN I MOVE ON THAT? THANK YOU.UH, SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UH, SHARON, LACK TO SPEAK.
DID YOU FINISH THIS ITEM? YES.
WHAT WAS THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME? UM, AARON LACK.
UH, YEAH, MY NAME'S AARON LACK.
I'M THE, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, AUSTIN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS, WHICH IS LOCAL 4 33 OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO SAY, BUT, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL HAVING US HERE AND, UH, SPEAKING WITH YOU.
UM, I, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THIS BODY BEFORE, UM, ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF, UH, UNIONISM AND, UH, COLLECTIVE POWER AND PUTTING OUR, OUR VOICES TOGETHER AS WORKERS, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ALSO ARTISTS, WE'RE ALSO WORKERS, UH, AND, AND AS MUSICIANS.
UM, SO I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
WHAT I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT TODAY, UM, IS THE STRUCTURE OF UNIONS AND OUR UNION SPECIFICALLY.
UM, OUR, OUR UNION IS A, A DEMOCRATICALLY, UH, RUN ORGANIZATION.
OUR, OUR LEADERSHIP IS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND SO, UH, I'M, I'M UP FOR REELECTION, UH, NEXT FALL.
SO, UM, PLEASE GET OUT THERE AND VOTE.
UH, THE, THE FUNDING STRUCTURE THAT WE USE IS LIMITED TO WORKER FUNDING.
UH, NO OUTSIDE FUNDING IS EVER ALLOWED IN ANY, ANY UNION.
AND THAT MEANS THAT THE WORKERS OWN EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, SO IT AVOIDS ANY KIND OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UH, I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE THAT WORKS IN MUSIC, UH, TO JOIN THE AFM.
UM, IT'S, IT'S OUR VOICE, UH, WHEN WE DEAL WITH, UH, MULTINATIONAL MEDIA CONGLOMERATES, UH, THAT ARE WORKING THEIR WAY INTO ALL OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, AND THEY'RE SOME OF THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS, UH, THAT THE PLANET EARTH HAS EVER SEEN.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S MAKES IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO BAND TOGETHER AND BUILD WORKER POWER.
UM, UH, I ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS THE, THE MUSIC COMMISSIONERS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, ANY OF YOU THAT MAY HAVE CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS, UH, ARE, ARE ENCOURAGED TO RE RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM VOTING, UH, ON AGENDA ITEMS THAT MAY BE SENSITIVE TO THEIR DONORS OR THEIR FUNDING SOURCES.
UH, WE, WE SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU.
WE'RE ALL TRYING TO GET OUR ART DONE HOWEVER WE CAN.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE DONATING AND, AND DEDICATING OUR LIVES TO DO IT.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WITH YOU ON THAT AND THAT FIGHT, UH, WE'RE ALL TOGETHER ON THAT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR BYLAWS THAT PREVENTS, UM, ANYONE FROM ASKING QUESTIONS ON CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
AM I ALLOWED TO ASK HER ON A QUESTION? IS THAT OKAY? YEAH, YEAH.
WE, WE CANNOT ASK QUESTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, KIM, CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE US ON THIS? UH, USUALLY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, WE HAVE NOT ASKED QUESTIONS.
UH, YEAH, NO, TYPICALLY, TYPICALLY YOU DON'T, UH, ENGAGE WITH THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS, BUT WITH THE AGENDA ITEM, UH, SIGN UP, YOU, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP ON THE AGENDA ITEM IS DIFFERENT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, MR. PAUL CLARA.
THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THIS FORM.
UH, MY NAME IS PAUL KLEMPERER.
I'M A MUSICIAN AND MUSIC TEACHER AND A MEMBER OF THE AFM FOR 40 YEARS IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK, UM, GENERALLY, BUT, UM, MY THOUGHTS WERE TRIGGERED BY THE AGENDA ITEM OF THE, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE CITY WORKING WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, AND ADDRESSING THIS ISSUES OF, UH, MUSICIAN PAY.
AND I WANTED TO PUT IT IN THE LARGER FRAMEWORK OF, UM, MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE GIG ECONOMY THAT WE HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
AND A LOT OF CORPORATIONS AND, UM, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT GIG ECONOMY, WHICH CAUSES INDIVIDUAL SKILLED WORKERS TO CONFRONT THE
[00:25:01]
ECONOMY AS INDIVIDUALS RATHER THAN AS PART OF AN ORGANIZATION.AND UNIONIZATION IS HAD A LONG HISTORY OF, OF GIVING WORKERS POWER AND HAS THAT SORT OF MYTHOLOGY BEHIND IT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE A, A PITCH FOR A MORE GENERAL VIEW OF, UM, PEOPLE WORKING IN ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP RATIONALIZE WORK, PARTICULARLY ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, TO MAKE IT, UM, SUSTAINABLE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT, UM, IN AUSTIN WITH THE GROWTH OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO JUST RECOGNITION BY THE CITY, UH, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, MUSIC IN PARTICULAR, IN THE ARTS IN GENERAL, IN THE AUSTIN ECONOMY.
AND TOO OFTEN, UH, IT'S, WE, THERE'S A LOT OF LIP SERVICE TOWARDS RATIONALIZING THIS AND MAKING RESOURCES MORE AVAILABLE AND HELPING MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS CREATE A SUSTAINABLE CAREER.
BUT WE STILL, DAY TO DAY AS ARTISTS, WE HAVE TO SORT OF FACE THAT GIG ECONOMY.
SO I'M SAYING THIS, THIS IS A PITCH FOR VIEWING THE ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP AROUND SOUTHWEST, SOUTHWEST THIS YEAR AS MAYBE A BLUEPRINT FOR A LARGER MODEL OF HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER IN THE TYPICAL CAPITAL LABOR RELATIONSHIP, BUT RATIONALIZING THINGS AND NOT BEING, NOT HAVING IT BE A CONFRONTATIONAL THING OR A LOT OF, UH, UM, LIP SERVICE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, PIECEMEAL PUBLIC RELATIONS KIND OF STUFF.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR THAT.
AND AUSTIN IN PARTICULAR, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, HAS OFTEN BEEN, UM, A SHOWCASE FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD TO SEE, LIKE WE HAVE A REPUTATION IN THE WORLD OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS IN AUSTIN.
AND IF WE CAN SHOW THAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS RATIONALIZING THIS, ESPECIALLY AS AUSTIN'S BECOMING THIS UNAFFORDABLE CITY FOR MANY PEOPLE, THEN IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE WAIVE A FEE FOR PUBLIC LAND USAGE HERE, OR ONE MUSICIAN GETS PAID 150 BUCKS INSTEAD OF NOTHING, A WRISTBAND.
IT'S NOT SO SMALL, IT'S A LARGER, UM, LESSON THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD CAN LOOK AT US AND GO, OH, THEY, THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WE CAN LEARN FROM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CASE.
SO, UM, WE'LL, UM, I THINK THAT'S THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[4. Discussion and possible action on Live Music Fund application process following update by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music & Entertainment Division.]
NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON LIVE MUSIC FUND APPLICATION PROCESS.FOLLOWING UPDATE BY RIKA SHAMLEY, DIVISION MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
JUST GONNA WAIT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ERICA SHAMLEY, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
SO WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR TO SHOW YOU THROUGH A DASHBOARD, OUR DEMOGRAPHICS FOR WHO APPLIED TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM, UH, THE LONG CENTER IS VERY BUSY AT WORK DOING THE EVALUATIONS NOW AND MAKING VERY QUICK PROGRESS OF IT.
SO OUR HOPE IS TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS APPLIED FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND, WHERE ARE WE LEANING IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF PROJECTS YOU'RE GONNA SEE FUNDED WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UH, SO WE'LL KNOW MORE BY OUR NEXT, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, SO HERE WE CAN KIND OF GO INTO THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
THIS WILL BE A PUBLISHED DASHBOARD WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LIKE CLICK IN TO EACH BOX AND REALLY DRILL DOWN TO EACH DATA SET.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, THIS IS JUST A SCREENSHOT, BASICALLY, THAT YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT.
UH, BUT WE'LL BE SURE TO AS SOON AS THAT'S PUBLISHED THAT WE WILL GET YOU GUYS A LINK.
IT'LL BE OPEN TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY.
IT'S PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DATA PORTAL.
OKAY? SO IN ALL ABOUT 660 APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN TERMS OF THE RACE, A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE APPLICANTS THAT WE HAD, UM, A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF WHITE, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S IN THE MINORITY OF THE PIE CHART, SO MOST DID NOT IDENTIFY AS WHITE, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, IN TERMS OF OUR OUTREACH, AS KIM MENTIONED BEFORE, WITH THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE WANNA BE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE AS IT COMES TO THE SUPPORT THAT IS HERE FOR OUR, UM, MUSICIANS, OUR PROMOTERS, AND FOR JUST OUR LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE THE BREAKDOWN IS.
UM, I'M NOT SURPRISED TO SEE THAT MORE MALES DID APPLY THAN FEMALES.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT ACROSS THE BOARD AND PROGRAMS SINCE I'VE STARTED WITH THE CITY.
AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE MORE OUTREACH TO
[00:30:01]
OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY IDENTIFYING AS WOMEN TO PLEASE APPLY.UH, THESE GRANTS ARE FOR EVERYBODY, AND EVERYONE, UH, JUST NEEDS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT, SPREAD THE WORD SO THAT WE SEE A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT.
UM, IN TERMS OF DISTRICTS KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD WITH MOST, AND I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S GOOD.
WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR DISTRICT IS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT MOSTLY IT WAS PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, NOT SURPRISING, UH, WITH ABOUT 20% AS INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS.
UM, YOU SEE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKER HERE, THAT'S ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT WASN'T AN ELIGIBLE CATEGORY.
SO THE LONG SITTER IS GOING THROUGH AND MAKING SURE AND ASSIGNING WHICH CATEGORY THEY ACTUALLY ARE.
THAT WAS JUST AN ERROR IN THE APPLICATION THAT IT WAS A SELECTION.
SO THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, IT'S LIKE 10 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE CORRECTING.
SO, AGAIN, BY THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU GUYS WITH A DASHBOARD, WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BREAKDOWN, BUT YOU KIND OF SEE WHERE THE GENERAL BREAKDOWN IS ACROSS DEMOGRAPHIC LINES IN AUSTIN OF WHO OUR APPLICANT WAS.
AND SO TO STAY TUNED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WERE THE MOST POPULAR IN TERMS OF SUPPORT BEING REQUESTED FROM THE CITY.
UH, IT DEFINITELY IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT ISN'T ONE TYPE OF PROJECT OVER ANOTHER.
UH, AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
IF NOT THE NEXT MEETING, THEN MEETING AFTER THAT WILL, JUST DEPENDS ON HOW FAST THEY'RE GOING.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING PRETTY DARN FAST, SO WE'RE HOPEFUL.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE? ALL RIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION, AND THEN AS SOON AS THIS IS PUBLISHED, I WILL GET YOU GUYS A LINK AND YOU CAN, LIKE I SAID, DRILL DOWN IN EACH SET.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT THAT WAS PRETTY THOROUGH.
MR. ROSE? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
OH, I, I JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I, I HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN, UM, THAT HAVE GOTTEN SOME, SOME GRANTS, SO THAT'S GOOD.
WELL, THIS HASN'T, WE HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED THE LIVE MUSIC FUND YET.
BUT FOR THE CREATIVE SPACE, THIS IS PROGRAM CREATIVE SPACE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, IKA, WHEN, UH, WHEN ARE WE EXPECTING THE EARLIEST RESULTS AGAIN, UH, TO, TO, FOR, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS TO START HEARING ABOUT THIS? OH, OUR HOPE.
WE NEED TO CHECK IN WITH THE LONG CENTER AND JUST TALK TO THEM, BECAUSE I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM IN TERM.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE MAKING VERY GOOD PROGRESS.
THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL TEAM IN PLACE, VERY EXPERIENCED, AND THEY'RE MAKING REALLY GREAT PROGRESS.
SO I THINK A LOT SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT, BUT I CAN'T, I'LL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
THEY'LL BE THE FIRST TO KNOW, BECAUSE THAT IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY TO LET FOLKS KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE AN AWARDEE.
SHOULD WE, UH, SHOULD WE, UM, HEAR ABOUT THE PROGRESS, UM, IN THE NEXT ROUND FROM YOU? OR SHOULD WE BE INVITING, UH, SOMEBODY FROM THE LONG CENTER AS WELL? OR WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? OH, WE CAN MAKE THAT A TEAM EFFORT IN TERMS OF, UH, REPORTING BACK TO YOU GUYS, AND IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO MEET THEM AND, UH, JUST ASK ABOUT THEIR PROCESS.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL ASK THEM AS SOON AS WE'RE READY TO MAKE THAT BIG PRESENTATION.
UH, WE'LL MAKE IT A JOINT PRESENTATION.
I JUST DON'T KNOW YET IF IT'LL BE AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER.
AND I JUST, UH, JUST AS A, A NOTE AGAIN TO, UH, MYSELF AND ALL OF THE FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE ASPECTS.
ONE IS, UH, THE, UM, UH, OUTCOMES THAT WE, WE WILL SEE AROUND, UH, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
UM, I THINK I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT ON THAT FRONT.
UM, THE SECOND WOULD BE THE BROAD END USES, WHICH, UH, THE ABILITY FOR A MUSICIAN TO USE THESE FUNDS, UM, ACROSS, UH, MULTIPLE USES.
UH, UH, I WAS, I KNOW A LITTLE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THAT WAS RELAYED, UH, WELL ENOUGH THROUGH THE APPLICATION.
BUT, UH, I'M, I'M VERY STILL VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL HAVE A NICE SPREAD OF HOW MUSICIANS TAKE THESE DOLLARS AND USE THE SAME ACROSS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF OUR, UH, MUSIC ECOSYSTEM.
WHETHER IT'S SOME WE'LL BE USING THEM FOR PERFORMANCES, UM, MAYBE ANOTHER, UH, SUBSET, UH, IS USING, UH, THESE, THESE FUNDS FOR RECORDING OR VIDEO PROJECTS.
AND THEN THIRD ONE THAT THE COMMISSION WILL PICK UP IN FUTURE IS, UH, VENUES AND HOW WE, UH, UH, BRING VENUES INTO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
ANY OTHER, PLEASE? OH, JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER THAT, UH, MENTIONING THE VENUES AND THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM AROUND LIVE MUSIC FUND, THE VENUE SUMMIT IS GONNA BE HAPPENING, UH, ON JULY 18TH.
AND SO VENUES HAVE BEEN ALERTED IF, IF THERE'S SOMEONE HERE IS AFFILIATED WITH THE VENUE WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, JUST LET ME KNOW.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS GET A COPY OF THE SURVEY AS WELL AS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUMMIT, WHERE WE WILL GO OVER THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDES INFORMATION ON ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UM, AND JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT EVEN IF WE DON'T COME BACK TO YOU UNTIL IT SAY SEPTEMBER WITH A DETAILED DASHBOARD, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE WAITING UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO TELL AWARDEES AND GET THE BALL ROLLING WITH ALL OF THEM.
WE JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT THE DATA'S COMPLETE, UH, FOR YOU GUYS.
BUT OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS GETTING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND LETTING AWARDEES KNOW.
[00:35:04]
UM, IT'S, IT'S, SURE, SURE.UH, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, UH, ERICA IS THERE, IS THERE AM I LET, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, THE, THE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR ANYTHING, NOT JUST MUSICAL MUSICALLY, UH, IT'S ANYTHING MUSIC RELATED.
THESE ARE MUSIC PROJECTS, SO IT COULD BE AN EVENT, A MUSIC EVENT, OR IT COULD BE A RECORD, IT COULD BE PROMOTION BY A MUSIC VIDEO.
IT COULD BE ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THE MUSICAL PROCESS, YOU KNOW, TO RELEASE SOMETHING.
UM, AS LONG AS IT'S MARKETED TO TOURISTS, A POTENTIAL TOURIST AND CONVENTION DELEGATES, WHICH AS WE KNOW IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, WE CAN PROMOTE ANYTHING.
AND, UH, CUZ IT'S ALL ABOUT AUDIENCE GROWTH AND, UH, JUST MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF YOU AS AN ARTIST AND AS OF YOUR MUSIC.
AND SO I THINK OUR INDUSTRY IS QUITE ACCUSTOMED TO, UH, PROMOTING ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SO AS LONG AS THOSE PROJECTS, EVEN IF IT'S A NEW STUDIO RECORD OR A VIDEO THAT CAN BE PROMOTED VERY WELL TO POTENTIAL TOURISTS AND CUZ EVENTUALLY THERE IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A LIVE ELEMENT OF COMING TO AUSTIN AND ENJOYING THE MUSIC.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE THREE CATEGORIES YOU SAID WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS WERE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T QUALIFIED AS EITHER INDEPENDENT PROMOTER OR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS.
SO YOU, IT WAS ONLY 10, BUT WAS THERE A GENERAL THEME WITH THOSE 10? WHAT I, I NEED TO GO AND CHECK.
I'M ASSUMING THERE, I KNOW FOR A FACT SOME OF THEM WERE MUSICIANS, PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, AND THEY MAY HAVE JUST GONE REALLY QUICKLY AND JUST CLICK THE WRONG THING.
HONESTLY, IT JUST SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A SELECTION TO, CUZ IT'S CONFUSING.
UH, THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS AND SO THERE'S A VETTING PROCESS WITH ELIGIBILITY DOCUMENTATION TO SEE IF THEY FIT AS A PROMOTER OR AS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN.
AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE.
UH, BUT WE DID HAVE THEM SELECT FOR EACH OF THOSE, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU THAT IN A DATA FORM.
UH, KIM, UH, I KNOW YOU JUST INFORMED ME THAT MY, UH, UM, RECOMMENDATION HAS NOT BEEN PRINTED OUT.
IF SOMEBODY COULD, UH, PROVIDE ME ACCESS OR, UH, CAN I PLUG IN THERE THEN I'LL, I THINK I'LL SURVIVE.
UM, DOES THIS WORK, DO ANY OF THIS WORK, ERICA OR, UH, KIM.
[5. Discussion and possible action on recommendation that the City of Austin support Fair Pay for SXSW performing artists.]
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SUPPORT FAIR PAY FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PERFORMING ARTISTS.SO WE, UM, HAVE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TABLE, UH, ON THIS FRONT.
UH, THREE, UM, TO BE PRECISE, I, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE, I EXPECT THIS TO BE A, A FAIRLY DETAILED ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, DISCUSSION TODAY HERE AT THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE WILL, UM, HAVE, THE WAY I'M THINKING WE CAN DO THIS IS EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU,
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WILL HELP US LEVEL SET ON WHAT THE CONVERSATION, UM, IS ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, GET US ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS THE ISSUE ITSELF.
UH, POST THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, CALL IN FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
[00:40:01]
AND I THINK THAT IT, IT JUST PROVIDES ENOUGH CONTEXT FOR EVERYBODY AS TO WHAT IS IT THAT'S ON, ON THE PLATE.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HEAR WHAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR STAKEHOLDERS HAVE TO SAY AS WELL AS, UH, HAVE THE OPTION TO ASK QUESTIONS HERE.
SO, UM, I HAVE PUT FORTH, UM, A RECOMMENDATION, UH, LET ME TAKE OFF WITH THAT AND, UH, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD HEAR FROM, UM, THE GUESTS FIRST BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING? UM, IS THERE, UM, IS THAT A PREFERENCE? THE REASON I WANTED TO DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS ON THIS ITEM? AND, UH, SO I WAS THINKING THAT THIS WOULD JUST ALLOW THE TOPIC TO SETTLE.
UH, COMMISSIONER DLA, I, I REALLY, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, FROM THE OTHER, UH, PEOPLE THAT YEAH.
LET'S GO THAT FIRST AND THEN WE CAN, I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO SET CONTEXT AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S CAUGHT UP ON THE, UH, TOPIC ITSELF.
UM, SO LET ME CALL, UH, MICHELLE FLORES FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO SPEAK.
I'M THE CHIEF LOGISTICS OFFICER AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY, UH, AND THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION FOR HAVING US HERE TO SPEAK.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE ARTIST CREDENTIALING AND PAYMENT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED EARLIER.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO ADJUST SOME OF OUR POLICIES IN MANY WAYS.
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FACES A LOT OF THE SAME ISSUES THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM DOES.
THE AUSTIN LANDSCAPE VENUES CLOSING, AFFORDABILITY AND ET CETERA.
UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER TO PRESERVE THE AUSTIN MUSIC LANDSCAPE.
WE ARE DISMAYED BY THE AMOUNT OF MISINFORMATION WE SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AROUND AND IN THE PRESS ABOUT THE INCOME AND COMPARING IT TO, OR ACTUALLY OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN VERSUS WHAT ACTUALLY THE SOUTH BY SOUTH REVENUE IS.
OUR EVENT BENEFITS MANY LOCAL HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, VENUES ALONG WITH ENTERTAINMENT RELATED BUSINESS, UM, GROUPS AS WELL.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADDRESS THE NARRATIVE THAT WE HAVE UNLIMITED FUNDS.
WE ACCEPTED A LIFELINE OF INVESTMENT IN 2021, WHICH SAVED OUR BUSINESS.
IT ALSO SAVED A LOT OF OUR LOCAL STAFF AND IT ALSO HAS GIVEN US A CHANCE TO STAY HERE CUZ FOR TWO YEARS WE DIDN'T HAVE A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
THAT BEING SAID, FAIR PAY IS SOMETHING THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND THERE ARE VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS HAPPENING ACROSS THE NUMBER OF INDUSTRIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A PROFESSIONAL EVENT AND OFFERS ARTISTS SOMETHING THAT CONSUMER FESTIVALS DON'T.
THE ARTIST PERFORMING AND SOUTH BY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHOICE FOR PEOPLE.
IT IS A VOLUNTARY APPLICATION AND IT IS A VOLUNTARY ACCEPTANCE.
WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING THEY DON'T WANNA DO.
WE DON'T SAY THAT PLAYING IS JUST FOR EXPOSURE.
WE LOOK AT IT AS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS CAREER DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS A REASON THAT CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE PARTICIPATE AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WHILE OTHERS MAY BE CONTENT THAT ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE PAYMENT, WE HEAR NUMEROUS STORIES EVERY YEAR ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE MADE AND REAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
SHOWCASING ARTISTS SAY THAT THE MOST VALUABLE PART OF THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS NETWORKING WITH NET MUSIC AND INDUSTRY PRESS, AND ALSO INSPIRE INSPIRATION OF SEEING AND MEETING MANY OTHER ARTISTS, SCHOLARS, PANELS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD THAT THEY WOULD'VE NEVER SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE.
FOR 2024, WE'VE MADE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES.
WE'VE GREATLY EXPANDED THE ARTIST'S CREDENTIAL TO WHERE IT IS EQUIVALENT TO A MUSIC BADGE, WHICH IS A VALUE OF $995 PLUS THE ARTIST ONLY BENEFITS, WHICH INCLUDES SPECIAL HOTEL BLOCKS, COMPLIMENTARY MEALS, DRINKS, GIFTING AND EXCLUSIVE ARTIST SERVICES FOR FEWER THAN 10% OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE A ACCEPTED THE PAYMENT.
WE'VE INCREASED THAT TO 350 FOR BAND AND 150 FOR SOLO PERFORMERS.
THE AVERAGE SET IS 30 TO 40 MINUTES FOR THE SESSION THAT, FOR THE PERFORMANCES THAT THEY DO, IT IS NOT 2 45 MINUTE SESSIONS A NIGHT, IT IS JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET ON THE POWER OF THE PLATFORM.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I OPEN UP ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS THAT ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE.
I THANK YOU, UH, FOR, FOR COMING FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, UH, DOLLY PARTON, UH, PLAYED THE, UM, PLAYED DURING SOUTH BY, SHE WAS AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASING ARTIST.
DO YOU KNOW IF SHE TOOK THE $350 OR DID SHE TAKE THE WRISTBAND? DOLLY PARTON WAS
[00:45:01]
ACTUALLY, IT WAS A PRIVATE PERFORMANCE.IT WAS PRIVATE PERFORMANCE THAT WAS PAID NOT BY SOUTH BY, THAT WAS PAID BY SOMEBODY ELSE.
BUT WHAT THEY GAVE US WAS THE ABILITY THAT WE COULD ALLOW OUR BADGE HOLDERS AND THE ARTISTS, ANYBODY WHO CAN, WHO WANTED TO, TO ATTEND.
WE SEE THAT A LOT THAT HAPPENS WHERE THERE'S PRIVATE EVENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE SOUTH BY COMMUNITY THAT WE MAKE OFFICIAL AND THOSE ARE PAID THROUGH WHATEVER OTHER GROUP THAT IS HAPPENING AT SOUTH BY.
SO IT, SO SHE WAS AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASING ARTIST THAT HAD A PRIVATE GIG SHE IN FOR THE, FOR THE EVENT.
ARE THERE ANY LOCAL ARTISTS THAT YOU KNOW OF THAT WERE, THAT ARE PART OF AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASE BUT ALSO GET A PRIVATE GIG? I THINK THERE ARE MANY OF 'EM THAT ARE ALSO GET SESSION MUSICIAN GIGS THAT HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PARTS AND EXPERIENCES THEY GET IN THOSE FIVE DAYS THAT THEY'RE PART OF IT.
I WOULD IF, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE A LIST OF THOSE PEOPLE? I COULD PROBABLY PROVIDE IT FOR YOU LATER.
WE A A LOT OF 'EM DON'T TELL US WHO THEY GET.
BUT A LOT OF 'EM DO TELL US LIKE, I GOT THIS REALLY GREAT GIG AND I'M GONNA GO PLAY IT STUBS WITH X, Y, AND Z.
I'M LOATH TO DISCUSS THIS FACT WITH MOST PEOPLE THAT I PLAY MUSIC FOR A LIVING.
45 MINUTES IS NOT THAT LONG OF A TIME TO PLAY.
UM, I ENJOY TALKING WITH THESE PEOPLE EARLIER.
THEY'VE CHANGED MY MIND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW I FELT ABOUT THIS, BUT I PLAY PERSONALLY, UH, THREE HOURS ALMOST EVERY TIME I PLAY, UM, FOR LESS MONEY THAN THAT.
UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS JUST A WEIRD DISCUSSION TO HAVE.
MUSICIANS WOULD BE PAID FAIRLY, BUT, UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE VITRIOL THAT'S, I'M GONNA END THAT.
I, I READ IN THE STATESMAN, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS SUNDAY'S PAPER WHERE IT SAID THAT THREE 50 AND 150, UH, OR EITHER THAT OR GETTING THE, UM, PASSES THE CREDENTIAL.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE MUSICIANS THAT COME IN? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A FIVE PIECE GROUP, SIX PIECE GROUP, 30, 50, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THEY CAN'T HARDLY BUY MEALS
UH, WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF GRANT ALL THESE MUSICIANS PASSES FOR THE, THE TOTALLY VET OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST? WELL, WE GIVE THEM THE OPTION.
NO, I'M, I'M SAYING THE OPTION IS THAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE LIKE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT CHOOSE IT, JUST DECIDE BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO ALL OF IT, BUT 90% DECIDE TO PICK THE BADGE OPTION.
I MEAN, THAT IS A HUGE AMOUNT THAT DECIDE TO PICK THE BADGE OPTION TO GO FOR ALL OF THE STUFF THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN.
THE SOUTH BAY LOSE MONEY BY GRANTING THESE, UH, THE MUSICIANS THAT PLUS THE, THE FINANCIAL, UH, FUNDS THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET.
UH, IT TAKES A LOT TO PRODUCE THE SHOWS THAT WE DO AND ALL OF IT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY IS VERY CONCERNED.
LIKE AGAIN, THEY THINK THAT WE, WE'VE CAME IN AND WE ARE JUST LIKE THIS BIG, BUT WE ARE A SMALL COMPANY THAT STARTED WITH NOTHING AND WE MADE IT WORLDWIDE ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE'VE GIVEN EVERYBODY A PLATFORM, AGAIN FROM SCHOLARS TO STARTUPS, MUSICIANS TO FILMMAKERS, AND WE'RE GLAD AND WE'RE HAPPY AND WE'VE, I, I'M FROM AUSTIN AND I REMEMBER GOING TO THE FIRST ONE AND GETTING MY WRISTBAND AND THEN I RAN FOR 15 YEARS DIRECT EVENTS.
SO I DID LAONA ROSA OF THE MUSIC HALL, THE BACKYARD AND ANTON'S.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING SOUTH BY PROBABLY 30 SOMETHING, PROBABLY 35 YEARS, 37 YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN HERE.
SO I GET THE, YOU KNOW, I WISH THAT WE HAD ALL THE GIANT FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS WHOLE AND PEACEFUL, BUT IT TAKES A LOT TO PRODUCE ALL OF THE SHOWS THAT WE HAVE AND WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW.
IT IS STILL A, A BUSINESS I'VE SPOKEN TO TO MUSICIANS IN THE PAST AND THEY SAID, MAN, I'D LOVE TO GO TO THOSE PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD IT WITH WHAT THEY PAY.
AND UH, I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, FIRST, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY, UH, OR TO PERFORM, UH, DURING SOUTH BY AND UH, SOUTH BY IS IMPORTANT TO THE CITY.
AND, UH, BUT FOR THEM TO HAVE THIS OTHER INCENTIVE BECAUSE MANY COME FROM, FROM OUT OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW FUEL PRICES, MOTEL PRICES, MEAL PRICES.
I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE BREAKFAST WITH MY WIFE AND IT WAS $57
SO I MEAN, IS THAT, UH, IS WOULD SOUTH BY EVEN CONSIDER THAT TO, TO PROVIDE THE, THE BANDS, YOU KNOW, UH,
[00:50:01]
PASSES TO, TO THESE EVENTS CURRENTLY, NO.WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WE, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
WE ARE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION FOR ANYTHING AFTER WE GET THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR.
BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, WE WEREN'T HERE FOR TWO YEARS, 2022, WE ALL CROSSED OUR FINGERS AND SET A PRAYER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE, ALL OF US WERE HERE COLLECTIVELY.
23, WE FINALLY GOT OUR KIND OF FEEDBACK ON THE GROUND.
AND SO NOW AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT WE NEEDED TIME TO LOOK OVER IT AND, AND SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE FROM 10 YEARS AGO WHEN WE LAST MADE THE CHANGE.
IT, I WOULD LOVE THE OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH EVERY PART OF THE GROUP FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE TO EVERYBODY AROUND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST THING TO DO SO ALL OF US COULD SURVIVE.
UH, THE PARENT COMPANY OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS, IS IS, WHAT IS THAT PC? IT'S PENSKE.
AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY WORTH? I HAVE NO IDEA.
THEY, THEY ONLY GAVE US A LIFELINE.
THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.
UM, THE PART OF THE ALUMNI I'M, I'M SEEING RIGHT HERE IS ONE OF THEM IS, UH, SHAWN MENDEZ.
DID HE HAVE A PRIVATE GIG WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST LAST YEAR? I DON'T THINK SO.
WAS HE PAID $250 OR DID HE TAKE THE WRISTBAND? DO YOU KNOW? I DON'T KNOW IF SHAWN MEN, I DON'T THINK SHAWN MENDEZ PAID, SO I'M NOT SURE.
YOU DON'T THINK HE WAS PAID OR? NO, I DON'T KNOW OF HIM PLAYING IT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE PLAYED.
SO THOSE WERE A PRIVATE, ANOTHER SEPARATE THING THAT WE DID ACTUALLY, IT WAS, THAT PART WAS CONSUMER.
WHAT ABOUT BECK, UM, IN 2022? DID HE, UM, DO YOU KNOW IF HE BECK DID IT SO WE CAN DO THE, WE HAD THE L G B T AND IT WAS GOING FOR, FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.
SO A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE DID, WE DO FOR PART OF IT FOR BENEFIT PROCESS.
WELL THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S REALLY GREAT.
IS DID DO, WAS HE PAID FOR THAT SHOW? I DON'T REMEMBER, TO BE QUITE HONEST.
I WORK WITH ALL THE STREETS, THE PARKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UH, LET ME LET, BUT I DO BELIEVE HE WAIVED HIS FEE THAT WENT TO, IF I'M, IF I'M THINKING CORRECTLY AND I CAN DEFINITELY GET YOU THE INFORMATION, WAIVED HIS FEE CUZ IT WENT TO THE CHARITY INSTEAD.
WELL THAT WOULD, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY NOBLE GESTURE OF HIM.
IF HE WAS INDEED CONTRACTED TO PAY HIM AND HE WAIVED HIS FEE, HE GOT THE OPTION OF DOING THAT.
UM, THE, UH, DO DO, DO YOU PER IF, DO YOU THINK THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH, UM, IF YOU AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE TO GET IN A VAN, TO GET IN A VAN AND DRIVE, YOU KNOW, HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR $250? DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE WORTH IT? IT JUST DEPENDS.
IT DEPENDS WHAT YOU WANNA DO IN LIFE.
I'M, I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU WOULD THINK IT'D BE WORTH IT PERSONALLY.
PERSONALLY, I'VE, I'VE KIND OF DONE THAT TO DRIVE TO OTHER FESTIVALS IN VARIOUS CITIES MYSELF.
SO I'VE SHARED HOTEL ROOMS WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE SO WE CAN GO AND BE PART OF CERTAIN THINGS.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, IN MY MIND, SO IF IT, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
IF IT WAS YOUR LIVELIHOOD ON THE LINE, DO YOU THINK THAT DRIVING ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR $250 TO PLAY A SHOWCASE, IF IT WORTH IT GAVE ME EXPOSURE AND IT GAVE ME A PLATFORM AND IT GAVE ME AN ABILITY TO NETWORK AND MEET OTHER PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND I WOULD OKAY.
UM, UH, THE, THE VIC ACHE SURE.
HAS COME INTO, UH, DISCUSSIONS A LOT OF TIMES.
UM, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS, UH, UH, FREE TO PUBLIC SHOW THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
BUT, UH, BUT, UH, IF YOU COULD JUST THROW SOME LIGHT ON, UM, THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS.
ONE IS THE NATURE OF THE SHOWS, UH, AT PIG MATTIAS AND ALSO, UH, THE FEE WAIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, IN CONVERSATIONS.
IF YOU COULD JUST THROW SOME MORE LIGHT ON YEAH.
ON ALL OF THOSE TWO ASPECTS, REALLY.
SO OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE DONE SHOWS AT VIC MATHAI SHORES, AUDITORIUM SHORES, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG.
AND ONE THING THAT WE DID WITH THE CITY IS FOR ALL THE PARKS WE PAY FOR, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE, BECAUSE WE DO IT WHERE THAT ONE IS THE COMMUNITY CONCERT, WE DO THAT WHERE IT'S NOT A BADGE REQUIRED, YOU CAN, ANYBODY CAN COME.
SO THE CITY MADE A DEAL WITH US AND SAID, WE'LL WAIVE THAT FEE, BUT EVERY OTHER PARK THAT WE GET FOR THE CITY, WE PAY EVERYTHING FOR IT.
SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE DON'T PAY FOR FROM WATERLOO GREENWAY TO BRUSH SQUARE PARK TO ALL AROUND.
THE ONLY SITUATION WAS FOR THAT ONE BECAUSE WE DO OPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE GIVE SOMETHING TO THE COMMUNITY, WE, THEY GIVE US A FEE WAIVER ON THAT.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THESE ARTISTS
[00:55:01]
AT THE MATHIAS SHORES WERE COMPENSATED? WERE THEY ALL, UH, GIVEN IT WAS THE SAME SITUATION.THEY WERE EITHER PAID THE, UM, THE TWO 50 OR THEY GO FOR THE BADGE.
AND THAT ONE WAS CONSIDERED PART OF A SPONSOR ACTIVATION, BUT IT WAS STILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND EVERYBODY COULD COME WHETHER YOU HAD A BADGE OR NOT.
UM, E E EXCUSE COMMISSIONER DELA, UH, ARE THE BADGES PROVIDED FOR EVERY MUSICIAN IN THE BAND OR ONLY A FEW? OH, EVERY, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO, THEY GET THE, THEY GET THE BADGE PLUS ALL THE PERKS.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UM, MICHELLE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'LL REQUEST, UM, JEFFREY OLSON FROM A F M LOCAL 4 33 TO PLEASE SPEAK.
HELLO? UM, MY NAME'S JEFFREY OLSEN.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE AFM LOCAL 4 33.
UM, I PLAY DRUMS. SO I AM A, UH, OFTEN A SIDEMAN OR BACKING MUSICIAN.
I'VE BEEN PLAYING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ABOUT AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN MAKING A LIVING PLAYING MUSIC, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 YEARS, UH, GIVE OR TAKE.
AND, UM, I, I GUESS I WANTED TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE USED IN THESE, UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK ARE A LITTLE BIT OF A NON-SEQUITUR OR A RED HERRING FOR WHAT THE ORIGINAL PARKS AND REC, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS PASSED IS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS NOT ABOUT THE, UM, CULTURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, NOT ABOUT WHERE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST STARTED ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IN THE EIGHTIES AND THE NINETIES THAT HAD AN EFFECT ON THE COURSE OF MUSIC, WHETHER SOUTH BY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT, OR IF IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT JAY-Z AND EMINEM WERE IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW.
UM, BUT I THINK THE ACTUAL, UM, ISSUE THAT'S BEING BROUGHT TO LIGHT HERE IS THE FACT THAT, UM, WE, THE MUSICIANS ARE ASKING TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS ENORMOUS FESTIVAL THAT, UM, HAS A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON NOT ONLY THE CITY ECONOMY, BUT ALSO ON OUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL, UM, SECURITY.
BECAUSE HOW WE'RE PAID FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AFFECTS HOW WE'RE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY NEGOTIATE PAY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE VENUES THAT WE PLAY DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, WE PLAY EVERY WEEK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THAT I GET TO PLAY THE MOHAWK OR HOTEL VEGAS OR EVEN, UH, THREE 10 AMPHITHEATER OR ANY OF THE MANY, UM, VENUES THAT I'VE PLAYED WITH MANY DIFFERENT ARTISTS DURING SOUTH BY.
BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT BANDS ENTIRE BANDS ARE PLAYED PAID $250 TO, UH, COME TO SOUTH BY AND PLAY THE FESTIVAL, UM, IT HAS A SEVERE, UM, EFFECTIVE DEPRECIATION ON OUR ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY NEGOTIATE AS A LABOR FORCE IN THE REST OF THE YEAR.
UM, IT ALSO, I MEAN THE, THE IDEA THAT, UM, HAVING THE ABILITY TO ATTEND THE PROFESSIONAL ELEMENT OF THE FESTIVAL IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES UP FOR THE LACK OF MONETARY COMPENSATION AS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING TO ME BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR I PLAYED TWO OFFICIAL SHOWCASES AND I PLAYED ABOUT 15 UNOFFICIAL SHOWCASES IN THE COURSE OF ABOUT SIX DAYS.
UM, I DID THAT SO THAT I COULD PAY MY RENT SO THAT I COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE A LIVING AS A MUSICIAN.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHEN IN THAT TIME I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO GO ATTEND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
ANY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE, MR. STRICKLAND, UM, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE, UM, BEEN LIKE, UM, PLAYING, BEING, BEING A MUSICIAN, PLAYING SHOWS, UM, IN, IN THE CITY AND, AND YOU KNOW, COMPARING THAT TO PLAYING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST?
[01:00:01]
YOU COULD GO AS FAR WITH THAT OR AS, YOU KNOW, NOT AS DEEP WITH THAT AS YOU'D LIKE TO, LIKE TO, BUT JUST YOUR SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE IN PLAYING SHOWS, UM, WITH DIFFERENT BANDS AS A DRUMMER, I'M SURE YOU'RE IN SEVERAL BANDS VERSUS PLAYING, UM, A SHOW AT SOUTH BY, WHAT'S THAT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT CONSIDERING MY CAREER PERSONALLY, AND THIS IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT ANECDOTAL, BUT 100% OF MY WORK COMES THROUGH REFERRAL OR THROUGH SOMEBODY SEEING ME PLAY, RIGHT? SO, UM, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S ABOUT THE SAME CHANCE AT ANY GIG I PLAY AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR THAT SOMEONE'S GONNA WATCH ME PLAYING DRUMS AND SAY, HEY, I SHOULD TALK TO THAT PERSON AND SEE ABOUT MAYBE HIRING THEM FOR SOME WORK.UM, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THAT IS AN OPTION OR THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD BE CONSIDERING, I THINK IS SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT TO WHETHER I'M ACTUALLY BEING COMPENSATED FOR MY WORK.
YOU KNOW, IF I'M AN ARCHITECT AND I THINK THAT, WELL, IF I DESIGN THIS HOUSE, SOMEONE SEES THAT HOUSE AND I GET ANOTHER JOB THROUGH REFERRAL, DOES THAT MEAN THAT I SHOULD BE ASKING TO GET PAID LESS FOR THAT JOB? YOU KNOW? UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, I MEAN, ALSO ANECDOTAL, BUT LIKE, UM, I HAVE NOT REALLY PERSONALLY SEEN A HUGE, UH, PROFESSIONAL BUMP FROM THE OFFICIAL SHOWCASES THAT I'VE PLAYED DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
THE UNOFFICIAL SHOWCASES I THINK ARE A DIFFERENT MATTER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THERE IS SOME REAL LEGITIMATE AND AUTHENTIC NETWORKING HAPPENING.
BUT THOSE ARE ALSO SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE OFTEN PAID AT A HIGHER RATE THAN THE, YOU KNOW, $250 FOR THE ENTIRE, WELL, THEY'RE NOW $350 FOR THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU, UM, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOU ARE PAID FAIRLY FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO IN TERMS OF BEING PAID FAIRLY FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME BEING ABLE TO DEVOTE ALL OF MY ENERGY AND ALL OF MY TIME INTO THIS THING THAT I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.
THAT IS A PART OF MY, YOU KNOW, MY PROFESSIONAL, MY SPIRITUAL AND EVERYTHING HEALTH.
BEING A MUSICIAN FULL-TIME IS SOMETHING THAT I TAKE VERY, VERY PERSONALLY AND VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS THAT IF I CAN'T MAKE A LIVING DOING IT, IF I HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, AND I OFTEN DO EVEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I TOUR A LOT.
I PLAY A LOT OF SHOWS IN TOWN AND I MAKE SURE THAT I NEGOTIATE WHAT I THINK IS FAIR PAY FOR ME IN THOSE GIGS.
AND I STILL OFTEN FIND MYSELF IN FINANCIAL STRAITS AND HAVING TO TAKE SIDE GIGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST TO SOME DEGREE, THE NATURE OF THE ECONOMY.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ME BEING ABLE TO PAY MY BILLS OR NOT.
UH, ONE MORE QUESTION, THEN I'LL, UM, HAND IT OVER TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UH, WHAT KIND OF KIT DO YOU PLAY? UH, I HAVE A EARLY SEVENTIES LUDWIG THAT I PLAY AT GIGS AND TAKE ON THE ROAD WITH ME.
AND THEN I HAVE A, AN MID SEVENTIES ROGERS THAT I KEEP AT HOME, AND I USED TO DO REMOTE RECORDING WORK.
SO YOU HAVE TWO, UH, YOU HAVE TWO KITS, TWO PRIMARY KIDS, TWO PRIMARY KITS.
AND YOU HAVE A HOME RECORDING STUDIO THAT YOU DO WORK WITH? IT'S BASICALLY IN MY LIVING ROOM, BUT YES.
UM, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY ALL OF THAT EQUIPMENT IS TOTAL? WELL, THE TWO DRUM SITS TOGETHER, I WOULD SAY ARE PROBABLY WORTH ABOUT $2,000 TOTAL.
THAT WOULDN'T BE INCLUDING THE, UH, RECORDING EQUIPMENT AT MY HOUSE, WHICH, UM, IS, UH, ABOUT 10 TIMES THAT PROBABLY
SO, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY $22,000 IN PERSONAL EQUIPMENT THAT I USE REGULARLY.
AND PERSONAL JOB EQUIPMENT THEY USE REGULARLY TO GET PAID.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO WE'RE THEN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT, TO, LET ME SEE HERE.
WHAT'S THE GOING RATE FOR, UM, UM, A SOUTH BIKE GIG THESE DAYS? I THINK IT'S NOW THREE 50 FOR A BAND.
$350 FOR A BAND MINUS FEE, MINUS APPLICATION FEE.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT MEANS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PLACE 63 OFFICIAL SOUTH BUY SHOWS TO, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, WELL, 63 OFFICIAL SOUTH BUYS 63 IS 63 OFFICIAL, 63 6 OFFICIAL SOUTH BUYS TO MAKE YOUR INVESTMENT BACK ON, ON THAT GEAR THAT YOU'VE, THAT, THAT YOU'VE BOUGHT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, YOU WILL BE 94 YEARS OLD, UM, AFTER YOU'VE FINISHED, UM, PAYING, YOU KNOW, MAKING
[01:05:01]
AN INVESTMENT ON THAT GEAR WITH, UH, OFFICIAL SOUTH BY SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE GOD WILLING.UM, COMMISSIONER NADO, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A PRIVATE CORPORATION.
WHY ARE WE IN THE CITY'S BUSINESS HAVING THIS CONVERSATION THAT IS THIS LONG ABOUT THIS? LIKE, I UNDERSTAND AND I COMPLETELY SYMPATHIZE WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WHY ARE WE GOING OVER AND OVER AND OVER ABOUT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST? I'D SAY IT'S BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ANGRY WITH YOU AND I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU IN EVERY WAY, BUT THIS IS GETTING, CAN WE TRUNCATE THIS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT? BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WE CAN VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION AND WE ALL ARE SYMPATHETIC TO THAT.
I JUST, AT THIS POINT, LIKE WHEN YOU'RE ADDING UP LIKE NUMBERS, YOU'RE GONNA BE 93 YEARS OLD.
I MEAN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LET'S, LET'S BE NORMAL HUMAN BEINGS HERE.
WE CAN'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE SPEAKERS.
THEY CAN'T SPEND ALL NIGHT HERE.
HOW MUCH MONEY PEOPLE ARE MAKING AS IANS.
I I'M INCREDIBLY SYMPATHETIC WITH IT, BUT WE CAN'T JUST KEEP DOING THAT.
I'M SORRY, I I'M NOT ANGRY WITH ANYONE, COMMISSIONER BAR TO SPEAK.
SO I, I, I, UH, 100% AGREE WITH YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND COMMISSIONER BARTO, UH, PLEASE.
I, I WILL, UH, I WILL YIELD BACK TO, UM, ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS QUESTIONS.
UH, I, UM, I, I, YEAH, I, I WILL SPEAK TO MY RECOMMENDATION LATER IN MY THOUGHTS AROUND IT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, SADA, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION IS HERE IN THIS SETTING TO HEAR EVERYONE'S, UH, UH, PROFESSIONAL, UM, THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE.
AND, UM, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF OUR MUSICIANS AND OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND WE ARE LISTENING.
I THINK WE DO HAVE A COMMON GOAL OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY IS FAIR AND, UH, PROVIDING EQUITABLE PAY TO ITS MUSICIANS.
AND WE ARE ALL, UM, TACKLING THIS ISSUE.
AND THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET TO SOME SOLUTIONS, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU ARE HEARD, ALL OF YOU WILL BE HEARD, AND WE RESPECT YOU, AND WE SO APPRECIATE YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER BARTEL FOR ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.
AND, AND I KNOW THIS, I WAS EXPECTING THAT THIS ROOM WOULD BE VERY PASSIONATE, UH, AND THE CONVERSATION WOULD BE PASSIONATE TODAY.
PLEASE, LET'S JUST HAVE A RESPECTFUL AND HEALTHY CONVERSATION.
AND, UM, AND, AND JUST PROCEDURALLY, LET'S, LET'S, WE, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE WHETHER WE WANT IT OR NOT, UH, ALL THE SPEAKERS, THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.
WHAT I WILL SUGGEST, UH, COMMISSIONER BARTELL AND, AND I, UM, APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S VIEWS IN THIS, BUT IF, IF WE DO RUN PRETTY LONG ON THIS ITEM AS I EXPECT WE WOULD TODAY, UM, WE CAN TABLE SOME OF THE LATER ITEMS FOR THE NEXT, UH, COMMISSION AGENDA.
AND SO LET'S, UH, JUST PUT THE FOCUS ON, UH, ON THIS ITEM, UH, AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I WOULD, UH, YES, IN INTEREST OF TIME, LET'S, UH, KIND OF KEEP THINGS CONCISE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE IF, IF ANYONE GOT THE WRONG IDEAS.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, LIKE EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE.
I WANT TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S INDIVIDUAL VOICES.
AND NO OFFENSE TO YOU, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UM, MIGHT HAVE SOUNDED LIKE IT, BUT I DIDN'T.
UH, I JUST, YEAH, I MEAN, I, UM, I, I HAVE SOME SIMILAR CONSENTS.
MAYBE I'LL STATE IT DIFFERENTLY, COMMISSIONER BARTEL.
BUT, UM, UM, I THINK ESSENTIALLY, UH, I THINK WHERE, WHERE, UH, IF, IF I CAN JUST, JUST DO A QUICK READ, SOME OF THE, JUST A DIFFERENCE IN OPINION MIGHT COME UP IS THE MECHANISMS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU WILL HEAR MOST OF, UH, THIS CONVERSATION GOING.
WHETHER WE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS HERE OR SPEAKING AMONGST OURSELVES, UM, IS, AND, AND, UH, YES, MUSICIANS, UH, WE WANT TO SUPPORT MUSICIANS AT THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION.
WE, EVERYBODY IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, WHETHER IT'S THE MUSICIANS, FESTIVAL OWNERS, VENUE OPERATORS, RECORDING STUDIO ENGINEERS, EVERYBODY IS A STAKEHOLDER FOR US.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO STEP BACK, TAKE A BIG PICTURE VIEW, AND SEE HOW WE WITHIN WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO US, CAN MOVE FORWARD.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UH, UH, YOU WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING? COMMISSIONER CASADA, UH, I, I, BY THE SHEER AMOUNT OF MUSICIANS THAT ARE ATTENDING THE MUSIC COMMISSION
[01:10:01]
MEETING, WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE.AND SO WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN TO EVERYONE.
AND, UM, I MAKE A MOTION, I WAS GOING TO TRY TO TACKLE SOME ALL AGES, YOU KNOW, THINGS LATER ON.
I'M HAPPY TO PUNT THAT INTO THE FUTURE SO WE CAN FOCUS AND HONOR THE PUBLIC AND OUR MUSICIANS THAT ARE HERE.
AND I, I WANT YOU TO FEEL SUPPORTED.
COMMISSIONER CASADA IS I RECOMMENDED, UH, I THINK, UH, IF IT'S OKAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONVERSATION.
LET'S DO A TIME CHECK, UH, MAYBE AT, UH, EIGHT 30, UH, AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. ROLSON? I JUST HAVE, EXCUSE ME, A QUICK COMMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I'VE BEEN, I'M NOT FROM AUSTIN, I'M FROM THE SEA WORD, AND, UH, I MOVED HERE ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO, CALIFORNIA, BY THE WAY.
THAT SOUNDED, THAT SOUNDED, LET ME, LET ME CLARIFY.
AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE CAN OR CAN'T DO AS A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALS, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE LEARN SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW OR GET SOMEONE ELSE'S.
GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON JUST LIKE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY, UM, UM, STRUGGLES WITH YOUR CAREER.
YOU KNOW, I, HIGH SCHOOL WAS GONNA BE A MUSICIAN.
SO I GOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, WHERE I'M IN THE INDUSTRY ITSELF, I MORE THAN JUST MUSICIANS STRUGGLE IN THIS INDUSTRY WITH TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING.
AND YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SHIFT AND MOVE FORWARD.
MUSICIANS, IT'S THE HARDEST BECAUSE ONCE YOU'RE OUT THERE AND YOU ARE A DRUMMER OR A GUITAR PLAYER OR A SINGER, THAT'S ALL EVERYBODY WANT, ANYONE WANTS TO SEE FROM YOU.
YOU CAN'T KIND OF SWITCH AS EASILY.
SO I'M HOPING THAT TODAY I GET TO LEARN SOMETHING AND THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ONE PERSON, BUT IT'S ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY, SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING, WALK AWAY AND COME UP WITH IDEAS AND A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE WHEN WE GOT HERE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, OUR COMMENTS? UH, OKAY.
I DO WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, RIGHT? WE ARE GOOD.
I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT ONE, ONE OF OUR JOBS AS COMMISSIONERS IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY.
IN ORDER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY, YOU NEED TO BE WELL VERSED ON EVERY SINGLE THING THAT IS GOING ON WITH A PARTICULAR ITEM ON, ON AN AGENDA.
AND SO IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, YOU NEED INFORMATION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION TO HEAR FROM, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM EVERYONE, AND I'M GONNA ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS I WANT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UH, SHARON LUCK SPEAK.
UH, I'LL BE BRIEF, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONER'S POINT TO THE BUSINESS AT HAND.
UM, SUPPORTING THE PARKS AND REC BOARDS RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT IS A POSITIVE STEP, UH, AS IT SAVES CITY COUNCIL FROM HAVING TO REFER IT BACK TO THIS COMMISSION WHERE IT NATURALLY WOULD, BECAUSE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, OF COURSE, ABOUT MUSIC AS WELL AS THE PARKS.
THAT WOULD MAKE COMPLETE SENSE.
WE HAVE A CHANCE TONIGHT TO, UH, SAVE THAT TIME AND HAVE THE CITY, UH, COUNCIL CO, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSIDER IT SOONER.
UM, SO I, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THAT, OF COURSE.
UM, CHANGING OR SUBSTITUTING A RESOLUTION OR A RECOMMENDATION, UH, IS REALLY A, A MOVE AGAINST FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS IN, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE IT WILL SLOW DOWN, UH, THAT PROCESS.
UH, WE, WE HAVE AN EXISTING RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PARKS BOARD ALREADY IN PROCESS.
UM, AND THAT, THAT IS THE REASON WHY IT'S BEING CONSIDERED AT THIS MEETING TODAY IS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
UM, SO I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROCESS, UH, RATHER THAN BACKWARDS.
UM, RATHER, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT INCLUDE MAGICAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH MUSICIANS ARE ALSO A MOVE AGAINST FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS.
THEY'RE EASILY THROWN OUT BY THE CITY LEGAL COUNSEL, UH, AS THERE ARE NO LEGAL BARGAINING AGENTS INVOLVED AT ALL.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE PARKS AND RECOMMENDATION, OR SORRY, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL.
[01:15:01]
MAGICAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? AND BY MAGICAL YOU MEAN THAT IT'S NOT REAL AND IT'S, IT'S IMAGINARY.SO WHAT, WHAT MAGICAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE YOU REFERRING TO? WELL, UH, I WOULD ASK, I WOULD ASK THE, THE COMMISSION THAT, UM, WHAT, WHAT MAGICAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE YOU REFERRING TO? UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S NOT ON A CONTRACT, THAT THAT CANNOT BE, UH, ASCERTAINED OR DEFENDED.
UM, AND SO, UH, ANYTHING THAT HASN'T BEEN ACTUALLY NEGOTIATED PROPERLY, UH, AND CAN BE CONTRACTED BY MUSICIANS AND DEFENDED WOULD BE A, A MAGICAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IN, IN MY, UH, ESTIMATION.
UH, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF, UM, OF THE, UH, RESOLUTION.
AND IN THAT ALTERNATE, IN MY, IN, IN THE ONE THAT I HAVE WORKED UP, WE REFERRED TO THE, UH, CITY MUSIC RATE OF $200 PER HOUR PER MUSICIAN, WHICH IS THE RATE THAT THE CITY PAYS MUSICIANS.
IT, WE REALIZE THAT IS TYPICALLY ABOVE WHAT THE MARKET WILL BEAR IN ALMOST ALL SITUATIONS.
BUT WE WANT TO SET AN EXAMPLE.
UH, SO DO YOU CONSIDER THAT A MAGICAL NUMBER? I, I WOULD DISAGREE THAT IT'S ABOVE, UH, ANY, ANY STANDARD, AND IT'S CERTAINLY BELOW PREVAILING WAGE STANDARDS.
UM, AND YOU CAN, UH, YOU CAN CHECK THAT WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, $200 PER HOUR PER, PER $200 PER PERFORMANCE HOUR IS BELOW MINIMUM WAGE STANDARDS.
UM, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE CITY ACTUALLY PAYS PER HOUR, UM, FOR THE TIME THAT THE ARTIST IS SPENDING OFF OF THE STAGE.
UM, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS TO PAY PER SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDES THE, THE SOUND CHECK AND THE LOAD IN, AND THE LOAD OUT, AND ALL THE TIME THAT THE ARTIST SPENDS AT THE VENUE.
UM, AND THIS, OF COURSE, IS NOT INDUSTRY STANDARD TO, TO PAY BY, BY THE HOUR, ON STAGE ONLY, WHICH APPEARS TO BE WHAT, WHAT THE CITY IS DOING.
BUT WE, WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN A CONTRACT THAT SAYS ANY OF THOSE DETAILS.
UH, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT OF COURSE.
BUT HEY, JUST SO WE ARE ALL GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
JUST SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT'S, UH, CITY, UH, RATE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, CURRENTLY IT'S BEEN ADOPTED BY E D D AND, UH, POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS, I'M NOT SURE, BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ON, I, I THINK ERICA, RIGHT? SO IT IS NOT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD RATE, IT'S, UH, IT'S SPECIFICALLY BEEN ADOPTED BY E D D FOR SURE, AND BEING RECOMMENDED AT THIS POINT FROM THE COMMISSION FOR CITY PRODUCED EVENTS, ESSENTIALLY.
I, I'M AWARE, AND I, AND I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK, UH, IN THAT DIRECTION, UH, FOR SURE.
BUT THE, THE PROBLEMS REMAIN, OF COURSE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, UM, WITH, FIRST OFF, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE UNION DOES AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, UM, AS, AS THE, AS THE LEADER OF, OF, OF THE UNION AND, AND, AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU MADE TO THE CITY, PLEASE? SURE, SURE.
UH, WELL, I MEAN, WHAT THE UNION DOES IS A LONG CONVERSATION WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TIME FOR, BUT, UH, EVERYTHING ON THERE.
BUT AS, AS I SAID, THE, THE UNION, UH, DOES GIVE US THE ABILITY AS MUSICIANS TO COLLECTIVELY, UH, DEFEND OUR CONTRACTS, UM, TO COLLECTIVELY NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS, UH, IN, IN A LOT OF SECTORS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, UH, INCLUDING, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WITH THE MAJOR MEDIA COMPANIES, UM, WITH, UH, ORCHESTRA, EMPLOYERS WITH, UH, UM, PAID ORCHESTRA EMPLOYERS, UH, WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, LARGE VENUE EMPLOYERS.
UM, ALTHOUGH NOT AS MUCH IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT IN, IN OTHER STATES, UH, FOR LARGE VENUES, VERY LARGE VENUES IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO DEFEND OUR INDIVIDUALLY NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS, UH, AT A LOCAL LEVEL, UM, WHICH GIVES US, UH, INCREASED NEGOTIATING POWER, UH, INCREASED RESPECT FROM OUR EMPLOYERS, WHICH LEADS DIRECTLY TO BETTER WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS.
AND, UH, THAT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED IN, IN THE MUSIC SECTOR RIGHT NOW, UH, ON THE PART OF THE WORKERS THAT ACTUALLY CREATE THE MUSIC.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR EXPERIENCE IN TELEVISION AND FILM? MY EXPERIENCE IN TELEVISION AND FILM IS AS FAR, AS FAR AS THE, AS FAR AS THE UNION GOES.
UM, WELL, REALLY, UH, IN TELEVISION FILM, GOSH, I MEAN, I, I ASSIST WITH, UH, NEGOTIATING THE, THE NATIONAL PUBLIC TELEVISION, UH, AGREEMENT, UH, AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, PROVIDES THE, THE BASIS FOR, UH, THE ENTIRE OPERATION OF, UH, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, BUT ALSO EVERYTHING FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC TELEVISION.
UM, AS FAR AS WORKING IN THAT SECTOR, UH, MY, MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT EQUAL TO YOUR OWN, SIR, SO
[01:20:01]
OF, OF COURSE, BUT, BUT YOU, YOU HAVE TO, UM, IF I, IF, IF IT, IF, IF, IF IT, IF I'M RIGHT ABOUT THIS, YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY, LIKE, IF SAY, LET'S SAY THAT, UM, A TV SHOW FOR FOR INSTANCE, WOULD LIKE TO HIRE, UM, JUST SOME, LIKE, LIKE THE SCRIPT CALLS FOR LIKE A MUSICIAN PER SE, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? OH, ABSOLUTELY.UH, WELL, ANY, ANY, ANY TELEVISION SHOW THAT'S, UH, THAT'S FOR BROADCAST IS CURRENTLY UNDER, UH, AFM CONTRACTS WITH THE PARENT MEDIA COMPANIES.
UH, AND THAT REQUIRES, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THAT THING IS CALLED SIDELINING, WHERE A MUSICIAN HAS TO BE BROUGHT IN TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, EVEN IF IT'S ALREADY BEEN RECORDED, SO THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE PERSON'S ACTUALLY PLAYING THE INSTRUMENT.
YOU HAVE TO GET A REAL MUSICIAN TO DO THAT.
THEY CAN'T JUST GET LIKE AN ACTOR OR ANYTHING.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET A RIGHT AND A REAL MUSICIAN, RIGHT.
THAT IN THE, IN THE SCRIPT THAT IT CALLS FOR, AND IT HAS TO BE PAID FAIRLY, RIGHT? IS THAT RIGHT? EVEN THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO SOUND RECORDING, RIGHT.
UH, IT'S A PERSON THAT HAS TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
AND, AND YEAH, THE AFM IS NEGOTIATED A, UH, AN AGREEMENT, PART OF THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY'VE NEGOTIATED REQUIRES A REAL MUSICIAN TO BE HIRED AND PAID FOR ALL THE HOURS THAT THEY'RE ON SET.
AND IT HAS TO INCLUDE PENSION FOR THEIR RETIREMENT, AND IT HAS TO INCLUDE HEALTH AND WELFARE CONTRIBUTION, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT JUST GOES BACK INTO THE PAYCHECK AND NOT INTO AN ACTUAL HEALTH AND WELFARE PLAN, BUT IT DOES IN CALIFORNIA AND IN, UH, IN NEW YORK AND, UH, PLACES LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL.
AND THE WORKING CONDITIONS ARE VERY SPECIFIC WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BE PLAYING IN THE SUN FOR 12 HOURS AND ALL THESE THINGS.
THERE HAS TO BE WATER BREAKS, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BECOME IMPORTANT IN CENTRAL TEXAS, ALL OF A SUDDEN WATER BREAKS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UH, AARON? YEAH, SO I I I, I'M SORRY.
THANKING THESE THOUGHTS THROUGH, SO, SO HOW MANY AUSTIN MUSICIANS ARE PART OF THE UNION AT THIS TIME? AT, AT THIS MOMENT, THERE, THERE ARE ABOUT 350 MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS, UH, WHICH IS THE LOCAL CHAPTER.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE, THE NUMBER INTERNATIONALLY IS ABOUT 80,000 MUSICIANS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
SO 80,000 IN THE US AND, UM, IN CANADA.
AND 350 MEMBERS, MUS OF MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN ARE PART OF THIS UNION? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT WAS GROWING QUICKLY HERE IN AUSTIN, AND IN FACT, WE DO HAVE APPLICATION FORMS WITH US TONIGHT, IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED.
MAY I ASK IF THERE'S A FEE? YES, THERE ARE UNION DUES, UM, THAT ARE YEARLY, UH, THAT'S AT $200 A YEAR HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, SO IT'S DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT CITIES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, CHEAPER THAN NEW YORK, BUT WE'RE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO SMALL, UH, INITIATION FEES THAT ARE $65 FOR THE FEDERATION AND $40 FOR THE LOCAL, UM, WHICH ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE FEES FOR OUR, OUR, UH, SIBLING ENTERTAINMENT UNIONS, UH, LIKE, UH, THE STATE CHANCE UNION OR THE, UH, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD.
UH, I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY COMMENT THAT JUST BECAUSE IN WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A UNION THAT NEGOTIATES RATES WITH ENTITIES, UH, UM, IT, IT, EVEN IN THE CASE OF SOUTH BAY, UM, AND THE RESPONSE THAT SOUTH BAY HAS PROVIDED, UH, WITH THE 2024 UPDATES, UM, UM, I THINK IT HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, UH, WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS BRINGING ATTENTION TO, UH, PE ISSUES, AND THEN THERE IS, UH, A RESPONSE FROM SOUTH BAY, UH, WHETHER THROUGH THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS OR TO THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
BUT THERE IS AN UPDATE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED, AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S MORE ORGANICALLY HOW I SEE THESE THINGS, UH, EVOLVING, UH, IN REAL LIFE.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF GOVERNMENT IS THE RIGHT MECHANISM TO, UM, TO, TO PUSH THESE, UH, CHANGES OR IF GOVERNMENT EVEN HAS MUCH LEVERAGE, UH, UH, HERE, UH, I'M SORRY, DID, DID YOU SAY WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAS, UH, NOT THE LEVERAGE, SORRY, THE GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT, YEAH.
MUCH LEVERAGE IN, IN, IN, OR IF THERE SHOULD BE AN INVOLVEMENT.
UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE A PRINCIPLE, UH, KIND OF A DIFFERENCE I THINK YOU'LL SEE COME OUT, UH, BECAUSE ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY DO SUPPORT BETTER MUSICIAN PAY.
UH, AND THAT'S A UNIVERSAL, UH, THING.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
UH, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
UH, WE ARE, WE ARE LEFT ONLY WITH GOVERNMENT, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE, UH, THE, THE EMPLOYER IS NOT WILLING TO RECOGNIZE THE MUSICIANS, UH, AS THEIR OWN BARGAINING AGENT.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR, FOR THE, UH, THE EMPLOYER TO ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE WITH THE WORKERS THAT
[01:25:01]
IT EMPLOYS, BUT THAT IS NOT HAPPENING.SO, UM, SO I, I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT, RESPECTFULLY, AND, UH, UH, YEAH, THAT'S, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, IS NOT IDEAL, BUT, UH, IT'S WHAT IS, UH, WHAT'S LEFT TO US.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU'VE RAISED THE ISSUE JUST NOW, I PRESUME, OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
I JUST, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UN I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING, AND YOU, AND THE IDEA OF WHEN, WHEN YOU SAID, UH, RECOGNIZE THE UNION, THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY BECOMING WHAT I'VE HEARD CALLED AS A UNION SHOP.
PERHAPS IN THE PARLANCE OF RIGHT.
TO WORK LAWS THAT HAVE DAMAGED OUR COUNTRY IN THE LAST 50 YEARS, BUT, OKAY.
SO, UH, UH, I'LL LET YOU CHARACTERIZE IT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT FOR EXAMPLE, BROADWAY THEATERS TYPICALLY RECOG RECOGNIZE AND NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH UNIONS AS DO HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS, CORRECT? UH, WELL, I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY DIRECTLY.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY NEGOTIATE WITH COMMITTEES COLLECTIVE THAT ARE FORMED OF THOSE WORKERS THROUGH THEIR UNION.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CONFERENCES, UH, THAT, THAT NEGOTIATE WITH UNIONS IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MANNER? CONFERENCES, BE THEY MUSICAL CON MUSIC CONFERENCES SUCH AS, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR, UM, OR THE ENTERTAINMENT, UH, WHAT'S THE BIG ONE IN, IN LAS VEGAS, THE, UH, CONSUMER ELECTRONICS EXPO, OR DO ANY OF THEM HAVE U HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH UNIONS? UH, THEY, THEY DO AS FAR AS THE, UH, THE, THE SETUP AND DECORATION OF THEIR DISPLAYS, THE DECORATORS UNION HERE IN AUSTIN HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, UM, TO DO THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, AS FAR, DO YOU MEAN AS FAR AS MUSICIANS? THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE VENUES.
UM, UH, AND OKAY, SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW THIS WORKS, BUT YOU'RE TALKING A ABOUT, UH, MAKING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THE NORM HERE IN AUSTIN AS IT IS IN PLACES LIKE BROADWAY OR, UH, OR HOLLYWOOD OR, UH, UNION AUTO FACTORIES.
IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE? IS THAT YOUR GOAL? WELL, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING IT THE NORM.
THIS WOULD BE A, IT'S A SMALL STEP IN, UH, CREATING A FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS IN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, UH, TO YOUR POINT, THOUGH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, UH, CONFERENCES THAT NEGOTIATE WITH MUSICIANS, BUT CERTAINLY FESTIVALS.
UH, SO IF WE DEBATE WHETHER IT'S A, IT'S A FESTIVAL OR A CONFERENCE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S COULD BE SOMETHING THERE.
AND WHAT ARE THE FESTIVALS THAT, THAT DO NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH MUSICIANS? CAN YOU NAME SOME? I, I, I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT BECAUSE I, I'M ONLY THE PRESIDENT OF HERE IN AUSTIN, SO, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHT NOW.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME THOUGH.
WE'D LOVE TO, LOVE TO DO THAT.
COMMISSIONER CENTAL, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, I, UM, HAVE A QUESTION ON THE, UM, THE RIGHT TO WORK, UH, LAWS HERE.
I MEAN, WE PLAY IN VEGAS, AND YOU HAVE TO BE UNION.
YOU CAN'T PLAY A RACA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A UNION CARD.
NOW, HOW, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE, I KNOW THE CITY, UH, FOR ANY OF THE PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT THEY HAVE, ARE UNIONS REQUIRED? IS THAT CORRECT? UH, I, I'M NOT AWARE OF THOSE UNIONS AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY.
UH, I, I, I KNOW THEY ARE WITH THE ELECTRICAL AND ALL THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORKING.
YOU, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BUILD A COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITHOUT, UH, UNION WORK CUZ THE, THE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICITY WOULDN'T WORK AND
NO, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF IT AFFECTED, UH, THE MUSICIANS HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, WITH THE WAY IT IS AROUND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STATES HERE IN, IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY.
THERE, THERE ARE VERY STRONG UNIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE BUILDING TRADES THAT YOU MENTIONED MM-HMM.
UH, SO YEAH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS, IS CERTAINLY NOT ILLEGAL IN TEXAS.
IT EXISTS, UH, ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO BE, TO BE UNION.
THAT, THAT IS, IS THE CRUX OF THE, THE ANTI-UNION CAMPAIGN OF THE RIGHT TO WORK, UH, UM, LAWS.
I MEAN, I'M, FOR YOU, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HAVE A YEAH.
TO WORK STATES, YOU CAN'T HAVE A, WHAT YOU DESCRIBED AS A, AS A UNION SHOP WHERE EVERYONE HAS TO JOIN RIGHT.
THE, THE UNION HAS TO ALWAYS BE EDUCATING AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, SERVING THOSE MEMBERS, UH, AND ORGANIZING THOSE MEMBERS, THOSE OF THE WORKFORCE, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE NEXT CONTRACT NEGOTIATION HAPPEN, UM, WHEN AS NEW, NEW, UH, WORKERS COME IN, UM, IT, IT DOES CREATE AN UNFAIR
[01:30:01]
ADVANTAGE FOR THE EMPLOYER, UM, WHO IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT CONTRACT.UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A WHOLE, WE, WE COULD BE HERE ALL NIGHT
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LARGE GROUP HERE, SO THANK YOU.
WE'RE LISTENING TO YOU WE'RE, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.
I'M CURIOUS, UM, AS I AM TAKING ALL THIS IN AND LEARNING WITH, AGAIN, OUR MUSICIAN ECOSYSTEM, TOP OF MIND OF A PRIORITY, UH, WE'RE ALL LEARNING AND LISTENING AND GATHERING INFORMATION AND PROCESSING WITHIN, UM, THE, UH, THE UNION THAT, UH, 350 MEMBERS ARE LOCALLY, UH, A PART OF.
HAVE YOU ALL ESTABLISHED A GOAL OF WHAT YOU WANT AS FAIR PAY IN THIS CITY FOR MUSICIANS? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MATRIX LOOK LIKE? CAN, IS THAT POSSIBLE TO SHARE WITH US OR? WELL, YEAH.
IT, IT'S REALLY JUST THE STANDARD OF FAIR PAY HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE FAIR THAN THE PAY.
UH, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT IN A NUMERICAL FORM? IT'S NOT IN ANNUNU A NUMERICAL FORM.
IT'S WHETHER OR NOT IT BECOMES, IT'S NEGOTIATED WITH THE WORKERS OR ARBITRARY OR NOT.
LIKE I, I THINK THAT, UH, WOULD HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND, UH, I, I, I WANT TO REACH THESE GOALS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE WE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH AND HOW CAN WE HELP THAT AREN'T MAGICAL NUMBERS, BUT REAL TIMELINE OR GOAL-ORIENTED OUTCOMES.
I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
UM, WELL, THERE, THERE IS A STANDARD THAT, UM, CITY GOVERNMENTS, UH, AND STATE GOVERNMENTS SOMETIMES USED CALLED PREVAILING WAGE, UM, THAT THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RECOGNIZES.
UM, AND IT'S BASED ON THE EMPLOYER AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED IN AN AREA.
AND, UH, THIS IS USED IN THE BUILDING TRADES A LOT THAT A FELLOW COMMISSIONER WAS, UH, UH, SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, SO IT, IT IS POSSIBLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PREVAILING WAGE FOR PLAYING AN OUTDOOR CONCERT OF 5,000 PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN? YOU KNOW? AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S MORE BASED ON, ON A PER SERVICE RATE.
IT'S DEFINITELY PER PLAYER, PER MUSICIAN IS NOT, UH, PER ENSEMBLE.
IT INCLUDES BENEFITS, IT INCLUDES, UM, YOU KNOW, PAYROLL TAXES, UM, AND IT INCLUDES, UM, CARTAGE FOR MUSICIANS, FOR THE THINGS THEY HAVE TO CARRY.
UH, IT CAN INCLUDE MILEAGE FOR THE DISTANCES THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY ANYMORE AND HAVE TO LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, SO YEAH, IT, IT IS POSSIBLE TO, TO DO THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE WORK ACTUALLY IS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, UH, THE SPECIFICITY OF THE CITY, THE CITY RATE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT WOULD BE A, A DIFFERENT RATE FOR DIFFERENT SIZE, UH, VENUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, WE, WE DO, UH, WE WORK WITH, UH, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS, PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITING GRANTS TO, TO NATIONAL FUNDS OFTEN NEED TO KNOW IF THE WORK, UH, THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IF WHAT THEY'RE PAYING MEETS, UM, PREVAILING WAGE STANDARDS, AND OUR OFFICE FIELDS, THOSE CALLS.
UM, SO WE INVITE YOU TO, UH, INQUIRE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND WE CAN, WE CAN ASCERTAIN THAT FOR YOU.
COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRAP IT UP AND THEN YEAH.
JUST ONE THING ONTO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
YEAH, I'VE, I'VE GOTTEN THE ANSWER TO MY OWN QUESTION.
CMA FEST IN NASHVILLE IS A, UH, THEY, THEY PAY UNION SCALE FOR THE CMA FEST, AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE SCALE FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU WERE DESCRIBING, CARTAGE PERFORMANCE HOURS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE, THE, THE CMT FESTIVAL THAT HAPPENED HERE, THE SAME THING THAT, THAT'S A FESTIVAL, NOT, NOT A CONFERENCE THOUGH, BUT YEAH.
UM, THAT'S, SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP VERY QUICKLY, I DID SAY WRAP IT UP.
BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT RATE WAS ESTABLISHED? HOW DID THAT, HOW DID, WOULD YOU HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW THOSE RATES WERE ESTABLISHED? UH, I CAN, THE MECHANISM BASICALLY, WHAT'S THAT? THE MECHANISM OF HOW THOSE RATES WERE ARRIVED AT, WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THAT SURE.
UH, I MEAN, I, I CAN SPEAK MOST DIRECTLY ON THE C M T FESTIVAL THAT, THAT OCCURRED HERE IN AUSTIN AT THE MOODY CENTER RECENTLY, UH, WHAT WAS THAT, APRIL, I BELIEVE.
UM, THAT, THAT SUBJECT, OF COURSE, THAT WAS TELEVISED.
[01:35:01]
UM, SO THAT'S SUBJECT TO THE, UH, THE, THE AGREEMENT, UH, IT'S CALLED THE FILM AND VIDEOTAPE AGREEMENT.IT'S A NATIONAL AGREEMENT WITH THE FOUR MAJOR MEDIA COMPANIES.
UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE FOUR MAJOR MEDIA, MEDIA COMPANIES HAVE EATEN ALL OF THE RECORD LABELS THAT
SO, UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CBS PARAMOUNT, SONY, THAT'S ONE, YOU KNOW, AND NBC, UNIVERSAL, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, ET CETERA.
THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, ABC WARNER BROTHERS DOT, DOT, DOT, DOT DISCOVERY.
NOW THAT'S ANOTHER ONE IN DISNEY.
HOLLYWOOD RECORDS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FOUR MAJOR MEDIA, UH, CONGLOMERATES.
SO THOSE WERE NEGOTIATED BY, BY PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, A, A COMMITTEE OF WORKERS THAT WORK UNDER THOSE CONTRACTS, UH, ABOUT EVERY THREE YEARS, UM, WITH EXPERTS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, UM, THROUGH THEIR, THROUGH THEIR UNION, THEY'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE ACCESS TO, UM, EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, UH, LAWYERS AND MEDIA EXPERTS AND THINGS.
AND IT'S NEGOTIATED COLLECTIVELY.
UM, AND IT'S, IT INCLUDES COST OF LIVING, WAGES, EVERY, OR SORRY, COST OF LIVING RAISES EVERY YEAR, UM, BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING DOES KEEP CHANGING.
UH, AND IT INCLUDES BENEFITS, UH, LIKE I DESCRIBED BEFORE, THE, THE PENSION, HEALTH AND WELFARE, UH, AND EVERYTHING.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, SADIE WOLF.
HEY, UM, MY NAME IS SADIE WOLF.
UH, MY NAME IS SADIE WOLF AND I AM A CELLIST AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS LOCAL 4 33.
UM, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TAKES MORE THAN IT GIVES, AND IT'S PRETTY PLAIN AND SIMPLE, AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY, THAT WE GET A ONE TIME PAYMENT FOR THE WEEK OF THREE 50, WHICH IS MINUS $55 APPLICATION FEE.
SO THAT'S $295 DIVIDED BY MY FOUR BANDMATES IS $73 AND 75 CENTS, WHICH IS MINUS SELF-EMPLOYMENT TAX, MINUS PARKING, MINUS THE COST OF MY STRINGS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS TAKE AWAY FROM THIS $73 WHILE SOUTH BY IS PROFITING.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT WE THINK IT'S IN THE MILLIONS.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THEY WERE SAYING THAT SOUTH BY ALSO LOST TWO YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT MUSICIANS DID AS WELL.
LIKE, WE, WE COULDN'T WORK FOR THOSE TWO YEARS, AND INSTEAD WE STARTED ORGANIZING.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I FEEL NEGLECTED BY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I FEEL LIKE I AM A DISPENSABLE LABORER.
UM, I WAS A OFFICIAL PERFORMER AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, MOST RECENTLY IN 2019.
UM, AND THEN I REALIZED THAT APPLYING FOR THE FESTIVAL WAS NOT A SMART BUSINESS DECISION.
AND I DON'T NEED A MENTOR AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO TELL ME THAT A WRISTBAND IS NOT SENSATION.
UM, THE MUSICIANS SHOULD BE AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLES, BUT AS WE'VE SEEN FROM THESE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN SHOVED ASIDE AND FAVORED BY BACKROOM DOOR DEALS, BACK D BACKROOM DEALS WITH SOUTH BY WHERE WE ARE NOT ASKED OUR OPINIONS.
LIKE THE, THE, THE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.
THINGS HAVE ALREADY CHANGED AS OF TODAY FROM JUST SEEING THE PARKS AND REC RECOMMENDATION LIKE LAST WEEK.
UM, SO YEAH, ANYWAYS, I'M AN AUSTIN NATIVE AND I'VE BEEN GOING TO THIS FESTIVAL SO MANY TIMES, AND I'VE SEEN HOW IT DESTROYS OUR LABOR MARKET, AS JEFF WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, BECAUSE LOCAL MUSICIANS FEEL THAT, UM, OH, WE'RE ASKED TO PLAY AT UNDER THE PREVAILING SCALE WAGES FOR SOUTH BY.
SO OUR NEGOTIATING POWERS ARE SQUASHED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
CUZ WHY WOULD MO MOHAWK CHEER UP CHARLIE'S HOLE IN THE WALL OR WHATEVER, AGREE TO PAY MY RATE IN APRIL WHEN THEY KNEW THAT DURING SPRING BREAK I AGREED TO PLAY FOR A CHEAPER RATE.
SO PARTICIPATING IN THE FESTIVAL IS NOT REALLY OPTIONAL.
IT COMES IN AND IT TAKES OVER THE ENTIRE TOWN, AND WE KNOW THAT WE COULD LOSE OUT ON THIS ENTIRE WEEK OF EMPLOYMENT BY LIKE TAKING THE MONEY FROM THE FESTIVAL.
AND WHERE YOU CAN'T, IT'S A RADIUS CLAUSE.
YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO JUST PLAY AT SOUTH BY FOR THAT WEEK.
UM, ANYWAYS, I GOT A LOT TO SAY, BUT I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I THANK ALL THE MUSICIANS, YOU CAN KEEP GOING,
[01:40:01]
AND I THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS.WELL, IF I CAN KEEP GOING, THEN I'LL START.
AND WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS I AM THANKING EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, AND I URGE ALL THE MUSICIANS TO JOIN THE UNION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE POWER WHEN WE NEED TO TAKE ON BIG BUSINESSES.
UM, AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION, I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER MUSICIANS AS THE FOCAL POINT OF THIS ISSUE.
AND WE ARE TELLING YOU THIS IS NOT FAIR PAY AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD, AND WE ARE ORGANIZING AND WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO BACK DOWN.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMENTS? I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
IF ANYONE ELSE DOESN'T, UH, SAY, SAY, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW YOUR MUSIC VERY MUCH.
ARE, ARE YOU ALSO A SINGER? YOU ARE.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT THAT, FOR SE KNOWING THAT AND, AND, AND VETTING, UM, VETTING THAT CONVERSATION.
SO DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT, UH, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO YOU? AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION IS BECAUSE IRONICALLY, AND I'M GONNA BRING THIS UP LATER WHEN I GIVE MY ARGUMENT, BUT, UH, IN 2018, YOU AND BAT JUNIOR ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SOUTH BY, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, THE LOW PAY.
AND IT WAS MARCH 2ND, 2018, OR I'M SORRY, OF 20, UH, 2020.
YEAH, ACTUALLY IT WAS FOR, UM, UH, FREE WEEK, UH, THAT, OKAY.
UM, AND THE, THE, THE, UM, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF, UH, I BELIEVE B, YOU AND BETTY JR.
WERE SAYING SOMETHING TO THE, TO, TO THE EFFECT OF, UM, MUSICIANS BASICALLY OUTBIDDING THEMSELVES FOR, FOR, FOR DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.
AND, AND, AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT MARK THAT YOU WERE SAYING THIS IN MARCH 2ND, 2020.
THIS IS LIKE BASICALLY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ENTIRE WORLD SHUT DOWN.
SO I'M GONNA PAINT THAT SCENE.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE DONE BASICALLY TO KEEP YOURSELF AFLOAT THIS ENTIRE TIME? UM, WELL, OR DURING THE PANDEMIC, EXCUSE ME, FIRST QUESTION.
DURING THE PANDEMIC WE APPLIED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
WAS LIKE THE FIRST TIME I'VE MADE MORE THAN LIKE $10,000 A YEAR FOR LIKE, YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE LEGITIMATELY, LIKE I JUST LIKE AM SCRAPPY AND I WILL MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO STARTED ORGANIZING.
I MEAN, WE JUST HAD MORE TIME TO TALK TO MUSICIANS, SO THAT'S, AND WE WERE STUCK AT HOME, SO WE STARTED DOING LIKE ZOOM CALLS WITH EACH OTHER JUST TO CHECK IN.
CUZ A LOT OF IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY, BUT WE CAN'T EXPLOIT THE COMMUNITY.
LIKE, UM, ANYWAYS, I WAS JUST, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.
WE WERE GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT, HAVING ENOUGH MONEY TO LIKE HAVE A, LIKE, HAVE MY BASIC NEEDS MET AND THEN ORGANIZING MM-HMM.
NOT IN YOUR CIRCLES, BUT I JUST REMEMBER GOING, OH, WELL YOU TOO.
OH, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO FINALLY, AS THE WORLD STOPPED, KIND OF GET TOGETHER AND SAY, THESE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH AS A MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND, AND COME TO COME AND SORT OF COME TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THE PAIN THAT A LOT OF US AT THE TIME WERE FEELING, UM, MYSELF, MYSELF INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, THE, SO JUST LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HARDSHIPS, AS YOU POINTED OUT, YOU, YOURSELF AND A NUMBER OF OTHER MUSICIANS WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HARDSHIP.
MY SECOND QUESTION TO YOU IS, WERE YOU BILLED OUT, UM, BAILED OUT BY A BILLIONAIRE? UH, WAS TRUMP IN OFFICE YET? YES.
MAYBE POSSIBLY, I GUESS INDIRECTLY
NO, I WAS BAILED OUT BY LIKE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT WAS LIKE $15,000 A YEAR AND I WAS LIKE, OH, WOW.
BUT IT WASN'T SOMEBODY WITH 3.6 BILLION IN THEIR POCKET? NO.
I'M ALSO CONFUSED, UM, ABOUT, SO THERE'S THE ONE, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PARKS AND REC BOARD, AND THEN THERE'S THIS NEW ONE THAT'S TITLED THE MOTION TO LIKE, IS THIS GONNA REPLACE THE PARKS AND REC BOARD ONE? WE, WE WILL GET TO THAT.
EVERY RECOMMENDATION COMES THROUGH THE, IF THERE IS A SECOND, THEN IT GETS VOTED ON, BUT, UH, WE'LL WE WILL YIELD TO THE COMMISSIONERS LATER ON.
[01:45:01]
YOU SO MUCH.UH, SADIE, IF YOU MIND PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AGAIN TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION, UH, BASED ON SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID.
UM, ARE YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, DURING THE WEEK THAT SOUTH BY IS IN TOWN, UM, IN MARCH AND UM, THAT SOUTH BY TAKES OVER ALL THE VENUES IN AUSTIN.
ARE YOU AWARE OF, OR IS THERE A LIST OF MUSIC VENUES THAT ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN SOUTH BY? OR WHAT IS THAT CONVERSATION? IT'S CHA IT CHANGES OFTEN.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE SEE THE VENUES LIKE GO UNDER OR CHANGE HANDS OR WHATEVER HAPPENS MM-HMM.
I'M VERY CURIOUS AS TO HOW MANY MUSIC VENUES TURNED DOWN SOUTH BY AND THEY ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH MUSICIANS OUTSIDE OF SOUTH BY, DURING SOUTH BY, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
I DO KNOW THAT, LIKE JEFF SAID, HE PLAYED 16 GIGS AND ONLY THREE OF THEM WERE LIKE OFFICIAL SHOWCASES.
SO THE MAJORITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IS NOT PART OF THE FESTIVAL.
SO WHAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE FESTIVAL THAT'S REALLY BUILDING THE CULTURE AND THE COMMUNITY AND LIKE, IT'S SPRING BREAK TOO, SO
LIKE EVERYBODY'S HANGING OUT LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR I WENT DOWNTOWN AND LIKE A LOT OF VENUES ON RED RIVER WERE OFFICIAL VENUES, BUT THEN NEXT DOOR WOULD BE AN UNOFFICIAL VENUE.
SO I THINK ITS FROM
HOW MANY MAKE NOTE BOOK IN TOWN ON AVERAGE? YEAH.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME SO MUCH.
UM, KIM, IS THIS SOMETHING I CAN GET AN ANSWER OR WE CAN GET AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW FROM SOUTH BAY? OR DO WE JUST MOVE ON PROCEDURALLY, WHAT DO I DO? WE JUST NEED A NUMBER, AN AVERAGE NUMBER OF VENUES, AND I WOULD THEN ALSO YIELD TO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, YEAH, YOU CAN ASK RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN ASK PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAKING AND, AND STUFF I SPOKE, SO IF YOU WANNA ASK HER IF SHE HASN'T INFORMATION.
MICHELLE, IS THAT SOMETHING, IS THAT A NUMBER THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE OUT OF, UH, HOW MANY IN TOWN AVERAGE ARE 300 VENUE IN ALL OF US? OVER 300.
UH, COMMISSIONER QUESTION, WHEN FOR THE, UM, MUSICIANS WHO SAID THEY'RE, UM, PLAY TWO OR THREE OFFICIAL SOUTH BY EVENTS, AND THEN THERE'S UNOFFICIAL FOR THE OFFICIAL ONES IS THE PAY PER EVENT OR ONE LUMP SUM FOR NO MATTER HOW MANY EVENTS YOU PLAY? I'M CURIOUS.
OFFICIAL LUMP SUM? I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, USUALLY ONE EVENT, UH, THAT AN ARTIST PLACED THAT IS OFFICIAL IS THAT, UH, I WOULD ASK SOUTH BY, SINCE IT'S YOUR POLICY, IT'S YOU, YOU, THAT'S MOSTLY THE CASE, AT LEAST RIGHT? WHERE, UH, AN OFFICIAL ARTIST GENERALLY PLACED ONE OFFICIAL SHOWCASE.
I MEAN, I'M ALSO AWARE OF IT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DID RUN INTO, UH, THE ISSUE AT ONE POINT, BUT IF YOU'RE WITH AN ARTIST, IF YOU'RE A SESSION MUSICIAN, THAT'S KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE.
RIGHT? NOT I'M I'M TALKING ABOUT THE LEAD OR, OR THE YEAH, YEAH.
A BAND OR A ELITE SOLO ARTIST, RIGHT? NO, I, I'M, I'M SPEAKING OF LIKE WITH SESSION, A COUPLE OF THE MUSICIANS THAT SPOKE THAT THEY PAID TWO OR THREE.
SO DO YOU GET PAID EACH TIME YOU PLAY WITH AN OFFICIAL, DO YOU GET SOMETHING OR NO? DO YOU NOT? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
I WOULD THINK THAT IT IS WHAT THE BAND NEGOTIATED ONE TIME.
BUT I WOULD THINK IT'S WHAT THE BAND NEGOTIATED, RIGHT? IF AS A GUITARIST, MY GUITARIST IS PLAYING WITH ME AND, AND THE, AND THE THEBAN, BUT THEY'RE NOT NEGOTIATING, THEY GET ONE.
MY POINT BEING THAT THAT BAN PROBABLY GETS A WRISTBAND.
UH, THE ARTIST GETS A WRISTBAND.
MAYBE IF I OPT FOR A WRISTBAND OR IF IT'S A, SO YOU HAVE SIX WRISTBANDS IT COULD, RIGHT? POTENTIALLY.
RIGHT? SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY, IT'S EITHER WRISTBAND OR, UM, IF ONE ARTIST, I WOULD THINK, AND I'M JUST, UH, UM, EX UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL, I'M, I'M JUST REFERENCING THIS RIGHT? I WOULD THINK THAT IF ARTIST A, UH, PICKS A OPS FOR THE WRISTBAND AND THEN EVERYBODY IN THE BAND GETS A WRISTBAND, I'M JUST USING TWO EXAMPLES.
UM, THEN I THINK IF ARTIST B OPS TO BE PAID OR THEN THEY WOULD GET THE PAYMENT ON THAT SIDE, RIGHT? SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT IT, IT'S JUST WHAT, WHAT EACH ARTIST OR BAND CHOOSES, RIGHT? IT WOULD BE BASED ON THAT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT A DRUMMER COULD PLAY AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASE IN ONE BAND AND GET A WRISTBAND, AND THEN THE DRUMMER COULD PLAY IN ANOTHER BAND AT OFFICIAL SHOWCASE AND GET ANOTHER WRISTBAND.
UH, COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT? I WOULD THINK THAT BASED ON WHAT THE, EITHER THE, THE LEAD OF THE
[01:50:01]
BAND OR THE ARTIST OPS FOR, WHAT'S THE, I'M SORRY, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UH, COULD THEY SCALP THAT WRISTBAND OR SOMETHING? LIKE WHAT'S THE VALUE OF HAVING TWO WRISTBANDS VERSUS ONE? I I DON'T THINK THERE IS VALUE.ALL I SAYING NO VALUE SAYING IS IF TWO DIFFERENT BANDS FOR A SESSION MUSICIAN OPT FOR TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS, ONEOPS FOR PAY, ONE OPS FOR WRISTBAND, THEY'RE PROB THERE'S ONE BAND.
AND YOU GET, YOU'RE GONNA EITHER SAY YOU TAKE THE CREDENTIALS, LIKE THE BADGE OR YOU TAKE THE PAYMENT, YOU TAKE THAT, BUT THEN I GET ANOTHER OR MY SOLO, YOU CAN TAKE EITHER PAYMENT OR THAT, THAT IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN.
THE WHOLE'S THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE WEEK FOR THE WHOLE WEEK ON WHAT YOU DECIDE YOU WANNA DO.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A FEW WEEKS OR FOUR PIECE BAND, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A SOLO GAME OR A PROJECT THAT YOU DO, IT'S YOUR CHOICE WHATEVER YOUR APPLICATION, WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO DO.
AND I, I JUST, I ALSO WANT TO JUST GO ON RECORD SAYING THAT I PAID $11 FOR MODELO DURING, UM, SOUTH BAR
SO THAT'S THE, UM, I, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE, WHAT THE, WHAT THE PAIN OF THAT WOULD BE FOR SOMEONE SPLITTING 250 OR THREE $50 OR A WRISTBAND, I GUESS.
ARE THESE CREDENTIALS TRANSFERABLE? UM, UM, MICHELLE, SINCE YOU, YOU ARE GETTING A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UH, SO OUR TRANSFER POLICY, IT VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, I'M JUST WONDERING IF ARTISTS CAN SCALP THEIR $990 CREDENTIALS.
UH, WE DON'T LET THEM SCALP THEM
WHEN YOU SAY SCALP, WE, WE STRONGLY DIS ENCOURAGE THAT LIKE ANYBODY IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS DOESN'T WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SCALP THEIR TICKETS, BUT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TRANSFER IT IF THAT HELPS.
SO THEY COULD SCALP THEIR TICKET AND MAKE MORE MONEY VERSUS PLAYING AN OFFICIAL SHOWCASE.
WELL, YOU WOULDN'T BE SCALPING IT MEAN TECHNICALLY.
WELL, YOU WOULDN'T BE, YOU WOULD JUST, I MEAN, IT, IT'S YOUR CHOICE IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANNA WORD IT, BUT RIGHT.
IT'S TRANSFER FEE, IF YOU CALL IT SCALPING.
WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU HAVE TO BE, IF IT'S, IF YOU HAVE THAT AND YOU'RE AN ARTIST, WE'RE GONNA DO IT DIFFERENTLY THAN IF YOU WERE REGULAR THAT PERSON THAT JUST BOUGHT THEIR BADGE TO ATTEND THE EVENT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S GONNA SHOW THAT YOU'RE AN ARTIST, SO IT'S GONNA BE LIKE IF YOU SCALPED IT, THAT ARTIST IS EXPECTED TO PERFORM
LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME JUST DO A, LIKE A, LIKE AN ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK KIND OF SCENARIO HERE WHERE, UM, LIKE I'M A MUSICIAN AND I'M HUNGRY AND I JUST PLAYED A SOUTH BY GIG AND I HAVE A WRISTBAND.
I COULD SELL THAT WRISTBAND BASICALLY.
NOT THAT YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT OR ANYONE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THAT, BUT I COULD SELL THAT AND MAKE MORE MONEY VERSUS THE GIG THAT I ACTUALLY PLAYED.
UM, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE, WE'LL, UH, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO END, UH, JUST, WE SAID WE'LL DO A TIME CHECK.
WE DO HAVE TO END THE SESSION AT NINE 30, SO, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S 10 O'CLOCK.
I JUST INQUIRED THE SAME WITH, UH, UM, IS IT, IT'S 9 39.
UM, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, AND I'M NOT MAKING THESE THINGS UP.
I, I INQUIRED HERE ON, ON WHAT, WHAT THE TIME WAS.
UM, UH, THE NEXT, UH, SPEAKER WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME PHILLIP.
UH, I THINK I WILL, UH, I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW HOW TO SAY YOUR LAST NAME, IF YOU COULD BULK BULKY.
THANK YOU SADIE AGAIN, UH, FOR COMING UP.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND FOR BRINGING FORTH THIS RECOMMENDATION AND, UH, ECHOING THE LANGUAGE ON THE, THE PARKS AND RECS BOARD.
IT WAS ALSO COMMISSIONER GOULD, UM, THAT, THAT ALSO BROUGHT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
YEAH, THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT.
SO FIRST OFF, WORK ISN'T VOLUNTARY.
LIKE, PEOPLE LIKE TO PRETEND THAT US ON THE LEFT AND IN LABOR, WE DON'T WANNA DO WORK, BUT LIKE, NO, WE WANT TO DO THIS WORK.
AND FEST SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A JOB JUST LIKE ANY OTHER JOB.
[01:55:01]
ABSURD FOR THEM, FOR SOUTH BY, TO ACT LIKE THIS FESTIVAL IS A GIFT TO MUSICIANS BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE MUSICIANS PLAYING IT.MUSICIANS DIDN'T WORK DURING COVID EITHER, AND WE DON'T HAVE A MULTI-BILLION ANGEL INVESTOR TO COME SAVE US AND KEEP OUR REVENUE ROLLING.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT IF THEY HADN'T UNDERSTOOD THAT SOUTH BUY IS A PROFITABLE COMPANY.
THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SPENT THAT MONEY TO BAIL THEM OUT AND TO KEEP THAT GOING IF IT WASN'T PROFITABLE.
SO PLEASE TAKE THAT, TAKE SOUTH BUY'S STATEMENTS TONIGHT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY MAKE MONEY ON OFF OF US.
AND WHEN THEY DON'T PAY MUSICIANS, THE FAIR VALUE THAT THEY BRING TO THE FESTIVAL, THEY'RE EXPLOITING THEM.
AND I DON'T THINK THE CITY OF AUSTIN SHOULD SUBSIDIZE THAT EXPLOITATION.
UH, BADGES ARE A FORM OF WHAT'S CALLED COMPANY SCRIPT.
COMPANY SCRIPT IS A VERY OLD TERM, AND SOME, SOME OF YOU MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH.
IT IS, BUT IT'S A FORM OF REMUNERATION, OF COMPENSATION FOR WORK THAT IS ONLY REDEEMABLE AT THE COMPANY.
THAT IS WHAT SOUTH BUY BADGES ARE, AND THEY ARE ILLEGAL.
COMPANY SCRIPT IS ILLEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO WHY IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN ENABLING ILLEGAL REMUNERATION? FESTIVAL ACCESS, IN ADDITION TO COMPENSATION IS GREAT.
THAT'S LIKE THE STANDARD FOR FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD WHERE MUSICIANS GET PAID TO PLAY THE FESTIVAL AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO ALSO ATTEND EVERY GIG FOR A MUSICIAN IS A NETWORKING GIG.
SOUTH BY ISN'T UNIQUE IN THAT, AND FRANKLY, FOR AS MANY EVENTS AS SOUTH BY PUTS ON, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT WHAT THEY NEED IS MORE EVENTS.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS PAY WORKERS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE BIT OF MATH TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO REALLY BREAK THIS DOWN FOR YOU.
$350 MINUS THE 55 APPLICA, $55 APPLICATION FEE IS $295.
DIVIDE THAT BY FOUR PEOPLE IN A FOUR PIECE BAND.
JUST BALLPARK IS $74 PER PERSON.
THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO GET DOWN THERE AND AROUND PAY FOR PARKING, PAY FOR MEALS AND STUFF LIKE THAT FOR ONE NIGHT'S WORK, LET ALONE IF YOU'RE COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN.
UM, I DID SOME LOOKING AND THERE'S NO OTHER APPLICATION FEE FOR ANY OTHER OF THE OTHER JOBS AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
ONLY MUSICIANS HAVE TO PAY, UH, AN APPLICATION FEE TO BE AN EMPLOYEE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WAIVING APPLICATION FEES FOR HAND MEMBERS IS GREAT, BUT IT DOES NOTHING FOR THE MUSICIANS WHO COME IN FROM OUTSIDE THAT 50 MILE RADIUS.
AND SO BASICALLY IT'S JUST ANOTHER THING TO TRY AND WAVE THE CITY OFF.
HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES ARE REALLY NECESSARY, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T COME AT THE EX AT THAT.
TAX REVENUE IS GENERATED OFF THE WORK OF MUSICIANS.
MUSICIANS AREN'T THREATENING THIS REVENUE FROM THE CITY.
IT'S SOUTH BY WHO'S THREATENING TO TAKE THIS REVENUE AWAY FROM THE CITY, ONLY BECAUSE MUSICIANS ARE ASKING TO BE FAIRED, BE PAID FAIRLY, AND TO HAVE A SAY IN HOW THAT COMPENSATION IS ARRIVED AT.
SO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST RECEIVES SOME GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN SHOULD LEVERAGE THAT IN ATTEMPT TO GET THEM TO PAY WORKERS FREE.
AND IT DOES, BUT THAT ALSO DOESN'T IMPLICATE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR EVENTS THAT MIGHT HAVE THOSE SIMILAR SUBSIDIES.
UM, THAT IS, UNLESS THOSE EVENTS OR OR ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO UNDERPAYING MUSICIANS FOR THAT WORK.
UM, PARDON FOR THE INTERRUPTION.
UH, MR. BALKIE, IF YOU COULD START WRAPPING UP YOUR THOUGHTS AND I THINK HAVE YOU, CAN YOU CAN, YOU CAN PRESENT THE REST AS, AS THE COMMISSION HAS QUESTIONS.
SO THAT WAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MOVE THE, WE CAN STILL CONTAIN IT WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME.
UM, WE CAN MOVE THE QUESTIONS.
YOU, YOU ARE FREE TO WRAP IT UP OR, YEAH, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT LIKE, EVEN IF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY ARE RECEIVING SIMILAR SUBSIDIES, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY IMPLICATE THEM IN CHANGES TO THEIR BUDGETS OR WHATEVER, UNLESS THEY'RE UNDERPAYING MUSICIANS.
AND I PERSONALLY FIND THAT PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS IF AN ORGANIZATION IS, THEIR BUDGETS ARE IMPACTED BY NEEDING TO INCREASE RATE OF PAY FOR MUSICIANS.
I FIND THAT EGREGIOUS IF THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNDERPAYING MUSICIANS IN, IN ATTEMPT TO SUPPORT MUSICIANS AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, OPPRESSED GROUPS.
I THINK THAT IS COMPLETELY CONTRADICTORY.
PART OF MY LITTLE STATEMENT IS EXPOSURE DOESN'T
[02:00:01]
ADVANCE MY CAREER GETTING PAID DOES.UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? PHILLIP? THANK YOU.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, BLAIR ROBBINS TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, GIVING ME THIS PLATFORM TO SPEAK.
I PLAY GUITAR, SING, UH, AND WRITE SONGS FOR A BAND THAT I LEAD CALLED AUSTIN OR AMMA IN AUSTIN.
AND IT'S BEEN, UH, AMMA HAS BEEN A BAND IN AUSTIN SINCE 2014.
UM, I'M ALSO THE SECRETARY TREASURER OF THE, UH, AUSTIN MUSICIANS UNION, AFM LOCAL 4 33.
UM, UH, I, I WANT TO SPEAK TO HOW SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OFFERS A FALSE CHOICE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS EXPLOITATIVE AND IT'S, UM, DETRIMENTAL, UM, TO PROGRESS AND FAIR TREATMENT FOR HUMAN BEINGS, WHICH IS, I KNOW A COMMON THEME THAT UNITES ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS AN ARTIST WHO'S PLAYED SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, I ATTENDED, UH, UT ON SCHOLARSHIP AND, UM, WITH, UH, FINANCIAL AID AND GOT A DEGREE IN PLAN TWO, UH, WITH THE, UH, CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
UM, I, I GOT SPECIAL HONORS THAT WHOLE TIME.
UH, I WAS PLAYING IN ORIGINAL BANDS IN AUSTIN, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS MY PASSION.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO HERE IN THIS CITY.
UM, FOR A MAJORITY OF THAT TIME I ALSO WORKED AT, UM, A GROCERY STORE, UM, UH, IN, BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO LIVE, UH, ON MY OWN, UH, I WAS ABLE TO PAY, UM, FOR COLLEGE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP BUT I HAD TO WORK AT THE GROCERY STORE TO PAY MY RENT.
UM, AND THAT DYNAMIC CONTINUED AFTER I GRADUATED.
UM, I WORKED AT A LOCAL SANDWICH SHOP WHEN I FIRST STARTED PERFORMING AS AN OFFICIAL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ARTIST IN 2014.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY WASN'T ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WRISTBAND BECAUSE I WAS WORKING, UM, SHIFTS AT THE SANDWICH SHOP WHEN I WASN'T PLAYING.
UM, AND SOME WOULD SAY THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY, MY BIG BREAK, UH, BUT IT WASN'T.
AND I DON'T THINK, UH, IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT TALENTED.
UM, SINCE 2014 WHEN I PERFORMED WITH AN ORIGINAL MUSIC GROUP AS WELL AS A ASH, A NATIONAL ACT, UM, I'VE HAD A, AN ORIGINAL SONG FEATURED ON A CBS SHOW.
UH, I'VE HAD LABEL ATTENTION, UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT KIND OF WOULD NEGATE THE, UM, THE EXPOSURE MYTH THAT, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TRIES TO SELL.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS, UH, VERY DETRIMENTAL TO MY MENTAL HEALTH EVERY TIME IT COMES AROUND.
IT'S JUST THIS KIND OF LIKE BOTTLENECK OF, OF ACTIVITY AND, AND FRENZY.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE EXPOSURE, UM, REALLY ADEQUATELY MAKES UP FOR THE, UH, IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, NOT JUST ARTISTS.
UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WRAP UP, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS QUICKLY AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SAY, UM, AND THIS, AND THIS THOUGHT KIND OF CAME TOGETHER AS I WAS HEARING, UM, ALL THE DISCOURSE TONIGHT, WHICH I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR BECAUSE, UM, OVER THE YEARS I FELT LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WAS MY ONLY OPTION.
UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY BLEAK FOR ME.
UM, AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAD A VOICE.
I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAD A WAY TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT.
UM, AND I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT THAT THE, UM, COMPENSATION PACKAGE WAS FAIR.
I JUST DIDN'T HAVE, UM, THE MEANS TO, UH, DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
BUT, UM, I JOINED, UH, THE UNION IN 2020 AND IT JUST GAVE ME A, A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON, UM, HOW TO BETTER MYSELF AS AN ARTIST AND HOW TO FIND COMMUNITY AND HOW TO FIND A SUSTAINABLE PATH TO DOING THE THING THAT I DO, THE THING THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A GIFT TO DO, AND I KNOW I'M GONNA DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
I JUST WANNA CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT
[02:05:01]
IN TELLING PEOPLE TO JOIN THE UNION THAN TO APPLY FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AT THIS POINT.THANK YOU QUESTIONS, UH, FOR, UH, A SO FOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WHY DID YOU JOIN THE UNION? WHY MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHEN I WAS MAKING SANDWICHES AND I WAS MAKING SANDWICHES NEXT TO MY FRIENDS WHO WERE PLAYING IN BANDS.
AND I JUST KIND OF NOTICED LIKE, OH, WE'RE IN THE SAME POSITION.
LIKE, WE SPEND ALL OF OUR TIME ON OUR CRAFT AND WE'RE PLAYING THESE CLUBS OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLAYING FOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING COVERS DOWNTOWN, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE HERE DOING THIS LABOR THAT'S LIKE, KIND, YOU KNOW, NOT TO DISPARAGE IT, CUZ I'VE HAD A LOT OF SERVICE INDUSTRY JOBS, BUT IT'S KIND OF MINI MENIAL.
LIKE, PEOPLE CAN MAKE THEIR OWN SANDWICHES.
LIKE, WHY, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS FOR THEM? AND WE'RE ALL MUSICIANS HERE.
SO BACK IN 2016, I I JUST KIND OF STARTED WONDERING LIKE, WELL, LIKE, WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF WE WERE TALKING TO EACH OTHER, LIKE, WE'RE IN THIS SAME POSITION? WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER IF WE WERE TRYING TO LIKE, COME TO A CONSENSUS OR A COLLECTIVE SOLUTION AND, AND PUT OUR, UM, OUR EXPERIENCE AND OUR IDEAS TOGETHER? UM, AND I, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT AUSTIN HAD A UNION AT THE TIME.
UM, SO I JUST KIND OF THOUGHT IT WAS A COOL IDEA, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT ACTUALLY EXISTED.
AND THEN, UM, UH, IN 2019, THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE UNION DID EXIST AND WE WERE STARTING TO ORGANIZE AROUND THIS ISSUE OF FAIR PAY OUTSIDE OF THE UNION.
UM, AND IN 2020, UM, I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON TOUR AND RELEASE MY OWN RECORD OF MY ORIGINAL SONGS WITH MY BAND, YOU KNOW, ON A LABEL.
AND THAT ALL FELL THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND I WAS REALLY DEPRESSED.
AND INSTEAD OF, UM, UH, DOING THAT BECAUSE THE WORLD HAD BIGGER PLANS FOR ME, I I ACTUALLY JOINED THE UNION THE DAY THAT MY RECORD WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT.
SO IT WAS KIND OF A EMOTIONAL SYMBOLIC THING FOR ME.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UM, ALEX, ALEX, PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO SAY YOUR LAST NAME.
I WRITE SONGS AND SING IN SEVERAL BANDS, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, I'VE LIVED HERE ABOUT 10 YEARS.
UM, BEEN PLAYING HERE JUST AS LONG.
I'M A I'M FROM NORTH TEXAS ORIGINALLY, BUT, UH, UM, HAD BEEN, I CAME TO, SO BY SOUTHWEST WAY BEFORE I, I LIVED HERE IN EVERYTHING TOO.
UM, BUT, UH, I'VE DONE FOUR OFFICIAL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, JUST WANTED TO SHARE, I GUESS, UH, SOME THOUGHTS AND REFLECT AND KIND OF ECHO WHAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN SAYING.
UM, ONE THING IS, UH,
UH, WHICH IS THAT, UH, WHEN YOU GET THE WRISTBAND, THEY, THEY PUT IT FAIRLY TIGHTLY ON YOUR WRIST AND, UH, IT SAYS NOT APPLICABLE, NOT USABLE IF BROKEN OR UNSEALED OR WHATEVER.
LIKE, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, I PLAYED MY SHOW AND, AND SINCE I WANT A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION, I, I'LL JUST TAKE IT OFF WHEN IT SAYS IF IT'S BEEN REMOVED AT ALL, THEN IT'S NIL OR WHATEVER, NOLL.
UM, SO THAT WAS JUST ONE THING THAT THAT CAME TO MIND.
OH YEAH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS, UH, THE IDEA OF KIND OF THE EXPOSURE OR THE, WHAT YOU GET, UM, NON MONETARILY FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, BEING THAT, YEAH, LIKE I'VE, I'VE DONE IT FOR FOUR YEARS AND, UM, HAVE GOTTEN THING THINGS THAT SEEMED COOL, LIKE, OH, SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, WROTE ABOUT US OR WHATEVER, OR ALL THAT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY, UM, DOESN'T REALLY DRIVE YOUR CAREER THE WAY THAT YOU THINK IT DOES BECAUSE OF WHATEVER CLOUT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS.
[02:10:01]
NOTICED IS SOMETHING THAT CAN, UH, BENEFIT YOUR INDIVIDUAL MUSICIAN'S CAREER IS HAVING MONEY AND PAYING PR PEOPLE OR WHATEVER TO ACTUALLY, UH, WRITE ABOUT YOUR STUFF.AND THAT, THAT GOES SO MUCH FURTHER THAN SAYING, I HAVE PLAYED ON SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, OR I HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY SEEMS TO BE A BIT OF A, AN INDUSTRY OF PAY TO PLAY, UM, TO CERTAIN DEGREES.
SO IN THAT SENSE, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, MO UH, MORE MONEY WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN TO YOUR CAREER, AND NOT JUST TO YOUR, NOT NOT LEAST OF ALL, CUZ WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO EAT AND, AND DO ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, BUT, UM, IT'S JUST IN THE INTEREST OF ADVANCING A CAREER, A MORE, UH, FAIR WAGE WOULD GO FURTHER IN THAT SENSE.
SO, UM, I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING AND SO THAT, THAT, THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT CAME TO MIND WHEN I WAS DOING THIS.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, UH, DO YOU, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR MUSIC AND, AND, AND, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, DO YOU, UH, THE MONEY THAT YOU GET FROM, FROM, FROM, UH, THE, THE SHOWS THAT YOU PLAY, WHAT DOES THAT MONEY GO TOWARDS? UH, GOES TOWARDS, UH, RENT, UM, FOOD BILLS, UM, YEAH, LIVING COST OF LIVING, I GUESS I'D SAY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, TRY TO PUT THAT BACK TOWARDS, UM, MY, MY MUSIC, MY CAREER RECORDING.
SO, UH, SO RECORDING, SO THAT'S STUDIO TIME.
THAT'S INTEREST OR, UH, SORRY, INSTRUMENTS, INSTRUMENTS, UPKEEP, STREAMS, UH, YEAH, ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, YEAH.
ALL THAT STUFF TO, BECAUSE PAYING FOR THAT KIND OF THING HELPS.
SO I, ON THE WEBSITE, BUT YEAH.
WELL, YEAH, THEORETICALLY YES.
AND SO, LIKE, YOU'RE ALSO PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT STORAGE, UM, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR FILES AND EVERYTHING.
OH, PRACTICE BASED I PAY FOR AS WELL.
RIGHT? LIKE THESE AND DIGITAL STORAGE FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE ALL THAT STUFF.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, THAT, THAT I'M LEAVING OUT? I'M DRAWING A BLANK A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THAT, NOT THAT I CAN THINK OF.
MY, MY MIND'S ALSO PRETTY, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PRETTY, IF IF YOU HAD MORE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, OR IF YOU, IF WERE, IF YOU WERE COMPENSATED FAIRLY FOR EVERY SHOW, WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MORE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AND REINVEST BACK INTO YOUR ART? ABSOLUTELY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ALEX? THANK YOU.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, DAVID RAMEZ.
CAN, CAN I SPEAK, UH, AFTER THAT? LET'S FINISH, UH, LET'S FINISH THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT LEAST.
I'VE HAD THE GREAT FORTUNE OF BE ABLE TO TOUR THE WORLD UNDER MY NAME AND TELL MY STORIES AND SING MY SONGS AND SHARE MY MUSIC.
I FIRST PLAYED AN OFFICIAL SOUTH BY IN 2010, AND I DECIDED AFTER 2015 TO NEVER DO IT AGAIN.
SO WHY AM I HERE? WELL, IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY PEERS AND COLLEAGUES WHO DON'T HAVE JUST THE ABILITY TO GRAB THEIR GUITAR IN A DUFFLE BAG AND GO HIT THE ROAD AND PLAY FOR PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE FORCED TO STAY HERE AND WORK THE TOWN IN WHICH THEY LOVE.
AND ALSO BECAUSE I SAW A VIDEO CIRCULATED ON INSTAGRAM FROM SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS SOUTH BY SAYING THAT, UH, WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA AND GREAT OPPORTUNITY IT IS, UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO DO STAY HERE AND PLAY, UH, TO MEET PEOPLE AND HAVE IDEAS FOR SONGS, IDEAS COME FOR FREE ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, HAPPENS THAT WEEK OUTTA THE YEAR.
AND, UH, AND IT'S, AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT A COMPENSATION, UM, AT ALL.
AND, AND JUST TO SOUTH BY THANKS FOR SHARING WHAT YOU DID.
UM, BUT IF THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REPRESENTING YOUR ORGANIZATION, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE GROUND LEVEL PLAYING MUSIC SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE HEARTS AND BRAINS OF
[02:15:01]
PEOPLE WHO ARE CREATING ON A, ON, NOT JUST ANY LEVEL, BUT ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.ALSO, I DO HAVE, UH, MY PERSONAL PROBLEMS WITH CONVERSATIONS LIKE THESE, CUZ I'M NOT, UH, I, I GET THAT WE'RE FULL-TIME, BUT I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A SOMEONE WHO'S DESPERATE TO BE CAPITALIZED UPON FOR MY CREATIVITY.
I FIND THIS CONVERSATION SOMETIMES TO BE A LITTLE BIT LIKE OIL AND WATER.
UM, WE DO IT BECAUSE WE LOVE IT, AND WE WILL DO IT FOREVER AND ALWAYS BECAUSE WE LOVE IT.
UM, BUT IF THERE ARE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS BENEFITING FROM OUR CREATIVITY, THEN EVERYONE SHOULD BENEFIT.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND THANKS FOR HAVING THIS DIALOGUE AND ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF IT.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR DAVID? ANY COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, MR. RAMIREZ, UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU, UM, TELL US ABOUT YOUR, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ACROSS THE D ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM AS IT, AS IT PERTAINS TO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO YOUR ECOSYSTEM.
WHAT IS LIKE IN TERMS OF YOUR MERCH, YOUR TOUR, YOUR STUDIO TIME? I THINK YOU'RE THREE OR FOUR ALBUMS IN AT THIS POINT, IS THAT RIGHT? I HAVE FIVE FULL LINKS, YEAH, FIVE FULL LINKS.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR I'LL BE, UH, HIT AND RECORD ON MY SIXTH.
AND, AND YOU'VE PLAYED RED ROCKS, IS THAT CORRECT?
OH, YOU WERE JUST THERE WITH SHAKY? YEAH, I WAS JUST THERE HANGING OUT.
WELL, YOU GOT TO HANG OUT WITH SHAKY GRAVES AT RED ROCKS.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT BAD.
NO, IT WASN'T, IT, IT WASN'T BAD AT ALL.
UM, I WAS ON THE GUEST LIST, UH, WHICH I DON'T WANT TO BAT AN EYE AT THAT.
I GOT A FREE TICKET, BUT, UM, YEAH, MY ECOSYSTEM, YEAH, I MEAN, PRIMARILY I, AS, AS THE FRONT PERSON OF A, OF A PROJECT, YOU KNOW, MY, MY GIG IS HIRING, YOU KNOW, JEFFREY AND I PLAY TOGETHER AND WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER FOR TWO YEARS.
I MEAN, BUT JEFFREY'S ALSO IN, GEEZ, FIVE OTHER PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT A FULL-TIME MUSICIAN.
I THINK HE'S THE MODEL FOR IT.
UM, BUT I, I HIRE PEOPLE NOT JUST TO HIT THE ROAD WITH ME, BUT I HIRE PEOPLE TO BE IN THE STUDIO WITH ME.
AND, UM, AND THOSE RATES DEPEND.
UM, I DON'T SET THEM, I ASK THEM WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET PAID, AND IF I CAN'T AFFORD THAT, THEN I WILL.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO EVEN UNLOCK THE DOORS TO A STUDIO, THAT CAN BE UP TO ANYWHERE FROM THREE 50 TO A THOUSAND A DAY JUST TO UNLOCK THE DOORS.
AND, UH, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TURNING THE LIGHTS ON, UM, OR SPENDING ANYWHERE FROM TWO WEEKS TO SEVEN MONTHS ON AN ALBUM.
UM, BUT YEAH, UH, MY FRIEND JORDAN BACK THERE, HE MENTIONED, UH, MERCHANDISE IS A HUGE THING.
I MEAN, I VOLUNTEERED TO DO THESE THINGS BECAUSE I LOVE THEM.
NO ONE PUT A GUN IN MY HEAD TO BE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE BENEFITING FROM MY LOVE OF SOMETHING, THEN, UH, I I THINK IT ONLY FAIR TO, UH, TO KIND OF SHARE IN SOME OF THOSE, THOSE FRUITS, CERTAINLY.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, UM, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OTHERWISE I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION FOR YEAH, I, I I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE HEARD FROM MUSICIANS THAT THE IMPACT OF SOUTH BY WHERE THERE IS A CULTURE OF LOTS OF FREE GIVEAWAYS, EVERYTHING'S FREE AT SOUTH BY YOU, WHETHER IT BE A, A DRINK THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SPONSORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I'VE HEARD FROM MUSICIANS THAT IT'S OFTEN VERY HARD TO SELL MERCHANDISE DURING, UH, DURING SOUTH BY, AND MANY OF THEM WILL UNDERTAKE A TRIP HOPING TO DEFRAY EXPENSES BY SELLING MERCH.
AND I'VE HEARD THAT MERCH DOES NOT SELL WELL AT SOUTH BY.
IS THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ANYTIME WE LOAD INTO A VENUE AFTER WE DO OUR SOUND CHECK, THEN THE NEXT MOVE IS TO GO FIGURE OUT A SPOT WITHIN THE VENUE TO SET UP OUR SHIRTS AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND EVERY TIME I HAVE PLAYED SOUTH BY, IT'S JUST LEAVE THE STUFF IN STORAGE, DON'T EVEN BOTHER.
I MEAN, NOT ONLY ARE PEOPLE JUST HAULING GEAR THROUGH CROWDED STREETS, WHICH WHATEVER, THAT'S KIND OF THE FUN, CRAZY PART ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.
BUT LIKE, WELL, MAYBE WE'LL SELL ONE SHIRT SO IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH, WORTH, UH, WORTH DOING IT.
UH, BUT THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING, IF I MAY, IF TIME WILL ALLOW.
UM, UM, COMMISSIONER CASADA, YOU ASKED, UH, STATED EARLIER ABOUT HOW MANY VENUES, UH, UH, ARE INVOLVED, AND I THINK THE NUMBER WAS 78 SOMETHING AROUND THERE.
AND OUT OF THE 300 VENUES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS,
[02:20:01]
WELL, DURING THAT WEEK, THE REALLY INTERESTING THING IS THAT EVEN IF A VENUE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL VENUE, UM, PICKED OUT AND CHOSEN BY THE ORGANIZATION, THEY MODEL THEIR WEEK AFTER WHAT'S HAPPENING DURING, THEY MODEL THEIR WEEK AFTER WHAT OFFICIAL VENUES ARE DOING.AND SO IF IT IS A NORMAL VENUE THAT HAS GIGS WEEKLY OR NIGHTLY, AND THEY ARE, UM, NOT OFFICIAL, THEN THEY WILL START SHOWS AT 10 IN THE MORNING AND THEY WILL GO TILL TWO IN THE MORNING WHEN TYPICALLY DOORS WOULD OPEN AT SEVEN.
SO THE ENTIRE CITY MODELS, MODELO PRICES THEY MODEL, UH, WHICH THAT'S MY BEER, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FINE BEVERAGE, BUT FOR $12 IT'S, UH, A LITTLE STEEP.
BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, SO EVERY VENUE, NO MATTER OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL, THEY WILL, UH, SET UP AND CURATE THEIR WEEK BASED UPON WHAT SOUTH BY IS DOING.
AND, AND THEY WILL PAY YOU LESS, OR NOT AT ALL.
YOU'RE JUST THERE BECAUSE IT'S A BIG SPRING BREAK PARTY.
SO ANYWAY, I HOPE, I HOPE ANYTHING I SAID HELPED, BUT, UH, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MR. RAMIREZ? THANK YOU.
UM, UM, IT'S, UH, ALMOST CLOSE TO NINE O'CLOCK.
UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK WITH KIM.
UH, THE A D X N BROADCAST SHUTS OFF AT NINE 30 AS WELL, SO IF YOU HAVE THE ROOM UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK MM-HMM.
SO YOU SAID 10 O'CLOCK, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GO TILL 9 45, RIGHT? AT LEAST.
WE COULD EXTEND, BUT NINE 30 WAS A HARD STOP.
SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO? THERE IS NONE.
THE, THE BUILDING, WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE BUILDING BY 10 O'CLOCK.
SO IF YOU WANNA DO THE MEETING UNTIL 9 45, WE, WE COULD HAVE JUST ENOUGH TIME AT THE END TO CLEAN UP THE ROOM AND STUFF TO VACATE BY 10, IF YOU WANNA DO THAT.
IT'S A COURTESY OF STAFF AS WELL.
SO, UM, SO I JUST WANT TO, UM, SEE IF, UH, WHAT DO THE COMMISSIONERS THINK? AND I WILL, UH, DEFINITELY GET BACK TO THE OTHER SPEAKERS AS WELL.
UH, JUST WANTED TO DO A TIME CHECK HERE AND SEE IF WE SHOULD COMPLETE PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY AND, UH, TABLE THE ITEM.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION TO COMPLETE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IN TODAY'S, UH, MEETING.
AND, UH, THEN PICK UP THE ITEM BACK UP AGAIN IN THE NEXT, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING.
I WOULD RECOMMEND AGAINST THAT IF ANYBODY, UH, FIRST WOULD LIKE TO SECOND OR, UH, CAN WE JUST GET A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS AND THEN WE CAN MOVE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, STRICKLAND, LET ME COMPLETE, PLEASE.
I'M, UH, I'M ALLOWED TO SAY, UH, SURE DO A MOTION.
I JUST WANNA SEE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SECOND BEFORE, AND ONCE WE DO THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP EVEN FOR DISCUSSION.
EVEN ON THIS ITEM, IF ANYBODY HAS COMMENTS BEFORE I TAKE A VOTE, I, I WILL SECOND, ALTHOUGH I WILL NOT NECESSARILY VOTE FOR IT, BUT YES, LET'S DISCUSS WHAT, LET'S DISCUSS, YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT THAT MEANS TONIGHT.
UH, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TIME TO GET THROUGH TONIGHT.
I, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ITEMS SIX ON FROM THE AGENDA ARE NOT HAPPENING TONIGHT, RIGHT? YES.
IF I MAY, UH, ONE OF THE OPTIONS COULD BE TO COMPLETE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS BECAUSE WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO, UH, HAVE THAT DONE.
UH, BUT POTENTIALLY JUST COVER, BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALLER ITEMS, COVER THEM, AND THEN HAVE A BROADER, UH, MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION WITH AVAILABLE TIME IN THE NEXT SESSION.
UH, THAT IS AN OPTION AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, UH, ONE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, UH, AGENDA POINTS OF MINE, I WILL HAPPILY, I I CAN DO THAT IN AN EMAIL.
I DON'T, I DON'T, UH, I I DON'T, I DON'T NEED THAT.
I JUST IS IS THE COMMISSION OKAY WITH JUST POSTPONING ALL AGENDA ITEMS EXCEPT FOR ITEM FIVE UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING? ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? YEAH, I'M FINE.
UH, THAT WAS NOT THE POINT THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE.
I WAS STILL ASKING IF THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
MAY, MAY I SAY SOMETHING? SO, UH, IF, IF I MAY JUST COMPLETE, IF THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM FOR OUR COMMUNITY, SO ONCE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE DONE, WE CAN DO ANOTHER TIME.
CHECK THAT, THAT POINT IF, IF YOU GUYS WANNA DO THAT.
BUT MY, MY ASK IS MAINLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A GOOD LIKELIHOOD WE CANNOT FINISH THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING WOULD WE RATHER HAVE A DETAILED CONVERSATION AND TAKE MORE TIME IN THE NEXT SESSION, OR WE CAN KEEP GOING AND SEE HOW WE VERY LOUD.
I THINK WE CAN WRAP UP PUBLIC COMMENTS PRETTY QUICK.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR THE
[02:25:01]
REASON WHY WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS, UM, IN, UM, AND THIS IS PARTLY EDUCATION CUZ THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN AT A, AT A COMMISSION MEETING, THE WAY WE RUN THINGS THAT, UM, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT EVERY MUSICIAN AND PUBLIC SPEAKER HAS TO SAY.IT WILL, BECAUSE OF THE CUTOFF TIME, IT WILL LIMIT THE TIME COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO DISCUSS RESOLUTION OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH RIGHT NOW.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION IS I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME DOWN HERE TO SPEAK, THEY HAVE TO SAY WITH KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE COMMISSIONERS VERY MUCH WANT TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE ISSUES AT HAND, THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED.
AND I, I JUST WANNA SAY, SAY THAT SO THERE'S A ROOM UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
UH, UM, COMMISSIONER CASADA, I, I'M SAYING THE SAME THING.
LET'S GET THE PUBLIC COMMENTS DONE AND TAKE THE TIME.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, AND CHARLOTTE, UH, PATTERSON, I, I SEE YOU ONLINE.
I THOUGHT YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, SO, UM, YEAH, YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I WAS LISTENING FROM THE ROAD TO THE EXTENT, UH, POSSIBLE, BUT I JUST, I JUST GOT IN FROM BATON ROUGE.
ROSE WAS TAKING CARE OF A FAMILY MATTER, UH, THIS MORNING, BUT I JUST KNOW IT, IT DOES TAKE A LONG TIME TO, FOR SOMEBODY TO PREPARE AND COME DOWN AND SPEAK AND PARK IN THE GARAGE AND DO ALL OF THAT.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, AND JUST RESPECT EVERYBODY THAT'S MADE THE TIME TO BE THERE TONIGHT.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, UH, WE, I THINK, UH, AT LEAST A COUPLE OF US ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.
MY MOTION IS ESSENTIALLY TO COMPLETE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON, UH, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE AND TABLE THE ITEM TO THE AUGUST MUSIC SESSION.
UH, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? UH, HOW ARE YOU? YOU'RE INTO, OKAY, SO THE MOTION PASSES WITH, UH, HOW MANY COMMISSIONERS DO WE HAVE TODAY? 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
UH, THE MOTION PASSES WITH, UH, SEVEN IN FAVOR, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, HOW DID YOU VOTE? OR DID YOU ABSTAIN? NAY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND COMPLETE THE REST OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UH, AUDREY CAMPBELL TO SPEAK.
UM, SO I'M GONNA START OFF, UM, SO, UM, I WANTED TO SUBMIT A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF UNITED, UH, MUSICIANS AND ALLIED WORKERS.
UH, THEY'RE THE FAIR PAY AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST COALITION AND THE THOUSANDS OF MUSICIANS WHO HAVE SIGNED ONTO THE FAIR PAY AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DEMANDS LETTER, INCLUDING 175 AUSTIN MUSICIANS AND 315 TEXAS MUSICIANS.
UM, U M A W FIRST THANKSS, THE AUSTIN MUSIC CLINICIAN FOR CONSIDERING THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT, UH, LOOKS LIKE YOU ALREADY PASSED IT TOO.
SO, FOR OVER 12 YEARS, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS MAINTAINED THE SAME PAL COMPENSATION FOR ARTISTS EITHER ACCEPT THE A HUNDRED TO 10, 50, $50 IN TOTAL, OR ATTEND THE FESTIVAL.
ARTISTS ALSO MUST PAY THE $55 APPLICATION FEE.
THE DEAL IS UNIQUELY BAD FOR A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL.
NOWHERE ELSE ARE ARTISTS FORCED TO PAY APPLICATION FEES AND TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A POUCH REPAYMENT AND WRISTBAND.
UM, SO SOUTH BUY'S RECENT OFFER OF ENHANCED WRISTBAND ACCESS ARE, OR AN INSIGNIFICANT PAY INCREASE IS INSIGNIFICANT AND INSULTING.
SOUTH BUY IS TOUTED THE FACT THAT OVER 90% OF ARTISTS CHOOSE THEIR WRISTBAND AS EVIDENCE OF THE VALUE, UM, ARTISTS PLACE ON SOUTH BY COMMUNITIES LIKE EXPERIENCE.
UH, THIS ONLY SHOWS HOW OUT OF TOUCH THE FESTIVAL IS.
UM, ASK ANY ARTIST, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY CHOOSE THE WRISTBAND ONLY BECAUSE THE PAYMENT OPTION WAS SO LOW AS TO BE MEANINGLESS.
THE FACT THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS ONLY BEEN PAYING LESS THAN 10% OF ITS ARTISTS ONLY DEMONSTRATES HOW PROFOUNDLY THE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN EXPLOITING MUSICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.
IT IS A STANDARD FOR FESTIVALS TO PROVIDE ARTISTS WITH BOTH PAYMENT AND ACCESS TO THE EVENT.
[02:30:01]
NEGOTIATES A UNIQUE DEAL WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE THE FESTIVAL TO PAY ARTISTS FAIRLY IF THE FESTIVAL WISHES CONTINUE RECEIVING SUCH EXTENSIVE ACCESS TO PUBLIC LANDS AND RESOURCES.SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A UNIQUELY WEALTHY AND LARGE FESTIVAL WITH AN OBVIOUS SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO AUSTIN.
IT IS ALSO UNIQUE IN ITS LOW PAYMENT TO ARTISTS LIKE, I'M GONNA KEEP GOING, BUT I'M GETTING HOT JUST READING THIS
UM, SO BASICALLY, UM, OTHER PRIVATE MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE CITY, SUCH AS O LIMITS ALREADY PAY ARTISTS RATES FAR BETTER, UH, THAN THE 750 AND A WRISTBAND RATE BEING DEMANDED.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS TAKEN IMPORTANT AND COMMENDABLE STEPS IN THE PAST TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS ARE COMPENSATED FAIRLY FOR THEIR LABOR.
UM, SUCH AS THROUGH ENFORCING LIVING WAGES, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH THE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTING CONTRACTING PROGRAM, WHICH REQUIRES ALL CITY CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO PAY THEIR WORKERS AT THE LEAST THE PREVAILING, UH, WAGE FOR THEIR WORK, THEIR TRADE.
THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN TAKE ACTION NOW TO MOVE THIS PROCESS ALONG FOR MUSIC WORKERS, REGARDLESS OF FEELINGS, UH, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE UNION COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR ANY ANYTHING ELSE.
THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN TAKE THIS ACTION RIGHT NOW, UM, AND MOVE THIS FORWARD BASED ON THE FOLLOWING, UH, ON FOLLOWING THE PARKS AND REC, UH, BOARD RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UH, PHI OFFERS IT'S SIMPLE, UNACCEPTABLE.
IT'S SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE TO, UH, MUSICIANS AND U M A W URGES THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO PASS A FAIR PAY AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST RECOMMENDATION.
WE CAN APPLAUD THE WAYS THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS HISTORICALLY CONTRIBUTED TO AUSTIN, WHILE ALSO DEMANDING THAT THE FESTIVAL DOES PAY BETTER, UH, DOES BETTER BY ITS ARTISTS.
THEY CERTAINLY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO SO.
LET ME JUST SAY MY PIECE VERY QUICKLY.
SO SOUTH BY IS LIKE EXPANDING TO AUSTRALIA AND IT'S KIND OF KEEPS SAYING LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THE LACK, LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THE, THE LACK OF ART BEING PAID HERE TO PLAY, UH, THE FESTIVAL IS HOW YOU CAN EXPAND, UH, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY EXPLOITATIVE.
UM, SO I SING IN A BAND CALLED PLEASURE, BUT I'M HERE BASED, UH, UH, I'VE BEEN ACTIVE FOR ABOUT A DECADE.
UM, UH, NEXT MAY, NEXT YEAR IN MAY, IT'LL BE A DECADE.
UM, ANYWAY, UM, I'M A BLACK QUEER WOMAN.
I PLAN A NICHE GENRE LIKE NOISE ROCK AND PUNK ROCK.
UM, SO MY DECADE WAS NOT EASY, KIND OF HAD TO FIGHT MY WAY INTO THE TOP
AND WE'RE ALSO DIY, SO WE MAKE A LOT OF OUR OWN MERCH.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, WE PAY FOR OUR OWN RECORDINGS.
UM, IT'S HARD, BUT WE JUST LOVE WHAT WE DO.
SO, UM, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE LOVE WHAT WE DO DOESN'T MEAN IT'S OKAY TO EXPLOIT US.
YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M, I'VE JUST BEEN LISTENING ALL NIGHT, UH, ALL THIS EVENING.
AND, UM, ANYWAY, THAT BEING SAID, I'VE PLAYED, I PLAYED A C L LAST YEAR, UH, PAID UPWARDS OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS, ALSO GOT A WRISTBAND.
UM, I THINK THAT WE JUST HAD TO LIKE EMAIL THEM TO SHOW LIKE, WE WANT IT TO GO.
UM, I THINK I SAW JESUS AND MARY CHAIN AND PER MARTYR.
UH, ANYWAY, BOTH OFFER MORE THAN WHAT SOUTH BUY'S OFFERING AND ALSO PAID, UM, FAIRLY IN OUR OPINION.
UH, ANYWAY, UM, SO I JUST DON'T THINK SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A NETWORKING EVENT.
AN ARTIST LIKE MYSELF SHOULD BE PAID.
UM, THIS YEAR, UH, I STOPPED BY THE ARTIST LOUNGE.
UH, IT WAS A DIRT PIT WITH LIKE, I DID ANY OF Y'ALL GO BY THERE? SO IT WAS, THERE WAS LIKE PUDDLES AND LIKE MUD
UM, I PROMISE YOU NO ONE IS NETWORKING THERE.
UM, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND YOUR NEXT LIKE, BOOKING AGENT OR YOUR BAND MANAGER.
LIKE, IT'S JUST, WE JUST KIND OF HAVE TO FACE THE MUSIC IT TAKES OVER THE ENTIRE MONTH.
UM, AND WE SHOULD BE PAID FOR THE GIGS THAT WE, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD OF AUSTIN IN GENERAL.
IF YOU PLAY HERE, I, I DON'T KNOW.
LIKE, YOU, YOU, YOU SHOULD WANT MORE OVER HERE.
THE GUY WHO WAS SAYING LIKE, UH, THREE HOURS FOR, UH, SOUTH BY PAY, THAT'S WILD TO ME.
UM, BUT DO YOU, UM, ANYWAY, UM, I PRETTY MUCH IN THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS REALLY F*****G, UH, SORRY, I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO CUSS.
IT WAS REALLY HARD DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT I STILL WORKED
[02:35:01]
REALLY HARD.WE WERE ABLE TO RELEASE SOME SINGLES, SOME MUSIC VIDEOS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE TRIED TO STAY AS BUSY AS WE COULD.
I STILL FELT LIKE IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
UH, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND LIKE A BOOKING AGENT.
UM, AND I FINALLY GOT TO GO ON TOUR THIS YEAR.
UM, NEXT MONTH WE'RE PLAYING LIKE TWO FESTIVALS, ONE, UM, OUT OF STATE AND THE OTHER ONE'S LIKE OUT OF THE COUNTRY, SEPTEMBER, THERE'S AN UNANNOUNCED FESTIVAL THAT WE'RE DOING THAT'S ALSO OUT OF STATE.
UM, I'M JUST SAYING ALL THIS CUZ IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THIS LIFE IS LIKE.
AND I CAN ONLY GIVE YOU LIKE MY POINT OF VIEW.
I FEEL LIKE, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO
UM, ANYWAY, AS I'M SAYING ALL OF THIS, UM, I'M LIKE THE SOLE BLACK WOMAN ON THE MUSICIAN SECTION BACK THERE.
UM, AND IT'S JUST NO, I MEAN, BUT I MEAN ON THAT AND YOU, YOU GUYS ARE STILL UNDECIDED.
I'M TRYING TO GET YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY, WHAT IS IT, TWO 50 FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK IS NOT GOOD.
THAT'S A LOT OF BANDS RATES PER BAND MEMBER.
IT'S LIKE, THAT SHOULD BE UP TO LIKE THE ARTIST TO BARGAIN.
AND I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE KIND OF PUTTING IT MORE IN YOUR HANDS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S REALLY, I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE HAVE A MANAGER AND BOOKING AGENT THAT BASICALLY NEGOTIATES THAT FOR US AND IT'S USUALLY PER BAIT BECAUSE WE ALL A DECADE IN I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD GET PAID FOR MY SETS.
UM, SO, UM, I GUESS I'LL STOP IF UH, Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY UH, QUESTIONS FOR AUDREY? NOT A CURRENT MUSICIAN, FAILED MUSICIAN.
SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, WHERE EARLIER, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER MUSICIANS MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOU PLAY SOUTH BY AND YOU GET, UH, $200, THAT IT MAKES IT HARDER TO NEGOTIATE WITH VENUES BEFORE OR AFTER HERE IN AUSTIN FOR TO PLAY MM-HMM.
UM, DO YOU, WHICH, UM, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT TRUE.
I'VE, YOU KNOW, KNOW A LOT OF MUSICIANS HAD SEVERAL ON MY COUCH, PULLED IN BUNK BEDS DURING EVENT FESTIVALS AND STUFF TO HAVE THEM SLEEP.
BUT HOW WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE NEGOTIATING A A, UM, TO PERFORM AT A VENUE OUTSIDE OF SOUTH BY, HOW IS A MUSIC CONFERENCE AS SUPPOSED TO BE A NETWORKING THING PLAY INTO YOU BEING ABLE TO NEGOTIATE? LIKE IF YOU CAN PULL IN 500 PEOPLE TO A VENUE, THAT SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IF YOU GOT PAID A DOLLAR OR $5,000 AT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE MM-HMM.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE YOUR STANDARD, UM, DEPENDING ON THE VENUE.
UM, SO FOR FESTIVALS, UH, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A BUNCH OF FESTIVALS COMING UP THAT PROBABLY AREN'T, I MEAN, THERE'S ONE THAT'S PRETTY COOL, BUT LIKE, THEY'RE NOT THE SIZE OF SOUTH BY AND THEY, THEY'RE PAYING WAY BETTER.
UM, ALL OF THEM ARE FLYING ME OUT.
UM, I FEEL, I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE F*****G, I'M S**T, I'M SUCH A SAILOR.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, MA'AM, CAN YOU PLEASE STOP IT?
LIKE, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I CAN DO THAT
SO I'M LIKE, UH, YEAH, YEAH, LIKE FOOD ACCOMMODATIONS.
UM, IT'S NOT EVEN A QUESTION ABOUT WRISTBANDS AND IT'S DEFINITELY NOT GONNA BE WHAT'S OFFERED AS PAYMENT.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MOST MUSICIANS, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO TO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, USE OUR, OUR WRISTBANDS.
CUZ IT, I MEAN I SADIE YOU WERE SAYING YOU PAID LIKE 16 SHOWS, LIKE WHO, WHO CAN HAVE TIME TO GO TO THE CONVENTION CENTER? YOU TAKE A RIDE SHARE THERE, THAT'S MONEY YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR OR FIND PARKING.
IT'S HORRIBLE PARKING RIDES SHARE YOUR SKYROCKET DURING SOUTH BUY.
THEY'RE NOT TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT LIKE AT ALL.
UM, THINGS, EVERYTHING'S SO EXPENSIVE DURING SOUTH BUY.
I JUST WANNA KEEP IT REAL IF Y'ALL LIKE, ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BUT I'M JUST GONNA SAY I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, BUT FOR MYSELF, I DON'T THINK HOPEFULLY THAT THERE'S ANY ARGUMENT THAT THE PAY NEEDS TO INCREASE
[02:40:01]
GREAT PERIOD.BUT IT'S JUST, I DON I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT,
CAUSE I, I THINK IT'S KIND OF, I THINK IT'S PRETTY EMBARRASSING.
UM, THAT'S WHERE THE RITUAL COMES FROM.
IF YOU SEE PEOPLE LIKE MM-HMM.
WHAT IF YOU BANS AN EIGHT PIECE? WHAT? AND, AND SO THAT BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT.
SO AT WHAT POINT, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? BECAUSE IT'S GOT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE WHAT IS THE, IF SOUTH BY HAS, I WAS LIKE LOOKING AT 1400 MUSICIANS PLAYING DURING THE WEEK AND WHAT IS THE, AT SOME POINT THERE'S GOTTA BE LIKE A BASELINE.
AND SHOULD THERE BE, IS THERE A SCALE THAT YOU'RE THINKING OR IS IT SO MUCH PER PERSON? LIKE WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? BECAUSE I CAN SEE THE NUMBERS ON HERE.
YEAH, I MEAN WHAT WHAT JUST YOUR OPINION.
JUST LIKE, I TEND TO NEGOTIATE FOR MY BAND MATES, SO I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT IT'S ABOUT TWO AHEAD, 200.
WHENEVER IT'S IN THE ARTIST'S HANDS, YOU HAVE LIKE MY BAND MANAGER OR MY BOOKING AGENT AT THIS POINT IS DOING LIKE OUR NEGOTIATED NEGOTIATING.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE EMAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S USUALLY HOW THAT GOES.
BUT LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF ABOUT OUR BOTTOM DOLLAR AS FAR AS LIKE OUR TAKE HOME.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT LIKE, A LITTLE BIT TO GO AND LIKE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SELL A NICE AMOUNT OF MERCH THAT WE MAKE OURSELVES.
UM, BUT LIKE, ALSO LIKE TRY AND HAVE LIKE A, LIKE THE FOUR OF US PAID IN A LITTLE BIT ON THE SIDE FOR JUST US TO GO INTO THE BAND FUND.
CAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE STUFF GOING ON.
WHETHER IT'S RECORDING, MAKING A MUSIC VIDEO, PLAYING A TOUR, WEST COAST, EAST COAST THING, IT ALL COSTS MONEY.
UM, YOU GIVE ME, I DON'T KNOW, THROWING OUT LIKE A SHOW, LIKE YOU GIVE A BAND LIKE FOUR OR FIVE GRAND, I CAN SPEND IT IN LIKE A FEW DAYS LIKE TRYING TO MAKE A RECORD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, OUR MUSIC VIDEO, OUR LOOKING AT FOR TALK FOR TAKE PHOTOS, LIKE, IT ALL COSTS SO MUCH MONEY.
SOUTH BIKE SHOULD JUST FEEL REALLY, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I DON'T, I THINK IT'S REALLY SILLY TO COME UP HERE AND LIKE KIND OF BE EXPLAINING A PROBLEM TO YOU GUYS WHENEVER IT'S LIKE, IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S A PROBLEM AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PRETTY MUCH LIKE CREATED, YOU KNOW? SO IT JUST FEELS WEIRD.
AND, AND THE ONLY REASON WHY THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SO MUCH IS BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS KIND OF LET SOUTH BY JUST GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU KNOW? AND IT'S JUST TIME PEOPLE ARE KIND OF FED UP AND MAYBE IT'S LIKE COMING OUT OF PANDEMIC, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
ARTISTS HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? YEAH, I HAVE ONE.
YOU SHOULD ASK FOR MORE MONEY.
IT, I DON'T KNOW YOUR MUSIC, I HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, THAT'S JUST NOT GOOD FOR THREE HOURS OF DAY.
I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THAT'S A T-SHIRT FROM YOUR BAND.
NO, UM, IT'S JUST A FUN SHIRT.
I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL BE KIND ABOUT ALL OF THIS AND REALLY CONSIDER, UH, WHAT WE'RE ALL SAYING.
SO WHERE IS YOUR NEXT GIG THAT YOU'RE PLAYING? UH, YOU'RE SAYING OUTSIDE OF THE THING.
IT'S A FESTIVAL IN DENVER THAT WE'RE DOING.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE FESTIVAL? COME ON.
WE'RE MARKETING, UH, GHOST CANYON FEST.
GHOST CANYON FESTIVAL, AND THEN CANADA.
WE'RE DOING, UH, OH MY GOSH, I'M ALREADY SO FRIED.
UM, IT'S CALLED, UH, PURPLE CITY FEST.
UH, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE.
WELL, ALL OF THE THINGS ASIDE.
UM, AND THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY, IT'S BEEN GREAT.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, IT'S JUST BEEN SO LONG AT THIS AND I'M REALLY TIRED OF HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND BRINGING THEM.
I I JUST, I JUST HOPE THAT Y'ALL HEAR US OUT BECAUSE IT'S, THE PAY IS, IT'S EMBARRASSING.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE VIRE COMES FROM.
WE DON'T WANNA BE VITRAL, BUT MOST ARTISTS I TALK TO, YOU WANT, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE SOUTH BY THE PROBLEM IS, IS JUST, IT'S EXPLOITING ARTISTS.
LIKE YOU HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE MORE THAN THAT.
UM, AND THE ARTISTS THAT I TALK TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE STARTING OUT A BAND, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE IT'S CUZ I'M A BLACK WOMAN IN DOING THIS, LIKE I, IT WAS BANGED IN MY HEAD TO LIKE, MAKE SURE THAT I WAS PAID FAIRLY.
YOU KIND OF START TALKING TO OTHER ARTISTS AND WHENEVER I FIRST STARTING OUT, YOU KIND OF START TALKING TO LIKE WHITE MALE ARTISTS.
LIKE IN THE GENRE MIND THEY WERE, I WAS LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE WERE OFFERING THAT KIND OF MONEY, YOU KNOW? BUT I DON'T KNOW, YOU JUST KIND OF TRY AND WORK SO HARD TO WHERE LIKE NOBODY CAN GATE KEEP YOU OR, YOU KNOW, STOP YOU FROM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SAY THAT.
[02:45:01]
UM, ANYWAY, SORRY.BUT I DON'T KNOW, I JUST FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO GO OUT OF MY WAY TO MAKE SURE OF IT.
CAUSE I WOULD QUESTION THE ENTIRE TIME.
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT, PEOPLE LIKE ME, YOUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M HERE, BUT I'M LIKE, THERE'S MORE OF US, YOU KNOW? BUT I HAVE JUST GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE I DON'T CARE ABOUT LOSING A GIG, YOU KNOW, OR BEING, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY, I'M GONNA SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE, WE, I THINK WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER.
WE, WE WELCOME, UM, ALL PERSPECTIVES, UH, AT THIS COMMISSION, UH, FROM, UH, THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY.
UH, TWO MORE SPEAKERS, UM, ADRIAN LAKE.
I AM AN INDEPENDENT MUSIC CONSULTANT AND I WORK WITH BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, AND ARTISTS.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF OFFER, UH, A PERSPECTIVE FROM THAT REALM CUZ I AM AN ARTIST ADVOCATE.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF A FEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALL ABOUT ARTISTS ADVOCACY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A BIG PART OF MY WORK.
AND THROUGH THAT WORK I HAVE DONE MENTORING FOR ARTISTS FROM CANADA THAT, UM, THE GOVERNMENT, UM, SET UP AN EXCHANGE.
SO I WAS ADVISING THEM ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF THEIR TIME AT SOUTH BY, I'VE DONE MENTORING AT SOUTH BY, IN EXCHANGE FOR CREDENTIALS, JUST LIKE ARTISTS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN GET FORGOTTEN, AND I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S PERSPECTIVES AND, AND I APPRECIATE HEARING ALL OF THIS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, DOESN'T GET TALKED ABOUT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THIS FROM MY WORK AS A CONSULTANT, IS THAT THE OPPORTUNITY OF, OF THE BADGE AND THE ACCESS TO THE PANELS.
AND I GET IT, IF YOU'RE PLAYING 16 SHOWS, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO.
BUT I KNOW A LOT OF ARTISTS WHO HAVE DONE THE TIME, THE RESEARCH AND SPENT TIME GOING TO CERTAIN PANELS AND TALKING TO PEOPLE AND HAVE GAINED, UM, A LOT OUT OF THAT.
IN FACT, MY BUSINESS PARTNER, WHO IS A MUSICIAN WHO JUST DROPPED AN ALBUM, SHE WENT TO PANELS AND INTRODUCED HERSELF TO PEOPLE AND SHE GOT HERSELF A PUBLISHING DEAL AND SHE GOT HERSELF A, UM, SHE ACTUALLY GOT TWO DEALS OUT OF JUST ONE SOUTH BY.
AND I REALIZED THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THE CASE FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT A LOT OF IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HUSTLE, JUST LIKE MUSIC IS IN GENERAL AND TAKING THE TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT GOES FOR PEOPLE ON THE INDUSTRY SIDE TOO, BECAUSE SOUTH BY IS NOT A MUSIC FESTIVAL, LIKE A ACL FEST.
THERE'S THE LIVE MUSIC SIDE AND THERE IS THE CONFERENCE SIDE.
AND INITIALLY IT BEGAN, I BELIEVE, AS A CONFERENCE.
AND I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY INVALUABLE.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE, UM, PAY RAISE IS A LONG TIME COMING.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE VALUE OF THE CREDENTIALS, UM, IS FORGOTTEN OR A LOT OF ARTISTS ARE UNAWARE OF WHAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF IT.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN I DO THE MENTORING, UM, THROUGH SOUTH BY, IT'S WITH A LOT OF ARTISTS.
UM, I'VE MET WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAD A RECORD LABEL IN SOUTH AFRICA, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND, UM, THEY WE'RE MAKING REAL CONNECTIONS.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE CONNECTED WITH THROUGH MENTORING I AM STILL IN TOUCH WITH AND WE'RE STILL CREATING THINGS AND WE'RE STILL SHARING OPPORTUNITIES.
I'VE BOOKED PAID GIGS FOR ARTISTS THAT I MET AT SOUTH BY AND WRAP IT UP REAL FAST.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT WAS JUST THE POINT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE AND I THINK THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOOD AND WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BY TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION FOR ADRIAN? OKAY.
UH, SO I GET THAT THE VALUE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS
[02:50:01]
VERY IMPORTANT TO, UH, UH, FOR THE NETWORKING CAPABILITIES, UM, BECAUSE IT'S SO EXPENSIVE TO COME TO.SO BY SOUTHWEST TO DRINK THE EXPENSIVE BEERS TO STAY AT HOTELS, IT COSTS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
MY CONCERN IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY IS ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE PRIVILEGED AND CAN AFFORD TO COME TO AUSTIN CAN GET THIS PRIVILEGE.
AND, UH, TH THIS IS, THIS IS EVEN ASIDE FROM PERFORMING IN ANY GIGS, THIS IS JUST TO GO TO THE CONFERENCE.
UM, DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE WAYS TO GET, UH, PERHAPS THROUGH THIS PERFORMANCE, UH, PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO COME TO AUSTIN, UH, GET GETTING THEM MORE OPPORTUNITY AND MORE EQUITY FOR PEOPLE INSTEAD OF JUST THOSE THAT, THAT ALREADY HAVE THE MONEY, UH, TO GO, DO YOU MEAN IF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WOULD CREATE SOME SORT OF PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR CREDENTIALS, THAT WOULD, THAT THAT WOULD BE GOOD AND AND PERHAPS THE PERFORMANCE COULD BE A WAY TO, TO FUND THAT TYPE OF THING? YEAH, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
I DON'T WORK FOR SOUTH BY AND I'M NOT HERE REPRESENTING THEM.
UM, SO I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL GOOD CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE, BUT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN MY EXPERIENCE SOUTH BY IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.
AND I HAVE SEEN ARTISTS WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY DOWN ON IT BECAUSE THEY CAME AND THEY PLAYED THEIR SHOWCASE AND NOTHING HAPPENED.
AND I ASKED THEM, WELL, DID YOU GO TO THE CONFERENCE? DID YOU, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE, UH, SESSION ON LICENSING SINCE THAT'S WHAT WHAT YOU WANNA DO? DID YOU GO TO THIS? DID YOU GO TO THAT? YOU KNOW, DID YOU MEET THE FOLKS FROM BMI AT THAT THING? AND SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE THERE, AND AS, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE CREDENTIALS ARE GONNA BE STRONGER AND BETTER.
AND, AND YOUR ROLE AT SOUTH BY IS YOU ARE A MENTOR.
IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? SO THAT IS, DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THEY HAVE A, A PROGRAM THAT THEY OFFER TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING, WHETHER THEY'RE ARTISTS OR, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES, AND YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MENTOR SESSIONS WITH, UM, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY AND IN EXCHANGE THE, THE MENTORS GET A BADGE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR THREE YEARS, AND IT'S, FOR ME, IT'S A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I GET TO MEET ALL THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
I GET TO, YOU KNOW, STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM, WORK WITH SOME OF THEM, AND IT'S, IT'S GREAT FOR, UM, PEOPLE TO GET ONE-ON-ONE TIME.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ADRIAN? ADRIAN? THANK YOU.
UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, PARKS BOARD, MR. PEDRO, UH, VIA, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? YES.
I'M HERE AS THE CHAIR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
UM, LAST, LAST WEEK I THINK WE HAD THE HONOR OF PASSING THIS RES THE RESOLUTION TO DEMAND FAIR PAY FOR ARTISAN BANDS AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST UNANIMOUSLY.
I EMAILED Y'ALL EARLIER TODAY INDICATING THAT FACT AND OTHER REASONS BEHIND OUR THINKING PROCESS.
UM, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS AND HEARING THIS, AND I JUST HAVE TWO POINTS OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, THE FIRST THING IS I DON'T WANT IT TO GET LOST ON Y'ALL THAT WHAT THE INTENT OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS.
AND THAT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS USING ITS POWER AS SOMEONE WHO IS THE FACILITATOR OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES LIKE VIC MATHAI SHORES, AND ENSURE THAT ANY TIME THAT WE ARE SUBSIDIZING THOSE RESOURCES, PARKS, PARKS, FACILITIES, THAT WE ARE UPHOLDING THE CITY'S MISSIONS AND VALUES, THAT'S WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS ABOUT.
THIS POINT BLANK PERIOD IS ARE WE BEING GOOD STEWARDS FOR THOSE TAXPAYER FUNDED RESOURCES? AND ARE WE USING THOSE RESOURCES TO UPHOLD OUR COMMUNITY VALUES? THIS ISN'T ABOUT, UM, FIGURING OUT WHAT THE EXACT PAY THAT SO THAT ARTISTS DESERVE FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A DECISION THAT'S BEST LEFT UP TO A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGENT AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO DECIDE AND DISCUSS AMONGST THEMSELVES AND COME TO RESOLUTION THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS.
UM, AND IN FACT, IT WOULD BE IMPROPER, POSSIBLY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO RECOMMEND ANY SORT OF AMOUNT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF HB 2127, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY PRE, WHICH IS GONNA PREEMPT A
[02:55:01]
LOT OF OUR LOCAL LABOR ORDINANCES.UM, AND IF THIS COMMISSION, UH, DECIDES TO RECOMMEND A SPECIFIC NUMBERS, WE'RE PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, EDGING TOWARDS THE TERRITORY OF COMMITTING, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS PROBABLY IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW, WHICH IS PROBABLY GONNA GET THE CITY IN TROUBLE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS VERY, IT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLE.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS, THE RECOMMENDATION IS ABOUT HOLDING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FEET TO THE FIRE AND ENSURING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS USING ITS LEVERAGE TO ENSURE THAT PRIVATE ACTORS WHO WANT TO USE CITY RESOURCES AND WHO CONSISTENTLY ARE ASKING FOR WAIVERS AND SUBSIDIZATION OF PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES, WHETHER THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE, GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT 10 YEARS HAS GONE BY SINCE THIS FAIR PAY WAGE ISSUE HAS EVEN, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED ANY SORT OF DISCUSSION.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, FROM ANYBODY THAT HAS ONE ON THE COMMISSION.
UM, I HAVE AION COMMISSIONER, UH, PATON.
HEY, SORRY PEDRO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M, I'M ON, YEAH, I'M ON THE ZOOM
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR MEETING TONIGHT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
UM, AS A PARKS BOARD CHAIR, I AGREE THAT THE CITY DOES WITH, WITH LARGER, UM, ENTITIES IN THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S REAL ESTATE OR VARIOUS INDUSTRIES THAT, THAT WE SHOULD AS A, AS A CITY TRY TO, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE DO HAVE LEVERAGE OR NEGOTIATING POWER ON CERTAIN UNCERTAIN THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DERIVE THE BEST AND, AND, AND HIGHEST PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR CITIZENS OF AUSTIN AND, AND WORKERS AND, UM, PEOPLE, FUTURE RESIDENTS, CURRENT RESIDENTS, ALL OF THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR CITI.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, THIS IS SPECIFIC TO PARKS PEDRO, DO YOU KNOW IN, TYPICALLY IN, IN CONTRACTS THAT THE, LIKE, I'M SORRY, THIS IS A TOTALLY NERDY QUESTION, SO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM JUST FORGIVE ME, BUT TYPICALLY ARE EVER CAN, DOES THE PARKS BOARD STIPULATE RATES OF PAY, UM, AND CONTRACTS WITH OUTSIDE ENTITIES? UM, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
YEAH, SO WHEN THE, WHEN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS CONTRACTS WITH, WITH THIRD PARTY VENDORS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE OUTSIDE ENTITIES, UH, CAN, CAN THE PARKS, DOES THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THAT AND THOSE CONTRACTS, DO THEY STIPULATE RATES OF PAY FOR WORKERS? I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICITY, UH, OF LIKE CERTAIN CONTRACTS, WHETHER THEY WILL LIKE GET DOWN TO THE MOHA OF WHAT THE ACTUAL PAY NEEDS TO BE.
I WILL STATE THAT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS RECOMMENDATION, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS, UH, PREVIOUSLY, UH, STATED THAT THEY'RE ONLY WILLING TO, AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART, AND IT WASN'T OUR, PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, IS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS SET STANDARDS BY WHICH, UH, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, UH, ARE TO BE PAID.
UM, AND THEY WILL ONLY CONTRACT WITH THOSE, UH, CORPORATIONS, WITH THOSE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT GUARANTEE THAT PAY.
SO THERE IS ACTUAL PRECEDENTS, PRECEDENTS FOR THIS HAPPENING, UH, AT THE CITY LEVEL.
UM, WHICH I, I GUESS IT ALSO TOUCHES ON ANOTHER, WHICH, UH, TOUCHES ON ANOTHER POINT, WHICH IS, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT NOT NOT BEING INVOLVED OR THIS ISN'T THE PROPER ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOING THIS.
UM, AND I ALSO WILL POINT OUT THAT THE FACT THAT I, ON THE AGENDA THERE WAS THE LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT IS ALSO GOVERNMENT GETTING INVOLVED TO BENEFIT A COMMUNITY AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD REFUTE THE IDEA THAT GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE A ROLE IN ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION OR HAVING A ROLE TO UPLIFT, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS ACTUALLY, IT IS FUNDED BY PUBLIC DOLLARS THAT COME INTO THE CITY.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UM, THAT, YEAH, WE, GOVERNMENT DOES HAVE A ROLE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S FUNDED THROUGH A HO I'M SORRY, IT'S FUNDED THROUGH A HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO THAT'S PUBLIC, BUT IT'S PUBLIC FUNDS.
BUT, BUT THOSE FUNDS ARE TAX DOLLARS, RIGHT? THEY'RE TAX DOLLARS, CORRECT.
YEAH, THEY'RE TAXES CITY TAX DOLLARS.
IT'S NOT PAYING STATE OF TEXAS TAX DOLLARS.
TOURIST THEORETICALLY ARE THE ONES PAYING THAT.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, AND THAT DOES REPRESENT, I MEAN, THERE'S A WHOLE PARTNERSHIP THERE WITH, WITH THE HOTELS AND I MEAN,
[03:00:01]
THAT'S STATE, WELL, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE WEEDS WITH THAT AND I'M SORRY THAT I STARTED DOWN THAT PATH, BUT YEAH, SO, UM, I MEAN, I DO THINK AS A CITY WE HAVE A ROLE TO, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY MY STATEMENT EARLIER.LIKE, WE HAVE A ROLE TO HELP THE CORPORATE ENTITIES IN OUR MIDST BE THE BEST NEIGHBORS THAT THEY CAN BE.
UM, BUT I THINK MY QUESTION FOR PEDRO, THAT I'M PROBABLY PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT A LITTLE BIT WITH LIKE, NUMBERS THAT ARE, IT'S PROBABLY A BETTER QUESTION FOR, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF AND POSSIBLY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ALSO.
SO, UM, THOSE MAY BE FOLKS THAT, THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION WANTS TO HEAR FROM IN A, IN A FUTURE MEETING ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVILA AND I HAD A QUESTION.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THAT OKAY? UH, DID YOU, DID YOU PLEASE, DID I MISS YOU? I, I, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, MR. VILO LOPEZ, UH, WILL YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR OCCUPATION? UM, I'M AN ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, CAN YOU TELL US, UH, FROM YOUR ROLE AS THE CHAIR OF THE PARKS COMMISSION AND YOUR JOB AS AN ATTORNEY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UH, FOR US WHAT IT IS THAT A BOARD AND COMMISSION DOES? SO SPECIFICALLY, I CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT MY, WHAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, AND THAT'S FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES ARE BEING USED FOR PUBLIC GOOD AND THAT WE'RE ADVANCING, UH, A GOOD PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AGENDA.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LIFTING UP THOSE VOICES, UH, TO ENCOURAGE, UH, USAGE BY ALL IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES.
AND IDEALLY, EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
EVERYONE SHOULD BENEFIT FROM USING PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES AND ANYONE SHOULD HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES.
COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, MR. VILO, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION HAS MUSIC AT MANY OF THE PARKS AROUND TOWN.
WHO, WHO PAYS FOR THOSE? WHO PAYS FOR WHO? WHO, OKAY, WHO, WHO, UH, WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO BRING IN THE ACTS IN THERE? IS IT A PRIVATE AGENCY OR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PARK LIKE ZILKER.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL, UH, DOING THINGS AT ZILKER, BUT, UH, LIKE THERE'S PAN AMERICAN RECREATION CENTER AND, UH, OTHER, I REMEMBER NORTHWEST USED TO HAVE IT AND THE FUNDS USED TO COME FROM THE A F OF M UH, THAT WOULD PAY, UH, UNION SCALE.
THIS WAS BACK IN THE SEVENTIES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, UH, DOES, DOES PARKS HAVE ANY LEEWAY ON WHERE, WHERE THESE, UH, UH, SUMMER CONCERT SERIES? CUZ THAT'S USUALLY WHEN IT IS, UH, HAPPEN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO JUST SPECIFICALLY ANSWER A QUESTION AND PART OF THAT IS JUST BECAUSE I WAS APPOINTED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD IN FEBRUARY.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR PARTICULAR QUESTION.
THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS, IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT PARTNERS WITH THE D D A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES, WHETHER THEY'RE COMMUNITY GROUPS, NON-PROFITS FOR PROFIT CORPORATIONS, UM, MANY OTHER TYPES OF ENTITIES IN ORDER TO PUT ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S BLUES ON THE GREENS, WHETHER IT'S KITE, UH, WHETHER IT'S THE KITE FESTIVAL, WHETHER IT'S ACL, WHETHER IT'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THE TEXAS, UH, FOOD FESTIVAL ALSO USES AUDITORIUM.
SO THERE'S A PLETHORA OF, OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, END UP USING PARKS AND PARK FACILITIES.
SO IT COULD RUN FROM, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, QUINCEANERA PARTY.
MY QUE MY QUE REALLY, MY QUESTION IS, IS OKAY, THE $200 PER HOUR THAT THE, THAT PARKS RECOMMENDED? CORRECT.
AM I CORRECT? WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND, WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND THE NUMBER, AND THE REASON WE DIDN'T RECOMMEND NUMBER IS TO GO BACK AGAIN.
THE, THERE'S THAT H THE HOUSE BILL THAT I BELIEVE, UH, WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO STEPPING ON, WHICH WOULD THEN PUT ANY SORT OF PROGRESS THAT WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IN JE LEGAL JEOPARDY.
UM, AND ALSO ADDITIONALLY TO GO WITH THAT IS, IS THAT THE INTENTION AND LEAVING THE INTENTION IS IN LE LEAVING THAT NUMBER UP BETWEEN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGENT, WHOEVER THAT IS, AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, TO DECIDE, UH, AMONGST THEMSELVES WHAT THAT MAGIC NUMBER IS, WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, UH, AND THEN, UH, FOR THEM TO COME TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND SAY, IDEALLY THEN TO COME TO THE CITY, HEY, WE'VE, WE'VE COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UM, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN GONNA BE LIKE, GREAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S AWESOME.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THERE'S NO SPECIFIC
[03:05:01]
NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH IT.THE 200 HOURS PER THE $200 PER HOUR PER BAND MEMBER, I THINK IS, IS A GUIDING LIGHT SINCE Y'ALL HAVE DETERMINED THAT TO BE A NUMBER THAT, UH, SHOULD BE BEING USED.
NOW, WHETHER IT'S GONNA LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THAT, I DON'T KNOW.
IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT LESS, IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT MAY, YOU MAY HAVE LIKE OTHER INTANGIBLES THAT PLAY COME, COME INTO PLAY.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION.
THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT DISCUSSION.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING BETWEEN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGENT AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO ENTER INTO THE TRANSACTION.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M NOT.
THANK YOU, PEDRO, FOR PROVIDING THE PERSPECTIVE AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE ON THE PARKS BOARD.
UM, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD WRAP UP AND, UH, JUST FINISH THE REST OF THE, UH, BUSINESS FOR THE COMMISSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
I'D LIKE TO ASK PEDRO PEDRO A QUESTION A QUICK, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A TIME CHECK.
UH, BUT YEAH, WHAT'S THE IMPACT AGAIN? CAN WE TAKE FIVE MORE MINUTES? FIVE.
REAL QUICK, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF US NOT GETTING A RESOLUTION PASSED TONIGHT? THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PASS A RE RESOLUTION FOR A MONTH.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IF YOU'RE ASKING ME AS CHAIR, THAT MEANS THAT Y'ALL OPENING UP YOURSELF UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT AGAIN AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM,
I KNOW THAT I'VE GOTTEN IN CONTACT WITH A LOT OF STAFF OR CITY COUNCIL.
THEY'RE WANTING TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT ON THIS.
AND I MEAN, WORST CASE SCENARIOS, Y'ALL ARE RISKING, Y'ALL LOSING Y'ALL'S VOICE IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, THAT KIND OF LIGHTS A LITTLE BIT OF A FIRE, UM, UNDER EVERYONE TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT MEANS, UH, PASSING THE, THE SAME OR SIMILAR, UH, RESOLUTION THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DID.
UH, CAN I JUST, UH, INTERJECT REALLY QUICK? THERE IS A POTENTIAL REQUEST FOR COUNSEL ACTION THAT IS BEING PUT FORWARD BY RYAN ALTER'S OFFICE ON THIS VERY ISSUE AROUND MUSICIAN PAY AND HOW IT RELATES TO CO-SPONSORED EVENTS IN PARKS, ET CETERA.
SO I THINK THAT IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR JULY 20TH, BUT SINCE YOU GUYS HAVEN'T GOT TO A POINT OF BEING ABLE TO VOTE ON A RECOMMENDATION TODAY, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU REACH OUT TO RYAN AL ALTER'S OFFICE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE AND SEE IF THERE IS A POSTPONEMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR YOU GUYS TO ACTUALLY WORK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, CUZ THAT RECOMMENDATION WOULD DIRECTLY, UH, INFORM THE VOTE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD TAKE ACROSS THAT FOR THAT I C FOR THAT REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION.
WELL, UH, I THINK SO THAT IS AN ACTION THAT, UH, I MEAN, INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS CAN TAKE WITH THEIR, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH, WELL, WELL, AS THE CHAIR, YOU COULD REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS'S OFFICE COURSE.
AND JUST THEY, I'M ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE, OF THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
AND THE DISCUSSION, AND SO I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS POSSIBILITY TO GET A POSTPONEMENT ON THAT.
UH, I THINK WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
YES, DEFINITELY, UH, AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION THAT OUR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE SEND THROUGH, UH, IS, IS CONSIDERED ACCOUNTED FOR AS PART OF THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA READ SOMETHING REAL QUICK HERE.
IT SAYS, UM, MEMBER THANK YOU, PEDRO.
O VSC MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT ALL DOWNTOWN IS CONSIDERED AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, NOT JUST SPECIFIC SECTIONS DOWNTOWN.
HE ALSO MENTIONED HAVING AVAILABLE PARKING NEAR LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND FINDING WAYS TO ALLOW STREET MUSICIANS TO PERFORM HAS OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES TO WORK ON.
GARZA MENTIONED OPEN LABS, WHICH IS A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY IN HOPES THAT THE COMMISSION CAN WORK BETTER WITH ENTREPRENEURS.
THAT IS FROM A MINUTES UPDATE AT THE VERY FIRST COMMISSION MEETING DATED DECEMBER 7TH, 2009, AS EARLY AS, AS FAR BACK AS THEY GO, OLD BUSINESS.
UH, HERE IS, UH, DECEMBER, UH, THIRD 2018.
POSSIBLE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON SOUND COMPATIBILITY RESOLUTION.
FOLLOWING UPDATE FROM CITY STAFF, UH, FOR PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION, UH, RESOLUTION, UH, NEW BUSINESS WAS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON 2019 EVENTS FROM SOUTH BY, UH, C3 PRESENTS REGARDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WHICH MR. CAITLIN WILLIAMSTON, UH, STATED THAT IT WAS 350 MILLION OF, UM, MONEY THAT CAME IN AS ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
GAVIN GARCIA AT THAT TIME WAS THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, COMMISSION WAS VERY TALKATIVE BACK THEN.
[03:10:01]
UM, THE IMPACT OF REVENUE FOR, UH, VENUES HOSTING LOCAL, UH, MUSICIANS DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WAS UNDETERMINED THE DIRECT BENEFIT FOR MUSICIANS AS A WHOLE AS IT WAS ASKED.HOWEVER, 21 MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS TO THE CONVERSATION, UH, THERE, UH, IT, IT, THERE, THERE SEEMED TO BE, UM, I'M SORRY.
THAT'S WHAT, UM, MR. WILMINGTON CATLIN WILMINGTON REFERENCES THE BAR SALES AND COMPLETELY SIDES STEPS, THE ACTUAL, UH, REVENUE SHARED BY VENUES AND MUSICIANS, UH, IN PARTICULAR.
SO, UH, THERE'S A, A FEW MORE THINGS THAT I COULD READ HERE, AND ACTUALLY I THINK I, UM, WILL READ A FEW OF THEM.
UH, MONDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, 2011, UH, AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION, RED RIVER LIVE HERITAGE DISTRICT DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION DOWNTOWN BUILDING STANDARDS, DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION.
THERE IS ALSO DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS WITH HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS ON CAPACITY ISSUES JULY 10TH, 2017.
THIS MUSIC COMMISSION'S JOB IS TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES, IS TO WORK WITH THE CITY, TO WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WHEN THERE ARE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE DISENFRANCHISED, WE STICK UP FOR THEM.
AND THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OF FAIR PAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ARGUING ABOUT FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
AND I DO NOT BLAME SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I BLAME EGOS.
I BLAME PEOPLE GETTING TOGETHER IN ROOMS AND NOT HAVING THIS, THE, THE, EITHER THE COURAGE OR THE WHEREWITHAL TO BRING THESE SITUATIONS ACTUALLY TO OUR COMMISSION.
AS IT STANDS, WE ARE ELECTED BY PEOPLE.
WE ARE ELECTED TO SIT IN THESE CHAIRS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ERECT, THAT ARE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE THAT APPOINTED US TO BE HERE.
WE DON'T WORK FOR PRIVATE INTEREST GROUPS, WE DON'T WORK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
WE DON'T WORK FOR WHO WE'RE GETTING PAID FOR.
AND BEFORE YOU, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE THREE AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS IN FRONT OF US, WHICH HONESTLY, THEY'RE NOT REALLY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AT ALL.
THEY'RE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW WE WANT TO CONTINUE AND PROCEED AS A MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND SO OVER THE NEXT MONTH, I GUESS, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE THAT LONG, NOW WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF COMMISSION THAT WE WANNA BE.
DO WE WANT TO BE A MUSIC COMMISSION THAT IS FOR THE PEOPLE REPRESENTING ALL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING MUSICIANS? OR DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BRAG ABOUT 400 MILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT IN WHICH EVERYONE GETS A BENEFIT EXCEPT FOR VENUES, ACTUALLY, AND MUSICIANS.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE BIDDING AND THE WORK OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I JUST WANT FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THAT, AND I WANT FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT, WHAT WE, THIS NEXT, THIS, THERE IS HUGE IMPLICATIONS FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT HERE.
UM, I, UM, KIM, THERE WAS A STATEMENT FROM COMMISSIONER GOULD.
UH, SCOTT DID, DID YOU WANNA, DID YOU, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED.
IF I HAVE TIME, THEN YES, I WILL.
UM, YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, I THINK, I THINK THEN WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO WRAP UP THE MEETING.
SO, COMMISSIONER GOUL CANNOT BE HERE TODAY.
SHE'S ACTUALLY ON TOUR, AND SHE'S ALSO VISITING HER FRIEND THAT HAS CANCER WHO SHE MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE AGAIN, WHICH IS THE ONLY REASON WHY SHE'S NOT ON VIDEO.
MY DEAR FELLOW COMM MUSIC COMMISSIONERS, I APOLOGIZE AND I CANNOT BE THERE IN PERSON TO DISCUSS ITEM FIVE ON THE AGENDA WITH REGARDS TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS, I DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT IS OUR DUTY AS MUSIC COMMISSIONERS TO REPRESENT THE AUSTIN'S MUSIC CITY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
AND THEREFORE, I FEEL THE NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT OF THE MANNER THAT REFLECTS THE PERSPECTIVE OF A WIDE SWATH OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS WHO WORK TO KEEP THE CREATIVE CULTURE VIBRANT IN THIS TOWN YEAR-ROUND.
SINCE WE, SINCE WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF NEW COMMISSIONERS ON THE DIOCESE, HERE'S A LITTLE BACKGROUND FOR ANYONE WHO, WHO, WHO DON'T KNOW ME WELL, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING AS A FULL-TIME MUSICIAN SINCE 22, 2006.
OVER THE YEARS, I'VE WORKED AND SPENT TIME WITH MANY GREAT MUSICIANS, MANY OF WHOM ARE ELDERS AND MENTORS, AND HEARD THEIR STORIES ABOUT THE EBB AND FLOW OF THE SCENE.
CURRENTLY, I'M IN F 18 DIFFERENT BANDS THAT PLAY FREQUENTLY.
SOME PLAY FREQUENTLY MORE THAN OTHERS, THAT REPRESENT GENRES, ALL STYLES, JAZZ, INDIE ROCK, ALL CLASSICAL BRASS BANDS, FUNK, SOUL, R AND B FOLK.
I ONLY SAY THIS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME CONTEXT FROM MY STATEMENT.
I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY REPRESENTS A REASONABLE CONSENSUS AMONG MANY OF AUSTIN'S
[03:15:01]
PERFORMING MUSICIANS, TRANSCENDING AGE, GENRE, WALK OF LIFE, ET CETERA.THE CONFIDENCE IS BOLSTERED BY THE STATEMENTS SHARED BY THE AUSTIN FEDERATION, MUSICIANS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES.
SHE WROTE THIS FROM A TOUR BUS, BY THE WAY.
THE COMMISSION HAS SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS TO CONSIDER THAT THIS EVENING'S MEETING REGARDING THE ISSUE.
IF I WERE THERE, I WOULD BE CASTING MY VOTE FOR THE ONE THAT ECHOES THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS BOARD UNANIMOUSLY PASSED RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS.
I IMPLORE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO SECURE THE RESOUNDING VOICES OF THE MANY MUSICIANS THEMSELVES WHO AGREE THAT SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE THE MODEST INCREASE OF COMPENSATION OFFERED BY SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST FROM 250 UP TO 350 FOR THE ENTIRE BAND UP TO 100, $250 SOLO ARTISTS, OR AN ACCESS PASS PASS DOES NOT AMOUNT TO FAIR PAY, FOR EXAMPLE, AS DEFINED BY THE, A CITY OF AUSTIN AS $200 PER MUSICIAN AN HOUR, WHICH WE VOTED FOR UNANIMOUSLY MY EXPERIENCE AND THAT OF MANY MUSICIANS I KNOW, IS THAT IN, I'M SORRY, IN THAT WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE WRISTBAND OPTION FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BECAUSE THE PAY OPTION WAS LAUGHABLY LOW, BUT NEVER EVEN USED THE WRISTBAND BECAUSE WE WERE TOO BUSY GIGGING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.
IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO IMAGINE THAT AN ALL ACCESS PAGE WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT.
I HAVE ALSO WITNESSED PLENTY OF VISITING MUSICIANS WHO HAVE HAD HIGH HOPES FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COME OUTTA THEIR LOCAL SOUTH BY SHOWCASE PLAYING TO AN ALMOST EMPTY ROOM ONLY POPULATED BY THE OTHER MUSICIANS ON THE BILL.
LOCAL MUSICIANS ALSO OFTEN LOSE MONEY DURING SOUTH BY DUE TO CANCELLATION OF THEIR REGULAR GIGS AS VENUES ARE SWALLOWED UP BY THE FESTIVAL.
I ALWAYS TOLD MYSELF THAT IF I HA IF I, THAT IF IT HELPED KEEP THE VENUE AFLOAT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, I'D ACCEPT THE LOSS.
I ONLY HOPE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY THE CASE.
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST CONTINUES TO ARGUE THAT THE EXPOSURE, NETWORKING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT CONVERSATION.
BUT NONE OF THAT IS GUARANTEED.
AND WE KNOW THAT EXPOSURE DOESN'T PAY THE BILLS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN APPRECIATABLE DIFFERENCE, TO MAKE A POWERFUL STATEMENT IN THE SUPPORT OF MUSICIANS WHO ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC SCENE YEAR ROUND, AND THOSE DOMESTIC VISITING MUSICIANS WHO WORK SO HARD TO GET HERE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE FESTIVAL BY ADDING THEIR FA FAIR PAY PROVISIONS TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST CONTRACTS WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND CITY-OWNED FACILITIES.
THIS IS STILL ONLY A STEPPING STONE IN THE DIRECTION OF FAIR PAY, BUT IT'S ONE I BELIEVE WE NEED TO TAKE.
I APPRECIATE THE COMPROMISE OFFERING AND THE RESOLUTION THAT SUGGESTS EDD SUPPLEMENT CERTAIN SOUTH BY PERFORMANCES ON THE CITY.
I DO NOT SUPPORT TAKING FUNDS OUT OF THOSE COFFERS, BUT THAT BE, THAT WOULD BE SUPPORTING YEAR-ROUND LOCAL MUSIC.
I ALSO BELIEVE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES.
I, FOR 1:00 AM ON THIS COMMISSION TO SERVE MY FELLOW MUSICIANS AND THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS WHAT THEY DO.
MUSICIANS IN THIS TOWN WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAKE A LIVING IN THE CITY THAT BECOMES LESS AFFORDABLE BY THE DAY.
AND STAGNANTS WAGES AND FEWER VENUES IN A CITY THAT HAS ADOPTED THE LIVE MUSIC, LIVE MUSIC AS ITS BRAND, IT FOLLOWS THAT THE CITY ABSOLUTELY SHOULD DO WHATEVER LEVERAGE IT HAS TO ENSURE FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS, NOT JUST THE, FOR THOSE MUSICIANS THAT WILL BENEFIT DIRECTLY, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE OF AN INDUSTRY-WIDE PRACTICES, IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE A UNIFIED STATEMENT AND SUPPORT OF FAIR PAY FOR MUSICIANS AS A MUSIC COMMISSION SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
DOESN'T NEED OUR SUPPORT THE PEOPLE AND OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY DO RESPECTFULLY.
COMMISSIONER LAUREN GOULD, DISTRICT TWO.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GOULD FOR, UH, SENDING IN THAT STATEMENT.
UH, UM, AS EXPECTED, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, PASSION IN THE ROOM ON THE SUBJECT.
UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY, UH, THAT TOOK THE TIME AND MADE THE EFFORT TO SHOW UP HERE AND PRESENT THEIR POINT OF VIEW.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HERE FOR TAKING PART IN THIS CONVERSATION.
UH, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST IN INTEREST OF TIME AND, UH, UH, THANK YOU STAFF, FIRST OF ALL FOR, UH, ACCOMMODATING THE, UH, THE EXTENDED, UH, UH, TIME HERE.
UM, I THINK, UH, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I WILL MOTION TO MOVE THE, UH, REST OF THE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, TO THE NEXT COMMISSION, UH, AGENDA FOR THE AUGUST AGENDA.
I HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER DILLA.
THE MOTION PASSES SYNONYMOUSLY.
UH, UH, I THINK, UH, UH, UH, LET'S QUICKLY,
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, REVIEW,[03:20:01]
UM, AGENDA ITEMS FOR, UH, NEXT MONTH.UM, I WOULD MOTION TO ADD THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ITEM FAIR PAY ITEM BACK IN, PLUS ITEM NUMBER SIX TO SEVEN TO HAVE A SECOND.
CAN WE INVITE CHAIR VILLALOBOS OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PARTS COMMISSION TO COME, UH, TO OUR NEXT MEETING AS WELL? I THINK THAT CAN BE PART DONE AS PART OF THE AGENDA, UH, ITSELF.
UM, SO, UH, UH, ALL IN FAVOR FOR, UH, COLLECTIVELY FOR THESE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED.
SECOND, I'LL TAKE, UH, COMMISSIONER AVILAS SECOND THERE.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON FOR JOINING ONLINE.