[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
MONDAY, MARCH 4TH, AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO ORDER.[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UH, JEANNIE RAMIREZ IN, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.PLEASE GO AHEAD, MS. RAMIREZ, MS. RAMIREZ, UH, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, MS. MARIA RAMIREZ, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX ON YOUR PHONE AND THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? HELLO? YES, WE CAN.
UM, UH, HI, I'M JEANNIE RAMIREZ, AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THAT'S GONNA BE UNCOMFORTABLE BUT NECESSARY, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK VERY FAST.
UM, ON JULY THE 20, JULY, 2023, UM, AT A PROTEST MEETING FOR SOUTH BY AGAINST, SOUTH BY, UH, I MET NAVAL.
AND, UM, I TOLD HER I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EQ, AND SHE GOT MY PHONE NUMBER, NEVER HEARD FROM HER.
UH, FAST FORWARD OCTOBER, 2023, I CALLED GAVIN GARCIA, WHO'S THE FOUNDER OF EQ AND NEVER HEARD FROM HIM.
I MENTIONED, UH, THIS IN THE MEETING THAT I SPOKE OUT TO YOU GUYS FOR ANYBODY ON THE PANEL AND NAVAL, AND FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, NAVAL IS THE HEAD CHAIR OF EQ, AND IT'S A NONPROFIT RUN BY A LATINO CALLED GAVIN GARCIA, WHO SUPPOSED THEIR MISSION STATEMENT, YOU HAVE TO GO ONLINE AND READ IT.
IT'S VERY LONG, BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
AND IT SAYS, MISSION SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA INSERT DIVERSITY, COMPASSION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
WELL, THEN I ENDED UP EVEN EMAILING THIS WEBSITE.
UH, WHEN YOU EMAIL A NONPROFIT, YOU GET A NEWSLETTER, YOU GET, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF SHAKA IS ON RIGHT NOW, BUT SHAKA, I WANNA THANK YOU BECAUSE YOUR NONPROFIT, WHEN I SIGNED UP, YOU SEND ME INFORMATION, YOU'VE INVITED ME TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OR SOME THINGS GOING ON THAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UM, I THINK I EVEN APPLIED FOR A GRANT.
THE FACT THAT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND THE REASON I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT EQ IS BECAUSE IT'S RUN BY A LATINO AND I'M A LATINA, AND MY GUITAR PLAYER, MY DUET THAT WE'RE DOING IS LIKE, WE NEED, UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS IF THEY HAD GRANTS FOR LIKE EQUIPMENT.
AND ALSO, AGAIN, I WANT Y'ALL TO LISTEN TO THESE DATES.
JULY, 2023, I, UM, WAS TOLD NAGA VALLEY WAS GONNA CALL ME AND, YOU KNOW, TALK TO ME ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I WANTED TO MORE INTRODUCE MYSELF.
JUST KNOW FROM THE MEETING SHE SEEMED LIKE A VERY COOL PERSON.
BUT WHAT I'M GETTING FROM IS NOTHING, NOT US, NO COMMUNICATION, AND, AND YOU'RE THE HEAD CHAIR OF EQ AND COMM ME, THE COMMISSIONER, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
NOT CALLING PEOPLE BACK, BUT IT'S PERCEPTION.
AND, AND THE THING ABOUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHY DO I HAVE TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO SAY SOMETIMES LATINOS AND NOT YOU, NAGA ABOUT, 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE HEAD CHAIR.
GAVIN GARCIA IS A LATINO, DON'T HELP LATINOS SOMETIMES.
AND WHEN YOU'RE A LATINA IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, IT'S SO DIFFICULT.
LIKE ANY WOMAN ADD BROWN SKIN TO YOUR, TO YOUR SITUATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ME AND NATALIE ARE GOING WHERE THE DOORS ARE OPEN.
WE WERE INVITED, UH, TO, UH, PLAY A SAHARA LOUNGE AT THE INDIE COMING UP MAY, UH, UH, UH, INDIE QUEER FEST, AND WE'RE SUPER STOKED ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MUSIC VIDEO COMING UP.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO HAVE THESE MEETINGS AND, AND GET TO KNOW EQ BETTER, BECAUSE BY THIS TIME, POSSIBLY I COULD HAVE GOTTEN A SLOT FOR LIKE A SHOWCASE.
YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT YOUR SHOWCASES.
I LOVE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DO HAVE ON THERE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S OPPORTUNITY HOARDING SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE ON THERE.
WHEN HAS AUSTIN BECOME SO PREDICTABLE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? THIS IS OUT OF CONTROL, AGAIN, PERCEPTION.
AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE Y'ALL PRO UP ON EQ ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE MANAGING.
AND, UM, AND THAT, THAT'S REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE ARE YOU A NONPROFIT? ARE YOU A MANAGEMENT COMPANY? UH, MA'AM, YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP.
UH, CAN I, IN CONCLUSION, SAY ANYTHING I WANNA SAY? I MEAN, CAN I FINISH IN CONCLUSION? UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YOU WANT ME TO UNMUTE HER? UM, PLEASE ASK HER TO WRAP UP IN A MINUTE, BUT, UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD, LET HER COMPLETE.
UM, PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, AND THEN YOU CAN WRAP UP YOUR STATEMENT.
[00:05:01]
MS. RAMIREZ, UH, I APOLOGIZE, I MUTED YOU EARLIER.IF YOU COULD PRESS, UH, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HEAR SOME FINAL COMMENTS FROM YOU.
UM, COULD WE PLEASE SEND, UH, AN EMAIL OUT TO HER AND, UH, JUST REQUEST HER TO JUST, UH, COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY, UM, EITHER WITH STAFF OR ME DIRECTLY SINCE CIRCUM CONCERN IS WITH ME, AND I DON'T THINK I'M PARTICULARLY, HELLO? OKAY.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, THOUGH.
UM, AND I JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS THIS UNDERBELLY WHERE SOME, NOT ALL LATINOS ARE NOT HELPING LATINOS.
AND, UM, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WANT THIS TO CHANGE GUYS.
I, I, I'M SIX, I'M GONNA BE 61 THIS YEAR.
I'M SUPER PROUD OF MY AGE AND STILL DOING IT, KICKING IT.
AND, UM, AND I, I, YOU KNOW, I WANT THINGS TO BE BETTER FOR LOWER PROFILE ARTISTS.
I'M GONNA KEEP ON ON THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A NONPROFIT THAT'S RUN BY LATINOS THAT ARE NOT HELPING LATINOS, IT'S A PROBLEM.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT DAVE PRUITT, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF CAP SIZE, HAD A QUADRUPLE PAST SURGERY TODAY.
HE HAD DONE MORE TO THE MUSIC COMMUNITY THAT I, I GOT ON CAPSTAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1996.
AND I, I GOT THE PERFORM, I DID THE NATHAN TRIBUTE IN JANUARY FOR NATHAN RIS, WHO PASSED AWAY THE MASSIVE HEART ATTACK.
AND, AND, AND DAVE PRUDE IS JUST AN OUTSTANDING, AMAZING MAN WHO HAS BEEN EVERYBODY'S MUSIC CHAMPION TO MAKE ME WANNA CRY.
HOW AMAZING HE'S AND THIS HAPPEN TO HIM.
JEAN JEANIE, JEANIE, I'M SO SORRY.
THIS IS SHELBY, BUT WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMISSION SINCE, UH, SINCE YOU MAY, OR YOU HAVE ENOUGH CONTEXT NOW, I GUESS, BUT, UH, SINCE I DON'T THINK I'M PARTICULARLY ALLOWED TO RESPOND BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, AM I IF, UH, OKAY.
UH, SO I WILL JUST, UM, IF ANYBODY'S CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, ME NOT CALLING SOMEBODY, PLEASE, UH, JUST, JUST REACH OUT AND I CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
BUT I WILL REACH OUT, I WILL REACH OUT AGAIN, UH, TO MS. RAMIREZ AND, UH, AND, UH, GO FROM THERE AND SEE HOW I CAN, UH, IN ANY WAY ADDRESS THE CONCERN SHE HAS.
UM, UH, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS HERE? PUBLIC COMMENTS? YEAH.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES.UH, WE HAD, UH, POSTPONED APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 8TH MINUTES.
UH, SO, UH, IF SOMEBODY, IF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MEETING MINUTES, IF SOMEBODY COULD PLEASE, UH, MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS ON JANUARY 8TH, 2024, AND FEBRUARY 5TH, 2024.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE MOTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, WERE THE FEBRUARY MINUTES INCLUDE? I COULDN'T FIND THEM ATTACHED.
DID OTHER PEOPLE FIND THEM? OH, SORRY.
I LOOKED FROM THEM ON THE EMAIL EARLIER AND I DIDN'T SEE HIM.
WELL, WE'LL PAUSE FOR A MOMENT TILL THE, SORRY.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GLANCE THROUGH THE MINUTES, UH, PLEASE DO.
UM, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER KA, JANUARY AND, UH, FEB.
ANY, UH, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS BEFORE WE, UH, TAKE A VOTE? ANYBODY ONLINE? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR? THE, I I WASN'T IN FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UM, IN FAVOR, COMMISSIONER MAHO, UH, COMMISSIONER GOULD, MYSELF, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, COMMISSIONER DAVILA COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, CASADA.
SO THE MOTION, UH, IS APPROVED.
[2. Presentation on Black Artists and Professional Creatives Registry by Harold McMillan, Founder/President, East Austin Creative Coalition.]
ON, UH, TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY.SO WE DECIDED TO MOVE THE DISCUSSION ITEMS UP AND, UH, HAVE THE STAFF BREEDING BRIEFINGS AFTERWARDS.
UH, SO, UH, THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM HERE IS PRESENTATION
[00:10:01]
ON BLACK ARTISTS AND PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES REGISTRY BY HAROLD MCMILLAN, FOUNDER PRESIDENT EAST AUSTIN CREATIVE COALITION.UH, DO WE HAVE MR. MCMILLAN ONLINE? I, UH, I SEE HIM THERE.
YOU COULD PLEASE BRING HIM IN.
THANK YOU, MR. MCMILLAN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.
I DON'T KNOW IF MY CAMERA, THE SYSTEM TODAY, BUT I JUST CLICKED IT ON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, MIGHT I GO AHEAD AND PROCEED? I CLICKED IT ON.
I, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW MOST OF YOU.
MY NAME IS HAROLD, UH,
THE LAST TIME THAT I SPOKE IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP, I THINK, UH, WAS PROBABLY TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON, UM, A DRAFT OF A RESOLUTION THAT WE WERE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL TO GET SOME MORE ATTENTION TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT AND TRY TO, UH, PUSH ALONG SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO COME ALONG, UH, WITH THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING, UH, SOME DEVELOPMENT EAST 11TH STREET.
AND THAT, UH, LEGISLATION ENDED UP PASSING, PASSING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021.
AND I'VE BASICALLY BEEN TRYING TO GET THE ORGANIZATION UP AND RUNNING, UH, IN THE STRUCTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE, UH, WITH A REQUEST FOR HELP FROM THE COMMISSION AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
AND THAT, UH, WE HAVE INSTITUTED, UM, A BLACK ARTIST IN PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES INDUSTRY, UM, THE ORGANIZATION.
AND WHAT WE ARE TEMPTING TO DO IS TO COMPILE AS, AS MUCH OF A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF BLACK FOLKS IN AUSTIN WHO ARE IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, CULTURAL WORKERS, ARCHITECTS, PRESERVATIONISTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS TO BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE SO THAT WITHIN THAT GROUP OF FOLKS, WE CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER.
UM, THERE AS A R
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO TWO OR THREE THINGS AT ONCE WITH ONE VEHICLE.
UH, BUT IT DEPENDS ON DOING A GOOD JOB OF POPULATING, UH, THE DATABASE OF THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER, WHAT I HOPE WOULD BE, UH, OPPORTUNITY WITH DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS THAT THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN SOME CITY AGENCY NEEDS TO BE LAUDED FOR WHAT A GOOD JOB THEY'RE DOING.
OR THERE MIGHT BE A POLICY THAT COMES FROM COUNCIL DOWN THE PIKE THAT, UM, IS NOT NECESSARILY A POSITIVE PIECE OF POLICY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE WOULD THEN, THEREFORE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TALK AMONGST OURSELVES AND PUT OUT A POSITION PAPER, IF THAT WERE NECESSARY.
UH, NOT AS A CLUB, BUT AS AN ASSOCIATED GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL CREATIVES.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAPPEN TO BE BLACK CREATIVES ON, UH, THIS CALL, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD OFFER US SOME HELP, UH, GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO YOUR NETWORKS.
AND, UH, I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION, I GUESS IT WAS LAST WEEK, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I RAISED IS IF WHETHER EDD, UM, COULD ALSO BE HELPFUL, UM, IN THIS EFFORT.
WHAT I KNOW IS, IS THAT THEY ARE PROBABLY BOUND AND CAN'T JUST GIVE OUT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THEIR CONTRACTEES, AND THEY PROBABLY CAN'T DO
[00:15:01]
THAT.UH, BUT EDD DOES KNOW WHO THOSE CONTRACTEES ARE AND HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
SO IF THE MUSIC COMMISSION COULD OFFER UP A RECOMMENDATION TO EDD, HEY, EDD, YOU TRACK YOUR AFRICAN AMERICAN, YOUR BLACK, UH, CREATIVES THAT ARE IN THE SYSTEM, UH, WHY NOT SEND THEM THE LINK TO THIS DIRECTORY AND BE HELPFUL TO THIS ORGANIZATION? THAT'S ABOUT ALL I GOT RIGHT NOW.
I GOTTA GO TO MY GIG HERE REALLY, REALLY SHARPLY.
UM,
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WANNA SAY BEFORE I WRAP UP IS THAT, UM, THE VISUAL ART FOLKS ARE POPULATING, UH, THE REGISTRY AT A LOT HIGHER LEVEL THAN MUSICIANS ARE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE VISUAL ARTS ARE IN DANCE, FOR INSTANCE, ARE ENGAGED WITH THE CITY AND FUNDING SOURCES AND A LOT MORE PUBLIC INTERFACES THAN THE INDIVIDUAL BASS PLAYER IS.
BUT WE REALLY DO WANNA DO ALL WE CAN TO GET THOSE FOLKS CORRALLED SO THAT THEY CAN BE PART OF ONE GROUP.
AND IF THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A GRAPHIC DESIGNER OR, UH, A PRODUCTION MANAGER OR A SOUND PERSON OR A GUITAR PLAYER, THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO, TO COMMUNICATE STRAIGHT ACROSS TO THOSE FOLKS.
AND SOME OF THE PUSHBACK THAT I GOT, UM, FROM A COUPLE OF FOLKS WAS JUST THE QUESTION, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS INFORMATION? WHO'S GONNA OWN IT? UM, AND IF, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COMES TO YOUR HEAD, UM, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS SET UP A, UM, AT LEAST SAY, SEMI-PUBLIC RESOURCE.
UM, AND NOT FOR THE SAKE OF DATA MINING AND, AND SELLING NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO SET SOMETHING UP THAT WILL BE GENERATIONAL, AND WE'LL KEEP MOVING LONG PAST THE TIME THAT I'M GONNA BE SITTING IN THIS CHAIR.
UM, QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? I KNOW, UM, MR. MCMILLAN HAS TO GO, UH, UH, TO A GIG.
HAROLD, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR SOMEONE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO JOIN, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO IT? IS THERE A WEBSITE OR A FACEBOOK PAGE? UM, THERE IS A, A WEBSITE.
THE DIRECTORY IS STILL HIDDEN.
WE HAVEN'T GONE TO THE STEP OF MAKING THE WEBSITE THAT'S ACTUALLY A MARKETING SITE.
UM, MY NAME HAROLDMCMILLAN@EASTAUSTINCREATIVES.ORG, AND I CAN SEND YOU A LINK.
UM, AND I PLAN TO SEND THAT LINK JUST SO THAT IT WOULD SHOW UP HERE.
UM, BUT THE FIRST, UH, MEETING LINK THAT I KEPT GETTING KEPT SENDING ME TO A PAGE THAT SAID THE MEETING WAS CANCELED.
SO THERE WAS SOME MIX UP THERE, UH, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT.
UH, IT'S A GOOGLE, IT'S A GOOGLE FORM, AND, UH, IT'S EASY TO ACCESS FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE ON A, A MAC OR A PC.
BUT DROP ME LINE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION AND, UH, REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE IT BROADLY.
UM, AND THAT WOULD GO FOR SHAKA AS WELL.
SHAKA SHAKAS GOT A GOOD MEMBERSHIP OF FOLKS THAT HE WORKS WITH TOO, THAT ARE NOT ALL THE SAME PEOPLE THAT I ALREADY WORK WITH.
SO JUST TRYING TO DO SOME NETWORK BUILDING, COMMUNITY BUILDING.
IS THERE ANY LIKE, UH, GRAPHIC MATERIAL OR VISUAL, UH, MATERIAL YOU HAVE LIKE TO PROMOTE, UM, SIGNUP AT ALL? UH, YES.
AND IF I CAN FORWARD THAT TO YOU, I'D BE HAPPY TO PLEASE.
EXCUSE ME, HAROLD, IS THAT, UM, UH, AT EAST AUSTIN? WHAT WAS THAT AFTER THAT? DOT EAST AUSTIN CREATIVES WITH S EAST AUSTIN CREATIVES.ORG.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, HAROLD.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND SPEAKING HERE.
THANK YOU MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SORRY, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT? NO, I WAS JUST SAYING GOODBYE AND ALL.
[00:20:01]
THANK YOU.[3. Presentation on music journalism and access to media coverage in Austin by Raoul Hernandez, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas, Austin.]
ITEM.WE HAVE PRESENTATION ON MUSIC JOURNALISM AND ACCESS TO MEDIA COVERAGE IN AUSTIN BY RAUL HERNANDEZ, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN.
SO I SAW CELESTE AT AN NAGA VALLEY SHOW AND WE TALKED, UM, SHE WANTED TO GET MY TAKE ON THE STATE OF JOURNALISM, MUSIC JOURNALISM.
UM, AND I FOUND OUT COMING IN THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, APROPOS OF, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS ASKING, WELL, HOW DO WE GET IN THE PRESS? AND QUITE FRANKLY, I WAS SURPRISED TO STILL BE HEARING THAT QUESTION.
I'VE BEEN HEARING THAT QUESTION IN AUSTIN FOR 32 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE BEEN PRACTICING MUSIC JOURNALISM IN AUSTIN, 32 YEARS.
UM, I HAD SOME STUDENTS COME INTO MY OFFICE, UH, LAST WEEK, AND THEY WERE WONDERING THE SAME THING THAT THEY'D COME UP WITH SOMETHING, UH, A CAMPUS THING WHERE HOW DO STUDENTS GET CHEAP TICKETS WHEN TICKETS ARE SO EXPENSIVE? AND SO THEY'VE STARTED AN INSTAGRAM PAGE, THEY'RE GETTING SOME PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO WRITE ABOUT US? AND I SAID, WELL, THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED OF ME FOR THREE DECADES, AND THE ANSWER'S ALWAYS THE SAME, THAT IF I'M DOING MY JOB RIGHT AND YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB RIGHT, I WILL COME TO YOU LIKE YOU GENERATE THE BUZZ, AND I WILL BE, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR TO GET THAT STORY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S A LOT LESS OF ME AROUND IN THIS TOWN, AND IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE IT, IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
UM, THE YEAR THAT I MOVED HERE TO PRACTICE JOURNALISM, I WAS LEAVING STANFORD UNIVERSITY WHERE I'D GOTTEN MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN, UH, JOURNALISM COMMUNICATIONS AND HAD US READ A BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN IN 1980.
IT WAS A MAN NAMED BEN BAG DICKEN, WHO WROTE A BOOK CALLED THE MEDIA MONOPOLY.
AND IN IT, HE SAID THAT REAGAN PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, DEREGULATING MEDIA, WHICH WAS HOW MUCH PEOPLE COULD OWN IN MEDIA.
THERE USED TO BE VERY STRICT REGULATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN A MARKET YOU COULD ONLY OWN ONE RADIO STATION, ONE TV STATION, AND ONE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WHEN REAGAN DEREGULATED THAT, AND ANYONE COULD BUY ANY AMOUNT OF MEDIA THIS PERSON WROTE THAT WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WAS BECAUSE MEDIA WAS FAIRLY PROFITABLE, THAT NEWSPAPERS USUALLY HAD AT LEAST 20%, UM, PROFIT MARGIN THAT, UH, HEDGE FUNDS WOULD BASICALLY SWOOP IN, BUY THESE, AS MANY AS THEY COULD, TAKE THAT PROFIT OFF THE TOP, NOT PUT IT BACK INTO THE ORGANIZATION, AND BASICALLY SQUEEZE MEDIA DRIVE FOR ALL THAT IT'S WORTH.
THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN WITH THE STATESMEN.
THE, THIS ARTICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH THE LAYOFFS AND, YOU KNOW, THE BASE SALARIES, AND THEY SOLD THEIR PRESSES AND THEY SOLD THEIR BUILDING, AND THEY'RE SELLING OFF ONE PIECE AT A TIME, AND THEY'RE STRANGLING THAT, UM, PUBLICATIONS SLOWLY.
AND SO THAT GUY WROTE THE MOST PRESCIENT BOOK ABOUT THE MEDIA EVER.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT'S HAPPENED.
AND SO I TEACH AT THE UNIVERSITY AND I TELL THE STUDENTS, I SAY, SO THE DINOSAURS ARE DYING.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S NOT GREAT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
TWO GENERATIONS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, HUMANS HAVE GROWN UP WITHOUT READING PHYSICAL MEDIA.
THEY READ IT ON THEIR PHONES, THAT'S FINE.
UM, BUT THE THING ABOUT THE DINOSAURS DYING IS IT'S HAPPENING SLOWLY.
AND WE CANNOT PREDICT WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN THE DINOSAURS ARE DEAD IN 20 YEARS.
THEY'LL BE ONE OR TWO NEWSPAPERS.
THERE'LL BE THE NEW YORK TIMES AND MAYBE THE WASHINGTON POST.
THE LA TIMES WILL HAVE GONE AWAY.
YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BE LEFT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PRINT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A RED HERRING.
IT'S WHAT WILL MEDIA LOOK LIKE.
AND BECAUSE IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PRINT WILL HAVE DIED.
AND WITH IT KIND OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? IT WAS LIKE ADS THAT WERE, UH, ALLOWING 4 0 1 KS AND, UM, UH, INSURANCE.
WHEN THAT GOES AWAY, THEN IT ALL BECOMES A FREELANCE THING.
YOU KNOW, WRITING FOR PITCHFORK, WHICH NOW PITCHFORK HAS GONE AWAY.
[00:25:01]
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.WE ACTUALLY, IN AUSTIN, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE A GLIMPSE.
WE HAVE THE TEXAS TRIBUNE, AND THE TEXAS TRIBUNE IS A MODEL FOR WHAT MEDIA WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
IT WILL BE NONPROFIT, IT WILL HAVE LARGE NEWSROOMS, UM, THEY THAT DO HAVE, UH, INSURANCE AND 4 0 1 KS.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME FOR THAT CHANGEOVER TO HAPPEN.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IN THE MEANTIME, WE'VE BEEN READING ABOUT IT IN THE, IN THE PRESS, IT'S GONNA BE NEWS DESERTS.
THAT'S WHERE THIS COUNTRY IS HEADED.
AND IT'S GONNA GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER, BEFORE THERE COMES SOME SYSTEM TO FUND ALL THAT NONPROFIT MEDIA.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PUSHBACK BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE, THE COUNTRY IS DIVIDED.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY, WE SHOULDN'T BE FUNDING THIS.
AND EVEN IF IT DOES GET FUNDED BY, YOU KNOW, A KIND OF A MORE, IT'S LIKE, WHO'S GONNA FUND IT? LIKE, OKAY, IS THE RIGHT GONNA FUND IT? IS THE LEFT GONNA FUND IT? AND WHAT'S THAT NEWS GONNA LOOK LIKE BY WHO FUNDS IT? SO YOU KNOW, THERE, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS, UH, ANY BETTER.
AND THE ONLY COUNTERBALANCE IS, IS THAT, UM, JOURNALISM PROGRAMS ARE STILL VERY ROBUST.
THE PEOPLE THERE ARE DELIGHTFUL.
THEY'RE VERY DIVERSE, THEY'RE VERY WOKE.
THEY WRITE A LOT BETTER AT 20 YEARS OLD THAN I EVER DID.
AND THEY STILL WANT TO TELL STORIES.
THEY STILL BELIEVE IN THE MISSION OF, UH, JOURNALISM, WHETHER IT'S NEWS OR ARTS AND CULTURE.
I TEACH A MUSIC JOURNALISM CLASS.
IT TEACHES EVERY SEMESTER, AND IT'S ALWAYS FULL.
AND ALL THESE KIDS WANNA WRITE ABOUT MUSIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE TELL THEM, YOU CAN WRITE, MEDIA IS VAST AND IT'S CHANGING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE WASN'T A WAY IN, WHEN I CAME UP 20 YEARS AGO, NOW YOU HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT? YOU CAN GO INTO A MEDIA ORGANIZATION AND DO THAT.
SO THERE IS STILL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL THESE GRADUATES.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, MEDIA IS VAST, BUT THE PICTURE AS IT IS NOW IS NOT A GOOD ONE, AND IT'S NOT GONNA LOOK ANY BETTER ANYTIME SOON.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND, UH, PRESENTING YOUR PERSPECTIVE HERE.
UM, I WOULD, UM, OPEN IT UP TO COMMISSIONERS FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, UH, MR. RAMIREZ, I'D LIKE TO, UM, GET SOME INFORMATION ON YOU WHERE I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTACT YOU.
UM, YOU CAN CONTACT ME THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, I STILL WRITE FOR THE CHRONICLE.
I'VE WRITTEN FOR THE CHRONICLE ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR 32, UM, YEARS.
AND YOU CAN, I HAVE A, A, A CONTACT THROUGH THE CHRONICLE WEBSITE AS WELL, EITHER THE UNIVERSITY OR THE CHRONICLE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, ADA.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, RAUL.
UH, WE SO APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR, YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SOME OF IT DEFINITELY RESONATES WITH ME WHEN I'VE SPOKEN WITH OTHER, UM, WRITERS, UM, KEVIN, CURTIN, DEBORAH AND GUPTA.
I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH GIG OUT THERE, AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DEFINITELY PART OF THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM IN AUSTIN.
AND WE, I, I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS PART OF THE WHOLE, WE NEED EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY.
UM, IT, IT SOUNDED, IT SOUNDS SCARY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, BUT THEN I, I ALSO AM SO, UM, UH, UPLIFTED BY, UM, YOU SAYING THAT THERE'S ALL THESE AMAZING 20 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO WRITE AND IN YOUR CLASS AND, UM, STILL, UM, FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT MUSIC AND WRITING AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, BECOMING FUTURE THOUGHT LEADERS.
SO THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE WE WANNA BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING OTHER, UM, UH, WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, UM, THOUGHT LEADERS IN THE ROOM, LIKE CHAD BACK THERE.
UM, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? BLESS YOU, PATTERSON.
YEAH, YEAH, I, I DO WANNA SAY IT WHEN I'M CONTACTED BY A JOURNALIST TO TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF MUSIC IN AUSTIN, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE TALKING BASICALLY ABOUT HOW, UM, SQUEEZED MUSICIANS ARE BY THE CURRENT COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN.
I'M ALWAYS AWARE THAT I'M SPEAKING WITH SOMEBODY IN THE JOURNALISM PROFESSION WHO IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME COST OF LIVING, FEELING
[00:30:01]
VERY MUCH LIKE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN AUSTIN.UM, BUT THE REPORTING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE AS AS MUSIC IS SUCH AN ECONOMIC DRIVER HERE AND SUCH A PART OF IMPORTANT TO CITY GOVERNANCE LIKE THIS, JOURNALISM IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
CHAD HAS, UH, ALREADY GOTTEN A SHOUT OUT AND HE WRITES, UM, ABOUT THE, OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS OFTEN.
UM, BEN THOMPSON JUST RAN A PIECE ABOUT MUSICIAN PAY AND COMMUNITY IMPACT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE THOUGHTFUL PIECES OF JOURNALISM ARE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
SO I DON'T, MYSELF, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY WANNA SEE THAT CONTINUE.
UM, AND IT IS, I DO ALSO WANNA SAY IT IS A VERY MUCH A SHAME WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH OUR LOCAL PAPER WHERE IT WAS ESSENTIALLY, UM, TREATED AS A REAL ESTATE DEAL BY ITS PREVIOUS OWNER, WHICH IS ONE OF THE 14TH WEALTHIEST COUNTRY FAMILIES AND IN THE WORLD, AND IS NOW LEVERAGING THAT PROPERTY, UM, FOR THE, FOR ITS REAL ESTATE VALUE.
UM, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SPEAKING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A MUSIC COMMISSION, LIKE THIS IS IN OUR WHEELHOUSE NECESSARILY TO DEAL WITH JOURNALISM, BUT WE SEE THAT THERE'S A, A RELATIONSHIP HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT.
YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAY, IT'S SUCH AN ECOSYSTEM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PARTS ARE IMPORTANT AND THEY ALL FEED INTO EACH OTHER AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE CIVICALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JOURNALISM.
THIS IS A, A NATIONAL CONVERSATION AND NOT ONE THAT'S GOING VERY SMOOTHLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WELCOME ANY DIALOGUE THAT A BODY LIKE THIS GENERATES, YOU KNOW, IN MY AREA OF THE FIELD OR ANY AREA OF THE FIELD.
UM, YEAH, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US.
YOU SAID A FEW THINGS THAT REALLY GOT MY INTEREST.
YOU MENTIONED THAT MEDIA IS VAST AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS VAST IN WAYS THAT, UH, ANYBODY OVER 21 MAY NOT EVEN FULLY UNDERSTAND.
YOU'RE A PROFESSOR, SO YOU, YOU'RE A PROFESSOR AND YOU WORK WITH PEOPLE UNDER 21, SO YOU PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER IDEA THAN MOST OF US.
AND THAT TIES IN WITH ANOTHER INTEREST THAT COMES UP FREQUENTLY.
WE WANT TO MAKE LIVE MUSIC AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE UNDER 21 HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND IF THERE WAS A WAY OF GETTING YOUR UNDER 21 STUDENTS TO WRITE ABOUT MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO UNDER 21 AUDIENCES THAT THEY COULD THEN SHARE THROUGH WHATEVER UNDER 21 SOCIAL MEDIA MAGIC THEY HAVE ACCESS TO, BOY, THAT WOULD REALLY BE SOMETHING.
SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEAS, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY.
I, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
IF SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY AWARE OF THIS NARRATIVE, AND IT'S RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES.
SO WHEN ACL FEST STARTED, IT WAS BOOKED FOR PEOPLE MY AGE, IT WAS BOOKED FOR DADS, RIGHT? THEY BOOKED PETTY, THEY BOOKED DYLAN, THEY BOOKED ALL THESE KIND OF CLASSIC ARTISTS.
AND THE BOOKING WAS FOR AN OLDER CLIENTELE.
AND AS THE YEARS WENT BY, I SAW IT ON THE FIELD MYSELF.
I'D BE STANDING OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, COVERING SOMETHING AND I'D BE STANDING BEHIND A GROUP OF, YOU KNOW, 10 TEENS AND THEY'D BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE GONNA SEE.
AND THEN ONE OF THEM WOULD SAY, I NEED TO GO MEET MY MOM OVER AT THE HONDA STAGE.
AND ANOTHER ONE WOULD SAY, WELL, I'M GONNA GO SEE MY SISTER.
AND WHAT I REALIZED OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS WAS THAT ALL THE KIDS THAT WERE GROWING UP IN THIS TOWN, THEY COULDN'T GO OUT TO SEE SHOWS BECAUSE THEY WERE AGE RESTRICTED.
THEIR PARENTS HAD BOUGHT THEM TICKETS TO GO TO ACL BECAUSE HERE THEY COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, 50 ACTS IN A WEEKEND.
AND SO OVER TIME, THAT BECAME THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THAT.
NOW THAT FESTIVAL IS BOOKED FOR THAT DEMOGRAPHIC, NO LONGER ME, BUT THE 20 YEAR OLDS, AND THAT'S WHO GOES, AND THEIR PARENTS ARE STILL BUYING THEM THE TICKETS, YOU KNOW, THEY BUY THEM TOO, AND THE STUDENTS BUY THEM TOO.
BUT IT COMPLETELY TURNED BECAUSE OF WHAT IT OFFERED PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T GET INTO CLUBS.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT THERE ABOUT WHAT A CITY COULD DO IN ITS OWN PARKS, YOU KNOW, WITH MUSIC AND WHO GETS INTO IT.
ONE THING THAT, UH, JUST ADDING TO THIS CONVERSATION WAS I THINK ABOUT, UM, BESAM MUTUAL THIS
[00:35:01]
WEEKEND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT, UH, 55,000 TICKETS SOLD OUT IN ONE DAY OR IN HOURS.AND, UM, THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S A MARKET HERE FOR, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WERE MANY AUSTIN BANDS ON THAT BILL, BUT, UM, THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS A DEMAND FOR LATINO ARTISTS.
AND IT MADE, UM, ME THINK IN OUR HOUSEHOLD ABOUT, UH, THE PACHANGA MUSIC FEST THAT USED TO TAKE PLACE ON FIESTA GARDENS, AND MAYBE IT'S TIME TO, YOU KNOW, FUND THAT AGAIN, UM, AND SUPPORT OUR OWN ARTISTS.
UM, AND THE FOLKS THAT EVEN STARTED OUT, UH, THE CONVERSATION TODAY, UH, THE PUB WITH THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS THAT I, I DO THINK THAT THERE JUST BY DATA FOR THAT 55,000 TICKETS TO BE SOLD IN A MATTER OF HOURS THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING.
AND I THINK WE'RE STILL ANALYZING, UM, WHAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT, UM, IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY INTERESTING.
I REVIEWED THAT EVENT FOR THE CHRONICLE.
I WAS THE REVIEWER, AND SO I WENT AND INDEED, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE FIGURE BECAUSE MY WIFE, AGNES, AND I WONDERED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET THAT FIGURE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE BODIES WHO PUT THAT ON, BUT IT WAS EYEOPENING.
I, YOU KNOW, I SAID IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE BLACK PANTHER MOVIE, IT WAS LIKE AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY THAT YOU'D NEVER IMAGINED.
ALL THE PEOPLE WERE THERE WERE BROWN, ALL OF THEM, AND THEY DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THE ONES THAT GO TO ACL FEST, RIGHT? I SAID IN MY REVIEW AT ACL FEST, THEY'RE ALL WEARING REI STUFF, AND THEY'RE ALL COLLEGIATE, NOT THERE BEST IN MACHO.
THEY WERE DRESSED UP, ALL OF THEM WERE BROWN, ALL THE MUSIC WAS IN SPANISH.
ALL THE TALK WAS IN SPANISH FROM THE, UM, THE STAGE.
AND YOU WONDERED, OKAY, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD THIS GO WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES? COULD YOU DO THAT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY? WELL, YEAH, BUT THEN ALL THE WHITE KIDS WOULD SHOW UP, RIGHT? THEY WANNA SEE THE RAP AND THE HIP HOP AND THE R AND B AND ALL THAT.
BUT WHAT IF YOU DID IT FOR THE INDIAN COMMUNITY? IF THERE WAS AN INDIAN FE, YOU KNOW, COM FESTIVAL THAT WAS INDIAN ARTISTS AND OR AN ASIAN ONE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT INCLUSIVITY IN OUR, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WHAT IF YOU PUT THIS ON RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IT IF I HADN'T SEEN IT FOR MY OWN EYES.
AND IN 30 YEARS IN AUSTIN, THAT'S BEEN RARE.
I MEAN, I REMEMBER GOING TO ONE URBAN FESTIVAL AT, UH, AUDITORIUM SHORES.
THE HEADLINER WAS BOYS TO MEN, AND I WAS LIKE, LITERALLY LIKE THE ONLY WHITE PERSON THERE.
AND I LOVED IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AMAZING.
BUT IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WHY ISN'T THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY COMING TO THIS? AND, YOU KNOW, DO THEY NEED TO? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I SAW ALL THOSE BROWN PEOPLE OUT AT, YOU KNOW, CODA, AND IT WAS FOR THEM, AND IT CAME OFF AND IT GAVE US, IT GAVE ME ANOTHER PICTURE OF, YOU KNOW, TEXAS, THAT THEY WERE ALL STILL WEARING COWBOY HATS, BUT THEY WEREN'T LISTENING TO COUNTRY MUSIC AND THEY WEREN'T WHITE, AND YOU WEREN'T LOOKING AT THEM LIKE, IS THIS REDNECK GONNA KICK THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OUT OF ME? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT A CITY CAN DO FOR ITS POPULACE.
AND ESPECIALLY, I TELL THIS TO THE KIDS, LIKE, WE ARE A CITY THAT DEFINES OURSELF BY MUSIC, BY CULTURE.
THAT'S REALLY RARE, RIGHT? I MEAN, LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL, WHICH WAS A THROWAWAY TAG BY A MUSIC WRITER 30 YEARS AGO, WAS A JOKE.
AND THEN THE CITY ADOPTED IT, AND WE LIVE IT, YOU KNOW, WE EMBODY IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANOTHER KIND OF ACL FEST FOR ALL THOSE KIDS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN'T GET INTO, YOU KNOW, THE MUSIC DOWNTOWN? SO, I DON'T KNOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIALOGUES HERE.
THANK YOU, RAUL, UM, COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER GOLD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, YEAH, THAT WAS REALLY FASCINATING.
I, I FEEL LIKE I LEARNED SO MUCH
UM, AND, UH, I'M CURIOUS, UM, HOW, BECAUSE I, I GREW UP HERE AND I MEAN, I USED TO JUST GO AND PICK UP A CHRONICLE AND SEE WHO WAS PLAYING AND JUST LIKE, THUMB THROUGH IT, AND I WOULD CUT THINGS OUT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE, BUT I MEAN, IT'S STILL PRINTED AND, AND YOU'RE STILL WRITING FOR IT.
AND THE CHRONICLES SEEMS LIKE IT'S STILL GROWING STRONG.
SO I, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT? BECAUSE I, WELL, SO I, THIS IS WHAT I'M A MUSICIAN.
NO FULL-TIME, SO, YOU KNOW, I AM, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, SO CAN YOU GIVE US
[00:40:01]
A LITTLE MORE? CHRONICLE IS STILL GOING, AND IT'S STILL COMMITTED, AND IT'S GOING FULL TIME, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S TURNED TO PROFIT SINCE ABOUT 2012, PROBABLY IN 12 YEARS, IT HAS NOT MADE ONE PENNY OF PROFIT.SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY UNDERWRITTEN BY ITS OWNER, UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO RETIRE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT GONNA MEAN? YOU KNOW, IF HE'S UNDERWRITING AND HE WANTS TO RETIRE, UM, RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO SAVE IT.
I DON'T THINK IT HELPS THAT THEY HAD TO LEAVE ONE OF THEIR BUILDINGS BECAUSE THE HIGHWAY IS GOING THROUGH IT.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE 145 BUSINESSES THAT'S AFFECTED BY THE HIGHWAY THAT NO ONE IN THIS TOWN SEEMS TO WANT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S HANGING ON BY A THREAD, AND IT'S SUCH A RARE ONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S OWNED BY SOMEONE WHO ONLY CARES ABOUT IT AND HAS THE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT VIEWS ON MEDIA.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE THESE DAYS.
AND LIKE A LOT OF LEGACY BUSINESSES, IT HAS TO PIVOT INTO, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE.
AND LIKE I SAY, WE STILL ARE FIGURING OUT THE FUTURE, LIKE IN REAL TIME, RIGHT.
BUILDING THE PLANE AS YOU'RE FLYING IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALL CELEBRATE THE CHRONICLE, BUT THE CHRONICLE COULD USE ALL OF AUSTIN'S HELP.
CAN YOU SAY MORE ABOUT WHAT AUSTIN AUSTINITES CAN DO TO HELP SAVE THE CHRONICLE? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S A BIG QUESTION, BUT YEAH.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S ON, YOU KNOW, A CITY TO, UM, TO UNDERWRITE ITS PRESS.
MAYBE IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH WATER LIFTS ALL BOATS, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT I KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT THING ABOUT ACL.
LIKE, THERE'S A LOT TO HARNESS IN THIS CITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF YOUTH, THERE'S A LOT OF MUSIC, THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVES, THERE'S SPACES, THERE'S PLANNERS.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE BUILDING THAT'S KIND OF BIGGER THAN ANY ONE OF THESE THINGS? LIKE, I HAD, UH, BREAKFAST WITH THE FELLOW THAT RUNS SPACE FLIGHT RECORDS, AND HIS BUSINESS MODEL COULD POTENTIALLY REVOLUTIONIZE THE ENTIRE MUSIC INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, FUNDING OR WIND BEHIND IT.
I MEAN, HIS BUSINESS MODEL IS LIKE, THIS IS WHAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS ALWAYS NEEDED BETWEEN LABELS AND THE ARTISTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT, SO MANY PLATFORMS COMPETING FOR EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, TO FOCUS IN ON THE ONE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GONNA PROVE RELEVANT IN 20 YEARS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT ANSWER IS, BUT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS A CITY THAT WAS GONNA HARNESS IT, IT'S GOTTA BE US.
I MEAN, THAT'S ALSO WHAT I TELL THE KIDS.
WHAT WE HAVE THAT THE OTHER METROPOLIS DON'T, IS THAT WE HAVE A PHYSICALLY SMALL AREA RIGHT FROM THE SOUTHERN MOST CLUB, MAYBE THE, YOU KNOW, BROKEN SPOKE TO THE NORTHERN MOST CLUB, A HOLE IN THE WALL, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS AGO WAS 10 MINUTES.
BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN MANHATTAN.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, ANY OF THOSE CITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR PHYSICAL SIZE, OUR PARK SYSTEM, ALL THE NATURAL TALENT, ALL THE KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE TALENT THAT'S HERE TO HELP IT.
LIKE, YEAH, LET'S BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S BIGGER THAN, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS AND, YOU KNOW, PUT US EVEN MORE ON THE MAP.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE DON'T EVEN WANT THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA CALL OURSELVES THAT, LET'S OWN IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, I FIND THAT MOST PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY DON'T KNOW WHAT ACL FEST IS.
THEY ALL KNOW WHAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT ACL FEST IS.
SO, YOU KNOW, ARE WE BUILDING SOMETHING FOR AUSTIN THAT THEN BECOMES AS IDENTIFIABLE WITH IT AS A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST QUESTION? YOU KNOW, UH, IAN PATON, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, I'LL,
[00:45:01]
I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT AS I'M HEARING THIS DISCUSSION, I'M THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURAL LIFE OF AUSTIN.SO MUSIC ARTS, AND I'M GONNA THROW JOURNALISM IN THERE NOW.
AND THEN I THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE AND FINANCIALLY ARE STRUGGLING IN NEW AUSTIN, BUT WE DO HAVE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE, UM, REALLY PROSPERING.
SO WE'VE GOT TECH, WE'VE GOT TOURISM, UH, AND WE'VE GOT REAL ESTATE.
AND I DO FEEL LIKE THAT THESE ARE NOT, THESE ARE NOT ENEMIES.
THESE ARE GROUPS THAT CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEY'RE, I MEAN, THE REASON THAT THESE OTHER INDUSTRIES, THESE PROFITABLE INDUSTRIES ARE DOING WELL AND ARE ATTRACTING TALENT IS BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN AUSTIN THAT IS, UM, BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF CREATIVITY.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP HAS TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE IT UP MORE IN A FUTURE, FUTURE MEETING, BUT I, I MEAN, I DO, I DO SEE POSSIBILITY AND POSITIVITY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL, FOR BRINGING THIS, LIKE, VERY INTERESTING DISCUSSION TO US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND FOR LISTENING AND, YOU KNOW, BEING INTERESTED AND ENGAGED.
THANKS FOR THIS BODY, EVEN EXISTING RAUL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YEAH, I, UM, HAVE A VERY, UM, UH, DON'T KILL ME.
WHAT DOES A MUSICIAN DO IN THIS ENVIRONMENT FOR MEDIA ACCESS? IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME.
I MEAN, YOU DO YOUR JOB WELL, AND AGAIN, WE COME TO YOU IF YOU'RE MAKING MUSIC THAT YOU KNOW IS MAKING RIPPLES SOONER OR LATER, THOSE RIPPLES HIT THE ANTENNA OF, YOU KNOW, ALL RIDERS.
WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE UT UM, STUDENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS ON A LEVEL, LIKE THEY KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE BIG THREE YEARS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE OVER 20 KNOWS.
SO, AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL AFTER A LOT OF THAT IS STILL BEING GENERATED ON CAMPUS BY, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT AGE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE GOOD MUSIC AND PEOPLE WILL COME FOR IT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE FIELD OF DREAMS, IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY'LL COME, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SO MUCH OF OUR SOCIETY IS, YOU KNOW, BUILT ON THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, DOWN IN THIS AREA, WHEN I ARRIVED IN THIS TOWN 30 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NOTHING DOWN HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY OPENED UP A CLUB, AND THEN THE CLUB HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING, AND THEN SOMEONE OPENS A LIQUOR STORE AND A PIZZA JOINT.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, THE CLUB IS GONE FROM THIS AREA, BUT IT STILL POPPED UP ON EAST SIXTH.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT GETS TOO EXPENSIVE, IT'LL POP UP SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS ARE THAT WAY.
I MEAN, ALL, EVERY NEWSPAPER IN THE COUNTRY CAN GO AWAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT GOES BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS 500 YEARS AGO, AND IT'S SOME GUY GOING FROM TOWN TO TOWN TELLING THE STORIES OF THE LAST TOWN, YOU KNOW, INTO THE NEXT TOWN, THAT'S STILL GONNA HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE AS A SPECIES.
WE TELL STORIES, AND THAT'S HOW WE PASS HISTORY ON OUR OWN HISTORY AND THE HISTORY OF OUR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT CAN DIP DOWN, IT CAN LOOK BAD, BUT NONE OF IT'S GOING AWAY.
I, I, THERE IS THAT FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF I DO HAVE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNIVERSITY HERE, THAT, UH, MUSIC WILL ALWAYS STAY IN THIS TOWN AS MORE AND MORE YOUNG PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE UNIVERSITY, THEY ARE MAKING MUSIC.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO STOP MAKING MUSIC IN, IN AUSTIN.
[4. Update on FY24 Austin Live Music Fund guidelines by Chair Medicharla]
TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, UH, UPDATE ON FI 24 AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND GUIDELINES, UH, BY CHAIR.UM, I DO WANT THE COMMISSIONERS TO NOTE THAT, UH, THE AGENDA ITEMS HAVE KIND OF BEEN, SOME OF THEM, NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN, UH, EITHER SLIGHTLY REWORDED OR SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED BY, UH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO IF YOU SEE A DELTA IN, UH, WHAT WE KIND OF PROPOSED AND, UH, UH, WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON PAPER, IT'S, IT'S, THOSE UPDATES ARE COMING FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY UPDATES FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT, UH, WE HAD RECENTLY.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A QUICK SUMMARY.
I ALREADY SENT OUT, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND SHARED THE, UH, MEETING NOTES, AND I JUST SENT OUT A BRIEF, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, UPDATE ON THAT, UH, TO STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT PARTICIPATED, UH, IN THE MEETING AS WELL.
UM, I BASICALLY HIGHLIGHTED, UH, POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR EDD, AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE I, I KEPT MOST OF MY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CONTENT TOO.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE A PRINTED COPY, SO I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS OFF MY PHONE.
[00:50:01]
MYSELF.UM, I, I WAS ASKED TO CHAIR THE MEETING, AND I DID.
COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND JOINED COMMISSIONER CASADA, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL, AND THEN FROM THE INDUSTRY WE HAD, UH, NICOLE BLO, PAT BTE, AND, UH, PEDRO, I'M GONNA MESS UP YOUR LAST NAME.
CAR CARVALHO, UH, FROM FAR OUT, UH, LOUNGE, UM, NICOLE
UM, SO INITIALLY, UM, THERE WAS AN ASK FOR CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS FUND WAS FROM COMMISSIONER CASADA.
AND, UH, SO IN RELATION TO, TO THAT, UH, EDD HAD, UH, STAFF HAD SHARED THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, UM, AND THAT THE FUND, UH, PURPOSE WAS TO ESSENTIALLY SUPPORT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE ECOSYSTEM.
UH, WE TALKED SOME ABOUT THE PAST, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE KEY ONES AROUND, UH, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, WHICH WAS, UH, PI AS AN EQUITY FRAMEWORK, UH, BROAD USERS RECORDING VIDEO, UH, LIVE PERFORMANCE, ET CETERA, FROM, FOR MUSICIANS, UH, AND MUSICIANS.
AND IN INDEPENDENT PROMOTE IS GOING IN, IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE ROLLOUT WITH VENUES INCLUDED IN THE SECOND YEAR.
SOME OF THE POINTS THAT CAME UP, UM, FOR EDDS CONSIDERATION AND, UH, ALSO REQUEST FOR RESPONSES, UH, WERE CONCERN OVER THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM FIVE TO $10,000 IN GRANT AMOUNTS FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND TO THE JUMP TO 15 TO 30,000.
UH, SO THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD REALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, UH, APPLICANTS WHO WOULD RECEIVE THE FUNDS SINCE THE POOL OF MONIES THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
AND SO THERE WERE, THERE WAS A QUESTION AROUND WHAT IS THE DATA, WHAT IS THE BASIS, UH, ON WHICH THIS DECISION WAS MADE? UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS AROUND MANAGING OVERHEAD VERSUS, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, OTHER COST BENEFIT, UH, CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, SECOND ONE WAS ELIMINATING THE MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES FROM THE ELIGIBLE USERS FOR ALL RECIPIENTS.
UM, THERE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE ELIGIBLE USERS ARE ESSENTIALLY COMING FROM THE, UM, HOT TAX CODE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS INSERTED BY ANYBODY ELSE.
BUT, UM, IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT OUT AND JUST BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT X NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE USERS, UH, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE APPLICANTS, TO THE RECIPIENTS, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
INCLUSION OF NONPROFITS IN LMF.
SO LAST YEAR THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AROUND THIS ON WHETHER OR NOT, UM, NONPROFITS SHOULD BE INCLUDED, UM, AS ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS TO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UM, THERE WERE NO, YOU KNOW, STRONG, UH, LEANINGS, UM, UNANIMOUSLY, AT LEAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE, UH, FURTHER ON THIS FROM EDD.
THE NEXT ONE WAS RECORDING PROJECTS.
THE QUESTION WAS, HOW IS DELIVERY TRACKED, UH, HERE, IF, UH, SOMEBODY GETS THE GRANT FOR A RECORDING PROJECT, UM, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THAT GETS, THAT'S GETTING CLOSED OUT OR, OR WHATEVER.
UH, THE IDEA WAS, YOU KNOW, IS ACTUALLY THE FUNDS ARE BEING USED TOWARDS THAT AND THE PROJECT IS BEING COMPLETED.
UM, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES PROPOSED AROUND ELIGIBLE USERS FOR VENUES.
UM, UH, I DO HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT INITIALLY WHEN THIS WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED, UM, ONE OF THE PRIMARY DRIVERS OF THAT WAS AROUND CONCERNS, UM, AROUND HOW THE VENUES WOULD BE USING THE FUNDS.
UH, BUT ONCE, AS WE, YOU KNOW, WENT INTO THE CONVERSATION IN THE WORKING GROUP, UH, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT, UH, CHANGES PROPOSED AROUND WHAT THE ELIGIBLE USERS ARE FOR VENUES.
UH, QUESTION AROUND ELIGIBILITY FOR CORPORATE BACKED VENUES, UH, OR VENUES THAT ARE OWNED BY PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES.
UH, HOW, WHAT IS THE CRITERIA? WHAT IS, UH, ARE THEY ELIGIBLE? ARE THEY NOT ELIGIBLE? HOW ARE WE DISTINGUISHING, UH, UH, BETWEEN, UH, DIFFERENT VENUE TYPES? UH, THERE WAS A STRONG ASK FOR LONG CENTER TO BE AVAILABLE TO PRESENT DIRECTLY AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION, UH, AT LEAST ONCE IN A WHILE TO PROVIDE, UM, A PERSPECTIVE AND A STATUS, UH, MORE THAN A PERSPECTIVE, REALLY A STATUS ON HOW, UH, THINGS ARE GOING.
AND THE LAST ONE WAS, UH, APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR GRANTS TO BOTH CULTURAL ARTS AS WELL AS THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, LEGALLY THAT IS NOT ALLOWED.
SOMEBODY WHO GETS A GRANT FROM THE CULTURAL ARTS, THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY PROHIBITS FROM, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS FROM GETTING FUNDS ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, BUT HOW IS THAT BEING, UH, OPERATIONALIZED? SO, UM, WITH THAT, UM, THAT WAS THE SUMTOTAL.
I, UH, SHARED A DOCUMENT, UH, AND REVIEWED THIS WITH, UM, STAFF AND, UH, IF SOMEBODY COULD FROM STAFF, ERICA
[00:55:01]
SOVIA, IF ANYBODY COULD, UM, GIVE US SOME, UM, UH, RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS AND JUST PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE HERE.ERICA SHAMLEY, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
UH, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
WE HEARD EVERYTHING, WE READ OVER ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS COME BACK TO YOU IN APRIL WITH FINAL GUIDELINES, UH, TAKING EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO.
UH, BUT IT WAS NOTHING THAT, UM, I MEAN, THESE, THESE WERE ALL VERY DOABLE THINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WORKING GROUP SUGGESTIONS, BUT WE'RE NOT PREPARED TO TALK TO ANY SPECIFIC THING TONIGHT.
WE NEED MORE TIME TO GO THROUGH IT, TALK WITH ALL THE POWERS THAT BE WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL, AND WE'LL PRESENT THOSE FINAL GUIDELINES IN APRIL.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UM, FROM EITHER THE PARTICIPANTS OR, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER, GO, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
SO WITH THE, UH, THE ELIGIBLE USES FOR THE VENUES, WHAT'S NOT BEING NECESSARILY OVERTLY SAID IS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT INCLUDING THE PROVISION THAT THE VENUES NEEDED TO PAY A FAIR WAGE TO MUSICIANS IF THEY WERE GONNA RECEIVE THIS GRANT FUNDING.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WAS WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE LAST MEETING.
UM, SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION THAT Y'ALL MIGHT'VE HAD AND LIKE WHY YOU LANDED ON NOT INCLUDING THAT? INCLUDING, SORRY, IF YOU COULD REPEAT THAT.
SO AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THE VENUES THAT RECEIVE THESE FUNDS, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE REQUIRING THEM TO PAY ANY PARTICULAR FAIR WAGE TO MUSICIANS? YEAH.
UNLESS THAT ARE PLAYING THESE SHOWS, UNLESS THE FUNDS ARE BEING DIRECTED BY THE VENUE FOR PAYING MUSICIANS, IN THAT CASE, THAT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT.
UM, BUT THERE IS NOTHING YES, COMPELLING IN THE CURRENT GUIDELINES THAT SAYS THAT, UM, VENUES HAVE TO USE THE FUNDS TO, UH, PAY MUSICIANS, RIGHT? THERE ARE MULTIPLE ELIGIBLE USERS.
WELL, CAN I, CAN I CLARIFY BEFORE YOU GO? SORRY.
SO TO ME IT FEELS VERY, UM, IT FEELS EXTREMELY BROAD, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN APPLY FOR, THESE VENUES CAN APPLY FOR THIS LARGE CHUNK OF MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS WITH IT.
AND MAYBE THEY, UM, MAYBE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING THEIR, THEIR VENUE, MAYBE THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SINKING THE MONEY INTO, YOU KNOW, BUILDING A BETTER SOUND SYSTEM OR WHATEVER, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE SAME PAY STRUCTURE, WHICH AT MOST PUBLIC VENUES IS, IS A PITTANCE FOR MUSICIANS.
UM, SO HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS THIS, THE REASON WHY I PERSONALLY ADVOCATED FOR BRINGING VENUES INTO THIS FUND WAS BECAUSE THEY PRESENTED US THAT THE, THE VENUE ALLIANCE AND, AND, AND THEIR PRESENTATION TO US WAS THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO FUNNEL THESE FUNDS TO MUSICIANS THROUGH THE VENUES THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO USE THESE FUNDS TO PAY MUSICIANS A FAIR WAGE TO PLAY THEIR VENUES.
AND SO IT FEELS LIKE THAT'S COMPLETELY GONE AND
CAN I SPEAK? UM, YEAH, I WOULD, I WAS GONNA YIELD TO COMM OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UH, FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UH, SO THE, UM, IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WERE HAVING, NUMBER ONE, UM, I WAS, I ASKED DIRECTLY, UH, BOTH NICOLE AND UM, UH, UH, FAROUT LOUNGE, UH, UM, IF MUSICIANS WERE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZED, IF, IF COMPENSATION FOR MUSICIANS WAS GOING TO BE PRIORITIZED, THEY ASSURED US THAT THEY WOULD, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, THEY'RE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF VENUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ASKING, YOU KNOW, AND I DID ASK THE QUESTION, AND A FEW OTHERS, I BELIEVE ASKED THE QUESTION ON BEHALF OF, UM, MUSICIANS.
UH, SO THAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
HOWEVER, IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S, THERE MAY BE
[01:00:01]
MORE NEED THAN WE THINK, WHICH IS, UM, WHY WE ALLOW FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE, I BELIEVE THE CAP FOR THE, UH, VENUE GRANT IS 60,000, AND I BELIEVE IT STARTS AT, UM, UM, SOMEWHERE, REMIND ME, I THINK IT STARTS AT 30,000.IT SAID 30 FOR, UH, LESS THAN VENUES OPERATING, UH, WITH LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
RIGHT? BUT THOSE, THEY'RE NOT ANY OF THOSE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT.
THAT, THAT WE COMMONLY KNOW OF.
UM, AND, AND, AND, AND SO THE, IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THIS MONEY IS GOING TO GO TO OPEX TO OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, UH, BOTH WHAT WE HEARD FROM RIVER RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM FAR OUT LOUNGE.
UM, AND THAT'S, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT IF ANYONE WANTS, ELSE, WANTS TO CHIME IN ON THAT.
COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UH, ARE THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, IS THAT OKAY? AND IF IT'S NOT SIGNED UP ON THE TOPIC.
UH, PEDRO, WOULD YOU MIND COMING TO THE MIC AND SPEAKING? YEAH.
UM, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY AN HONOR TO BE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP, AND IT'S SUPER COOL TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS TRYING TO MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE, UM, FOR MUSICIANS AND THE MUSIC SCENE IN GENERAL AND THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM OF WHAT MAKES THE CITY SO GREAT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
UM, I THINK THE IDEA OF GIVING ALL OF THE MONEY FROM THIS GRANT TO MUSICIANS IS IDEAL.
UM, I THINK IF WE COULD DO THAT AND MAKE IT SO THAT COULD WORK OUT SOMEHOW, UM, FINANCIALLY FOR THE VENUES, UM, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT 10 OUTTA 10 TIMES.
UM, AND IF VENUES COULD GET THESE, YOU KNOW, OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME SOMETIMES FROM THE, UM, THE CREATIVE SPACES GRANT, WE CAN USE THAT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THE VENUE NEEDS A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY TO SAY THAT $50,000 IS SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR A BUSINESS LOSING ABOUT $400,000 A YEAR IS, IT'S NOT CORRECT.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST NOT A RELEVANT REALLY AMOUNT OF CASH.
UM, THE FAR WAGES TO MUSICIANS IS, WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE TO BE ABLE TO PAY AT LEAST 200 BUCKS PER MUSICIAN THAT PLAYS AT THE VENUE.
UM, AND I WOULD EVEN SAY I WOULD DO THAT WITH THE ENTIRE $50,000, BUT A BUSINESS OF OURS GENERATES ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS THAT GOES TO MUSICIANS AND MUSIC WORKERS YEARLY.
SO I COULD SUPPLEMENT THAT 50,000 UNTIL IT RUNS OUT, AND THEN I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
'CAUSE I MEAN, IT'S A LOSING BUSINESS.
THERE IS NO MARGIN, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IN A MUSIC VENUE.
UM, SO I THINK JUST GETTING CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE EVEN TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF MUSIC VENUES.
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO EVENTUALLY DIE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHRONICLE AND WITH ALL OF THESE PUBLICATIONS AND, UM, INDEPENDENT MUSIC VENUES, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE, THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME RENT AS EVERYBODY ELSE IS IN HIKES THAT, UM, AUSTIN IS SUFFERING FROM.
AND ALSO, WE'RE A PLACE WHERE 99% OF US ARE MUSICIANS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I THINK, ONE PERSON ON STAFF THAT ISN'T IN A BAND.
SO IT, THE MUSIC VENUE ATMOSPHERE IS A PLACE WHERE IT DOES CATER TO MUSICIANS AND TO THE SCENE, AND TO MAKE MUSICIANS MAKE MORE MONEY IS AWESOME TO EVERYONE THAT WORKS THERE AND TO THE VENUE ITSELF.
UM, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GIVE ALL OF THIS MONEY TO MUSICIANS THAT COME THROUGH THE VENUE, UM, AND TO SUPPLEMENT OUR INCOME ELSEWHERE.
SO IF THERE IS A WAY TO DO THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
BUT WE DO GENERATE, LAST YEAR IT WAS JUST A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WENT TO, UM, PROMOTERS, MUSICIANS, UH, SOUND STAFF, DOOR STAFF, UM, THE, AND NOT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BAR.
UM, I ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO RUN TWO BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE.
ONE, THE DREAM WAS TO OPEN A MUSIC VENUE
[01:05:01]
AND TO HAVE SHOWS EVERY NIGHT AND TO SUPPORT THE LIVE MUSIC SCENE IN AUSTIN THAT I LOVE SO MUCH, BUT I HAD TO START A BAR NEXT TO IT SO THAT I COULD PAY THE RENT.UM, AND IT'S STILL NOT PAYING THE RENT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, PATRICK, FOR PROVIDING PERSPECTIVE THERE.
COMMISSIONER, UH, MADISON? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO I MEAN, WE TALK ABOUT THIS VENUE SUSTAINABILITY AND ALL THE TIME AND HOW THAT CAN, HOW WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE IT SO THAT MORE OF THE MONEY THAT GOES THROUGH VENUES REACHES MUSICIANS, WHETHER THAT'S, UM, SUBSIDIZED CREATIVE SPACE OR FUNDING FROM, UM, THE CITY.
AND, UM, I'M WONDERING THOUGH IF YOU, LIKE, IF YOU COULD PAINT LIKE AN IDEAL PICTURE OF HOW IT COULD ALL WORK SO THAT THE VENUES MADE MONEY AND THE MUSICIANS MADE MONEY AND ALL THE, THE STAFF COULD MAKE A LIVING WAGE.
LIKE, IS IT A MATTER OF HAVING MORE PEOPLE IN THE VENUE EVERY NIGHT? IS IT A MATTER OF CITY SUBSIDIES? IS IT A MATTER OF SPONSORSHIPS FROM, UM, OTHER, OTHER, LIKE ALMOST PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IN A SENSE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEM BEING PART OF THIS? LIKE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF, LIKE, HOW MUCH A SHOW WE'D MAKE, WHAT THE BAR SELL WOULD BE WHAT YOU PAY MUSICIANS.
LIKE, I, I, I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE ACCOUNTING, BUT WE TALK ABOUT IT SO MUCH AND I FEEL LIKE I DON'T EVEN AFTER FOUR YEARS ON THE COMMISSION, LIKE I DON'T REALLY EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE WHAT A VENUE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE TO BE ABLE TO PAY MUSICIANS, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE A HUNDRED, LIKE WE'RE THE CITY RATE, $200 PER SHOW PER PER MUSICIAN.
LIKE WE HAVE ALL SAID THAT THAT'S AMAZING WHEN THAT THE CITY CAN SUBSIDIZE THAT AND THAT'S THE TAXPAYERS SUB SUBSIDIZING IT THROUGH PUBLIC FUNDS COMING THROUGH HOT, BUT IT'S NOT REALISTIC FOR VENUES TO PAY THAT.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE IDEAL IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE, WHAT YOUR DREAM COULD, COULD BE? UM, I MEAN, I THINK A DREAM SCENARIO IS WE ALL ARE ABLE TO PAY OUR BILLS AND OUR RENT MUSICIANS, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF INCLUDED, AND, AND THEN HAVE THE FAR OUTLIVE, UM, IN A HARMONIOUS SPACE WITH EVERYBODY BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO AFFORD LIVING IN AUSTIN.
UM, IT'S SUCH A LARGE PROBLEM WITH AFFORDABILITY ANYWAY.
AND THEN THE, I THINK IF I HAD AN IDEAL SITUATION FOR THE VENUE AND JUST SPEAKING TO OTHER VENUE OWNERS IN TOWN, UM, WOULD BE TO BRING IN, UM, PROMOTERS IN AUSTIN.
THERE ARE INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS THAT ARE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, AND TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE INTO THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I BUILT A SPACE, YOU KNOW, THE VENUE IS THIS ART SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE, FOR PEOPLE TO USE.
UM, THERE IS SOME COST INVOLVED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, RENT AND UTILITIES AND THEIR STAFF TO RUN IT.
SO THERE, THERE IS NO PLACE IN WHERE I WORK, AT LEAST, WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THE INCOME OF THE VENUE WITHOUT THE BAR SALES.
LIKE IT'S A, IT'S A NEGATIVE SUM GAME TO RUN A MUSIC VENUE IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, AND I HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THAT CONSTANTLY BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A PASSION OF MINE.
AND REALLY BRINGING IN PROMOTERS IN AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE MORE COMPETITIVE SHOWS AND TO BRING MORE PEOPLE TO YOUR VENUE AND TO HAVE HIGHER QUALITY, UM, PROGRAMMING, UM, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY SPECIAL AND SOMETHING THAT COULD GROW REALLY WELL.
AND SO THE, THE WAY THIS MUSIC SCENE IS SO FRUITFUL IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE SO CREATIVE AND MAKING THESE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMMINGS AND LIKE BRINGING THESE MUSICIANS TOGETHER.
BUT I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF TIMES, AND I'M NOT A PROMOTER, UM, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THE PROMOTERS IN TOWN GET TAKEN OUT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE REALLY, THEY'RE LIKE THE DRIVING FORCE OF ALL OF IT.
THE, THE MUSICIAN HAS THIS PRODUCT AND THEN THE PROMOTER SELLS THE PRODUCT, AND THEN THE VENUE IS REALLY JUST A LOCATION, IT'S AN ART SPACE.
UM, AND TO, AND IT, A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FOLLOW, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN REALLY EXCITED ABOUT JOINING THIS.
IT JUST FELT LIKE THERE'S LIKE PITTING MUSIC VENUES AGAINST MUSICIANS, WHICH IS LIKE THE MOST NIGHTMARE SENTENCE I COULD THINK OF FROM SOMEBODY WHO BUILT A MUSIC VENUE JUST OUT OF TRUE LOVE FOR LIVE MUSIC.
UM, AND IF YOU PUT PROMOTERS IN THAT CONVERSATION, YOU'RE LIKE, HOW DO YOU BRING ALL THREE OF THESE CONCEPTS
[01:10:01]
TOGETHER? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.THERE'S NO MUSICIAN AND VENUE CONVERSATION WITHOUT SOMEBODY PROMOTING THE SHOW OR PUTTING THE SHOW TOGETHER.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING THE EVENT TOGETHER, UM, AND THE SPACE WILL BENEFIT FROM IT.
AND THEN THE MUSICIANS BENEFIT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THE PROMOTERS ARE PUTTING TOGETHER AND THE VENUE, WHATEVER THEY CAN DO TO BE CATERING TO THE MUSICIAN.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS LIKE HAVING THAT ART AND THE MUSICIAN FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING PAID ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL.
UM, BUT THESE CONVERSATIONS ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THERE'S MONEY NEEDS TO GO TO MUSICIANS, MUSIC VENUES ARE CORPORATE GREEDY BASTARDS.
AND IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NOT REALISTIC TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BE STEERED THAT WAY.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE OF THE PROMOTER CONVERSATION COME INTO THIS.
YEAH, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW.
AND I, I MEAN, I WANNA SAY THAT LIKE I'M, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE COMMISSION AND REALLY IN THE COMMUNITY IS, IS UNDER THIS ASSUMPTION THAT VENUE OWNERS ARE JUST LIKE GOING HOME EVERY NIGHT LIKE SCROOGE MCDUCK WITH A BIG STACK OF CASH.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE, THE WITH THE CITY'S HELP IN NEGOTIATING, LIKE HAD TO SAVE HOLE IN THE WALL, FOR EXAMPLE.
LIKE A AWESOME LOCATION, LONGSTANDING VENUE, BUT IT, IT COULDN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT INTERVENTION.
UM, SO I DO WANNA SAY, LIKE, I I I, I FEEL LIKE THE SCARCITY THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN AND THAT WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING, WELL, NOT ALL OF US, BUT MANY OF US ARE EXPERIENCING, IS LIKE, SORT OF PITS PEOPLE AGAINST EACH OTHER IN A WAY THAT'S, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
BUT I DO FEEL LIKE THIS WORK, THIS COMMISSION, UM, HAS DONE SOME WORK TO TRY TO KNIT THAT TOGETHER IN A BETTER WAY.
SO, AND I'M, I'M GLAD YOU'LL BE JOINING US.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
IT, IT DOES FEEL LIKE THE CONVERSATION'S BECOMING MORE FRUITFUL, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE ANYWAY.
UM, AND WHAT A COOL JOB EVERYONE DID WITH HOLE IN THE WALL.
WHAT A SUPER, SUPER COOL THING THAT HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, I THINK JUST BEING MORE OPEN TO OTHER WAYS OF HELPING THE MUSIC SCENE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT IF THERE WAS SOME TAX EXEMPTION TO MUSIC VENUES AND THEN ALL OF THESE FUNDS GO TO PROMOTERS AND, UM, AND MUSICIANS LIKE THAT WOULD BE EASY.
IF I COULD GET SOME KIND OF TAX EXEMPTION TO RUN A MUSIC VENUE WHERE IT WOULD HELP BUFFER SOME OF THOSE COSTS, THEN THERE WOULD BE MONEY SOMEWHERE THAT COULD GO MORE TOWARDS MUSICIANS.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PATERSON.
UH, COMMISSIONER GOULD AND UH, I'LL, I'LL PAY ATTENTION AND MAKE SURE, UH, WE ARE COVERED ONLINE AS WELL, IF ANYBODY HAS FURTHER COMMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING UP.
'CAUSE I JUST, I JUST NEEDED, I NEEDED CLARIFICATION BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME AND I WANTED TO KNOW LIKE HOW WE LANDED ON WHERE, WHERE YOU GUYS LANDED.
UM, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
I LOVE FAR OUT, I'VE PLAYED THERE A BUNCH OF TIMES.
UM, AND I, I HOPE PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT I'VE DEFINITELY BEEN ONE OF THE VOICES THAT HAS BEEN TRYING TO DISPEL THE US AND THEM VENUES AND MUSICIANS, LIKE AS WE ARE ALL PART OF THE FAMILY.
WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS TOGETHER.
AND I WANT, I WANT THERE TO BE MORE COLLABORATION.
I WANT THIS TO BE MORE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
UM, AND AS A MUSICIAN, IT'S BEEN RARE THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT WITH VENUES WHERE IT HAS FELT LIKE A COLLABORATIVE, UM, SITUATION.
AND WHENEVER IT DOES, IT'S LIKE THE MOST REFRESHING THING IN THE WORLD.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF WHAT THE SPACE OFFERS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT MISSING RIGHT NOW, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINES AND NOT THINKING ABOUT THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF, OF HAVING THIS MUSIC COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE ALL HERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT SURVIVES BECAUSE WE ALL BELIEVE THAT IT HAS VALUE INTRINSICALLY.
UM, AND WE ALL ALSO HAVE TO SURVIVE.
SO, UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS, BECAUSE I AGREE.
I MEAN, YES, 200 PER MUSICIAN PER HOUR WOULD BE GREAT, BUT WHENEVER YOU START TO IMPOSE THAT ON, ON, YOU KNOW, CLUBS LIKE YOURSELF, IT'S LIKE THAT'S COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE.
OR YOU CAN ONLY HIRE LIKE, YOU KNOW, A HANDFUL OF BANDS.
SO IS THERE SOME, I I JUST AM WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME MIDDLE GROUND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED ABOUT LIKE, WHICH VENUES ARE GONNA BE ACCESSIBLE OR, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR THIS.
BECAUSE NOT ALL VENUES HAVE YOUR ATTITUDE, I BELIEVE.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THEM DO, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT
[01:15:01]
PERSPECTIVE, BUT I THINK IF, IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF MIDDLE GROUND WE CAN FIND WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, VENUES THAT ARE RECEIVING THIS FUNDING, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW ARE MUSICIANS COMPENSATED? LIKE WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DEAL THERE? WHAT, IS THERE A GUARANTEE? IS IT A DOOR DEAL? WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, UM, AND HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S BECOMING PART OF THE PIE FOR THAT MUSICIANS ARE GETTING A FAIR, FAIR WAGE, UM, FROM THESE VENUES THAT ARE RECEIVING GRANT FUNDS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A DROP IN IN THE BUCKET FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS EXPENSES, BUT, UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE A PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE IN SOME WAY.'CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IS GONNA HAVE THAT MUCH INTEGRITY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I'M BEING CYNICAL, BUT THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE
WELL, UH, IF, IF, IF, IF, IF I MAY, I I THINK THAT ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR VENUES RECEIVING THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, IT'S THE SAME THING AS AS, AS AS MUSICIANS OR PROMOTERS OR INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS RECEIVING THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RECEIPTS INVOLVED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE TRANSPARENCY, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BAKED INTO THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO BASICALLY IF THE MONEY IS, UH, BEING SPENT TO A VENUE OR IF ANYONE GETS THIS MONEY, THERE HAS TO BE AN ALLOTMENT OR AN ACCOUNTING OF, OF, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHERE THOSE DOLLARS WENT, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT THOSE DOLLARS WENT TO ACTUALLY DO.
AND ONE, ONE OF THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, QUITE POSSIBLY COULD BE, YOU KNOW, AN OFFER SHEET.
LIKE, SO IF YOU KNOW THE VENUE IS GOING TO PUT ON AN EVENT, UM, OR SOMETHING, NOT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO GUARANTEE QUOTE UNQUOTE A MUSICIAN.
ANY, ANY, ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FUNDS, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY.
SO I GUESS IF WE COULD, WE, WE COULD TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT SEEMS TO BE LIKE, IF THERE'S A DEAL ON THE TABLE FOR AN ARTIST, THE ARTIST IS PLAYING A SHOW THAT YOU KNOW, IS BEING PUT ON BY THE VENUE AND THE VENUE HAS RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNDING, UM, FROM THE CITY TO, TO PUT ON, UH, TO COVER ITS OPERATIONAL EXPENSES, THEN IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THERE TO BE A VERY TRANSPARENT OFFER SHEET TO, TO TO KNOW WHAT THE VENUE'S GETTING, WHAT THE ARTIST IS GETTING, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE, A LOT OF VENUES DON'T DO THIS OR DO DO THIS.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THAT'S GONNA HELP A LOT WITH, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW WHO'S GETTING WHAT AND SO THAT NO ONE CAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED OR SOMETHING GOOD HAS HAPPENED, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
IT JUST PUTS TRANSPARENCY ALL AROUND THIS ENTIRE SITUATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I, WITH THE GRANT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING QUITE A BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS GETTING PAID AND WHAT THE GRANT MONEY CAN AND CAN'T BE USED FOR.
CAN, UH, AND A, A GRANT AWARDEE USE ANY PART, OR I GUESS PROPOSING THAT THEY CAN USE ANY PART OF THAT GRANT MONEY IF THEY PUT ON A SHOW AT A VENUE AND THE VENUE HAS OPERATIONAL COSTS, IT HAS THAT THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES? YES.
UH, IF THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES WITH THE, UH, THE GRANT FUND.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD REQUEST STAFF TO CORRECT ME IF I'M NOT GETTING THIS RIGHT, BUT, UM, UH, IF THIS IS NOT PROJECT BASED ANYMORE, THE CRITERIA, IT'S MORE AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT QUALIFIES YOU AS A MUSICIAN OR AN INDEPENDENT PROMOTER OR AS A VENUE.
SO IN THAT CASE, TECHNICALLY I WOULD THINK THAT A MUSICIAN CAN TAKE THE GRANT AMOUNT AND DO SEVERAL SHOWS AND KEEP PAYING THEMSELVES IN THE BAND AT THE CITY RATE.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION OR DID THAT, DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES.
YEAH, ERIC SHAMLEY, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
SO THE WAY THAT THE GRANT WORKS NOW AS WELL, UH, FOR BOTH PROMOTERS, MUSICIANS AND THEN FOR VENUES IS THAT AS LONG AS THE ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, ARE BEING PROMOTED TO POTENTIAL TOURISTS CONVICTION DELEGATES, A MARKETING PLAN HAS TO BE PART OF EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE IN RELATION TO USING THIS GRANT FUNDS.
AND YEAH, IF A MUSICIAN IS THE PROMOTER, THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES AS THE PROMOTER AND THEY CAN PAY THEMSELVES AS ONE OF THE MUSICIAN SLOTS JUST AS LONG AS THEY'RE PAYING ALL THE OTHER MUSICIAN SLOTS.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS NOT A LOST LEADER.
YOU GET PAID FOR THE WORK YOU DO.
AND SO THIS GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THAT BUDGET OUT.
[01:20:01]
HERE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT ROLES, THIS IS WHAT IT COSTS.AND IF YOU'RE PLAYING ONE OF THOSE ROLES, THAT'S OKAY TO PAY YOURSELF TO DO THAT.
UM, AND FOR THE VENUE, YOU KNOW, SAME TYPE OF THING, IF IT FITS WITHIN THOSE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES, THE MARKETING PLAN IS THERE, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING TO TOURISTS, YOU CAN USE IT, WHATEVER WITHIN THOSE EXPENSE CATEGORIES, UH, TO USE THAT GRANT.
SO, UH, WE WANNA KEEP IT AS FLEXIBLE AND REALISTIC.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS NOT A LOSS LEADER.
THEY NEED TO BE PAID FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UH, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CAN I JUST QUICKLY ASK ANOTHER QUESTION AND, UM, UM, IT'S, UM, THE, JUST TO CLARIFY MY UNDERSTANDING AND WHAT I STATED AT THE WORKING GROUP TOO, THE ELIGIBLE USERS ARE ESSENTIALLY COMING FROM THE HOT CODE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UH, COMING FROM SOMETHING THAT EDD DESIGNED OR, OR PROPOSED.
IT'S JUST BROUGHT SAME ELIGIBLE USERS ACROSS ALL APPLICANTS, BASICALLY.
AND WE JUST INCLUDED ALL POTENTIAL, UM, ELIGIBLE EXPENSES THAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE STATUTE.
IT JUST HAS TO GO TOWARDS THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE BEING PROMOTED TO POTENTIAL TOUR CONVENTION DELEGATES.
SO AGAIN, THAT MARKETING PLAN SHOWING US THE ENGAGEMENT, THE ANALYTICS, WHAT, HOW YOU'RE GONNA USE THE FUNDS TO DO THE MARKETING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
UH, 'CAUSE THESE ARE HOT FUNDS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO ADD THE IN CONNECTION TO SOME, SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE SHARED HERE.
AND, AND, UH, CONNECTION TO WHAT PEDRO WAS SAYING, I THINK THE, UM, CHALLENGE THAT A LOT OF MUSICIANS, UM, DEAL WITH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN ANIMOSITY, UM, TOWARDS THE VENUES.
IT'S, IT'S THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WENT THROUGH A, UH, WHAT THEY CALL A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND WE SAW VENUES GETTING FEDERAL MONEY, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, UM, THAT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, VENUE OWNERS HAVE ACCESSIBILITY TO WEALTH AND, AND RESOURCES, UM, THAT ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO MUSICIANS.
SO TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HISTORICALLY, UM, IN THE CITY, WE'VE SEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, VENUES GET OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO SURVIVE AND KEEP GOING WHEN THOSE, SOME OPPORTUNITIES WERE NOT LENDED IN GENERAL TO MUSICIANS.
SO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WAS A, WAS A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THAT TO BE, UM, CHANGED A BIT.
AND FOR, UM, UM, MUSICIANS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES.
UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR A, UH, MUSICIAN INDEPENDENT OR STARTING OUT, AND THAT'S CHANGING, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, TO GET A BUSINESS LOAN OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK AND TO GROW AND TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FAIL AND GET, YOU KNOW, BAILED OUT, UM, BY FEDERAL FUNDING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT HAS NOT EXISTED.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A US VERSUS THEM THING.
IT'S A, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR A LOT OF MUSICIANS TO FEEL THE PAIN OF THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT TYPE OF ACCESS WHEN THEY DON'T.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT RE REGARD, IT'S HARD TO, TO FEEL AND UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH WE TRY, AND I THINK A LOT OF US DO.
IT'S HARD TO FEEL THE PAIN IN THE SAME WAY WHEN BLACK VENUES IN THE CITY, UM, WERE
AND THERE WAS NOBODY VERY, VERY FEW VOICES, OR HARDLY ANY THAT I KNOW OF THAT WERE SPEAKING TO THOSE LOSSES.
BUT WHEN IT WAS OTHER FOLKS LOSING THEIR VENUES, THERE WAS AN UPROAR AND A NEEDS FOR SUPPORT AND, AND AN OUTCRY, UM, FOR THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT.
SO THERE ARE HISTORIC REASONS FOR NOT, I WOULDN'T CALL IT ANIMOSITY OR THE US VERSUS THEM, BUT THERE ARE HISTORIC REASONS BEHIND, UM, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS, UM, CRIME, YOU KNOW, THE OUTCRY TO SAY THAT WE, UM, DESERVE ACCESS TO THIS MONEY, AND WE NEED TO BE PRIORITIZED IN A SITUATION LIKE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN VENUES DO HAVE WHAT, NOT, NOT TO DOWNPLAY THE STRUGGLES AND, AND, AND CHALLENGES THAT PEDRO EXPRESSED AT ALL, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE STILL MORE OUTLETS, UM, FOR THAT PARTICULAR CLASS, IF YOU WILL, TO, TO, UH, TO TRY TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS.
UM, AND IT'S NOT AS MUCH ACCESS TO MUSICIANS.
UM, AND HISTORICALLY, SPECIFICALLY BLACK MUSICIANS HAVE, UH, HAD THE MOST DIFFICULTY IN THIS CITY.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT ON RECORD AND JUST SAY THAT PUBLICLY THAT, UM, WHILE I DO FEEL WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, PEDRO, I THINK THAT ALSO SOME OF THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THAT HISTORIC, UH, STRUGGLE IS WHAT KIND OF CREATES SOME OF THAT, UM, THAT DISTANCE.
PERHAPS THERE WAS NO OUTCRY TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF VENUE SAYING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ARTISTS ARE PRIORITIZED.
UM, THAT CAME FROM A MUSICIAN THAT CAME FROM MYSELF, THAT CAME FROM SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN THROUGH IT.
THE VENUES DIDN'T LINE UP AND SAY, NO MUSICIANS GOTTA GET THIS MONEY FIRST.
IT WAS THE MUSICIANS THAT STOOD UP AND SPOKE TO THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE, THAT, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE MUSICIAN'S VOICE SAYING THAT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT IS A DISTANCE THAT WE EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT WE DON'T GET THAT, UH, TYPE OF, YOU
[01:25:01]
KNOW, UH, UNDERSTANDING.AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF VENUES SUCH AS FAR OUT DO WANT TO DO THEIR BEST TO MAKE OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATE, UH, ACCESS AND THINGS TO, BUT THE MAJORITY DO NOT.
AND SO WE ARE THE WORKERS IN THIS SITUATION, AND THE VENUES ARE THE OWNERS AND THE ONES THAT CONTROL THE MARKET AND HOW YOU GET PAID AND WHO GETS PAID AND ALL THAT.
SO THERE IS A REASON FOR THE DISTANCE, UM, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID, THERE'S WORK TO TRY AND MAKE THAT MORE
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS A ARTIST, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AND SAY THAT THERE, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, DISTRUST OR DISTANCE OR, OR, OR, OR WHATEVER IS FELT, UM, IN THE PAST.
UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MAHON.
I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S REALLY SAD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS A DISTRUST AND DISTANCE.
UM, AND I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT, AND IT'S NOT HARD TO TELL THAT I AM A PERSON OF COLOR IF YOU HAVE A SCREEN ON YOU, UM, AND ALSO A MUSICIAN.
SO THE, THE STRUGGLE IS PRETTY REAL.
AND THEN TO ADD SOME PERSPECTIVE TO THE FUNDS, THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WERE GIVEN TO MUSIC VENUES DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT WE'VE ALL COLLECTIVELY EXPERIENCED, UM, YOU HAD TO HAVE A P AND L REPORT TWO YEARS PRIOR TO, UH, MARCH, 2020 WHEN THE PANDEMIC OFFICIALLY HIT.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE A NEWER MUSIC VENUE IN AUSTIN, WHICH IS PRETTY COMMON BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SUPER NEW IN AUSTIN, THINGS ARE CHANGING CONSTANTLY.
UM, YOU GOT NOTHING, UH, WHICH WAS THE CASE FOR THE FAR OUT, UM, AND WHAT WE DID FOR MUSICIANS.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE CLOSED, YOU KNOW, THE DAY THEY SHUT THE WHOLE WORLD DOWN, ALL I COULD DO, 'CAUSE LITERALLY EVERYONE ON STAFF IS A MUSICIAN, INCLUDING MYSELF.
UM, I TOOK WHATEVER WE HAD IN THE FRIDGE AND DROVE AROUND AND DROPPED OFF WHATEVER GROCERIES WE COULD TO ALL OF MY COWORKERS AND WHATEVER BEER I HAD, BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS GONNA LOCK THEMSELVES AT HOME AND WAIT UNTIL WE COULD SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN.
SO THE THE IDEA THAT THERE'S LIKE THIS, THE OWNERS AND THE, THERE'S LIKE THIS CRAZY, YOU KNOW, WEALTH OUT THERE FOR MUSIC VENUES IS JUST NOT REALISTIC FOR LOCAL MUSIC VENUES.
AND I KNOW THIS FROM A COLLECTIVE OF MUSIC VENUES, AND WE ALL TALK TO EACH OTHER LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL, NO ONE'S DOING GREAT, YOU KNOW, UM, MAYBE THE, THE STEPSS OF THE WORLD, THEY SEE ALL LIVE MOODY, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT TO START A GRASSROOTS BUSINESS BASED ON ARTS AND CULTURE, AND TO FEEL THAT THERE IS A DIVIDE BETWEEN LIKE OWNERS AND NOT WEALTHY PEOPLE IS JUST, IT'S ABSURD.
UM, I WOULD, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST, UH, FOR ESPECIALLY THE NEW COMMISSIONER, SO THEY'VE HEARD, THEY'VE HEARD IT, BUT, UH, JUST POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RAN THE LAST WORKING GROUP BEFORE THE FIRST ROLLOUT, UM, UH, THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS, THERE WERE, UH, MEETING IN THE MIDDLE THAT HAPPENED, UH, AND, UH, VENUES WERE BROUGHT IN IN YEAR TWO, WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING MUSICIANS AND, UH, INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS IN THE FIRST YEAR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE A, TAKE A CUE FROM WHAT COMMISSIONER MAHON IS SAYING, AND, UH, PETER, IF YOU NEED TO SIT DOWN, PLEASE, PLEASE, TOO.
UM, AND, AND, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE RECORDING USES, RIGHT? SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE VERY STRONGLY, UH, SUPPORTED AT THIS COMMISSION FROM GET GO.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE EVERY TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN EVEN FROM A NARROW SECTION, IF A CHALLENGE CAME UP, WHEN I SAY CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, A A ALLEGED QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SEEING THAT AS A NEGATIVE.
UM, I HAVE REALLY STRONGLY SUPPORTED IT.
AND, UH, UH, FROM THE GET GO, I, IT IS, IT, IT, IT IS VERY ESSENTIAL THAT THIS FUND IS FUTURE FORWARD.
THIS FUND WAS ALWAYS MEANT FOR THE ECOSYSTEM AND THE INDUSTRY, WHICH INCLUDES MUSICIANS, IT INCLUDES, UH, VENUES, IT INCLUDES, UH, FESTIVALS, IT INCLUDES ALL THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
IF THE IDEA OF THIS FUND IS TO HELP THE INDUSTRY, HELP THE BUILD THE ECOSYSTEM, NOT JUST SUSTAIN, BUT BUILD IT, THEN IT HAS TO BE DONE IN A MANNER THAT IS FUTURE FORWARD.
AND THAT ACTUALLY GETS THE MONEY INTO THE ECOSYSTEM, AND NOT JUST TO A LIMITED SET OF APPLICANTS THAT CAN JUST DIRECTLY RECEIVE IT.
AND SO THE, SOME OF THE BASIC REASONS FOR SUPPORTING RECORDING AND VIDEO AND JUST EXTENDED USES FOR THIS FUND SEEM VERY SIMPLE, RIGHT? IT SUPPORTS THE ECOSYSTEM.
IT, UH, ALSO SUPPORTS BROAD, YOU KNOW, MUSICIAN CAREERS.
UH, IT ALLOWS, YOU CANNOT EXPECT
[01:30:01]
EVERY MUSICIAN TO TAKE FIVE, 10, $20,000 AND, AND PUT THIS CONDITION THAT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN USE THIS MONEY IS GO AND PERFORM LIFE SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR EVERY MUSICIAN'S CAREER.EVERYBODY'S ON A DIFFERENT PATH.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR AND, AND, AND THANKFUL FOR IS, IS THAT THE MUSIC, MUSIC COMMISSION, AT THAT POINT, WHEN WE BROUGHT IN TWO RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THE EQUITY PARAMETERS WERE ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT WE BROUGHT IN TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE WAS INCLUSION OF VENUES, AND THE SECOND WAS THE EXTENDED USES.
AND THE MUSIC COMMISSION AT THAT TIME, UNANIMOUSLY, UH, RECOMMENDED BOTH OF THOSE.
BUT LET ME GET TO ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL REASONS WHY THOSE RECORDING USES AND THOSE EXTENDED USERS ARE IMPORTANT.
IT'S NOT IN MY WAY OF DOING THINGS TO SIT HERE AND CALL OUT SPECIFIC ENTITIES OR INDIVIDUALS, BUT IT IS A GIVEN THAT HISTORICALLY IN THIS CITY, IN THIS TOWN, THE GATEKEEPERS, AND MAYBE NOT EVERY GATEKEEPER, BUT LARGELY THE GATEKEEPERS, HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY MARGINALIZED COMPLETE GENRES OF MUSIC IN THIS TOWN.
AND THE ONLY WAY ARTISTS WORKING, SAY IN THE HIP HOP SCENE, MAYBE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THINGS MIGHT HAVE IMPROVED, BUT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN GET TO, UH, BUILDING THEIR CAREERS IS PROBABLY JUST GOING FROM THE STUDIO TO ONLINE OR BUILDING THEIR CAREER FROM OTHER MODELS AND NOT NECESSARILY JUST PERFORMING IN A PERFORMANCE SPACE IN TOWN.
AND THIS IS A FACT IN THE CITY FROM YEARS AND YEARS AND PROBABLY DECADES WHERE ENTIRE GENRES HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED.
YOU TAKE HIP HOP, YOU TAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A LATIN MUSIC SCENE THAT IS NON-EXISTENT TILL YESTERDAY, UH, AT A, AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL WHEN A MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY IS LATINO.
AND, AND NOW SUDDENLY WE HAVE THE BESAM MU FESTIVAL SELLING OUT 55,000, OR THAT'S THE WORD I'VE HEARD AROUND OVERNIGHT.
AND SO WHERE THERE IS, THERE IS A REAL DISCONNECT HERE.
AND I HAVE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR 23 YEARS.
I HAVE FRIENDS, UH, IN, IN THE HIP HOP SCENE.
I MAYBE NOT COMPLETELY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE GENRE AT ANY LEVEL, BUT I HAVE FRIENDS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO FUNDAMENTALLY IN THEIR GUT FEEL COMPLETELY SHORTCHANGED, SHORTCHANGED BY, UH, THE, THE SYSTEM HERE.
SO TO NOW TELL THOSE ARTISTS THAT YOU GET THIS FUND AND, UH, YOU GO PLAY IN SPACES THAT TILL ABOUT COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, UM, NOBODY CARED ABOUT PUTTING YOU ON.
HOW, HOW IS THAT, OKAY? RIGHT? SO AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, MEETING, MEETING THE HOTEL TAX CRITERIA, ET CETERA, GOES, I REALLY WANT TO THANK EDD FOR DOING THE HOMEWORK AND COMING BACK AND TELLING US THAT THOSE ARE MEANINGFUL USES, AND THOSE ARE ALLOWABLE USES.
ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE FUNDS IN THE FUTURE FORWARD WAY.
IF THESE ARE FUNDS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT HAVE TO BUILD THE ECOSYSTEM, THE MODELS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ARE CHANGING, DOESN'T MEAN WE COMPLETELY DEPLETE WHAT EXISTS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO BUILD MORE OF A 360 MODEL.
AND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT TOURISM CAN BE PROMOTED.
UH, AND TO THINK THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY IS I FEEL PRETTY ANTIQUATED WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO THIS, THE RECOMMENDATION BEING TAKEN IN, UH, TAKEN AND BEING ALSO SUPPORTED BY SOME COUNCIL OFFICES, UH, WHO HAVE ALSO SOME HAVE LOOKED CLOSELY AT IT.
THIS IS A HUGE WIN FOR ARTISTS FROM MINORITY COMMUNITIES, AND ESPECIALLY ARTISTS WHO ARE DOING GENRES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED IN THIS TOWN.
SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'VE KIND OF TAKEN OFF ON THIS, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES I THINK PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED AS TO WHY I'M SUPPORTING THIS SO STRONGLY.
BUT FROM THE BEGINNING, THIS HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT.
AND FUNDAMENTALLY, IT IS TO SUPPORT AN ARTIST DOING UNDERSERVED GENRES.
AND, UM, EQ AUSTIN KEEPS COMING UP.
THEY HAVE DONE WORK IN THE BIPOC, UH, MUSIC COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MORE THAN A DECADE, IF NOT MANY DECADES.
AND GAVIN GARCIA'S NAME COMES UP.
THESE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THE CAUSE FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT THEY BACKED ME UP.
AND I'M ALSO VERY THANKFUL THAT EVERY MUSICIAN, EVERY ACTUALLY MUSIC COMMISSIONER ON THIS COMMISSION, UH, SUPPORTED THOSE USES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE REASONS BEHIND, SO STRONGLY WANTING
[01:35:01]
TO SUPPORT THE RECORDING USES.AND, UM, UH, DEFINITELY THERE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS LIKE THE COMMISSIONER MAHO WHO HAVE DONE, UH, JUST VERY FUNDAMENTAL WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE, CHALLENGE I WILL YIELD.
UM, ANY OTHER, UM, UH, COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BLEVINS? UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, BRING UP, I REMEMBER, I WANNA SAY IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS THAT, UM, I ATTENDED WHEN IT CAME UP ABOUT VENUES AND HOW THEY'RE MOVING AWAY FROM HAVING, YOU KNOW, BANDS AND MUSICIANS PERFORM, THAT THEY WERE, UM, MOVING TOWARDS DJS CHEAPER TO PRODUCE, CHEAPER, TO PAY THEM LESS SPACE, ET CETERA.
AND AGAIN, IT JUST REMINDS ME OF THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING SO MUCH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO, FANS WANT TO SEE AND WHAT THEY WANNA HEAR.
THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THIS IS, IT JUST KIND OF POPPED IN MY HEAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO START THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX ABOUT WHAT IS, WHAT THE NEXT KIND OF STEP WOULD BE TO MOVE AHEAD AND MOVE WITH, WITH THE INDUSTRY AND WITH WHAT KIDS ARE OUT THERE LISTENING TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE DJ WAVE STARTED, YOU KNOW, MORE YEARS AGO AGO THAN I'M GONNA SAY, SO I DON'T AGE MYSELF, I WAS LIKE, EH, IT'S NOT GONNA LAST WRONG AGAIN.
THAT WE JUST START TO THINK, TRY AND THINK MORE OUTSIDE THE BOX ON HOW, YOU KNOW, MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS CAN GET PAID AND VENUES CAN SURVIVE.
BUT IF WE KEEP IN TRYING TO MAKE IT FIT INTO HOW IT WORKED PRE PANDEMIC OR 10 YEARS AGO, THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO, IT'S LIKE PUTTING A BANDAID ON SOMETHING AND WE NEED TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS.
IT'S JUST A THOUGHT THAT KIND OF CAME INTO MY HEAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND CHANGE AND GET PEOPLE PAID, ARTISTS PAID AND VENUES PAID AND SURVIVE.
BUT, UM, DO THAT BY CHANGING WITH THE TIMES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO WHAT ERICA SHALE WAS SAYING IN TERMS OF, IN APRIL, YOU, UH, WILL, UM, PRESENT THE FINAL GUIDELINES FOR THE, UM, LIVE MUSIC FUND.
AND IF WE WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES OR HAVE ANY MORE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, I THINK WE, WE NEED TO, WE DON'T WANNA DELAY THE PROCESS OR THE FUNDS AT ALL.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REACT TO QUITE YET BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
SO IN ORDER TO STICK TO A TIMELINE THAT YOU ALL KNOW REALLY WELL, WHAT DO WE DO? WE HAVE, YOU, YOU WANT, THE FINAL GUIDELINES WILL BE DETERMINED IN APRIL, RIGHT? SO IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, OR SHOULD WE JUST MOVE ON? BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE DIALOGUE, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A LOT OF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN FINALIZED AND DISCUSSED, AND WE'RE TWEAKING A FEW LITTLE THINGS, BUT WE NEED TO KIND OF MOVE ON BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE.
ANOVIA HORAB, DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MY ASK LAST MONTH WAS TO BRING ME YOUR THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE HAVE RECEIVED THOSE, AND WE WILL BRING FINAL GUIDELINES JUST AS A REMINDER THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, WE APPRECIATE YOUR ADVISORY ROLE, BUT WE WILL BRING BACK THE VETTED GUIDELINES BY LAW, UM, TO PRESENT TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON WITH OUR TIMELINE.
UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CASDA.
UM, IF THERE IS, UM, UM, ANY, ANY POTENTIAL OF EVEN SHARING IT JUST A FEW DAYS PRIOR WITH THE COMMISSION, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, AND IF NOT, UH, WE WILL, UH, RESPOND, UM, IN THE MOMENT.
UM, I, I, I DO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER CASADA THAT, UH, WE, I MEAN, THERE WAS, THERE WERE NOT, UM, VERY FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKING GROUP, LIKE IN TERMS OF FROM, FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED, BUT DEFINITELY THE CONCERNS THAT WE BROUGHT UP AROUND THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CLARIFICATIONS AROUND WHAT QUALIFIES AS A VENUE OR, UH, NON-PROFIT
[01:40:01]
VERSUS FOR-PROFIT, COUPLE OF THINGS.UM, EVEN IF YOU COULD, UM, HELP ADDRESS THOSE, UH, OR JUST, YOU KNOW, TAKE THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND I SEE THIS NOW THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN VENUES.
THIS IS LIKE A PILOT YEAR, SO THIS WILL BE THEIR FIRST YEAR AND THE PROGRAM.
WE WILL HAVE LESSONS LEARNED AND COME BACK AND TWEAK AGAIN, JUST LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH THE INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS AND ARTISTS.
THIS TOPIC WAS ALWAYS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME, AND WE ARE, UH, KEEPING SOME OF OUR GUESTS WAITING.
UM, UH, HINDSIGHT, UH, WE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD MOVE THESE ITEMS, UH, THE GUEST ITEMS UP AND, UH, HAVE OUR CONVERSATIONS AFTER, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT, GENTLEMEN.
UM, UH, ANY ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE ON? UH, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL? UH, YES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT THE CITY OF NASHVILLE HAS STARTED A MUSIC COMMISSION, AND THEY HAVE ALSO, UM, THEY'RE IN TALKS OF CREATING THEIR OWN LIVE MUSIC FUND.
AND WHAT WE LEARN, WE CAN SHARE WITH THEM WHAT THEY LEARN, THEY CAN SHARE WITH US.
I KNOW THERE IS SOME KIND OF FRIENDLY COMPETITION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, BUT ALL OF US HAVE THE SAME GOALS OF WANTING GREAT MUSIC CITIES.
SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE, WHO ARE DOING THIS, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING.
UH, GOOD TO GO, COMMISSIONERS.
[5. Presentation on Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) by Paul Scott, Chief Executive Officer, HAAM.]
ON.UH, PRESENTATION ON HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR AUSTIN, MUSICIANS HAM BY PAUL SCOTT, CEO HAM.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, STICKING AROUND.
NO, IT'S A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
SO, UM, GLAD TO BE HERE FOR IT.
UM, I THANK Y'ALL FOR, UM, ALLOWING, UM, HAM TO, UH, PRESENT, UM, THIS EVENING.
TALK A LITTLE BIT OF UPDATE ABOUT, UM, OUR ORGANIZATION AND HOW WE'RE HELPING WORKING MUSICIANS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR MISSION, UH, MOST OF Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF HELPING LOW INCOME WORKING MUSICIANS.
UH, WE, UM, PROVIDE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE AND PREVENTION AND WELLNESS JUST TO KIND OF FLESH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND MOST OF OUR MUSICIANS, UH, THAT WE SERVE AT HAM, OR BETWEEN 100 AND 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL, WHICH IS AROUND, UM, CURRENTLY AROUND $20,440, UM, UM, IN 2024.
AND OF COURSE, THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN HAPPENING THIS EVENING, THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES, UH, IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT THAT MUSICIANS ARE GETTING PAID.
Y'ALL ARE WELL AWARE IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR MUSICIANS ARE, ARE DEALING WITH IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE, TO BE A MUSICIAN AT, UM, AT HAM TO BE A MEMBER, UM, YOU NEED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL WORKING MUSICIAN.
WE REALLY ARE VERY FLEXIBLE AND, UM, HOW WE DEFINE THAT AS WELL AS BEING BELOW 400% OF THE FEDERAL PARTY LEVEL AND LIVE IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY AREA AND THE SURROUNDING, UM, COUNTIES AS WELL TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, OF COURSE, WE KNOW WE HAVE, MUSIC HAS A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH OVER $2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AT A MINIMUM.
UM, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH THE OTHER SPEAKERS TODAY AS WELL.
UM, AT HAM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ESTIMATE WHAT ABOUT 9,000 MUSICIANS FROM THE LATEST CENSUS, UM, IN THE CITY.
AND OF THOSE, WE SERVE ABOUT 3000 A YEAR THROUGH OUR SERVICES AT HAM.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR MUSICIANS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WOULD BE, UM, BECAUSE OUR MUSICIANS FACE A LOT OF ISSUES.
UM, I'M NOT SURE MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WHEN I FIRST CAME TO HAM WAS REALLY, UM, UM, KINDA RIVETING FOR ME IS THAT THE MUSICIAN LIFE EXPECTANCY GENERALLY IS ABOUT 25 YEARS LESS THAN THE AVERAGE POPULATION.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY HEALTHCARE IS SO IMPORTANT TO WORKING MUSICIANS, IS THAT WE CAN EXTEND THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, OUR MUSICIANS CAN LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE AND A LONGER LIFE.
UM, IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE, IN THE CALL EARLIER THAT WE LOST NATHAN EZ, UH, ONE OF OUR, OUR MUSICIANS, UM, AND ONE OF OUR HAND MEMBERS AS WELL.
AND HOW CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IT'S FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UM, MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND OTHER SERVICES TO OUR MUSICIANS.
AND OF COURSE, UM, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SINCE OUR INCEPTION, WE'VE SERVED ABOUT 7,500 MUSICIANS.
UM, WE'VE BROUGHT IN OVER $144 MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE, UM, SINCE 2005, UM, THROUGH OUR WORK AT HAM AND WORKING WITH OUR MUSICIANS TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO, TO HEALTHCARE.
AND SO, UM, THIS HAS ALLOWED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALLEVIATING IMPACT ON OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS, ON OTHER EMERGENCY CARE AS WELL.
AND AS, AND WE'RE ALSO FOCUSING ON PREVENTATIVE CARES, WHERE MUSICIANS CAN ON THE ROAD, STAY ON THE ROAD, CONTINUE TO CREATE AND CONTINUE TO PLAY.
UM, WE DO THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY OF OUR, UM, HEALTHCARE AND OTHER PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
[01:45:01]
YOU'LL SEE, UH, THIS, THESE ARE KIND OF OUR CORE, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE.UM, WE HAVE LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ASCENSION, SETON, ST.
DAVIDS FOUNDATION, CENTRAL HEALTH.
OF COURSE, MANY OF OUR MUSICIANS ACCESS, UM, INSURANCE THROUGH THE SENDERO HEALTH PLANS, UM, AS WELL AS THE Y IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THEY, THEY GET HEALTHY AND STAY IN, UM, EXERCISE REGIMEN AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF PARTNER IN MANY WAYS.
UM, THESE ARE JUST THE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND YEAR OVER YEAR, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, FUNDING, UM, AT TIMES WE'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME FUNDING DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, UM, WITH ARPA FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS WHEN THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD REALLY ANYTHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN.
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO EARN A LIVING.
UH, ONE KEY THING, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE COVID NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAMA DUKE, UH, UH, WAS ONE OF OUR, OUR KEY VACCINE KIND OF PROPONENTS.
UM, THE CAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON VACCINE CLINICS.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THOSE TO MUSICIANS AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD ACCESS TO THE VACCINATIONS IN A WAY THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, PLAY, PARTICULARLY AS WE CAME OUTTA THE EPI EPIDEMIC AND MAKE SURE THEY HAD ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES.
AND THEN OUR MODEL OF CARE, AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, IS, UM, KIND OF OUR CORE PRINCIPLES OR MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO CARE, MAKE SURE IT'S AFFORDABLE, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SUCCESS IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
AND ALSO THAT WE HAVE THE CULTURAL COMPETENCE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE A WIDE RANGING DIVERSE, UM, SET OF MUSICIANS IN TERMS OF BOTH RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, UM, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF GENRES OF MUSIC AS WELL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP ALSO THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
UM, THE SUCCESS OF THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THROUGH OUR NAVIGATION PROGRAM.
UH, SO THAT WE WORK WITH THE MUSICIANS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE USING THEIR HEALTHCARE, THEIR DENTAL CARE, AND OTHER SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, THAT THEY'RE MAXIMIZING THAT IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN, UM, GET PREVENTATIVE CARE SCREENINGS AS WELL AS FOLLOW UP CARE.
UM, WE WORK WITH THEM IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AS WELL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN GET INTO SPECIALTY PROVIDERS.
AND WE PARTNER WITH MANY OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, UM, SO AS ALSO THE, THE MUSIC TREATMENT FOUNDATIONS FOR MORE COMPLEX PROCEDURES FOR MUSICIANS CAN, CAN BE HEALTHY.
AND THIS IS, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF OUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL HERE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE 'CAUSE THE ACCESS TO CARE IS WHERE OUR CORE PROGRAMMING IS AROUND, UM, OUR PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR SUPPORT FOR THIS EVENING.
UM, WE, UM, PROVIDE, UM, ACCESS TO DENTAL, VISION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UM, PREVENTATIVE SERVICES AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEARING CLINICS OBVIOUSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, GETTING THEIR HEARING TESTED, BUT ALSO TO CUSTOMIZE EARPLUGS.
UM, AND OUR NAVIGATION AND HEALTH LITERACY IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY PICKING UP IN TERMS OF SERVING OUR MUSICIANS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE LITERACY, UM, TOOLS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SEVERAL, UH, INITIATIVES AROUND, UM, NON-BINARY MUSICIANS, UM, FEMALE MUSICIANS, AS WELL AS MUSICIANS OF COLOR, UM, THROUGH SEVERAL OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TO HELP US DO OUTREACH AND TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT GENERALLY HAVE NOT BEEN SERVED WELL BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
WE HEARD ABOUT THAT AROUND ACCESS TO VENUES.
THE SAME IS THE SAME FOR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, AS WELL AS WE SEE DISPROPORTIONATE HEALTH IMPACTS IN TERMS OF MUSICIANS OF COLOR.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE, UM, FOCUS ON AT HAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACCESSIBLE AND, UM, AND APPROACHABLE BY OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS.
AND SO, IN TERMS OF KIND OF THE WORK THAT WE DO THROUGH OUR, UM, PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND, UH, OPEN ENROLLMENT ACTIVITIES AND THE END OF THE YEAR, THE LAST QUARTER IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE I GET OUR MUSICIANS EDUCATED, GET THEM INTO OPEN ENROLLMENT, AND SEE WHAT PLAN WORKS FOR THEM.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY LEVERAGED THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO PROVIDE OVER $17 MILLION OF HEALTHCARE COVERAGE EVERY YEAR TO OUR MUSICIANS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN ACCESS AND WHAT THEY ARE ACCESSING.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY NOW IS LIKE, UM, UM, FOR THIS YEAR, UM, UH, OUR COST OF PREMIUMS IS AROUND $1,600, UH, MUSICIANS, UM, TO BE PAYING.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, UM, VERY LOW COMPARED TO WHAT THE NORMAL COST WOULD BE, WOULD BE $8,900, UM, FOR THAT SAME COVERAGE.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY REDUCE THAT COVERAGE BY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, HELPING THEM GET THE TAX CREDITS, UM, FIND OUT WHAT PLAN IS RIGHT FOR THEM, AS WELL AS HAM SUBSIDIZING THOSE INSURANCE PREMIUMS. NEXT RATE.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HERE, HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE GONE WITH OUR INSURANCE COVERAGE.
UM, OVER THE YEARS, UM, SINCE 2015, WE HAD ABOUT 85% OF OUR MUSICIANS WERE UNINSURED IN 2015.
WE ARE NOW 95% OF OUR MUSICIANS SERVED BY HAM OR INSURED.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OTHER PROGRAMS FOR THOSE 5% TO GET THEM INTO PRIMARY CARE AS WELL.
SO ESSENTIALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR MUSICIANS HAVE ACCESS TO SOME FORM OF PRIMARY CARE, 95% OF WHICH ARE, UM, IN TRADITIONAL
[01:50:01]
INSURANCE PLANS.AND YOU ALSO SEE THAT WE'VE INCREASED OUR VOLUME OF SERVICE, UM, OUR MUSICIANS, UM, TO ROUGHLY AROUND 28 TO 2,900 EACH YEAR IN TERMS OF OUR INSURANCE PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF OUR MUSICIANS THAT WAS, UM, ON, UM, OUR PROGRAM AT HAM, IT WAS JOHN BLUNDELL, A GREAT JAZZ MUSICIAN HERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT WEREN'T FOR HIM, HE BASICALLY SAID THAT HE WOULD'VE LAID ON THE FLOOR, NEVER DIALED 9 1 1 WHEN HE COLLAPSED, BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE AFFORDED IT.
BUT, BUT BECAUSE HE HAD HIM, UM, AS, AS MANY PEOPLE SAY, BECAUSE HE HAD INSURANCE, HE WAS ABLE TO, UH, GET IN, GET CARE, GET THE EMERGENCY TAKEN CARE OF, AND CONTINUE TO PLAY.
SO OUR ONGOING NEED, AND YOU SEE IN THE NEXT SLIDE IS THAT, UM, WE KNOW THAT AS WE HEARD TONIGHT, MUSIC IS INTEGRAL TO AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPORTING HAM AND SUPPORTING MUSIC IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE AN INCREASED MUSICIAN AND INDUSTRY NEED IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND, UM, HAM HAS A LOT OF CREDIBILITY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE MOVING HERE BECAUSE OF HAM.
UM, IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY MUSICIANS I TALKED TO THAT HAVE MOVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, THE REASON WHY IS I LOOKED IT UP, SAW THAT I COULD GET INTO, UH, MEMBERSHIP AND GET ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND GET ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES.
AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE DECISION TO COME INTO AUSTIN.
AND SO WE WANT TO KIND OF KEEP THAT.
WE ALSO WANNA KEEP IN THE, THE, THE, THE VENUES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUSTAINED AND MAKE SURE THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM IS EXTREMELY HEALTHY.
AND HEALTHCARE FOR A MUSICIAN IS PART OF THAT TO MAKE THE ECOSYSTEM VERY HEALTHY.
AND THEN OUR NEXT SLIDE YOU'LL SEE IS OUR, IS OUR REQUEST TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, $500,000 IN FUNDING FROM THE CITY TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE AND THE SERVICES THAT REQUIRES TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE RIGHT PLANS.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING FOR 250,000 FOR PREMIUM ASSISTANCE AND 250,000 FOR OPEN ENROLLMENT ACTIVITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MUSICIANS GET ENROLLED.
AND, UM, SO THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF OVER 3000 MUSICIANS POTENTIALLY GETTING ACCESS TO INSURANCE AS WELL AS WE CAN LEVERAGE EVERY A HUNDRED DOLLARS THAT WE GET, UM, INTO, UM, UH, THAT THAT IS SPENT ON HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
WE LEVERAGE INTO $700 IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES PROVIDED TO OUR MUSICIANS.
AND SO THAT IS A GREAT DIVIDEND IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT FOR MUSICIANS.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS IS, UM, Y'ALL KNOW, EVERY YEAR PREMIUMS CAN CHANGE.
UM, WE HAVE CARRIERS SOMETIMES THAT LEAVE THE MARKET, AND SO THAT MEANS OUR MUSICIANS HAVE TO MOVE OVER TO POTENTIALLY A MORE EXPENSIVE PLAN.
UH, WE ALSO SEE VARIABILITY AND INSURANCE RATES.
AND SO, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EVENING OUT KIND OF THIS EXPOSURE OF MUSICIANS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET COVERAGE.
AND SO, UH, AS OPPOSED TO, AS OPPOSED TO LIKE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN, OH, EXCUSE ME, MAKE SURE THEY CAN ALWAYS GET COVERAGE YEAR OVER YEAR.
MANY OF US THAT HAVE HEALTH ISSUES KNOW THAT IF WE LOST OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR, WHAT WILL WE DO? AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO ASSURE THAT OUR MUSICIANS ARE NOT WORRYING ABOUT IS HAM GONNA HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER ME NEXT YEAR IF MY RATES GO UP OR IF MY CARRIER LEAVES THE STATE, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE FEEL LIKE IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO ASK FOR THESE FUNDS TO CREATE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR WORKING AND LOW INCOME MUSICIANS IN AUSTIN.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS WILL HELP US CLOSE THE GAP IN KIND OF THIS, THIS VARIABILITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE WANNA CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION WITH BOTH THE MUSIC COMMISSION AS WELL AS WITH THE EDD, AS WELL AS WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND WE KNOW THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT TRULY COULD PAY OFF FOR THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.
I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A A, THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS A ALEJANDRO RIOS.
UM, YOU, YOU'LL SEE HIS QUOTE HERE, SUPPORTING MUSICIANS IN THIS MOMENT.
IT'S LIKE A GATE OPENING GATE OPENER FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S SUCH AN OPTIMISTIC THING TO INVEST IN AS LIVE MUSIC STARTS TO OPEN BACK UP AND WE CAN BE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
AND SO THAT CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, AND WE WANNA CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR MUSICIANS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN STAY HEALTHY.
SO I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION.
I JUST WANNA, UH, SEND A SHOUT OUT TO HAM, UH, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS ONE OF THOSE MUSICIANS THAT MOVED HERE BECAUSE HAM EXISTED.
THEY DOING GREAT WORK IN, IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, WHAT DID YOU ASK US LAST YEAR? DID YOU ASK FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY OR WHERE'S THIS AMOUNT COMING FROM, THIS $500,000? LIKE WAS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, UH, GOT BEHIND LAST YEAR? WAS IT, WAS IT THE SAME AMOUNT? WAS IT LESS? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT? YES, COMMISSIONER MAHOMES, UM, I THINK, UM, UH, LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T COME IN FOR A SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT, UM, WE CAME IN LATE INTO THE PROCESS THE YEAR BEFORE, I BELIEVE
[01:55:01]
IN 2022.AND SO WE WENT TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, UH, UH, COMMITTEE AS WELL AS, I THINK WE TALKED TO THE COMMISSION, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION AS WELL, BUT IT WAS LIKE IN OCTOBER, SO WELL BEYOND THE CONVERSATION FOR THE BUDGET.
AND SO WE'RE BEING MORE INTENTIONAL THIS YEAR, COMING IN EARLY IN THE PROCESS, KNOWING THAT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HAPPENING NOW IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
UM, AND SO THE FIGURE IS RELATED TO KIND OF A, OUR OVERALL, UM, UH, PROGRAM IS LIKE, WE ALLOCATE ABOUT 800,000, UH, A YEAR TO HAMS PORTION OF THE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND SO THIS, UM, HALF OF THIS GOING TO THE PREMIUM ASSISTANCE AND HALF GOING TO OPEN ENROLLMENT WOULD ALLOW US TO KIND OF EVEN OUT THAT VARIABILITY THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER AS WELL AS LIKE, WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW THAT WE, WE COULD NOT BECAUSE OF OUR, WE'VE HAD PRETTY SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, BUT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, MOST NONPROFITS ARE SEEING A DOWNTURN, UM, IN TERMS OF, OF FUNDRAISING, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT'S BEEN LIKE A 10% FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S BEEN A DOWNTURN AND WE, AND WE SAW A LOT OF THAT HAPPENING IN THE THIRD QUARTER IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS, THIS FEAR OF INFLATION AND FEAR OF, OF, OF A RECESSION THAT STILL IS, UM, PERVASIVE.
AND SO AGAIN, IT'S LIKE THIS WILL HELP US EVEN OUT THE, THE, THE VARIABILITY FROM YEAR OVER YEAR TO ASSURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A BASE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR MUSICIANS, BUT ALSO ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE CAN WE EXPAND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GO DEEPER IN WITH OUR MUSICIANS TO PAY MORE THAN PREMIUMS? LIKE WE HAVE MUSICIANS NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SIGNED UP THIS YEAR AND SAID, OH YEAH, I CAN AFFORD THAT PREMIUM OF $93 A MONTH, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, ONE LITTLE THING HAPPENS, AND THEN THEY SAID, I HAVE TO DROP MY INSURANCE, MY HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND SO WE SCRAMBLED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, HOW WE CAN HELP THEM.
UM, AND SO BY HAVING SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO US, WE CAN KEEP THESE MUSICIANS, UM, IN THEIR COVERAGE AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT PILOTING SOME OTHER WAYS TO GO DEEPER IN, IN TERMS OF PREMIUM ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY, DO WE HELP OUT THE INDUSTRY AS WELL BEYOND JUST MUSICIANS.
UM, OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? PAUL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU Y ALL APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
SO, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO.
UM, COMMISSIONER, I THINK TAMMY HAD A YEAH, YEAH, PLEASE.
I, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT PAM IS HELPING LOCAL MUSICIANS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE WHO SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN.
SO WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO GET SOME OF THOSE HOT TAX FUNDS? I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, ACTUALLY.
UM, ABOUT HOT ELIGIBLE USES FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
BUT YEAH, THANK, THANK YOU SCOTT FOR HULING UP HERE, BUT I THINK THIS IS A SCOTT, YOU GUYS DO GREAT.
SO NOVIA HOT REV, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT IS NOT AN ELIGIBLE USE FOR HOT MM-HMM.
SO IT IS THE USE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES IS PRETTY SPECIFIC TO, IT'S, IT'S LAID OUT IN A STATUTE THAT IS BASICALLY, DOES IT SPECIFICALLY DRIVE TOURISM? SO I THINK HEALTH INSURANCE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE THE, THE BROAD DEFINITION.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, UH, DIRECTOR, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
BUT IT'S HEALTH INSURANCE THAT'S SUPPORTING THE MUSICIANS WHO DO SUPPORT WHERE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL, THEY ARE BRINGING TOURISTS TO AUSTIN.
I, I MEAN, I KNOW THIS IS A CAN OF WORMS THAT CAN'T BE ADDRESSED HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUT THAT OUT THERE.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT THE HAM IS SPECIFICALLY SERVING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S NOT JUST A RANDOM ORGANIZATION PROVIDING HEALTH INSURANCE.
CAN YOU I TAKE THAT? NO, THANK YOU.
UH, COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, I'LL COME TO YOU NEXT.
YEAH, SO I, I MEAN, I DO THINK YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT LIKE, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, AND I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO ASK.
I I WOULD JUST SAY, I MEAN THE, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND IS NOT HUGE, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC ALLOCATION THAT COMES, IT'S THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WE GET A, A, A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF A PERCENTAGE THAT COMES.
SO I THINK THAT THE ASK FOR HAM IS ASKING FOR, UM, REVENUE THAT WE IS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
[02:00:01]
IF, IF THIS COMMISSION IS, WE WERE TO RECOMMEND THIS FUNDING, IT WOULD COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN IT KIND OF, IT PRESERVES THE MONEY THAT'S IN THE LIVE MUSIC FUND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.UM, SO THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MY ARGUMENT FOR MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT IT COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND AS OPPOSED TO FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, THEN I WOULD, UH, YIELD TO COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND AFTER YOU.
YEAH, THE, UH, I'M, I'M, I'M KIND OF WITH, UH, AND CHARLOTTE IN, IN, IN, IN THIS, IN, IN THIS BOAT.
THE, UM, IT'S NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IF WE WERE TO, I MEAN, IF, IF WE WERE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, A NONPROFIT COULD A, A APPLY FOR, OR I GUESS LIKE HELPFUL WISE PRO MUSICIANS COULD APPLY FOR AUSTIN MUSIC FUND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT PROVISIONING, UM, OTHER, UH, I GUESS NONPROFIT ENTITIES IN, IN, IN, IN, IN DOING SO, AND THERE ARE PROMOTERS AND, AND, AND THINGS THAT ARE NONPROFITS AS WELL.
BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, 5 0 1 C THREES, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, A A MUCH BIGGER BUCKET OF FUNDS THAT THEY CAN CHOOSE FROM VERSUS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS, LIKE A, LIKE A MUSIC VENUE OR LIKE AN ARTIST, YOU KNOW, THAT IS TYPICALLY A, UM, YOU KNOW, A SOLE PROPRIETOR OR, OR A SINGLE MEMBER LLC, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
SO IT'S, I I THINK IT'S JUST THE ACCESSIBILITY OF TURNING ON, YOU KNOW, SPIGOTS AS, AS IT IS FOR ACCESS TO QUALIFIABLE FUNDS.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN FOR, UH, VENUES AND MUSICIANS, UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PROBABLY LOOK AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT A LITTLE BIT LATER, I THINK.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE ON? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THERE'S, THERE, THERE'S ONE THING THAT I, THAT I DO WANNA SAY, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, JUST ME BEING A HUGE PROPONENT OF HAM, I DO HAVE, UH, HAM INSURANCE, UH, MYSELF, AND, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ALL DO, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN AWESOME THING AND I, I, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT BIG OF AN ASK, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, I SUGGEST THAT WE JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND ALREADY INCLUDED THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET, UH, THE COMBINED BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TODAY.
UH, SO WE CAN, UH, WE CAN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE A VOTE THERE.
THANK YOU PAUL, AGAIN, SO MUCH.
AND, UH, ALL THE WORK, UH, THAT YOU DO AND YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES IN THE COMMUNITY.
[6. Update on musical performances for Music Commission meetings by Shelbi Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Music & Entertainment, Economic Development Department.]
UPDATE ON MUSICAL PERFORMANCES FOR MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS BY SHELBY MITCHELL, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.UM, I THINK, UH, SHELBY, YOU HAD REQUESTED NAMES.
UH, UH, I DID THIS, MIKE IS HOT, SENT IN THE NAME YET.
SO IF YOU COULD, UH, PLEASE, UH, ME INVITE, PROVIDE AN ACTION ITEM FOR US, AND A QUICK UPDATE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE THEN TO MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM, BUT THANK YOU FOR SURE.
UH, SHELBY MITCHELL, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, A PART OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
JUST WANNA PROVIDE, UH, BRIEF UPDATES.
UH, I RECEIVED TO, YEAH, FLUSTERED.
SO YES, I DID SEND OUT AN EMAIL LOOKING FORWARD SOME NOMINEES FOR, UH, THE LIVE PERFORMANCES.
I'VE HEARD FROM FOUR COMMISSIONERS, AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE.
THIS, I JUST WANNA JUST POINT THAT OUT.
UM, PEDRO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SEND YOURS TOO.
WELCOME TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, I'VE ONLY HEARD FROM FOUR COMMISSIONERS, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
I SPOKE WITH BURTON, UM, AT A TXN.
WE HOPE TO GET THINGS ROLLING.
WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH SOUTH BY, UM, FOR MUSICIANS AND FOR THEIR BANDWIDTH AS WELL.
BUT WE'LL GO IN ORDER OF THE NOMINEES I RECEIVED.
FROM WHOEVER I'VE HEARD FROM SO FAR, I HAVE WRITTEN THEM DOWN.
AND I'LL BE IN CONTACT WITH YOU ALL AND LOOP IN THE DISTRICTS AS I REACH OUT TO THOSE MUSICIANS.
AS FAR AS THE IN-PERSON EVENT THAT IS STILL ON OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS, WHO WE'LL NEVER FORGET.
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE AND REMIND YOU ALL THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WELL, MYSELF, STAFF HERE, AND YOU ALL FOR SURE, TO BRING THIS THING ALIVE.
UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH CHAKA, WHO AT OUR LAST MEETING OFFERED HIS SPACE.
UM, BUT WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL
[02:05:01]
ABOUT HAVING, IF WE CHOOSE TO DO IT.UM, AND CHAKA, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M OFF ON ANY PART OR IF YOU WANT TO SELL IT.
UM, HE HAS HIS OWN VENUE AND IT CAN SERVE UP TO ABOUT A HUNDRED ATTENDEES WARMLY.
UM, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT UNDER THAT, MAYBE GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE LIKE AN INTIMATE OFFERING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, UM, CONTINUING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WANT, WE WOULD WANT TO DO IT FAIR AND TRANSPARENTLY, UM, BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S ONE EVENT, OR MAYBE IT'S A FEW, JUST TO GET ALL THE DISTRICTS TO BE REPRESENTED, UM, REPRESENTED TO, EXCUSE ME.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE, UM, FOR THE DISTRICT TO BE RECOGNIZED OR ACKNOWLEDGED, OR MAYBE NOT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD HAVE TO COME UP WITH.
ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE TO COLLABORATE ON HOW AND WHICH VENUE WE USE.
UM, OUR STAFF IS DEFINITELY GONNA PAY FOR ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS.
THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE COLLABORATE.
BUT AFTER THAT, IT'S REALLY UP TO, UM, WHO'S SPEAR, WHO IS SPEARHEADING THIS.
UM, I'M COMING INTO THE FOLD AND WHEN IT MAKES SENSE FOR ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH SHAKA, FOR OFFERING YOUR SPACE FOR BIPOC ARTISTS.
WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT PART.
BUT, UM, I'M HERE TO TAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS WE WORK TOWARDS A FALL ITERATION OF THIS.
UM, TIME IS MOVING QUICKLY, UM, AND ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE THE RECORDED PERFORMANCES GOING ALONG, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS AND THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING THIS THING TO LIFE.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR, UH, SHELBY? YEAH.
UH, ACTION FOR US IS RIGHT NOW, GET YOU MUSICIAN NAMES.
GIMME THOSE NAMES FOR THE RECORDINGS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS, SHELBY.
AND I KNOW IT'S LIKE HERDING CATS WITH US SOMETIMES.
SO THANK YOU FOR HER HERDING US.
UM, I, SO WE HAVE 10 DISTRICTS, UM, PLUS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, I MEAN, I AM WONDERING IF WE COULD DO LIKE JUST A PAIR OF SHOWCASES, LIKE KIND OF SOUTHWEST STYLE WHERE WE HAVE EVERYBODY COME IN AND PLAY, YOU KNOW, 40 MINUTE SETS AND WE JUST DO TWO AND TWO, AND WE ARE ABLE TO REPRESENT ALL THE DISTRICTS.
UH, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO DO THAT, I THINK, IN TWO DIFFERENT VENUES.
UM, SO THAT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE GOT SOME OPTIONS FOR THAT.
SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO HELP.
SO, AND I KNOW, UH, SCOTT, IT SOUNDS LIKE SCOTT AND SHAKA HAVE BEEN HELPING TOO.
SO, I MEAN, WE JUST NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN REALLY PICK DATES AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
BUT I, I KNOW THE, THE, THE ARTIST THAT I SPOKE WITH IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LIVE PERFORMANCE, UM, AS WELL AS RECORDING.
SO I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE NEXT STEPS BEST THING IS JUST FOR ANY OF US THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING BRING THIS FORTH TO, UH, GET ON THE EMAIL WITH, UH, AND MAYBE WE COULD DO A TEAMS MEETING OR SOMETHING WITH SHELBY.
ARE WE TALKING SHELBY WORKING GROUP? UH, I DON'T THINK IT JUST HAVE TO BE A WORKING GROUP.
MAYBE WE JUST START WITH A CONVERSATION WITH SHELBY AND WE SEE WHAT WHAT WE NEED.
AND MAYBE WE JUST LOOK INTO WHAT WE, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED.
YEAH, I KNOW WE TALKED TO THE LIBRARY AND THEN, UM, SHAKA HAS OFFERED HIS SPACE NOW.
MAYBE THAT'S SERIES OF STORES.
THAT'S JUST COMING OUT THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I DON'T WANNA OVERWHELM ANYBODY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION REALLY WANTED.
WE JUST HAVE TO TIGHTEN UP A LITTLE BIT ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO, HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
UM, YEAH, SO I'D SAY COMMISSIONERS, LIKE, GO AHEAD AND FOLLOW UP WITH SHELBY IF YOU WANNA HELP WITH THIS, AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF WE NEED A WORKING GROUP OR IF WE JUST, THIS IS AN EMAIL EXCHANGE.
UM, BUT DO, WE DO HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE ABOUT QUORUM RULES.
SO DON'T CC EVERYBODY, JUST SEND AN EMAIL DIRECTLY TO SHELBY AND THEN WE'LL SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS.
COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UH, SHELBY, HOW'S, HOW'S YOUR MIC DOING?
UH, UH, IS THERE, IS THERE, UM, OH, WAY THAT WE COULD GET A, UH, UM, I A TENTATIVE ADVANCE OR SOMETHING? OR, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA BACK UP.
WELL, YOU AND I HAVE, UH, TALKED ABOUT A DATE FOR YEAH.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT TOO.
I MEAN, WE'LL, YEAH, WE COULD TALK ABOUT, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
I, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN WE'RE, SO I THINK IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GETTING A LIST OF PEOPLE, ARTISTS THAT ARE GONNA PERFORM ON ONE END.
I THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE, AND YOU REFRESHED ME IF I NEED TO BE REFRESHED, BUT, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION
[02:10:01]
WITH, UM, MR. BURDEN, UH, AND FIGURE OUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE INS AND OUTS OF EVERYTHING, WHICH, WHICH, AND THAT I, I, I HAVE BEEN OUTTA TOWN AND STUFF, SO I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED UP WITH THAT JUST YET.BUT I THINK MY NEXT ACTION IS TO GET WITH YOU.
WE GET WITH BURDEN, AND THEN WE FIGURE THIS OUT, AND THEN WE COME BACK OVER EMAIL OR SOMETHING AND, AND HAVE A SCHEDULE, FIGURE IT OUT BY THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN, AND AS FAR AS A'S INVOLVEMENT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A NEW REQUEST, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW, LIKE A WHOLE NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT SOUND MEANS.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW MANY BANDS WE WANT.
OR IF SHAKA IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A SPACE, WHO ARE THE ARTISTS THAT ARE GONNA BE BIPOC THAT ARE GONNA BE THERE ONE, HOW ARE THEY GONNA BE ACCOMMODATED WITH SOUND? ALL THOSE THINGS.
'CAUSE A TX SENDS PROJECT WITH US FOR THE RECORDINGS IS THAT'S ITS OWN PROJECT THAT IS STANDING.
IT WILL WORK IN TANDEM WITH OUR PLANNING FOR THIS NEW EVENT THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER FROM THE GROUND UP.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE, IF YOU HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH VENUES AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET INVOLVED, LIKE THO THAT'S, THAT CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S LED BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT, OUR STAFF TALKS ABOUT OUR BUDGET, HOW WE GET INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY AROUND PAYING ARTISTS.
UM, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE FOR SURE CAN MAKE THE COMMITMENT OR WHERE WE'VE ALREADY MADE THE COMMITMENT FOR THAT.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE, UH, COMMISSIONER KEDA? SO, DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE PUT TOGETHER LIKE A ONE SHEET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I ALMOST WONDER IF THAT'S WHERE, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND WAS GOING.
I FEEL LIKE I, I NEED LIKE A ONE SHEET OF LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING SOMEONE TO DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT, THESE ARE THE CONCEIVABLE DATES, THIS IS THE PAY, THIS IS WHEN YOU WOULD GET PAID.
THIS IS HOW LONG YOU WOULD PAY.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO PUT THAT ALL ON A SHEET AND ALMOST USE SIMILAR LANGUAGE AND BRANDING, IF YOU WILL, THAT ALL OF US ARE DIVVYING OUT TO INDIVIDUAL.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO, OR, OR WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, MY BRAIN IS LIKE, WE NEED A GOOGLE DOC, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PER, PER, LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO MAYBE GIVE US SOMETHING TO REACT OR ONE OF US STARTS DEVELOPING THAT, THAT IS A MUSICIAN, SO WE'RE JUST NICE AND TIDY.
IT WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD LEVEL SET, UH, THIS WHOLE, UM, IDEA FOR EVERYBODY AS TO LIKE, WHAT ARE THE TWO OR THREE THINGS WE ARE PURSUING.
UM, JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT.
WE ALREADY HAVE LIKE, ADVANCE ADVANCEMENT MATERIALS THAT WE DO FOR OUR OTHER PROGRAMS, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT, CREATE SOMETHING NEW FOR JUST THIS, SO THAT YOU HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE ALREADY SHARE WITH OUR MUSICIANS.
AND SHOUT OUT TO ERICA FOR THINKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I, CLEARLY, MY HEAD IS LIKE MASHED POTATOES RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DO WANNA OFFER YOU, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO KIND OF DECIDE WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE FIRST BEFORE WE YEAH.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THOSE THINGS LINED UP.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO, UM, EVERY DAY.
UM, WORKING WITH MUSICIANS, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT I THINK IT NEEDS, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS EVENT IS GONNA BE.
UM, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAVE EXCITEMENT AROUND FIGURING THAT OUT AND THEN BRINGING THAT TO US, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HELP ME JUST HELP YOU GET EVERYTHING IN LINE.
UM, IF YOU JUST BRING THOSE IDEAS TO ME ARE MORE THAN THAT, WHAT IS THIS EVENT? UM, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BRING IT FORWARD, BRING IT TO LIFE? AND THEN, THEN I THINK THAT WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
MAYBE THERE'S A PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION ABOUT LIKE THE WHAT WE CANS AND CAN'TS.
BUT ONCE WE HAVE THAT, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FIGURE OUT, LIKE, PRODUCE THIS EVENT ESSENTIALLY.
SO, MAY I, MAY I ASK, IS THIS SUPPOSED TO START IN APRIL? I'M SORRY IF WE'VE ALREADY COVERED THIS.
THE RECORDINGS, TWO PROJECTS IN TANDEM, AND THEN THE RECORDINGS AND THOSE ARE ALREADY BOOKED, SIGNED, FIELD, AND DEVELOPED.
SO WHO IS GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH TO BE READY IN APRIL? I AM AS IF YOU GIVE ME THE ARTIST.
THE COORDINATION IS ALL THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND I'LL INCLUDE YOU IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS SO YOU CAN STAY ABREAST.
AND IF YOU WANNA SHOW UP FOR THE RECORDINGS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S CLOSED.
AND IT'S REALLY TRULY FOR US, THE ARTISTS AND HOWEVER THEY WANT TO USE IT.
UM, AND A TXN IN, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC.
BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER PROJECT.
YOU JUST SEND THOSE NAMES TO ME.
I'LL BRING YOU IN WHEN IT'S TIME.
UM, BUT WE HOPE TO START SHOOTING, LIKE I SAID, THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL AND BURDEN HAS BEEN CONNECTING WITH US IN PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S YOUR CONTRIBUTION ON THAT PART? WE GOT THE REST.
AND, AND ALSO WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, I MEAN, THE, SO FOR INSTANCE, IT'S ALREADY PUT, YOU KNOW, MY NAME OUT THERE.
UM, NOT, NOT MY NAME PER SE, BUT, UH, AN ARTIST NAME ALREADY ARTIST.
SO LIKE, I MEAN, YOU COULD JUST REACH OUT TO HIM, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING TO YOU AND JUST START GETTING SOMETHING SHOT TO HIM.
SO I'LL GET CONTACT INFORMATION FROM Y'ALL WHEN YEAH, IT'S TIME.
WE MAKE SURE THAT'S THE SAME ARTIST YOU WANT.
[02:15:01]
BE RUNNING THROUGH, LIKE, WE'LL GO, WE'LL CYCLE THROUGH OR WE'LL MOVE THROUGH.UM, I SAY IN CHRONIC, LIKE HOW I RECEIVE THE NOMINEES, I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT WE PRIORITIZE THEM, SO IT WOULDN'T REALLY GO IN LIKE ORDER, BUT WE, Y'ALL CAN.
UM, I JUST HAVE TO ROLL WITH WHAT I GOT AND IT'S NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.
SO WE WANNA GET IT STARTED, BUT I'LL BRING Y'ALL IN THE LOOP WITH YOUR ARTISTS TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR DATES AND WHEN ALL OF THAT STUFF.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE SEQUENTIAL OR ANYTHING.
IT COULD JUST BE, AT THIS POINT IT CAN'T BE.
SO IF I WANTED TO START PLANNING AND PUNCHING IN DATES, THEN I WOULD HAVE TO GO WITH WHOEVER I HEARD FROM FIRST.
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH NAMES TO GET STARTED? ABSOLUTELY.
IT LOOKS LIKE, AND THE, THE REST OF US CAN GET HER NAMES MAYBE WITHIN THE WEEK OR TWO WEEKS.
UM, I THINK WE CAN QUEUE FOLKS UP.
AND THEN THE SECOND OPTION FOR THE, UH, SECOND IDEA OF LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE.
I'M STILL TRYING TO SELL THE IDEA OF A WORKING GROUP TO SOMEBODY HERE.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TACKLE IT, UH, NEXT TIME.
UH, THANKS FOR THE INPUTS AND THANK YOU COMMISSION.
[7. Presentation by Austin Federation of Musicians Local representative.]
NEXT AGENDA ITEM PRESENTATION BY AUSTIN FEDERATION OF MUSICIAN, UH, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE.UM, TIME CHECK AGAIN, IT'S NINE O'CLOCK.
UH, WE'LL, UH, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE GO TO THE NEXT ITEM AFTER THIS AND THEN MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS SO WE CAN, UH, UH, VOTE ON THE BUDGET.
UH, BUT, UH, NUMBER SEVEN, UM, UH, WHO IS, UH, HERE FROM, UM, A FM? WERE WE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ANYBODY? I DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONTEXT TO REACH OUT, BUT WAS SOMEBODY COMING, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UH, THIS, THIS WAS AN AGENDA ITEM THAT YOU HAD PRESENTED? UH, UM, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO'S JOINING FROM A FM? UH, NO.
IF, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S NO ONE THERE, THEN THERE'S, THEN THERE'S, UM, NO ONE THERE.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A NO.
UM, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM? I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT WAS THIS, WHAT WAS THIS ABOUT? I'VE SLEPT SETS.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS, WHAT'S THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AIRPLANE? IT WAS THE, UH, IT WAS THE, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SOUTH BY ITEM.
SO, SO MY, UH, MY APOLOGIES ON THAT, AARON, UH, WAS, UH, WE, WE DISCUSSED HIM BEING HERE.
LET'S JUST TAKE IT OFF THE AGENDA FOR NOW, ACTUALLY.
I MEAN, WE'LL JUST NOT INCLUDE IT.
[8. Discussion regarding all ages shows and how the City of Austin supports youth in Austin.]
DISCUSSION REGARDING ALL AGES SHOWS AND HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN SUPPORTS YOUTH IN AUSTIN.UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS? UH, COMMISSIONER CASADA, VILLA COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UM, SCOTT AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, UM, AND, UM, SHARE, UM, SOME SENTIMENTS THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS, YOU KNOW, A FAIR AMOUNT OF ALL AGES, UM, ACTIVITIES HAPPENING IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND SCOTT HAD REACHED OUT TO SOME PROGRAM COORDINATORS IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, JOURNALISTS WRITING ABOUT IT.
I THINK WHAT WE KIND OF CAME TO THE CONCLUSION OF, LIKE, WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF IN OUR CITY, AND, UM, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETING THESE EVENTS, UM, THROUGH THE, UM, MECHANISMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND JUST DEVELOPING MORE LANGUAGE.
SO NOT LIKE ADDING ON A WHOLE OTHER VEHICLE, BUT JUST FLUSHING OUT WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND, UM, TAKING A DEEP DIVE IN, UM, HOW WE MARKET AND COMMUNICATE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING AS A COMMUNITY.
AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS THEME OF MARKETING SLASH MEDIA, UM, KEEPS ON COMING TO TOP ALMOST EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING OF JUST BEING VERY PROUD OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
AND, UM, DOING THE STORYTELLING OF THAT EVEN MORE.
SO, UM, I HAD REACHED OUT TO A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, UM, SUSAN THOMPSON, AND SHE IS, UM, SPEARHEADING AN EVENT, UH, THAT WAS CALLED, UH, WE LOVE AUSTIN MUSIC.
AND, UM, THEY HAD 12 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE ACROSS A ISD, UH, DELL VALLEY, AND S UM, THEY DID SOME WORK AT BOWIE.
BOWIE HIGH, UM, STRAIGHT MUSIC WAS A SPONSOR.
UM, THEY'RE, SO THEY'RE DOING ALL
[02:20:01]
KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.SO I FEEL LIKE, UM, IT'S ALMOST FIGURING OUT, AGAIN, A MECHANISM OF CELEBRATING THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR CITY IS ALREADY DOING AND BUILDING UPON THAT.
AND I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT THERE WAS EVEN TALK ABOUT, AND ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET OF DO WE SET ASIDE SOMEHOW EARMARK MONEY TO CONTINUING THE MARKETING EFFORTS OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF US, YOU KNOW, OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
UH, COMMISSIONER ADA, UM, UM, WOULD STAFF BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON THIS, UH, AS TO IF THERE ARE ALL AGES SHOWS THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING? UM, AND THE GOAL IS TO ESSENTIALLY GET IT OUT TO MORE PEOPLE, GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND ALSO ON, UH, THE SUGGESTION FROM COMMISSIONER CASADA THAT COULD WE POTENTIALLY ADD ADDITIONAL MARKETING BUDGET IN OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? OR CAN WE LEVERAGE WHAT IS ALREADY THERE IN PLACE? YEAH, I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
HELLO, UH, ERICA SHALEY, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
SO MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE AS PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, AND I WILL BE SHOWING YOU THE NEXT ITEM IN THE AGENDA AROUND THE CALENDAR, WHEN VENUES ARE PART OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UM, THESE EVENTS CAN, WILL BE LISTED WITHIN THIS CALENDAR, AND THEY CAN SPECIFY IF THEY ARE ALL AGES SHOWS OR WHAT THE RULES ARE FOR, UH, KIDS UNDER 18 GOING TO THE SHOWS.
MOST VENUES IN AUSTIN ARE, UM, ALL AGES, UM, THAT ARE EXCLUSIVE MUSIC VENUES.
UM, AND SO YES, THEY, THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER, YOU KNOW, MARKETING ON BEHALF OF THE VENUES TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT WORD OUT TO THE CITY ITSELF.
UM, THAT'S NOT QUITE OUR ROLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT WHEN THEY ARE INCLUDED WITH A LIVE MUSIC FUND, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO MAKE THAT A, UH, MAJOR PORTION OF THEIR MARKETING.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT AVENUE IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW? CAN YOU THINK OF, IS IT ELIZABETH VISIT AUSTIN, WHO IS, WHERE IS THAT, IS THERE AN EXISTING AVENUE WHERE, UH, I MEAN, BECAUSE THIS IS A QUALITY OF LIFE MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT, SO IN SOME WAYS IT COULD BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF A, A CITY PORTAL RIGHT? TO, TO KIND OF PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, IS THERE AN AVENUE RIGHT NOW WHERE THE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, THE ONE WITH THE LONG CENTER IS JUST, UM, IT'S VERY, IT'S LIMITED TO, UH, GRANTEES ESSENTIALLY AND THEIR SHOWS, RIGHT? SO THE VENUES, THEY ADVERTISE OR THEY LIST, THEY PUT THEIR LISTINGS ON SHOW LIST.
AUSTIN DO 5 1 2 AUSTIN CHRONICLE, MOST OF THEM WILL SAY ALL AGES SHOW, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A, A, YOU KNOW, A BAND THAT THEY KNOW THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WANNA GO TO.
UM, AND SO, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WITH OUR NEXT VENUE SUMMIT, WE CAN ASK THEM ABOUT THAT, MAKE THIS A, AS FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE, LIKE WHAT'S OUR ROLE WHEN WE HAVE OUR NEXT CONVENING OF VENUES, WE CAN BRING THIS UP FOR A SURVEY OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN GET A SURVEY OUT TO OUR VENUES ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE AROUND HOW DO WE ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE LIVE MUSIC SCENE IN AUSTIN, BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSUMING MUSIC IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY, OBVIOUSLY, THAN WE ARE.
UM, AND SO THEY MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO MARKET, THEY COULD SAY ALL AGES SHOW, BUT NOBODY WHO'S UNDER 18 IS GOING TO THE CHRONICLE OR DO 5 1 2, POTENTIALLY.
THEY'RE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION ELSEWHERE.
AND SO IT'S, UH, YOU CAN PUT THE INFORMATION THERE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE IT TO THE 18-YEAR-OLD OR THE 15-YEAR-OLD, UM, MAYBE TO THEIR PARENTS, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM THEIR PARENTS.
THEY WANNA DISCOVER IT THEMSELVES.
AND SO IT REALLY IS HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT FILTER, YOU KNOW, UP, UP, YOU KNOW, WAY UP HERE DOWN.
AND IF IT'S PROBABLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE, WE REALLY NEED TO KIND OF REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THE KIDS.
SO THINGS LIKE DISCORD, VIDEO GAMES, THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAYS THAT THEY CONNECT WITH INFORMATION THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN US.
SO, THANK YOU IKA, UH, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND AND, UH, I WILL, UH, TO YOU.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER KASA AND I WERE, WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING WAS, UH, FIRST OFF, WE HAVE ONE MORE MEETING THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA COME, GONNA COME BACK TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT TWO TO THREE, UM, THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WILL HELP, UM, UH, KIND OF BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE YOUTH IN AUSTIN AND, AND, AND, AND THE, THE, THE, THE, THE SCENE THAT IS THE, THE TYPICAL NOMENCLATURE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO SEE SHOWS THAT ARE, THAT, THAT HAVE LIVE MUSIC AND, AND ALL OF THAT BASICALLY FROM THE AGES OF, YOU KNOW, 28 TO 60 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE MISSING, UM,
[02:25:01]
WE'RE, WE'RE MISSING A BIG OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY WITH, WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, A, A, A YOUNGER GENERATION, BUT ALSO AN OLDER GENERATION, A, A AS AS WELL.AND, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN SORT OF UNCOVERING IS THAT, YES, THESE PROGRAMS, THESE THINGS EXIST LIKE, YOU KNOW, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR INSTANCE, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL OF ROCK OR, OR ANY OF THESE OTHER, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UM, CORPORATE SORT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED THINGS THAT, THAT ACTUALLY DO EXIST.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KIND OF TURNKEY THAT TO WHERE THEY CAN, WHERE THESE YOUNG MUSICIANS AND YOUNG KIDS CAN ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW CAN, YOU KNOW, THE OLDER, UM, AND OLDER GENERATION BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT LIVE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, UM, BASICALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS WELL.
AND A LOT OF THAT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH MARKETING.
SOME OF IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH, UH, UH, UM, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH MARKETING.
SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ABILITY JUST FOR, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, TARGETING AND, AND D DEMOGRAPHICS, SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT ALSO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN EXECUTABLE THING.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, HOW IS IT THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE TO KIND OF START THEIR CAREER? HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE SOMEONE THAT'S IN RETIREMENT TO PICK UP A GUITAR AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND CUT THEIR TEETH AT, AT, AT A LIVE MUSIC VENUE? HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE SOMEONE THAT IS, UM, THAT IS 18 YEARS OLD THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, GOING TO COLLEGE ISN'T, ISN'T EXACTLY THE RIGHT THING FOR THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE A HUNDRED FANS AND A HUNDRED FRIENDS COME IN TO SEE THEIR SHOWS, WELL, THAT COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO SOME SORT OF CAREER.
SO IT'S, IT'S MARKETING, BUT IT'S ALSO NOMENCLATURE AND IT'S ENCOURAGEMENT.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA COME BACK, UM, NEXT MONTH WITH, UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT, UM, UH, THE CITY COULD POSSIBLY DO TO HELP FIX THAT.
COMMISSIONER, UH, STRICKLAND, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? UH, COMMISSIONER? OH, SORRY.
I JUST WANT, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, GIVE A YES AND, UM, TO, UH, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, START WITH WHAT IS, WHAT EXISTS AND, UM, AND HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THAT MORE.
AND, UM, AND I WANTED TO, UH, BRING BACK WHAT, UM, RAUL SAID EARLIER ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PARKLAND.
AND ALSO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HONK COMING UP, HONK TEXAS COMING UP, WHICH IS AN AMAZING, YOU KNOW, FREE ALL AGES, UM, VERY ACCESSIBLE EVENT.
UM, AND, UH, AND I'M REALLY SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, HOW MANY PEOPLE I TALK ABOUT IT, I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF IT.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD ALSO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, UM, EVENTS AND THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN PARKS AND THAT HAPPEN, UM, OUTSIDE OF TRADITIONAL VENUE SPACES.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S SOME BARRIERS TO USING THOSE SPACES FOR JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, EV EVERYDAY PEOPLE THAT WANNA JUST LIKE PUT ON, HAVE AN IDEA FOR A COOL SHOW THAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO IN A PARK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE PERMITTING AND WHAT'S THE, THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
SO LIKE, MAYBE EVEN JUST LIKE STREAMLINING AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT, MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO USE.
THERE'S SO MANY UNDERUTILIZED, UM, SPACES AROUND TOWN, LIKE THE, THE CATHERINE LAMPKIN PAVILION, I THINK IT'S CALLED IN ROSEWOOD PARK.
IT'S LIKE THIS AWESOME SMOOTH CONCRETE PAVILION WITH A BIG PARK AROUND IT, YOU KNOW? AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING HAPPEN THERE.
UM, AND I, I ACTUALLY PUT AN EVENT ON THERE YEARS, UH, YEARS AGO, AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HOW DO I MAKE THIS LEGIT? LIKE, AND I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS THE WHOLE PROCESS OF LIKE, ACTUALLY USING THESE SPACES IS VERY UNCLEAR.
SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO WITH THE CITY LEVEL, IS LIKE, FIGURE OUT HOW TO STREAMLINE THAT AND MAKE IT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE.
SOVIA LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS A, AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
SO, PERSONAL POINT, MY SON'S MUSIC CLASS REQUIRED HIM TO SEE SHOWS, SO HE HAD TO COME TO ME FOR HELP, BUT THE PARKS AND REC TO SEE SHOWS TO GET HIS GRADE.
BUT THE PARKS AND REC HAS BEAUTIFUL GUIDELINES ON HOW TO ACCESS PARKS.
AND ALSO EVEN YOUNG KIDS CAN TAKE SMALL BUSINESS CLASSES ON HOW TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AND HOW TO MARKET THEMSELVES.
UH, THEY ARE FREE TO TAKE OUR CLASSES, SO, AND WE'VE HAD HIGH SCHOOLERS TAKE OUR ESSENTIAL CLASSES.
SO JUST WANT THE PUBLIC AND KIDS TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN TAKE OUR SMALL BUSINESS CLASSES ON MARKETING AND ET CETERA.
AND ON THE PARKS WEBSITE, THERE'S
[02:30:01]
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE PARKS.UH, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? UH, I DO.
UM, SO, UH, ON PARK USAGE, THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS JUST PA PASSED AT COUNCIL, THAT WAS, UM, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY NAME CHECKING BLUES ON THE GREEN, BUT REALLY THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF THAT RESOLUTION WAS HOW TO STREAMLINE THE USE OF CITY FACILITIES AND OTHER FACILITIES AND PERMITTING AND SO ON, UH, FOR EVENTS LIKE THE ONE THAT COMMISSIONER GOULD WAS DISCUSSING.
SO I WOULD SAY IF, UM, IF ANYONE HAS, UM, SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS COULD BE EASIER FOR SMALL PROMOTERS, UH, CONTACT NATASHA HARPER MADISON'S OFFICE, UH, SPECIFICALLY JOHN LAWLER, AND BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON HOW TO WORK WITH STAFF ON MAKING ALL THAT EASIER.
COMMISSIONER PATTERSON? ANYBODY ONLINE? ALRIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUTS.
UM, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION TO MOVE, UH, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, UP AND, UH, GET STAFF BRIEFINGS AFTER THAT.
UH, COULD I PLEASE GET A SECOND ON THAT? 'CAUSE THAT'S AN ACTIONABLE, UH, ITEM AND WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
IT'S DUE BEFORE, UH, END OF MARCH.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION
[13. Approve Music Commission Budget recommendations to Council for FY25.]
AND ACTION ITEMS, APPROVE MUSIC COMMISSION BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL FOR FY 25.UM, I'LL REQUEST, UH, VICE CHAIR PATTERSON TO, UH, REVIEW THE ITEMS. SO EVERY, UH, YEAR, THE COMMISSIONS ARE, UM, ANY COMMISSION CAN PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING SO OFTEN HERE, UH, ON MUSIC COMMISSION.
I DO FEEL LIKE OUR, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AS A COMMISSION ARE SIGNIFICANT.
SO I'M GONNA KIND OF TRY TO CRUISE THROUGH THIS SOMEWHAT QUICKLY, BUT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THEM.
SO, UM, NAVAL AS A GROUP, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT IN THE LAST MEETING, AND NAVAL AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS A BIT.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DISTILLED IT DOWN TO.
UM, SO BASICALLY, UM, WE'RE ASK ASKING FOR FISCAL SUPPORT FOR THE CREATIVE SPACE PROGRAM.
UH, SO, UM, I THINK THE AMOUNT I'VE, I PUT 1.5 MILLION HERE, BUT I THINK WHAT NGA VALLEY REMINDED ME THAT WHAT REALLY WE HAD DISCUSSED WAS 1 MILLION.
SO, UM, THAT IS AN INCREASE OVER WHAT I THINK WAS THOUGHT POSSIBLE OR, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED.
AND, UH, BUT IT'S ALSO LESS THAN THE FISCAL YEAR 23 FUNDING.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, FOR THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND THAT HELPS WITH, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR VENUES.
AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT ABOUT WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN ASK FOR, UH, FISCAL SUPPORT FOR THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, UH, MUSICIAN PERFORMANCE PROGRAM.
UH, LAST YEAR WE ASKED FOR 90,000, UH, AND WE'D LIKE TO INCREASE THAT TO A HUNDRED K THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, AS AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE, THESE, THESE PAID OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT INCLUDES, LIKE SOUTH THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PROGRAMS, THE PAID MUSICIAN PROGRAM, UM, THE WHERE THE, AND ALSO, UM, PERFORMANCES AT CITY COUNCIL, THE PERFORMANCES THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER FOR MUSIC COMMISSION.
UM, SO THOSE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR MUSICIANS.
SO WE'RE REQUESTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, HAM, UH, WAS HERE TONIGHT, AND WE'VE ALL DISCUSSED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO WE SU SUPPORT THEIR ASK, UM, FISCAL SUPPORT FOR HAMS, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM AS DESCRIBED BY PAUL SCOTT THIS EVENING.
SO 500,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN ONE THING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT CARRY OVER FROM LAST YEAR, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS REALLY ANY MOVEMENT ON THIS LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, A POSSIBLE, UH, FUNDING FOR, UH, AN EMERGENCY, UH, FUND FOR MUSICIANS RELATED TO, UH, LIKE WEATHER EVENTS SPECIFICALLY.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, UH, YEAH, SO I'LL JUST OPEN THAT UP FOR COMMENT ON THOSE FOUR ITEMS. UH, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THE, UH, BUDGET ITEMS? COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND? YEAH, THERE, THERE WAS, UM, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT, IT, IT, IT, IT MAY HAVE GOT LEFT OFF OR SOMETHING, BUT I, I,
[02:35:01]
I DID, UM, WANT SOMETHING IN THERE FOR, FOR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING FOR LOCAL, UM, LOCAL, LOCAL SHOWS AT A $40,000, UH, LEVEL.AND THAT, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT ITEM ON THERE.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON, COULD YOU CLARIFY LOCAL SHOWS OVER? YES.
SO, SO BASICALLY IT WOULD BE, UH, U UH, CITY FUNDS BEING USED TO, TO ADVERTISE, UM, FOR LOCAL SHOWS.
THIS WOULD SPECIFICALLY COME THROUGH THE, COME FROM THE, UH, THE EXCESS OF THE HOT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS THAT ALREADY EXIST.
SO, UH, THE HOTEL TAXES THAT I THINK THE GRANTS ALREADY HAVE MARKETING REQUIREMENTS BUILT IN WITHIN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT'S AWARDED.
IS THAT, UH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE CLARIFY.
SO THIS WOULD BE A SEPARATE SET OF FUNDS THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AND APPLY FOR NOT, UM, ATTACHED TO THEIR LIVE MUSIC FUND GRANTS THAT THEY, THAT THEY WOULD GET.
BASICALLY, IT WOULD BE MONEY THAT IS EARMARKED FOR, UM, MUSICIANS AND VENUES THAT DON'T RECEIVE GRANTS TO, UM, ACTUALLY GO IN AND, AND, UM, UM, UH, APPLY FOR AND POSSIBLY GET, UH, FUNDS TO ADVERTISE THEIR SHOWS ON A, ON, ON A LOCAL, ON A LOCAL BASIS.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS YEAR MARKED AND HOT FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VISIT AUSTIN.
YOU MAY REMEMBER OMAR, UH, COMING AND PRESENTING TO YOU GUYS LAST YEAR, THE ANALYTICS OF THAT NATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
AND SO THAT'S BEEN, AND THAT IS A LOCAL, IT'S, IT'S A FOCUS ON LOCAL MUSICIANS, LOCAL VENUES.
IT DOES GET PROMOTED NATIONALLY, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT TRAVELS ACROSS THE INTERNET AND IT HITS LOCAL FOLKS AS WELL AS PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TARGETING IN OTHER STATES.
UM, SO THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE SEEN A GREAT ROI ON.
UM, AND SO, AND THAT IS PART OF OUR OVERALL FIVE POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE THE UPDATE ON OUR HOT COLLECTIONS, BUT FOR OUR AMENDED BUDGET FOR FY 24, I THINK IT'S, UH, 5.25, I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, OR 5.6, UM, THAT A HUNDRED GRAND OF THAT IS DEDICATED TO MARKETING ON TOP OF THE GRANTS.
SO YOU CAN USE THE GRANTS FOR MARKETING, BUT WE'RE ALSO DOING THE INVESTMENT WITH AN AGENCY.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE CAPACITY TO DO WHAT AN AGENCY CAN DO IN TERMS OF BOTH ASSET DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT THROUGH THE DIGITAL REALM.
AND SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD, UM, SPEND, I THINK FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR MUSICIANS AND VENUES LOCALLY.
AB ABSOLUTELY AGREED, AND THIS WOULDN'T BE FROM VISIT AUSTIN OR ANY KIND OF AGENCY.
THIS IS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE'S AT LEAST $400,000 THAT IS IN THE HOT BUCKET THAT IS EXCESS MONEY THAT IS NOT BEING USED, THAT COULD BE USED FOR A LOCAL MUSICIAN OR A LOCAL VENUE TO ADVERTISE THEIR SHOW AND TARGET THEIR SHOW SO THAT PEOPLE COULD SHOW UP TO THAT SHOW AND GENERATE, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND FOR THAT SHOW AND HOLD TALK ANCY TAXES.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE MECHANISM TO GIVE THESE FUNDS OUT? UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU ENVISIONING THAT TO LOOK LIKE? LIKE WHAT IS THE CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH WE COULD GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO THE RECIPIENTS? IS IT A SEPARATE APPLICATION? IS IT, UH, IT'S, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE EITHER A SEPARATE APPLICATION OR IT WOULD BE, UM, UH, IT, IT IT'S BASIC.
IT, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A PROGRAM.
IT'S, IT IS A PROGRAM THAT IS, IT'S A, IT'S A MICRO PROGRAM.
IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL PROGRAM, BUT IT IS A PROGRAM VERY SIMILAR TO, UM, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND OR THE AUSTIN MUSIC FUND, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S A SMALLER GRANULAR PROGRAM WHERE BASICALLY IF SOMEONE IS PUTTING ON A SHOW, THEY COULD GO IN AND SAY, HEY, I'M PUTTING ON THIS SHOW.
THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, ENTER IN THIS INFORMATION.
AND IF THEY ARE APPROVED FOR THAT FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE FUNDS, THEN THEY RECEIVE EITHER REIMBURSEMENT OR THEY COULD, UM, UM, RECEIVE A CHECK FROM THE CITY TO ACTUALLY PROMOTE THAT SHOW EXCLUSIVELY VIA HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UH, SO, UH, AND, UH, PARDON ME, I'M, I'M ALSO THINKING, UH, OUT LOUD IN THE MOMENT, UH, RE REACTING TO, UM, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, IF, IF THAT, IF IT IS COMING FROM THE HOTEL TAXES AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM, THEN UH, IT SHOULDN'T PROBABLY BE THEN A BUDGET ITEM, RIGHT? IT IS PROBABLY A CONVERSATION AROUND HOW, UH, THE HOT TAXES AND THE PROGRAMS AROUND IT ARE BEING DESIGNED AND COULD JUST BE AN ITEM FOR, UH, A FUTURE CONVERSATION AROUND THE HOT TAXES, IS WHAT I WOULD THINK IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S COMING FROM THE SAME POOL OF MONEY.
I THINK IT WOULD STILL, WELL, ANOVIA HAS, HAS STEPPED TO THE PODIUM.
SO LET ME ASK A QUESTION, ANOVIA.
[02:40:01]
THE CREATION OF A MARKETING GRANT PROGRAM FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS TO MARKET LOCALLY, AND THAT WAS A, AN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PROGRAM.LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER, OTHER ONES YOU THAT YOU HAVE LIKE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
WOULD THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH COUNCIL OR IS THAT A SEPARATE RECOMMENDATION SPECIFICALLY TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? THAT'S, THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO, UM, DETERMINE IF WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO EXECUTE A PROGRAM OF THAT NATURE.
UM, THE MUSIC DIVISION IS SMALL AND MIGHTY.
UM, BUT IF YOU RECALL, EVEN THE CURRENT PROGRAMS ARE OVERSUBSCRIBED MM-HMM.
IT, IT COULD BE OPTICS, I'M JUST LAYING THAT OUT.
BUT IT IS YOUR PURVIEW TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN IT IS OUR JOB TO DETERMINE AND WORK WITH OUR CITY LEADERSHIP TEAM IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO INCORPORATE.
UM, SO IF WE DID EXPLORE THIS, UH, IS THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, IS THAT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THIS? OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD TAKE UP SEPARATELY? YOU COULD DO IT EITHER WAY.
YOU COULD DO IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING CSAP.
BUT AGAIN, IT IS A RECOMMENDATION AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DETERMINE IF IT'S FEASIBLE FOR US TO INCORPORATE.
AGAIN, WE HAVE A SMALL BUT MIGHTY STAFF.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK HARD ABOUT HOW WE WOULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S OUTSOURCED OR SOME, OR MAYBE, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS I LOVE, I MEAN, I LOVE THE IDEA OF MARKETING MUSICIANS LOCALLY AS WELL AS NATIONALLY.
UM, BUT I THINK, UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE MECHANICS OF IT ALL ARE, SO I, SO THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT.
AND AGAIN, THROUGH OUR SMALL BUSINESS DIVISION, WE RUN A PROGRAM CALLED ARTIST INC.
WHERE WE EXAMINE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, INCLUDING FOR MUSICIAN AND ARTISTS.
AND ONE OF THE KEY NIGHTS OR, UH, FOCUSES IS MARKETING.
AND SO THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU DON'T GET IN ONE PROGRAM, HERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS.
SO WE HAVE HOLISTIC OFFERINGS, SO IF YOU DON'T GET INTO ONE, THERE ARE OTHER AVENUES THAT COULD STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS.
UM, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE.
SO, UM, THEN THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANOVIA.
SO THEN I, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED ON THIS? DO YOU WANT TO FOLD IT INTO BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, OR DO YOU WANNA TAKE IT UP SEPARATELY LATER? UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO FOLD IT INTO BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I, AND I SAY THAT KNOWING THAT IT'S, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, THE FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING NEXT YEAR, MORE THAN LIKELY THE LONG CENTER'S GONNA HAVE TO BE INVOLVED MORE THAN LIKELY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S AN EXPENSE ON THEIR END, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THEY COULD GLADLY, YOU KNOW, USE AND NEED TO, TO, UM, UM, CONTINUE TO, UH, SERVE THEIR ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
UM, BY THEN, I'M, I'M CERTAIN THAT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC WINDFALL THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BECAUSE OF ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE, WELL, MORE THAN $400,000 THERE THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO COVER IT.
I THINK THAT IF WE HAVE THIS A YEAR OUT, WE COULD PROBABLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO ROLL IT OUT, UM, WITHIN A YEAR.
I ALSO WILL SAY THAT, UH, UH, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, VENUE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THIS FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM PEDRO, UH, EARLIER, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, VENUES ARE NOT GIVING BANDS, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND BUCKS, $1,200 TO GO IN AND PLAY THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS HOPING THAT THEY COULD SELL LONE STARS ANYMORE.
IT IS ABOUT PUTTING BUTTS IN SEATS.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF THIS COMPETITIVE MARKET IS, IF THE BANDS HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE WHEREWITHAL TO ACTUALLY ADVERTISE THOSE SHOWS IN ADDITION TO, UH, WHAT THE VENUES CAN ALREADY DO.
AND THIS IS A VI, THIS IS A BOTH A VENUE AND IT IS A USER SHIPPING.
THIS IS A BOTH, AND THIS IS NOT IN THE EITHER OR KIND OF THING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RESOURCES FOR ADVERTISING THE LOCAL SHOWS THAT PEOPLE ARE PLAYING.
SO WHEN THEY HAVE THOSE RELEASE SHOWS, IF THEY WERE NOT APPROVED FOR THE LIVE MUSIC FUND OR FOR, FOR THE AUSTIN MUSIC FUND, EXCUSE ME.
YOU KNOW, THEY COULD STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM,
[02:45:01]
NOT A BILLBOARD, BUT THEY COULD STILL HAVE THAT PLACARD, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE RECORD.SO THEY COULD STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO AN IN-STORE PROMOTION.
THEY COULD STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO PROMOTE TO RADIO.
THEY COULD STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR ADVERTISING FOR THESE NEWSPAPERS THAT ARE DYING.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ACTUALLY STIMULATING THE ECONOMY.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S REALLY ANY ARGUMENT ABOUT NECESSITY NECESSARILY.
UM, AND I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, SCOTT, IT'S JUST THAT I KNOW THAT'S OKAY.
SO HERE'S MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE INCLUDE THIS LANGUAGE IN OUR, OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, UM, MARKETING MICRO-GRANT PROGRAM FOR LOCAL MUSIC MARKETING, UH, $40,000, UH, SOURCE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
OKAY, WELL, WE CAN, NO, 400,000.
UM, COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UM, RIGHT NOW THE BUDGET FOR VISIT AUSTIN IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UM, ERICA JUST REMINDED ME HOW PLEASE GIVE US, UM, IDEAS OF, THIS IS LOCAL PROMOTION, ARE YOU'RE PROMOTING TO TOURISTS AND CONVENTIONEERS HOT TAX.
MR. STRICKLAND LOCAL PROMOTION WILL ALSO PROMOTE TO LOCAL ARTISTS OR CONVENTIONEERS, FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE HAS A SHOW OF ANY KIND, THEY COULD, THEY COULD TAKE THOSE FLYERS AND, AND, AND, AND TARGET THOSE ADS RIGHT THERE AT VISIT AUSTIN AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, GET PROMOTERS TO COME BY.
I MEAN, GET, UH, PEOPLE TO COME BY THAT WAY, THIS IS LOCAL PROMOTION FOR EITHER NATIONAL OR, OR, OR LOCAL PEOPLE THAT ARE IN AUSTIN ARE COMING TO AUSTIN.
SO IF WE, LET'S SAY WE, IF WE MADE IT A STATEWIDE, SO I KNOW WE CAN'T SAY LOCAL AND THEN USE HOT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S TRICKY, BUT IF WE SAY IT'S LIKE, UM, CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, I HAVE A, IS THAT HOT ARTISTS? YEAH, YEAH.
NO, IT'S LOCAL ARTISTS, BUT I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ART, THE AUDIENCE.
WHO'S THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS SHOW? SO I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUICK COMMENT ON THIS.
IS, IS I, I ABSOLUTELY SEE THE NEED FOR MARKETING DOLLARS ANYTIME I DO A SHOW.
I MEAN, THAT TAKES A CHUNK OF THE MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET TO ADVERTISE EVEN, EVEN JUST LOCALLY.
UM, WHAT IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROMOTION LOCALLY, YOU KNOW, TO VISITORS, TO TOURISTS, UM, NATIONALLY OR AT ANY LEVEL? WHAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE NOT GETTING RIGHT NOW OUT OF WHAT VISIT AUSTIN IS ALREADY, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, LINED UP TO DO, UM, AND WHERE IS THE GAP? WHAT, I MEAN, CAN THAT GAP BE FILLED? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THAT OTHERWISE IT'S A DUPLICATE EFFORT ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN, UH, OF COURSE I WOULD LIKE TO MARKET MY OWN SHOW AS WELL.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT, UH, I WILL ALWAYS DO THAT.
THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR THAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LOCAL TOURIST PROMOTION, ET CETERA, THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE THE CHARTER YOU HAVE GIVEN TO VISIT AUSTIN, UH, WITH THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WHAT GAP, WHERE IS THE GAP RIGHT NOW? IS IS THAT, IS THERE A GAP THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE SAME TIME? SO I CAN ANSWER, I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
SO VISIT AUSTIN AS AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
SO BASICALLY THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO, TO, TO, TO ADVERTISE FOR LOCAL SHOWS, BUT MOST OF THEIR MONEY IS SPENT BY SENDING PEOPLE OUT AND HAVING THEM PROSELYTIZE THE GOSPEL OF WHAT AUSTIN DOES.
THAT'S GOING TO BRING PEOPLE HERE.
AND THERE'S ALSO VISIT AUSTIN, THERE'S VISIT SEATTLE, THERE'S VISIT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY ALL DO BASICALLY THE EXACT SAME THING.
SO VISIT AUSTIN DOES A REALLY, REALLY GREAT JOB AT MAKING SURE THAT THE WORLD KNOWS THAT THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD IS HERE.
BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ACTUALLY LIKE, PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
SO LIKE, IF SOMEONE'S COMING ON A PLANE FROM FRANCE, THEY IMMEDIATELY WOULD GET AN AD BASICALLY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE X MUSICIAN HAS A SHOW, BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISING DOLLARS TO PUT THAT, TO PUT, TO PUT THAT, THAT THAT PROGRAM TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT FROM VENUES, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT FROM, UH, MUSICIANS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THE DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
LET ME STEP BACK AND, AND CLARIFY THE BUDGET PROCESS.
YOU, AS THE MUSIC COMMISSION CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU SUBMIT THOSE, THEY COME IN THROUGH OUR, UM, BOARD AND COMMISSION SYSTEMS, AND THEY GO THROUGH BUDGET, THEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GIVEN TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO DETERMINE THEIR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER, DETERMINE WHAT WILL MOVE FORWARD.
SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY WHAT YOU SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO, BUT THAT FROM THE DEPARTMENT, I'M GONNA STEP BACK AND SAY THAT
[02:50:01]
IS THE PROCESS.SO WHEN THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION COMES, WE WILL THEN DEVELOP OUR, UH, BUDGET BASED ON OUR PROFESSIONAL, UM, EXPERTISE AND RECOMMENDATIONS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE DATA THAT WE KNOW AND EVERYTHING THAT IS OUT THERE.
COMMISSIONER GOLD, DO YOU HAD A COMMENT? WELL, I THINK, UH, WHAT IS THE, I I THINK I ASKED THIS WHEN OMAR WAS HERE BEFORE PRESENTING ABOUT VISIT AUSTIN.
I, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST ANY MUSICIAN IN TOWN CAN, CAN UTILIZE VISIT AUSTIN AS AN AVENUE CAN, CAN WE, LIKE, IF I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, I GOT, I GOT, I WANNA PROMOTE MYSELF ON VISIT AUSTIN.
LIKE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I CAN JUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND DO? NO, WELL VISIT AUSTIN HAS AN EVENTS CALENDAR THAT ANYONE CAN ADD THEIR EVENTS TO, THAT IS ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT HAS PRETTY GOOD HIGH TRAFFIC.
THEY ALSO HAVE A MUSIC HUB WITHIN THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, WHICH IS HOW OUR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS RELATIONSHIP FOR THIS ADDITIONAL CARVE OUT, UH, FORMED WITH VISIT AUSTIN, IF YOU REMEMBER, DURING THE PANDEMIC AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UH, HAVING, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT MUSIC HUB.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT $100,000 INVESTMENT OF HOT CAME INTO.
AND THEY DO CURATE IT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE ANALYTICS AND THE REPORT THAT THEY GAVE US, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, IT'S A WIDE ARRAY OF ARTISTS THAT ARE LOCAL, WIDE ARRAY OF VENUES, AND IT'S A GOOD, HEALTHY INVESTMENT, UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, OPTIMIZE FOR THE BEST REACH POSSIBLE.
UH, AND THAT'S AN UNUSUAL TYPE OF THING.
THIS IS ON TOP OF THE VISIT AUSTIN BUDGET, WHERE THEY GO SEND ARTISTS OUT.
THIS IS JUST DEDICATED, THIS IS JUST THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION PARTNERSHIP THAT CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE REQUEST FOR A MUSIC HUB WITH VISIT AUSTIN.
SO IT IS AN ADDITIONAL $100,000, UM, OF VERY HIGH LEVEL, GOOD PROFESSIONAL LOOKING MARKETING, UH, THAT GETS OUT INTO LIKE UNITED STATES.
UH, THAT ALSO TRICKLES DOWN INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY AS WELL.
UM, DO YOU, DO WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND ADD THE ITEM IN? UH, PLEASE.
LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT IN.
LET'S JUST, UM, UM, JUST TAKE A SEPARATE VOTE BECAUSE IT'S JUST COMING IN NOW.
AND YOU, UH, HOW DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? UH, IS THERE ANY, LET ME ACTUALLY ASK, WE READ A COUPLE OF LINE ITEMS, UH, INCLUDING THIS, UM, IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC CONCERN AROUND THE CURRENT ITEMS, OR ARE WE READY TO JUST TAKE A VOTE PLEASE? UH, I HAVE, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, TWO MONTHS AGO WE HEARD ABOUT THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS, AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, OR WILL ANOTHER COMMISSION, UH, OR BOARD BE TALKING ABOUT CONTINUING FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS? I THINK WE SHOULD INCLUDE IT.
IS THERE, IS THERE, UH, IS THERE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE WANT TO ADD IN? IS THERE ANY, UH, PERSPECTIVE THAT EDD CAN PROVIDE US ON THIS? I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M MAKING YOU GET UP SO MANY TIMES TODAY.
MAYBE, MAYBE WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF THEIR LAST? YEAH, IT WAS THE AMOUNT AND WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD FEEL REASONABLE, UH, TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM? UH, THE LAST COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS WAS A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND WE HAD 10, UM, NONPROFITS HELPING US.
AND THAT PROGRAM LASTED, THAT WAS LIKE 24 MONTHS OF FUNDING? EXACTLY.
TWO 50 OR WITH THE SAME AMOUNT ONE YEAR.
UM, SO WE'VE ADDED A NEW LINE, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
WASN'T THERE GONNA BE SOMETHING ABOUT, LIKE, SOME, LIKE ASSESSING THE VIABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS OF LIKE, OR, OR, OR WHAT THEY'VE DONE? UH, WE DID THAT, RIGHT? WE HAD A PRESENTATION, UM, YEAH, WHEN, WHEN WE WERE AT THE LIBRARY.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT MONTH THAT WAS, BUT WE HAD, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW SUCCESSFUL IT WAS, AND I THINK WE ALL WANTED TO SUPPORT IT, OR WE CAN, WE CAN RESUBMIT, UM, DATA TO YOU VIA MEMO.
SO WE HAVE WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, UH, READ OUT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE ADDED, UM, TWO 50 K FOR 5 25 FOR THE COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AND WE HAVE ADDED, UM, 400,000 FOR, UH, A MICRO PROGRAM OUT OF THE HOT TAXES FOR, UH, UH, ARE WE SAYING OUT OF THE HOT TAXES WE ARE, YEAH.
[02:55:01]
FOR MARKETING, UH, FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS.UH, COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET ITEMS FOR FY OR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FFY 25? I MOVE.
WE APPROVE THE BUDGET REC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FFY 25.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER ROSENTHAL FOR 5 25 BUDGET ITEMS, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER GOUL.
[9. Live Music Fund collections update by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department. ]
BRIEFINGS.UM, I, UM, I, I THINK, UH, THE FIRST, UH, NUMBER NINE AND NUMBER 11, WHICH SHOULD BE PRETTY QUICK.
UH, SO, UM, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GO.
UM, WE GOT, UM, 20 MINUTES HERE.
I BELIEVE WE'RE UTILIZING OUR ENTIRE, UH, WINDOW TODAY.
UH, BUT, UH, I DO APPRECIATE THE VERY, UH, LIVELY, UH, AND ENTHUSIASTIC ENGAGEMENT FROM ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TODAY.
EVERYONE'S, UH, OR MOST OF US ARE HERE, AND, UM, SO IT HAS YIELDED SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
HELLO, KIM MACARON, PROGRAM MANAGER WITH, UH, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.
AND, UH, WE'RE GIVING THE UPDATE FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS THROUGH JANUARY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE JANUARY NUMBER, UH, WHAT WAS COLLECTED FOR JANUARY IS 857,431.
SO YEAR TO DATE, AND BY THE WAY, THAT NUMBER IS VERY SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WHICH WAS OVER 700,000.
AND, UH, SO THAT LEAVES US WITH A YEAR TO DATE AMOUNT IF 1,789,374.
AND OF COURSE, THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST TO HAVE LAST YEAR'S BY ITSELF THERE FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE IF WE CAN GO BACK ONE.
YEAH, WE'LL JUST KEEP IT HERE.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
[10. Update on consultant evaluation of the FY23 Live Music Fund Event Program by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music & Entertainment Division.]
UPDATE ON CONSULTANT EVALUATION OF THE FY 23 LIVE MUSIC FUND EVENT PROGRAM BY ERICA SHAMLEY, DIVISION MANAGER.HELLO, ERICA SHAMLEY, AGAIN, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
SO WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU HERE IS A CREATION OF THE LONG CENTER AS PART OF A OFFSHOOT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AS OUR THIRD PARTY GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD TALKED WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, EARLIER ON.
THEY ALSO WATCH ALL OF THE MUSIC COMMISSIONS THEY'RE PROBABLY WATCHING RIGHT NOW, AND THEY HEARD YOU, THEY HEARD THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING, UM, REQUEST AND THAT THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY OR REALLY THE ROLE TO CREATE THIS SPECIFIC, UH, SEARCHABLE, UH, CALENDAR.
UH, WHAT WE WILL, THESE ARE ALL GRANTS THAT, UH, GRANT, UM, AWARDEES, UH, THESE ARE ALL OF THEIR PUBLIC FACING EVENTS.
IF IT ISN'T PUBLIC FACING, THIS IS THE NEXT THING I'LL TALK TO THEM ABOUT IS JUST PROVIDING A LINK TO THE ARTISTS OR THE VENUE OF HERE'S ALL YOUR STUFF SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, UH, FIND THAT ARTIST OR THAT VENUE.
UM, SO THE WAY THAT THIS WILL WORK IS ONCE THE CONTRACTS ARE DONE WITH NEW AWARDEES, THERE'LL BE A FORM THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE LONG CENTER TO AWARDEES TO PROVIDE ALL THE DIFFERENT INFORMATION NEEDED FOR THIS CALENDAR.
UH, THIS IS STILL KIND OF A BETA VERSION.
IT IS, UH, LIVE ON THE CREATE AUSTIN.ORG WEBSITE, UH, RIGHT NOW.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IF YOU SEE ANY THINGS, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETTER, YOU KNOW, UTILIZATION OR SEARCHABLE SEARCHABILITY, JUST LET US KNOW.
UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LONG CENTER'S EFFORTS HERE TO, UM, LISTEN TO YOU GUYS AND UNDERSTAND THAT IS A NEED THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING.
AND SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS THROUGH LIVE MUSIC FUND, THROUGH ANY OF THE CULTURAL ARTS, UH, GRANTS.
SO, UM, BIG HATS OFF TO THE LONG CENTER FOR CREATING THIS FOR US AS PART OF THE CREATE THEIR NEW CREATE AUSTIN WEBSITE, UH, WHICH WILL BE THE LANDING PAGE FOR OUR NEXT, UH, ROUND OF PROGRAMS. YOU JUST CLICK ON THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION LINK AND THAT TAKES YOU TO OUR PRO, YOU KNOW, TO INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LONG CENTER AND DIRECT LINKS TO THE PROGRAMS, UH, BACK TO THE CITY WEBSITE.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING REQUEST FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
UH, SO, UH, THIS IS JUST, UH, AMAZING TO SEE THIS COMING IN FROM THE LONG CENTER.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT COLLABORATION ON THAT
[03:00:01]
FRONT.LONG CENTER AND YAY LONG CENTER AND, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
THIS IS STILL, LIKE I SAID, THIS WEBSITE IS IN DEVELOPMENT WITH THE CREATIVE CONSORTIUM, AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO, UM, CITI HAD SUPPORTED THEM LAST YEAR TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING AS A SHARED PLACE FOR SAY, INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF GO READ WHERE IT'S AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT THE LONG CENTER HAS A SURVEY ON THE HOMEPAGE FOR THIS@CREATEAUSTIN.ORG FOR ANYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN A SURVEY.
AND THIS IS NOT IN THEIR ROLE AS OUR THIRD PARTY.
THIS IS AS THEIR ROLE AS THE CREATIVE CONSORTIUM AND AS BEING CALLED CREATE AUSTIN, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALL, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, HAD HOPED TO SEE AS A NON-CITY ORGANIZATION, UM, TAKING ON THE WORK OF CONSOLIDATING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION INTO ONE PLACE OR PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT THE CITY JUST CAN'T.
UM, AND SO WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO CHECK IT OUT.
UH, EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION HAPPY THANK YOU WITH THIS ONE,
UM, I THINK, UH, WE NEED AN UPDATE FROM YOU ON THE CONSULTANT EVALUATION OF THE 5 23 LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MEETING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS.
THE NEXT ONE IS MEASURE WHO IS HELPING US WITH, UH, GAUGING THE OUTCOMES OF ALL PROGRAMS COMING OUT OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS AND OUR FIRST YEAR OF NEW PROGRAMS. THEY'RE WORKING WITH STAFF RIGHT NOW TO LOOK AT THE APPLICATIONS AT THE AWARDEES.
AND SO UP TO KIND OF GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW DID WE DO SO THAT WORK SHOULD BE DONE BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.
UM, AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE YOU MORE INFORMATION AT THAT TIME WHEN, UM, THEY, UH, GIVE THE REPORT TO US.
UH, DIRECTOR, PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR CONS, CONSTITUENT YOUR, TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
THAT IS OUR LAST TOUCH POINT TO GET FEEDBACK.
AND LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS AT THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE HAD A VERY LOW RESPONSE RATE.
AND SO WE WANNA HEAR FROM COMMUNITY, WE WANNA KNOW YOUR EXPERIENCE.
WE SAID WE WOULD COME BACK SO WE CAN PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO THE CONSULTANT.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR COMMUNITY TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
THE SURVEY IS TWO DIFFERENT SURVEYS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED.
THERE'S A LONG CENTER SURVEY FOR THEIR NEEDS, BUT THIS IS THE, OUR SURVEY.
MM-HMM,
SO, UM, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO QUICKLY WHILE IT'S FRESH ON OUR MINDS.
[12. Update on City Commission guidelines by Shelbi Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Music & Entertainment, Economic Development Department.]
LAST NOTE.BUT, UM, LAST AGENDA ITEM, UH, TO DISCUSS IS UPDATE ON CITY COMMISSION GUIDELINES BY SHELBY MITCHELL.
I TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY IN THE BEGINNING.
UM, UH, SHELBY, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YEAH, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE JOINING ONLINE, IT WAS, IT WAS ROUGH GETTING HERE, BUT WE HAVE SOME, UM, JUST SOME GUIDELINES TO GO OVER, UM, AS A PART OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, JUST, AND ALSO SOME COURTESIES.
UM, UH, FIRST THINGS, FIRST MAIL EMAILS ARE STRICTLY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNICATION THAT CITY STAFF HAS WITH, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE FUNNELED THROUGH THERE.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT MITIGATES IT, YOU KNOW, PILING UP IN YOUR PERSONAL EMAILS.
BUT THAT ASIDE, IF WE HAVE TO TALK THROUGH THOSE EMAILS.
AND THEN ALSO THAT'S LIKE MY FIRST STRING IN LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ALL.
I DO MY BEST TO MAKE SURE I CAN CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS AND THE INVITATIONS.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST KIND OF TOOK UPON MYSELF.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FRUITFUL FOR YOU ALL AND NOT AS MUCH AS A BOTHER TO BE SENDING LIKE EMAIL AFTER EMAIL WITH A NEW DOCUMENT, BUT IT'S HOUSED IN THE INVITES AND YOU CAN FORWARD IT TO PRESENTERS AND, UM, VISITORS ALIKE JUST TO PREPARE FOR UPCOMING MEETINGS THAT ARE EVERY FIRST MONDAY
BUT I DO TRY AND SEND THOSE OUT AS WE GET CLOSER TO EACH MEETING, JUST SO IT'S LIKE TOP OF MIND.
AND SO I CAN HEAR, UM, AND FOLLOW UP ON ATTENDANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO GO OVER TODAY IS JUST ATTENDANCE.
HOW, UM, YOU SHOULD BE LOGGING IN IF YOU WANT TO JOIN VIRTUALLY, AND THEN IN PERSON, KIND OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO ACCEPTING THE MEETING INVITES IS DEFINITELY HELPFUL.
UM, BUT IF YOU, UM, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HERE, WHEN YOU GOT TO THE DIOCESE, THERE WERE SOME DOCUMENTS THAT WEREN'T THERE THAT JUST IS ME PREPARING FOR THOSE THAT ACCEPTED THE INVITE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, IF ONES ARE NOT WASTING PAPER TWO, IT'S JUST THE COURTESY OF LETTING ME KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE HERE, UM, AS, AS EVERYBODY PREPARES FOR THESE MEETINGS, UM, SO THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL FOR YOU ALL.
[03:05:01]
I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT TO GO OVER, AND THE FUMBLING AT THE BEGINNING IS I'M TRYING TO SET US UP FOR SUCCESS.IT'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO COVER.
UM, AND THE WEBEX LINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, THAT WAS JUST A MISTAKE ON OUR, UM, ON OUR PART.
BUT ALL OF THAT, LIKE I SAID, IS HOUSED IN THE INVITATION FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE AND JUST TO REMOVE ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS, UM, IN YOUR EMAIL.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ACCESSING YOUR EMAIL, WE NEED TO TALK.
UM, AND THE PEOPLE THAT HELP YOU WITH THAT IS THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
I CAN'T, UM, EVEN HELP YOU WITH THAT SITUATION, BUT I CAN GET YOU, I CAN CONNECT YOU AND GET YOU IN LINE WITH WHOEVER TO GET YOU SET UP.
UM, SO IF WE'RE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY ANOTHER THING THAT WILL BE HOUSED IN THE INVITATIONS BEFORE MEETINGS, THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER AGUILAR FOR FILLING OUT OR SIGNING THE FORM, THAT IS ONE WAY TO SHARE YOUR, UM, YOU'LL BE ATTENDING THE MEETING VIRTUALLY, BUT ANOTHER WAY IS THE STATEMENT THAT YOU CAN EMAIL ME SIMPLY SAYING, I WILL BE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
AND ANOTHER MENTION OF IF YOU'LL BE ABSTAINING OR RECUSING FROM ANYTHING, ANY OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, IT'S, TO ME, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT ON MY GREATEST REQUEST AND JUST A COURTESY FROM EVERYBODY HERE, IF YOU COULD LET ME KNOW BEFORE MONDAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS HAPPEN THE DAY OF THOSE UNAVOIDABLE, UM, UNAVOIDABLE EXCUSED ABSENCES ARE STILL THERE.
UM, I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT YOU JUST 'CAUSE OF TIME REVISIT THE TOMA GUIDELINES BECAUSE THAT IS INCREDIBLY CRUCIAL.
THEY ARE LIKE, UM, CHAIR SAID EARLIER, THEY'RE LOOKING AT US FROM OUR AGENDAS TO HOW WE SHOW UP IN THESE MEETINGS.
AND I JUST, THOSE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CAN REALLY CREEP UP ON YOU JUST DUE TO LIFE.
BUT I WANNA MITIGATE IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY SHOWING UP AND
UM, I WANT US, I THINK THIS COMMISSION IS DOING GREAT WORK, GET A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ON HOW WE SHOW UP AS A COMMISSION, BUT, UM, CLERK'S OFFICE IS REALLY ON US AND I THINK THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TIGHTEN UP THERE.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WANNA BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME, BUT I'LL SEND OUT EMAILS I DID SEND OUT ONE LAST WEEK TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY THE ATTENDANCE.
IF YOU WANT ME TO BUMP THAT UP TO THE TOP OF YOUR INBOX, I CAN DO THAT AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER THINGS.
I'LL BE CONSTANTLY REFRESHING ON THOSE GUIDELINES AND KEEPING YOU ALL UP TO DATE SO THAT WE DON'T GET PENALIZED AND WE CAN GET THE WORK DONE FOR THE CITY.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, SHELBY.
UH, QUESTIONS, UH, FOR SHELBY ON THIS.
AND, UH, PLEASE DO REACH OUT TO HER IF ANY QUESTIONS AROUND PROCEDURE.
UH, I THINK, UM, IT'S, IT'S LIKE SHE SAID, THERE'S A LOT MORE SCRUTINY ON THIS.
UH, IN THE LAST THING WE WANT TO HAPPEN IS, UH, ACTUALLY ATTEND THE MEETING AND NOT HAVE, NOT BE COUNTED FOR ATTENDING.
I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, UH, ONE THING REAL QUICK.
UH, SHELBY, JUST THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK, AMERICA.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
OKAY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE, UH, A POOL OF MINUTES UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE KEEPING? UM, WE KEEP, YEAH, THAT, WILL, THAT, SHOULD WE PUT THAT UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS? YEAH.UM, UH, UPDATE ON MUSICAL PERFORMANCES FOR MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS.
I SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP THAT, UM, DISCUSSION REGARDING ALL AGE ISSUES.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE IN THE DISCUSSION ITEMS? UH, LET ME ACTUALLY READ OUT WHAT WE ARE REPEATING FROM HERE.
STAFF BRIEFINGS, LIVE MUSIC, MUSIC, UH, FUN COLLECTION STAYS, UH, CONSULTANT EVALUATION STAYS.
UM, THEN WE WILL ADD AN UPDATE ON FY 24 AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND GUIDELINES BY STAFF, UH, UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS, ANYTHING UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, I'D LIKE TO INVITE PERHAPS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CODA TO TALK ABOUT THE BEME MUO FESTIVAL, BECAUSE THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS WE'VE SEEN.
AND, UH, IF NOT THIS MONTH OR, OR NEXT MONTH, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LETS ADD IT UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS. TELL US HOW IT HAPPENED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS GONNA BE AN ANNUAL THING, WHAT, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE A, YOU KNOW, JUST AS, UH, RAUL WAS SUGGESTING, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO LIKE THIS? SO AN UPDATE ON, UH, BENJAMIN CHU IS START FROM, UH, LIVE NATION.
SO WE'LL ADD THAT UNDER THE DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.
[03:10:01]
I'D LIKE TO GIVE A UPDATE FROM THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP.AND I KNOW WE NEED TO BE SORT OF SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT.
SO I'LL GET THAT LANGUAGE TO YOU, SHELBY, AND THEN ALSO UPDATE FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AN UPDATE ON THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR PATTISON.
ALSO AN UPDATE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR PATTISON.
THESE ARE BOTH UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS, RIGHT? NO ACTION ASSOCIATED.
UH, AND, AND OF COURSE, UH, LET'S, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
CAN WE, CAN, I'M, UH, I KNOW I SAID THAT WE CAN REMOVE IT, BUT CAN WE, UH, UM, MOVE THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, UM, AGENDA ITEMS TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING? I, I, I, I'VE GOT SOMEONE THAT'S GONNA SHOW UP NEXT MEETING.
SO PRESENTATION BY AUSTIN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS STILL? YES.
OKAY, WE'LL, UH, KEEP THAT UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS AS WELL.
AND, UH, UM, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE TAKE A, UH, COMMISSIONER ADE, DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER INVITING A, UH, BOOKING AGENT TO COME SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION? MAYBE YOU CAN RECOMMEND SOMEONE.
UM, I CAN
SO I THINK, UM, WE CAN, UH, BASICALLY JUST SAY A DISCUSSION ON, UH, MUSIC BOOKING FOR NOW.
BUT I THINK ONCE YOU FIND A PERSON, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER CASADA, YOU CAN, UH, PROPOSE AGENT ITEM ONE OF US WILL SECOND, AND WE CAN GET THAT ADDED IN MORE DETAIL.
DOES IT HAVE TO BE JUST, UH, OH, OH, SORRY.
I'VE GOT A BOOKING AGENT IF, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, LET'S DO IT.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF ONE PERSON IS PRESENTING, UH, THERE ARE, ANYBODY CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON THE TOPIC.
SO COMMISSIONER AL, YOU'RE RIGHT.
DO WE ALREADY HAVE THE UPDATE ON THE GUIDELINES FOR THE LMF PROGRAM? YES.
SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF HOW STACKED WE MAKE THESE AGENDAS, JUST CASE IN POINT TONIGHT.
IT'S A VERY LONG MEETING, I THINK, UH,
AND I THINK, UH, PART OF, UH, PART OF THE DEAL TODAY IS OF COURSE WE HAD SOME VERY, UH, HOT ITEMS ON THERE, BUT UH, ALSO WE HAD, UH, ON FULL QUORUM ACTUALLY COUNTING A FEDERAL IN HERE
SO, UM, SO, UH, ONCE IN A WHILE WE'LL RUN INTO THIS, BUT WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LOOK TO KEEP IT STREAMLINED.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SET OF, UH, AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT TIME.
MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE.
MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER GOLD.
ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION IS APPROVED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR STICKING AROUND.