[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 6:40 PM I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION TO ORDER.[MUSICAL PERFORMANCE]
THE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY POET HAWKINS.UH, COMMISSIONER PRICE, IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE THE ARTIST.
SO, I WAS DOING A FILM, A LITTLE BACKSTORY.
SO, A X MUSICIANS, UH, WE HAVE A NEWS SEGMENT THAT WE DO A TXM NEWS, AND I HAD MADE A POST ON SOCIALS TO HIGHLIGHT BLACK ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THERE HAD TO BE SOME FEW FELT LIKE FEW HUNDRED COMMENTS, LIKE EVERYBODY.
POET HAWK IS POET, HAWK IS POET.
HOK IS JUST ONE OF THE ARTISTS THAT WE INTERVIEW.
AND SO, OF COURSE, BY DOING THAT, I WANTED TO GO OUT AND CHECK OUT SOME OF THE SHOWS AND CAUGHT A RESIDENCY, I WANNA SAY IT WAS AT SONOMA.
AND HIM AS A GUITAR PLAYER, A SINGER, A PIANIST, JUST A SOLO MUSICIAN.
HE ALSO PLAYS THE BANDS AS WELL.
BUT I SAW HIM AS A, AS A SOLO, AND THE WAY HE WAS ABLE TO CAPTIVATE THE ROOM WITH JUST VOCALS, IN A SENSE, UH, UH, A SIMPLE INSTRUMENT.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE.
HIS LYRICS ARE SO TOUCHING, SUCH A BRILLIANT WRITER.
I WAS, I, I BECAME A FAN INSTANTLY.
SO I'M HONORED THAT WE GET TO WATCH HIM HERE TODAY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
JUST A GIRL THAT, THE ROAD FASTER THAN A ROCKET.
I'M JUST HOLDING ON TELLING ME TO GO EVERY EXIT ON STRONG ENGINE, BUT A BROKEN HEART, BROWN EYES DRIVE YOU CRAZY.
YOU LOSE A ROAD WHEN IT'S GETTING DARK.
YOU'VE GOTTA DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE SILENCE AND THE HEARTACHE.
PUSHING THE GAS UNTIL THE, WATCHING THE ROAD, UNTIL THE LINE FADE.
WHEN YOU WANNA REVERSE THE WAY THE WORLD GOES, FIGHT TURNS WITH BOTH YOUR EYES CLOSED.
DON'T NEED A MAP WHERE THE, YOU JUST DRIVE THROUGH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH TO THE MEMORIES AND YOUR REAR VIEWS.
NEVER SLOWING DOWN, NEVER TIRED, NEVER RUNNING OUT PLACES YOU NEED TO GO WHEEL, NEED A BETTER LIFE.
YOU LOSE A ROAD WHEN IT'S GETTING DARK.
WHEN IT'S ALRIGHT, IT'S ALRIGHT.
YOU'VE GOTTA DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE SILENCE AND THE HEARTACHE, PUSHING THE GAS, THE WATCHING THE ROAD, THE LINES FADE.
WHEN YOU WANNA REVERSE THE WAY THE WORLD GOES, THE YOUR EYES.
DON'T EAT A MAP WHERE THE, BUT YOUR DREAMS WON'T TURN AROUND AND YOUR HEART KEEPS SLOWING DOWN AND YOUR LOVE STARTS SLOWING DOWN.
BUT YOU NEED SOME, SOME NEED SOMEWHERE.
YOU JUST NEED SOMEWHERE TO, YOU DRIVE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH, THE MEMORIES IN YOUR REAR VIEW START TO CHANGE.
AND YOU NEED TO JUST NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO.
[00:05:02]
STRAIGHT THROUGH THE SILENCE AND THE HEARTACHE, PUSHING THE GAS, THE BREAK, WATCHING THE ROAD, THE, AND YOU DRIVE.WHEN YOU WANNA REVERSE THE WAY THE WORLD GOES WITH YOUR DON'T NEED A MAP.
YOU JUST DRIVE WHAT YOU'VE THROUGH.
JUST DRIVE THROUGH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH TO THE MEMORIES AND YOUR REAR VIEW START TO CHANGE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PRICE FOR BRINGING THIS ARTIST TO THE COMMISSION.
UM, ANYBODY, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ARTIST? I'M ALMOST IN TEARS OVER HERE.
UM, WHERE CAN FOLKS FIND THIS ARTIST? UH, IS THERE A WEBSITE OR SEARCH HIM UP ON, UH, INSTAGRAM IS WHERE I, I SEE MOST OF HIS MATERIALS.
UH, DO WE, MOVING ON HERE, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.IF EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER MEETING, IF WE COULD PLEASE, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PRICE.
FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR PATTERSON.
UM, JUST BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA, UH, WE, UH, WANNA THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVILA, UM, WHO HAS VACATED HIS, UH, SEAT ON THE COMMISSION FROM D THREE.
UM, AND, UM, ALSO SENT A NOTE WISHING THE COMMISSION.
WELL, UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER AVILA FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO, FOR HIS SERVICE ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND, UM, OF COURSE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE HAS DONE FOR YEARS, UH, IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SURE WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO, ESPECIALLY ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE TEJANO MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DAVILA.
UM, AND, UH, IF THERE ARE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY TO FILL THAT SEAT, UH, FEEL FREE TO FORWARD EITHER TO THE, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE, OR TO ME, OR, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.
AND WE WILL, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'LL FORWARD THE SAME.
UH, ALSO, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND IS, UH, IS OUT FOR A FEW OF THE MEETINGS, AND WE'LL BE BACK IN MARCH, 2025, UH, TAKING CARE OF, UH, SOME PERSONAL FAMILY BUSINESS.
UH, I BELIEVE HE HAS SHARED A NOTE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, JUST, UH, ONE REQUEST TO EVERYBODY TO, UH, TO COMMISSIONERS TO KEEP AN EYE, UM, ON YOUR EMAIL.
UM, THE CITY EMAIL, UH, WE DON'T HAVE CONFIRMATION YET ON THE JANUARY DATE.
AND, UH, FOR THE MEETING, UH, UH, WE HAVE ASKED FOR JANUARY 6TH, UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CONFIRMATION YET FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO PLEASE KEEP, UH, A LOOKOUT FOR DETAILS ON THE SAME.
AND, UH, IN GENERAL, AGAIN, REQUEST TO ALL COMMISSIONERS TO PLEASE, UH, CHECK, UH, THE CITY EMAIL, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND ALSO RESPOND BACK TO SHELBY.
UM, ON ATTENDANCE FOR THESE MEETINGS, UM, THERE IS ALSO A REQUEST FROM SHELBY IF, UH, YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY TO LET HER KNOW, UH, 24 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME, UH, TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
AND, UH, SO THAT IT'S NOT, UH, MARKED AS AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.
UH, ALSO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT, PLEASE, SAME THING.
UH, GIVE HER NOTICE SO IT IS AN EXCUSED, ABSENT AND, AND, AND,
[00:10:01]
YOU KNOW, UH, DOESN'T COUNT AS AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.UM, EVERYBODY ON VIDEO, UH, WHOEVER'S JOINING ONLINE LIKE YOU ALL ARE RIGHT NOW.
[2. Live Music Fund collections briefing by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Economic Development Department. ]
STAFF BRIEFINGS.IT'S, UM, IT'S A SHORT AGENDA THIS TIME, UM, IN DECEMBER, AS IT SHOULD BE, I THINK THIS MONTH.
WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC, FUN COLLECTIONS, BRIEFING BY KIM MCC, CARSON PROGRAM MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, EDD.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS UPDATE.
SO, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS YOU'VE GOT FISCAL YEAR 23, FISCAL YEAR 24, WHICH IS NOW COMPLETED, AND THE NEW BEGINNINGS HERE ON FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS THE COLLECTIONS FOR OCTOBER, WHICH BEGINS OUR FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT $696,141 REPRESENTED THERE IN THE BLUE BOX.
SO, UM, THEN I HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT I'M GONNA DO.
WHAT I PLAN TO DO HERE IS SHOW THE DIFFERENT YEAR, SO YOU CAN COMPARE THEM, UH, ONCE I, I'M GONNA RUN OUT OF ROOM EVENTUALLY ON THAT OTHER SLIDE, SO WE CAN GO BACK ONE MORE SLIDE.
SO YOU CAN PUT THAT NUMBER BACK UP THERE.
DID, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YEAH, MY, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE YEAR OVER YEARS, RIGHT? UM, OKAY, SO WE'RE SEEING 6 96, 1, 4, 1, THAT'S 20 FISCAL YEAR, 25 YEAR TO DATE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THAT'S OCTOBER, OUR FISCAL YEAR STARTED OVER IN OCTOBER.
SO THAT REPRESENTS, UH, THE COLLECTIONS THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT MONTH RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND WHAT IS THE TOTAL FOR 23 AND WHAT WAS THE TOTAL FOR 24? OKAY, SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THEN, UM, YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP HERE I HAVE, UM, THE, UP AT THE RIGHT UNDER THE TITLE, IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT, IT'LL SAY FISCAL YEAR, UH, 24 YEAR TO DATE WITH ENCUMBRANCES WAS THE 4,000,445, UH, IN 96.
AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR 23 IS 4 MILLION 4 72, 973.
UM, THOSE ARE THE LAST NUMBERS THAT I HAVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 23.
SO WHAT SURPRISES ME IS THAT WE'RE SEEING A DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR.
IT'S THE SMALL DECLINE, BUT IN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE IS INFLATION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW, I'M SURPRISED THAT THAT NUMBER WOULD GO DOWN.
UH, I'M NOT ASKING YOU, UH, ANY REASONS WHY, BUT DOES ANYBODY HERE HAVE ANY RE ANY UN UNDERSTANDING WHY THE, UH, UH, WHY THE HOT COLLECTIONS WOULD GO DOWN YEAR OVER YEAR, COMMISSIONERS? I MEAN, I'M SOMEWHAT SURPRISED TO YOU.
I MEAN, THIS IS BASICALLY THE AHA IS, IS JUST COLLECTED ON HOTEL ROOMS, CORRECT? IT'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE IN LIKE A MEAL IN A HOTEL.
IT'S JUST, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S A INTERESTING, INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT.
I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MORE NEW HOTELS OPEN.
I MEAN, MAYBE IT JUST REPRESENTS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF COMPETITION ON HOTEL PRICES, BUT ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SEEN LIKE, INCREDIBLY HIGH HOTEL PRICES LIKE THIS LAST MONTH WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE UT GAMES AND OTHER EVENTS, SO YEAH, I'M SURPRISED.
I, I WOULD'VE THOUGHT, HAVE THOUGHT IT'D BE HIGHER THIS YEAR.
YEAH, I, I WOULD'VE GUESS I WOULD'VE, I WOULD'VE EXPECTED LIKE A 10% INCREASE, YOU KNOW, SOME FOR INFLATION AND SOME FOR JUST ORGANIC GROWTH.
SO, UM, CLEARLY WE ONLY GET CRUMBS OF THIS HOT FUND.
UH, WHOEVER GETS THE LION'S SHARE, LIKE THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, COULD WE FIND OUT FROM THEM WHY THIS NUMBER IS SMALLER? I THINK, YEAH, I MEAN, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE, I MEAN THE, THE TOURISM DATA, IF THERE IS ANY KIND OF TOURISM DATA, WHICH I'M SURE EXISTS IS, IS WHAT WOULD BE INDICATIVE RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER LEVINS, THANK YOU, ERICA.
GOOD EVENING, COMM BLE TO YOU RIGHT AFTER DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, REMEMBER, THIS IS A LAG.
THE AMOUNT COLLECTED IS HIGHER THAN THE APPROVED BUDGET.
SO WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT,
[00:15:01]
BUT EVEN THE CONVENTION CENTER DOESN'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO SAY WHO CAME, WHY THEY DIDN'T COME.YOU KNOW, IT'S PEOPLE, THEY DO AN ESTIMATE TO GIVE US THE NUMBER.
AND AGAIN, WE CAME IN HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL APPROVED BUDGET.
EVEN THOUGH OVERALL IT'S A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE.
I MEAN, THEY ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO TELL YOU ONE FOR ONE, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW, UM, HOW MANY ARE COMING.
THEY HAVE A PROJECTION, BUT IT'S UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING.
THAT'S JUST, WELL, I THINK MISS ANOVIA, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THERE'S GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTION, UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN THE MONTHS, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN, AND WE'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT.
BUT HERE WE'VE GOT A YEAR AND A WHOLE YEAR THIS SHOULD BE APPLES TO APPLES.
AND EVEN IF THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF LAG HERE OR THERE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A 10% INCREASE.
LIKE WE WOULD EXPECT THIS, I, UH, I'M JUST, I'M SURPRISED TO SEE THIS.
BUT REMEMBER FROM BUDGET TO ACTUAL, IT IS HIGHER OVERALL.
IT COULD, IT IS A SLIGHT DECREASE, A SLIGHT, AND THE FUNDS ARE BUDGETED ACCORDING TO THE STATE STATUTE.
SO EVERYONE IS GETTING THEIR ALLOCATION ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCES THAT COUNCIL HAS APPROVED.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
WE JUST KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT IN AS MANY HOTEL ROOMS, YOU'RE NOT COLLECTING AS MUCH, BUT WHY? IT COULD BE INFLATION.
SOME PEOPLE COULD HAVE STOPPED TRAVELING.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, UH, I WAS THINKING THAT IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF, I MEAN, IF, IF THERE IS ANY TOURISM DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT MIGHT BE INDICAT.
IF IT WENT DOWN, THEN NATURALLY THIS, THIS TOLER AMOUNT GOES DOWN.
IF, IF I QUICKLY MAY, UH, COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR OR? YEAH, JUST A COMMENT.
MAKE A COMMENT BECAUSE I DEAL WITH HOTELS AND TOURISM FOR ALL OF OUR EVENTS, AND IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST DOWN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, REALLY, I CAN PUT IT YEAH, CORRECTLY.
IT'S LIKE YOU CAN'T TELL WHEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA CHOOSE TO COME TO TOWN OR NOT WHEN THEY DECIDE TO GO TO THIS EVENT OR THAT EVENT.
BUT I'VE SEEN A DECREASE OVERALL FOR THIS 20, 24 YEAR.
DON'T KNOW WHY THOUGH,
UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING THE REPORTS EACH MONTH, UM, THAT KIM MCC CARSON PUTS TOGETHER FOR US AND THE EDD WORKS ON.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, CURIOUS TO THINK ABOUT THE PATTERNS AND WHY.
[3. FY24 Austin Live Music Fund briefing by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music and Entertainment Division.]
IS F 5 24 AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND BRIEFING BY ERICA SHAMLEY, DIVISION MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.ERIC IS SHAMLEY MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
UH, SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN UPDATE ON WHAT WAS AND WHAT IS COMING.
SO, JUST FOR THE LATEST STATS FOR THE 2024 AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME BY THE LONG CENTER TODAY OF HOW MANY GRANTS AWARDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED, HOW MANY AGREEMENTS SIGNED, UM, HOW MANY ORIENTATIONS SO FAR IN ORDER TO GET AGREEMENTS SIGNED AND CHECKS CUT, AS WELL AS HOW MANY PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT, WHICH IS 136 TOTAL, 115 FIRST PAYMENTS HAVE GONE OUT OUT OUR 136, UH, TOTAL AWARDEES.
AND WE HAVE STARTED WITH OUR SECOND PAYMENTS ALREADY, 18 SECOND PAYMENTS SO FAR, WHICH MEANS THAT THOSE AWARDEES HAVE ALREADY DONE THEIR PROGRESS REPORT THAT KIM HAS CHECKED OVER TO APPROVE THEIR SECOND PAYMENTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, OUR AGREEMENTS AND WITH OUR PAYMENTS GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE ARE HEARING WONDERFUL FEEDBACK COMING INTO FROM OUR AWARDEES THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITH YOU IN, IN THE NEW YEAR.
UM, SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE SOME GREAT CONTENT ABOUT IT, FRANKLY, AND SO IT'S EXCITING TO SHARE.
AND SO NOW WE WANNA TALK ABOUT 2025 AND PROPOSED 2025, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT TO DATE.
SO THIS IS JUST A STARTER LIST BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR.
NOT ONLY FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, BUT FROM COMMUNITY AND FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH APPLICANTS AND WITH AWARDEES OF HOW WE CAN JUST CONTINUE TO MAKE THE PROGRAM BETTER EACH YEAR.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE A LARGER GRANT BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR FY 25.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING AND WE WANT FEEDBACK AND, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WE'LL BE GATHERING HERE SOON.
UM, SO 300 A DOLL, UH, $300,000
[00:20:01]
FOR 5,000 GRANT, $5,000 GRANTS, UH, TO 60 EMERGING ARTISTS FOR ONE YEAR AGREEMENTS.UM, CONTINUING WITH A $3.5 MILLION AWARD BUDGET FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS, UH, OF $20,000 GRANTS FLAT.
AND THEN CONTINUING WITH 1 MILLION AWARD BUDGET FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES OF $60,000 GRANTS FOR ONE YEAR AGREEMENTS.
AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET.
IT'S ALSO LISTENING TO HOW WE CAN GET FUNDS TO ADDITIONAL AWARDEES, UM, AND MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT.
UM, AND SO YOU, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT NOT ONLY YOU GUYS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, UH, LOOKING AT THE SCORING MATRIX FOR THE PROGRAM, WE ARE GOING TO REMOVE THE ACCESS TO SERVICES QUESTION RELATED TO BANKING, BECAUSE AS WE DID OUR DATA DIVE WITH THE LONG CENTER ON WHAT QUESTIONS WORKED AND WHICH DIDN'T IN TERMS OF LIKE REALLY GETTING US DIVERSE SCORES, THIS WAS A FLAT QUESTION.
UH, IT REALLY DIDN'T GIVE ANYONE EXTRA POINTS OR LESS POINTS.
AND SO IT'S LIKE, IT WASN'T EVEN, UH, WHY ASK IT IF IT'S JUST GONNA BE A FLAT QUESTION.
SO WE'RE GONNA REMOVE THAT AND THINK OF OTHER TYPES OF QUESTIONS AROUND ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT COULD, UH, REPLACE THAT QUESTION OR GIVE MORE POINTS FOR THE QUESTIONS THAT WE DID SEE REALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT, SUCH AS ACCESS TO LOANS, ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT PROVIDED US A DIVERSE, UH, A DIVERSE SCORING.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD YOU AND, UM, ARE PROPOSING A NEW SCORING SECTION FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS FOR, UM, MUSICIAN, FOR GROUPS THAT HAVE ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO AUSTIN'S MUSIC, UM, ECOSYSTEM FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE LIKE, IF YOU MEET THAT AND YOU SHOW US THE EVIDENCE, IT'LL BE LIKE AN ADDITIONAL 10 OR 20 POINTS.
WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT EXACTLY WHAT THOSE POINTS WOULD BE BECAUSE WE FIRST WANNA HEAR FROM COMMUNITY AND FROM THE COMMISSION ON WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT NEXT.
AND THEN WE'VE ALREADY TALKED WITH THE LONG CENTER ABOUT THE APPLICATION SETUP AND, UM, ARE GOING TO IMPROVE HOW THE APPLICATION FLOWS TO MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR APPLICANTS NOT TO MISS UPLOADING EVIDENCE THAT COULD GET THEM SCORED POINTS.
SO EVERY QUESTION WILL HAVE MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWERS.
UM, EVERY, ANYTIME THEY SELECT AN ANSWER, IT WILL POP UP THE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN EITHER ADD LINKS OR THE DOCUMENTATION AND A LITTLE SHORT NARRATIVE ABOUT IT.
AND SO IT WON'T LET YOU GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION UNTIL YOU'VE DONE THAT FOR EACH QUESTION THAT YOU'VE SELECTED.
UM, ALSO THOSE NARRATIVE SECTIONS, WE HEARD A LOT THAT PEOPLE STILL WERE KIND OF GETTING CONFUSED BETWEEN OUR PROGRAMS AND OTHER PROGRAMS OF THE NECESSITY OF LIKE LONG NARRATIVES.
THE NARRATIVES ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR THIS GRANT.
IT WAS JUST TO GIVE CONTEXT TO THE EVIDENCE SO THAT THE REVIEWERS COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT AND TO BE ABLE TO COUNT IT FOR POINTS.
SO WE'RE JUST USING SUBMITTABLE IN THE WAY THAT WE CAN SET IT UP IN A WAY TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE LOGICAL AND, AND MAKE IT KIND OF LIKE, UH, FOOLPROOF SO THAT YOU WON'T MISS UPLOADING EVIDENCE IF YOU'VE SELECTED AN ANSWER.
AND LIKE, AND THEN ALSO JUST MAKING SURE APPLICANTS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEND HOURS ON THESE NARRATIVES, IT'S JUST TO PROVIDE CONTEXT TO THE REVIEWERS OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THE LONG CENTER HAS TALKED WITH SUBMITTABLE OF HOW WE CAN MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS RIGHT AWAY.
SO, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, THAT'S THE NEXT BIG PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HEAR FROM FOLKS ABOUT THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT SO FAR.
AND THEN TO FIND OUT WHAT OTHER IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE WAITING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR FEEDBACK, FOR ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, WE WILL BE INSTITUTING A NEW SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE, A PUBLIC INPUT PAGE LIKE WE DID WITH THE FIRST ROUND OF LIVE MUSIC FUND TO GET PEOPLE'S FEEDBACK IN REAL TIME.
AND THE TOOL THAT WE HAVE NOW IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN TOOL THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
UM, SO PEOPLE CAN GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK IN REAL TIME AT ANY TIME ON ANY OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO COLLECT DATA AND GET, UM, PEOPLE'S REACTIONS IN REAL TIME, AND ALSO TO GET THAT, UH, THAT TOOL OUT INTO, IN FRONT OF MORE EYEBALLS IN FRONT OF MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, SO WHAT I'M VERY INTERESTED, IF I WANNA READ PEOPLE'S, UH, IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THAT WAS SOME OF THE BEST STUFF THAT WE READ, UH, BEFORE THE FIRST LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM WAS, UH, PEOPLE JUST WRITING THEIR THOUGHTS DOWN.
UM, AND WE CAME, WE GOT SOME IDEAS FROM THAT THAT WE JUST HADN'T CONSIDERED.
SO VERY EXCITED TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY
[00:25:01]
ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS WHAT ARE SOME CLEVER IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.UM, THAT TOOL WILL BE LAUNCHING IN EARLY JANUARY, 2025.
WE WILL, UH, SHARE IT WITH YOU AT THE JANUARY MUSIC COMMISSION SO THAT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW IT ALL LOOKS AND, UM, AND WE'LL BE OPEN AT THAT TIME FOR PEOPLE TO START PARTICIPATING.
AND SO THIS, WE HAVE TIME STARTING EARLY JANUARY, UM, THROUGH LAUNCH, WHICH WILL BE IN MAY, 2025, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, UH, LAUNCHING KIND OF AT THE SAME TIME TO HELP APPLICANTS KIND OF, UH, IT'S JUST A, A MORE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, UH, APPROACH SO THAT APPLICANTS AREN'T, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY FILLING OUT APPLICATIONS EVERY MONTH.
IT'S ALL AT ONCE, AND IT'S, UM, AND THEY'RE CONNECTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT, UM, THE BURDEN ON THE APPLICANT IS LOWER.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
THIS IS A FANTASTIC, UH, COMMISSIONERS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? UH, COMMISSIONER GOLD.
UH, YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH ERICA.
AND, AND TEAM, UM, THIS, THIS IS EXCITING.
I THINK THESE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD CHANGES THAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING.
UM, AND I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT ELSE PEOPLE COME UP WITH.
ONE, UH, THING THAT CAME UP FOR ME, UH, WAS, UH, IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE SUBMIT THEIR EVIDENCE FOR EACH QUESTION, UM, ON A, A SEPARATE SCREEN AND NOT MOVE ON UNTIL THEY'VE SUBMITTED THAT EVIDENCE, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO SEE A PREVIEW OF ALL OF THE QUESTIONS SO THAT THEY CAN GATHER ALL EVERYTHING THEY NEED AHEAD OF TIME, RATHER THAN ANSWER THE QUESTION, FIND THE EVIDENCE.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DIG AND YOU HAVE TO KIND OF MM-HMM,
UM, AND, UH, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN GET THAT ALL PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME RATHER THAN HAVING TO PIECEMEAL IT AS THEY GO THROUGH 100%.
THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE FOR LIKE, WEEKS BEFORE THE APPLICATION OPENS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN PREPARE THEIR EVIDENCE.
I THINK JUST VERY QUICKLY, UH, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I THINK THE QUESTION ALSO WAS, WILL, WILL THE TOOL ITSELF ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT? TO BE ABLE TO, ONCE YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN THE TOOL TRYING TO FILL IN THE APPLICATION, CAN YOU KIND OF GET A WHOLE PREVIEW OF IT? I I'LL ASK THE LONG CENTER IF YOU CAN KIND OF STILL CLICK THROUGH TO SEE EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT WE CAN PROVIDE A PDF OF THE LONG FORM AND ALSO, LIKE I SAID, PUT THE QUESTIONS ON THE WEBSITE SO THEY CAN SEE IT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING FROM A LEARNING PERSPECTIVE.
SOME PEOPLE NEED TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE SCREEN SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PREPARE, COLLECT THE DATA.
AND, AND SO YEAH, WE WILL TALK TO THE LONG CENTER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A PREVIEW, LIKE THEY COULD PROBABLY CREATE A VIDEO TO PREVIEW THE APPLICATION THAT YOU COULD WATCH SO YOU CAN SEE IT.
AND SO I'M SURE THERE'S LOTS OF OPTIONS WE CAN ENTERTAIN AND I'LL TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE THIS APPROACH.
I LOVE THE DISTINCTIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING AND YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MONEY SORTS OUT I'M SURE WILL BE DISCUSSED A LOT.
BUT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE $20,000 GRANTS MM-HMM.
THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OVER TWO YEAR AGREEMENTS.
WHAT IS THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE? BECAUSE IF IT'S A TWO YEAR AGREEMENT, I WOULD EXPECT THAT HALF OF THE MONEY WOULD GO OUT IN YEAR ONE.
AND THE, IT ALL COMES OUT AT ONCE YOU, IF YOU NEED IT, BECAUSE IT'S ALL COMING OUTTA THE SAME FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SECOND YEAR TO GET THE SECOND TRANCHE.
THAT'S HOW IT IS WITH OUR $30,000 GRANTS.
NOW YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY, IF YOU NEED TO SPEND IT RIGHT AWAY AND YOU GO THROUGH THE REPORTING PROCESS, YOU CAN CLOSE OUT YOUR AGREEMENT WITHIN THREE MONTHS IF YOU NEEDED TO.
AND THAT WILL BE THE SAME FOR THIS OTHER YEAH.
YOU HAVE UP TO TWO YEARS TO FINISH THE ACTIVITIES.
I MEAN, THE, THE REASON I ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WAS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ON A RECORDING PROJECT, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO FINISH IT OFF IN A YEAR'S TIME, SO IT JUST ALLOWS YOU MORE TIME MM-HMM.
SO YOU, IT'S, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU'RE DOING YOUR PROJECT, WHETHER YOU COLLECT IT ALL IN THE FIRST YEAR OR IN TWO YEARS.
UM, ALSO IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, SUM OF MONEY.
SO IF I THINK WITH THE TWO YEAR TIME PERIOD, UH, RECIPIENTS THIS YEAR CANNOT APPLY AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
SO THEY HAVE TO SKIP ONE YEAR IN BETWEEN.
SO THAT WILL HELP US, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTE THE GRANTS BETTER.
WELL, ALONG THOSE LINES, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HUMAN NATURE BEING WHAT IT IS, EVERYBODY WILL WANT TO SEE THE MONEY ALL UPFRONT AT ONCE.
BUT WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR OUR INTEREST
[00:30:01]
IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING ARTISTS TO BREAK THAT OUT OVER TWO YEARS? BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES THAT MEAN A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT, BUT THAT MEANS THAT THIS ARTIST WILL ACTUALLY COMMIT TO STAYING AND WORKING IN AUSTIN FOR BOTH OF THOSE TWO YEARS.WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO HINDER WHAT PEOPLE NEED IN ORDER TO DO WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THE FUNDS, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE ON ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THEIR CAREER.
YOU'LL HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE EMERGING AND TRUST ME, TONS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH GREG ALREADY AROUND THE 20, 24 GRANTS TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IN TERMS, THESE ARE THE THINGS I WANNA DO.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PACE THIS OUT? SO YOU'LL HAVE SOMEONE WHO TOTALLY NEEDS THE TWO YEARS, THEY NEED THE TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDE IN ORDER TO GET TO THE END OF THE AGREEMENT.
THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WELL-ESTABLISHED ARTISTS WHO ARE LIKE, I'M GONNA SPEND THIS ON A TOUR AND IT'S GONNA BE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, I'M GONNA SPEND THIS ON A RECORD AND A VIDEO, AND THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE WANNA HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR WHERE YOU'RE AT, UH, IN YOUR CAREER SO THAT THE FUNDS ARE LIKE INVESTMENT IN YOUR BUSINESS, NOT JUST GRANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE KIND OF MAKING YOU WAIT FOR TWO YEARS WHEN, FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE FOR YOUR CAREER AND YOUR BUSINESS, THAT MAY NOT BE PRACTICAL.
AND SO WE WANNA BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE, JUST AS LONG AS EVERYONE IS PROMOTING THIS TO POTENTIAL TOURISTS AND VISITING, UM, PEOPLE VISITING AUSTIN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
UH, SO WE WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE TO HAVE IT BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, HOW MANY MORE GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE NOW, THIS NEXT GRANT CYCLE WITH THE NUMBER CHANGES? DO WE, DO WE KNOW THAT NUMBER? UM, DO YOU MEAN HOW MANY AWARDEES THERE WOULD BE? YES.
OR, OR ADDITIONAL AWARDEES SINCE THE AMOUNT INVOLVED? YES.
IT WOULD BE 175 $20,000 GRANTS.
IT WOULD BE $65,000 GRANTS AND 17 FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES, $60,000 GRANTS.
SO WHAT'S THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, OF, OF THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR? 136, UH, CURRENT AWARDEES NOW AND THEN 17 VENUES.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE MORE WORK IN TERMS OF, 'CAUSE WE ARE REALLY DOING KIND OF A VERY PERSONAL ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR OUR GRANTEES, WHICH WAS THE INTENT AROUND THE $30,000 TO REALLY WORK WITH THEM OVER TIME, UH, WITH THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, UH, TRAINING.
UH, SO THIS WILL BE MORE, IT WILL BE, UM, BY A LOT.
AND SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING ON SUBCONTRACTORS, WHOEVER WE NEED TO SUPPORT GREG, TO PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF TRAINING AND WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
BECAUSE HOPEFULLY THE, UH, THE OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, WILL BE, WILL BE SIGNIFICANT OF SUPPORTING MORE OF OUR MUSICIANS, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, PRODUCE GREAT QUALITY WORK IN AUSTIN.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WHO IS ALL ON THE LIVE MUSIC WORKING GROUP NOW? DO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO'S ALL ON THAT GROUP.
I'LL JUST QUICKLY SPEAK TO THAT.
I THINK, UH, WE ARE JUST GONNA TAKE A FORMAL VOTE AGAIN ON THAT, ON CREATING THE WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW IT WAS A DONE DALE, BUT, UH, JUST WE WANNA JUST FOLLOW PROCEDURE AND WE HAVE PUT THAT UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, AND ACTION, POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS THIS TIME.
SO WE'LL JUST REPEAT THAT PROCESS.
AND IT WAS, UH, MYSELF AND IT WAS COMMISSIONER, UH, STRICKLAND, COMMISSIONER, UH, CARVALHO.
AND WAS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONER PRICE, SORRY.
SO WE MIGHT NEED SOMEONE ELSE SINCE COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND'S GONNA STEP DOWN FOR A FEW MEETINGS.
UM, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? WE'LL INQUIRE ABOUT THAT, UH, THROUGH SHELBY OR DIRECTLY WITH COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND BECAUSE HE DID, UH, VOLUNTEER AND I WOULD ASSUME, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HE STILL WANTED TO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND, AND JUST FOR, UH, CLARIFICATION, THERE'S ALSO AN ARTS WORKING GROUP, UM, THAT I'M SHARING ON THE ARTS COMMISSION AND, UH, UH, YOURSELF, COMMISSIONER CASADA AND COMMISSIONER PATTERSON HAD, UH, SIGNED UP TO BE A PART OF THAT AS MUSICIANS AND MUSIC GROUPS CREATIVES ALSO APPLY FOR FUNDS ON THE ARTS SIDE.
SO JUST TO PROVIDE THAT, UH, PERSPECTIVE.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC? COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, VICE CHAIR.
UM, SO ON THE, FOR THE EMERGING ARTISTS GRANTS, IS THERE GONNA BE LIKE, DO, DO WE KNOW YET, OR DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE, WHAT MIGHT DEFINE AN EMERGING ARTIST THAT'S, WE WERE JUST ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY.
AND I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS HAVE
[00:35:01]
THE PERSON WHO IS APPLYING DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES IF THEY'RE EMERGING AND THEY JUST GO THROUGH THAT TRACK.AND IT'S MORE LIKE, IT'LL PROBABLY BE A SEPARATE MORE SIMPLE APPLICATION.
UM, AND 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA REALLY POLICE THAT TOO MUCH.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE STILL EMERGING, HOW DO WE, I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO CALCULATE THAT.
AND, BUT FOR THE SCORED POINTS FOR ACTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AUSTIN MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR 10 YEARS, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE DOUBLING DOWN ON SHOW US YOUR EVIDENCE.
BECAUSE FOR THE EMERGING ARTISTS, I WOULD STILL SUGGEST THAT THERE BE A MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT CAN'T BE SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER PLAYED BEFORE.
WE WERE TALKING AROUND THE TWO TO THREE YEAR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TWO TO THREE YEARS.
I MEAN, WE'LL STILL, THAT'S PART OF THE DEFINITION, SO THAT DOESN'T GO AWAY THE TWO YEAR.
BUT I THINK THAT'S GREAT TO SPLIT UP THE CATEGORIES THAT WAY.
I THINK THAT'S A, IT'S A GOOD SOLUTION TO THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP THIS YEAR.
I THINK, UH, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, THANK YOU ERICA.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THANKS TO YOU AND, UH, THE DEPARTMENT FOR, UH, STARTING TO ALREADY KIND OF PUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, IDEAS IN PLACE, UH, AS YOU ARE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, AS WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND NOT WAITING ON ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UH, TO START PUTTING THESE IDEAS OUT BECAUSE ALL THESE IDEAS ARE BEING ACTIVELY, YOU KNOW, IN SOME FORM OR THE OTHER, OR BEING DISCUSSED.
SO IT'S, IT IS JUST FANTASTIC.
UM, I LOVE THE, THE SPLIT BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING KIND OF AN EMERGING ARTIST FUND VERSUS, UH, YOU KNOW, A MORE SUBSTANTIVE FUND, BOTH AS SUBSTANTIVE IN EACH CATEGORY, UH, BUT DOING THE 20 K, REDUCING IT FROM THE 30 K, UM, I THINK IT'LL, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO CAN EXPEND THE 20 K VERY EASILY, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME EMERGING BANDS.
MAYBE IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TO START WITH.
AND 5K IS A VERY SUBSTANTIVE, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNT TO DO A PROJECT WITH.
UM, ALSO, UH, THE BIG CHANGE IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE, THE 10 PLUS YEARS.
UM, AND HOW, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAD COME UP REPEATEDLY IS, UH, HOW ARE WE DISTINGUISHING IN ANY WAY BETWEEN, UH, SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST STARTING OUT OR HAS MAYBE PLAYED FOR TWO YEARS AND THEN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO'S, YOU KNOW, FILLING THEATERS OR, YOU KNOW, UH, BRINGING TOURISTS IN, UH, HAS HAS BEEN IN THE SCENE PLAYING FOR, UH, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME, AND HOW ARE WE DIFFERENTIATING? AND I THINK WHATEVER WE BUILT, THE CRITERIA WE BUILD WITH THAT, THE, THE 10 YEAR, UH, CATEGORY, I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT REALLY ADDRESS THAT, THAT SITUATION AND, UH, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME DISTINCTION.
UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, IN FROM EARLIER CONVERSATIONS, AND I'M JUST, UH, JUST PARAPHRASING THE WHOLE THING AGAIN, IS, IS EARLIER CONVERSATIONS, UM, THERE WERE CONCERNS AROUND, OKAY, IF WE RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEBODY HAS PLAYED A FESTIVAL OR HAS GOTTEN AN AWARD, YOU KNOW, ARE WE KIND OF REINFORCING SOME OF THE GATEKEEPING THAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING, UH, IN THE INDUSTRY ALREADY? RIGHT? SO THAT WAS THE CONCERN, ONE OF THE CONCERNS AT LEAST AROUND NOT WANTING TO BUILD IN CRITERIA SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, FESTIVALS OR PRESS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, SO I THINK SOMEWHERE, BUT IF WE STRIKE THIS BALANCE, UH, WITH THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY WHERE MAYBE WE DO RECOGNIZE SOME OF, UH, THOSE AS CRITERIA AND MAYBE ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO BALANCE IT OUT IF NEEDED.
BUT REALLY, I THINK THIS IS THE CRITERIA THAT MIGHT MAKE THAT SUBSTANTIVE DIFFERENCE AROUND, UH, THE CONCERNS THAT CAME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW, HOW ARE, HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE ACTUALLY, UH, DOING THE WORKDAY AND THEY, THEY'RE JUST VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SO THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, FOR, UH, THE CHANGES IN THE WORKING GROUP.
WE WILL CONTINUE BUILDING ON, MAYBE WE CAN EVEN COME BACK AND RECOMMEND SOME OF THE, THE CRITERIA AROUND, UH, AROUND THAT, THAT CATEGORY ESPECIALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER PRICE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, I THINK IT WAS BACK WHEN WE, WE, WE MET OVER AT THE, UH, I WANNA SAY THE LIBRARY, BUT WHEN YOU, YOU SHOWED THE, THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE BEING BUILT AND THERE WAS ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THAT WAS JUST SUPER IMPRESSIVE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE MANAGED TO GET THERE, UM, WITH THIS SUBMISSION PROCESS.
NOW, IS THERE ANY WAY, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE ARTIST ONE-ON-ONE FOR THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
HOW IS THAT BEING TRACKED AND IS THERE ANY WAY TO, HAS, IS IT ALREADY BEING DONE WHERE WE'RE CONSOLIDATING THIS CONTENT AND THERE'S LANDING SPOTS FOR THE ARTISTS THAT ARE RECEIVING THE GRANT? SOME THAT ARE FORTHCOMING WITH THIS IS A TOUR YOU CAN GO CHECK OUT? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL ARE THE GATEKEEPERS OF?
[00:40:01]
UH, WE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.WHAT GREG IS DOING RIGHT NOW IS JUST LIKE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE COLLECTING MATERIALS FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND CHECK OUT, THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE DISCUSSING ALONG WITH OUR SUBCONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY DOING THOSE THINGS VERY WELL.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO KIND OF WORK, YOU KNOW, UH, SPREAD, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS COMMUNITY OUT, UH, BEYOND JUST GREG OF WHAT HE CAN DO, UH, AND COLLECT THOSE MATERIALS AND PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES THROUGH SUBCONTRACTORS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS WORK.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR THE CITY TO KIND OF KEEP IT UPDATED, YOU KNOW, ON OUR WEBSITE FOR BEST PRACTICES GOING FORWARD WHEN WE COULD BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE A FINGER ON THE PULSE AT ALL TIMES, UH, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WORKING THIS YEAR THAT DIDN'T WORK LAST YEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW FAST IT'S GOING RIGHT NOW, AS YOU, WE ALL KNOW, UH, IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO, YES, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE F YOU KNOW, OF THE 2025 PROGRAM OF MAKING THAT MORE ACCESSIBLE.
UM, BUT WITH THE SMALLER GROUP THAT WE COHORT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT'S WHERE GREG IS REALLY DOING THE ONE-ON-ONE WORK, UM, AND PRO AND THEN PROVIDING MATERIALS TO THEM BASED ON THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS? UM, COMMISSIONER GOLD.
HEY, I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN.
UM, ALSO TO SUGGEST THAT, UM, YOU GUYS CONSIDER UNDER THE SMALLER CATEGORY, UM, THE EMERGING ARTISTS CATEGORY, MAYBE IF YOU EXPANDED THE NOMENCLATURE OF THAT CATEGORY, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME ARTISTS WHO ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, BUT HAVE A PARTICULAR PROJECT IN MIND, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR THE SMALLER AMOUNT JUST BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
I ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH, UM, A FELLOW MUSICIAN WHO WAS LIKE, YEAH, I, I DIDN'T NEED 30 GRAND FOR MY PROJECT.
I REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, NEEDED A, A COUPLE THOUSAND TO FINISH MY RECORD.
YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL TO BE ABLE TO OFFER, IF YOU'RE GONNA LET ARTISTS SELF-SELECT IN THAT CATEGORY TO, UM, ALSO JUST NOT NECESSARILY LIMIT LIMIT TO PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS EMERGING ARTISTS.
EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY, I'M, I HOPE I'M, I HOPE I'M EMERGING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST EXPAND THAT TO POTENTIALLY ESTABLISHED ARTISTS THAT MAYBE JUST HAVE A SPECIFIC SMALLER PROJECT THAT THEY NEED SOME, UH, SOME, UH, EXTRA FINANCES.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE THINKING, THAT WE WERE REALLY JUST GONNA STICK WITH THE DEFINITION AND THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO POLICE WHAT IS EMERGING, BECAUSE THAT COULD CHANGE.
YOU COULD TAKE ON A NEW INSTRUMENT AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE EMERGING AGAIN OR YOU'RE DOING A NEW STYLE OF MUSIC, I THINK.
BUT I THINK LIKE, MAYBE SAYING EMERGING ARTISTS AND YEAH.
BECAUSE IF YOU JUST SIT, CALL IT EMERGING ARTISTS, RIGHT? AND I THINK A LOT OF MORE ESTABLISHED PEOPLE ARE GONNA THINK, WELL, THAT'S NOT FOR ME.
UM, SO I THINK, AND, AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN IN SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SOME MISCOMMUNICATIONS JUST PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY, UH, YOU JUST, EVERYBODY INTERPRETS THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
SO I THINK IF YOU'RE JUST, UH, AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR LANGUAGE AROUND, UH, NOT JUST THE DEFINITION OF IT, BUT ALSO THE, THE WAY YOU NAME THAT TIER OF THE GRANT, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
WELL, I THINK MORE PEOPLE THINK, OH, OH, THIS APPLIES TO ME AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN PLAYING IN TOWN FOR 25 YEARS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? RIGHT.
WE'LL WORKSHOP THAT IN TERMS OF THE DESCRIPTION WILL BE, THIS IS INTENDED FOR EMERGING ARTISTS AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, AND COME UP WITH A TITLE THAT WHERE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT HAVING YOU READ THAT.
SO THE, IN TERMS OF EMERGING AR, UM, ARTISTS AND IT BEING ALL AGES, THE APPLICANT AT LEAST ONE OF THE APPLICANTS HAS TO BE OVER THE AGE OF 18.
THE, THERE'S ONLY A LEAD APPLICANT, STILL, THERE'S ONLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE THE LEADER OF THE BAND OR THE BANDS, THEY HAVE TO BE 18.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OR THE LONG CENTER CAN'T CONTRACT WITH ANYONE UNDER 18.
I THINK, UM, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO SET EXPECTATIONS AGAIN, UM, LET'S BE REMINDED THAT THERE WERE OVER A THOUSAND APPLICATIONS MM-HMM.
SO I THINK THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF GRANTS DEFINITELY HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING.
[00:45:01]
GONNA BE A, IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH, SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO WILL APPLY AND WILL NOT MAKE THE GRANT.SO I THINK THE, THE, THE IDEA THAT I SEE HERE IS, IS THAT YES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE WORKED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GRANTS.
UM, WE DIFFERENTIATED THE GRANT CATEGORIES, UH, THE IDEA OF, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO APPLY IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
UH, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ESSENTIALLY BASICALLY TRYING TO BROADEN THE POOL OF RECIPIENTS, UM, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THESE GRANTS JUST MORE BROADLY AVAILABLE AS POSSIBLE.
THAT CAN BE THE, THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THAT ONE HAS TO MEET ANYWAY AND, AND MAYBE HAVE A DIFFERENT THRESHOLD THE MOMENT WE WILL HAVE TO JUMP TO THE 20 K.
SO I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT COMMISSIONER GOUL WAS SAYING.
UH, BUT I THINK MAKING THE, THE, JUST THE ENTRY CRITERIA, UH, JUST PRETTY RIGID OR MAYBE EVEN, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HIGHER GRANTS, UH, YEAH, MAYBE SHOULD, AND YOU HAVEN'T BE THIS MINIMUM THAT WE HAVE TO TODAY, MAYBE THAT QUALIFIES FOR THE 5K, BUT FOR THE 20 K, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE MORE, MORE NUMBER OF YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE WANNA BE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THOUGH, THAT IF YOU DECIDE TO APPLY FOR THE $5,000 GRANT, YOU CAN'T ALSO APPLY FOR THE $20,000 GRANT.
AND SO THAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF, YOU, YOU AS AN EMERGING ARTIST, OR LIKE LAUREN WAS SAYING, THAT IF THERE IS A PARTICULAR PROJECT, UM, AND SO, AND IT'LL BE MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE.
UH, WE WOULD PREFER, I WOULD PREFER, AND THIS IS FOR YOU GUYS TO OPINE ON AS YOU CHOOSE, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE COMPETITIVE AND HARDER FROM A, YOU KNOW, REVIEWER PERSPECTIVE.
TO SEE, OKAY, THEY SCORED HIGH ENOUGH, WHICH ONE DO WE GIVE THEM? YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED FOR PEOPLE TO DECIDE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS BEFORE WE MOVE ON,
AND, UH, THANKS COMMISSIONERS FOR, UH, YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR IDEAS HERE.
[4. Presentation on Musical Bridges Around the World, a nonprofit performing arts organization in San Antonio, by Suhail Arastu, Institutional Advancement, Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW).]
TO DISCUSSION ITEMS, PRESENTATION ON MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD, A NONPROFIT PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATION IN SAN ANTONIO BY SOHEIL LATU INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD.UH, THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH, UH, BY COMMISSIONER CASADA.
UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SET SOME CONTEXT? AND, UH, WE THEN, UH, YIELD TO, UH, UH, MS. VARTO HERE, HOPEFULLY I'M SAYING YOUR LAST NAME, CORRECT? YEAH.
YES, I AM SO, UM, SAD THAT I'M NOT THERE IN PERSON.
I'VE BEEN SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, BUT Y'ALL REALLY DO NOT WANT ME THERE IN PERSON.
UM, THERE'S SOMETHING'S GOING AROUND RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND JULIA, UH, RA, UM, UH, SHARED WITH ME, UH, THIS, UM, INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION THAT SHE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH IN THE PAST.
UM, JULIA WORKS WITH AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, UM, AND I'LL, I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME DESCRIBING THE PROJECT.
I'LL LET THE, THE SPEAKER, UM, DESCRIBE THE PROJECT, BUT I, BUT MY, MY HOPE WAS THAT, UM, THIS KIND OF, UM, TOUCHES UPON THE ALL AGES ISSUES THAT WE WERE EXAMINING IN AUSTIN AND ALSO TO KIND OF, UM, FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO COMMISSION, UM, AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN THERE.
AND, UM, YEAH, I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION AND, YOU KNOW, ASKING QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CASADA, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS SOHA LA RUSH THROUGH.
I SERVE ON THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMISSION.
I'VE BEEN SO FOR A BETTER PART OF EIGHT YEARS NOW.
BUT MY DAY JOB IS WORKING FOR A PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY CALLED MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD, WHERE OUR NONPROFIT FOUNDED IN 1998 BY A CLASSICALLY TRAINED PIANIST FROM THE SOVIET UNION WHO CAME TO SAN ANTONIO AND WAS HAVING HOUSE CONCERTS, WAS DISCOVERED BY THE THEN RECTOR OF SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL, AND ASKED TO SHARE MUSIC OF HER FRIENDS THAT WERE COMING FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA AT THE TIME.
IN THIS BEAUTIFUL HALLOWED SPACE, WHICH IS THE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING CATHOLIC SANCTUARY IN THE UNITED STATES, SITS ON OUR MAIN PLAZA IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THERE BEGAN THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY.
WE ARE NOW IN OUR 27TH SEASON AND HAVE GROWN ORGANICALLY
[00:50:01]
THROUGH DIFFERENT ARMS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, USING ARTS AS A TOOL TO TEACH CORE EDUCATION AND ALLOW CHILDREN IN ESPECIALLY TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, TO GRASP THOSE CONCEPTS USING THE ARTS AS A VEHICLE FOR EDUCATION.WE HAVE PROGRAMMING IN OUR SENIOR AND RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES GIVING ACCESS TO THOSE THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO OUR CONCERTS.
AS WELL AS WE HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, WE KNOW A, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE GET COMES FROM THIS 24 HOUR NEWS CYCLE THAT WE SOMETIMES GET SUCKED INTO THAT HAS A TENDENCY TO FOCUS ON CONFLICT OR VIOLENCE AND NEGATIVITY.
SO WE AT MUSICAL BRIDGES AIM TO SHOWCASE THOSE SAME REGIONS AND CULTURES THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE ARTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD AN ISRAELI PALESTINIAN PIANO DUO PLAY TOGETHER.
WE'VE HAD A UKRAINIAN SOPRANO WITH THE ST.
PETERSBURG STRING QUARTET FROM RUSSIA, A SYRIAN CLARINETTIST WITH AN ARMENIAN VISUAL ARTIST, SORT OF UNLIKELY PAIRINGS THAT WHEN PEOPLE SET FOOT IN THE CONCERT HALL, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IN FACT, IT'S THIS COMMON LANGUAGE OF MUSIC THAT TRANSCENDS SOCIOECONOMIC OR POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS GENDER DIVIDES THAT WE SO OFTEN PERCEIVE IN THE NEWS THAT THEY'RE IN FACT, VERY CONSTRUCTED AND ARTIFICIAL IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR COMMON HUMANITY IS.
SO THAT IS OUR OVERALL MISSION, IS TO CELEBRATE OUR SHARED HUMANITY THROUGH THE ARTS.
AS A LIVE PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY, WE HAD BEEN DOING WHAT WE DO FOR THE BETTER PART OF A QUARTER CENTURY.
AND THEN AS EVERYONE WAS AFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC THINGS, IN TERMS OF LIVE PERFORMANCE GROUND TO A HALT, WE'VE GOT A REALLY NIMBLE STAFF AT MUSICAL BRIDGES.
WE'RE SMALL AND MIGHTY TEAM OF EIGHT THAT PRODUCES UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED EVENTS PER YEAR IN OUR NINE ARMS OF PROGRAMMING.
SO WE WENT VIRTUAL AND WE MAINTAINED OUR ARTIST CONTRACTS WITH OUR ARTISTS THAT COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY'RE AWARD-WINNING GRAMMY TCHAIKOVSKY, VAN CLYBURN ARTISTS.
WE COMMISSION ORIGINAL WORKS, AND WE BELIEVE THAT GREAT ART SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
SO ALL OF OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMMING IN SAN ANTONIO, THE GREATER CITY AND BEXAR COUNTY, IS TOTALLY FREE.
IT'S FREE TO THE SCHOOLS, IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC, IT'S FREE TO THE SENIORS.
AND EVERY ASPECT OF THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT LOWERS THAT BARRIER TO ACCESS.
SAN ANTONIO, RELATIVE TO OUR CAPITAL, IS A VERY SOCIOECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY.
YOU'VE GOT ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE, WE HAVE 23 IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THE CHALLENGES ARE VERY REAL IN THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, AND WE TRIED TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH THE ARTS.
WHEN WE TOOK OUR PROGRAMMING ONLINE, WE DEVELOPED A FOLLOWING GLOBALLY, BUT, UH, WE WERE PROGRAMMING STILL WITH THE SCHOOLS.
TEACHERS WERE HAVING A CHALLENGE ON HOW TO KEEP THE KIDS ENGAGED ON THEIR SCREENS.
AND IT, IT WAS A REAL CHALLENGE.
AND SO THEY, AS WE TOOK THESE MODULES THAT WE DEVELOPED MODULES ON JAPAN, ON INDIA AND SPAIN, AND TAKING KIDS ON A JOURNEY, WE HAVE A MCNAY ART MUSEUM, WHICH HAS SEVERAL PICASSOS IN THE COLLECTION.
THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WALKED KIDS TO THE MUSEUM, AND THEY GOT TO LEARN ABOUT GEOMETRY THROUGH THE WORK OF PICASSO.
WE HAVE OUR WORLD HERITAGE UNESCO MISSIONS.
THEY LEARNED ABOUT ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING ON SITE.
BY GOING THROUGH THESE, THEY DID A FGE KILL PAELLA AND LEARNED ON HOW TO MAKE A PA WITH A, A CELLIST, A SPANIARD THAT LIVES IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS WAS A HOME PROJECT, SO REALLY INTEGRATIVE, HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND WE WERE DOING THIS THROUGH THE SPRING OF 2020 AND THE SUMMER WE ASKED FOR FEEDBACK, AND THE SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS SAID, THE PROGRAMS ARE GREAT.
WE LOVE WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT THIS, DURING THIS TIME, THERE'S MORE NEGATIVE NEWS COMING.
AND WE HAVE THIS BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? WE KNOW THAT YOUR MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD, BUT AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC IN ITS HISTORY IS VERY RICH IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND HOW DO WE MAYBE USE THAT TO SHOWCASE SORT OF THE POSITIVE SIDE OF, OF THIS, OF THIS CULTURE? AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED INTO THE CANON AND, UH, NATIONAL ARCHIVES SMITHSONIAN, AND WE HAVE SUCH GREAT, RICH RESOURCES IN OUR COUNTRY.
BUT WHAT WE COULDN'T FIND IS A WAY TO TELL THE STORY OF THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC IN A WAY THAT WAS REALLY RELATABLE FOR KIDS.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID, I WATCHED ROOTS.
LAVAR BURTON WAS A, A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THIS HISTORY, THIS AMERICAN HISTORY, AND IT STUCK WITH ME EVER, EVER SINCE.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE DID RESEARCH IS THAT THERE ARE GREAT DOCUMENTARIES ON CERTAIN GENRES AND ASPECTS FROM JAZZ TO HIP HOP, AND CERTAIN ARTISTS CERTAINLY THAT EXIST IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND BEYOND.
SO HOW DO WE USE THIS AS A TEACHING MOMENT AND NOT HAVING THE EXPERTISE WITHIN OUR RANKS AT MUSICAL BRIDGES? SO WITH A RUSSIAN FOUNDER WHO'S JEWISH, WITH AN INDIAN MUSLIM WHO'S WORKING IN ADVANCEMENT AND STAFF, THAT'S HISPANIC.
AND UH, WHAT WE DID IS WE SOUGHT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
SO WE HAVE GREAT INSTITUTIONS, THE CARVER COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO, ON THE EAST SIDE TO A HISTORIC THEATER.
WE'VE GOT THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF AFRICAN
[00:55:01]
AMERICAN ART AND THE ARCHIVES SE CAM THAT EXIST IN OUR CITY.AND SO WE SOUGHT OUT A WRITER, AND WE FOUND CYNTHIA FREEMAN GIBBS, AND SHE WRITES CHILDREN'S BOOKS, BUT SHE HADN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
AND SO THROUGH HER RESEARCH AND THROUGH HER WRITING, WE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED A SCRIPT, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE ORIGINALLY FICTION, BUT THEN WE LEARNED ABOUT LICENSING CHALLENGES, AND IT BECAME A DOCUMENTARY.
SO WHAT TAKES PLACE IS THIS AUNT WHO IS TAKING HER DAUGHTER TO A, AN AUDITION AT THE CARVER.
AND THE DAUGHTER, THE, THE AUNT, THE NIECE, SORRY, IS REALLY INTERESTED IN HIP HOP, AND SHE'S INTERESTED IN RAP, BUT, UH, NOT SO MUCH IN WHERE IT COMES FROM.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE WAITING IN THIS SPACE, THE AUNT SAYS, WELL, WHAT YOU LIKE IS REALLY GREAT.
AND IT'S INTERESTING AND IT'S RELEVANT, BUT IT COMES FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
AND, UH, THE DAUGHTER'S NOT REALLY INTERESTED.
SO THE, THE AUNT, SORRY, THE NIECE, SHE TAKES HER ON THIS JOURNEY ALL THE WAY FROM SLAVE SONG TO NEGRO SPIRITUALS UP THROUGH THE MUSIC OF THE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND HARLEM RENAISSANCE THROUGH JAZZ, BLUES AND HIP HOP.
AND THROUGH THIS JOURNEY, HER NIECE SORT OF UNCOVERS LIKE THE LAYERS OF AN ONION AND THIS HISTORY, THIS VERY RICH HISTORY THAT INFORMS HER CURRENT DAY INTERESTS.
AND SO WHAT WE BROUGHT FOR YOU TODAY IS A KIND OF A SHORT TRAILER TO GIVE YOU A, TO SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO I'LL ASK IF, UH, SHELBY CAN KINDLY PLAY THAT TRAILER.
NOW, LAUREN, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC IS LIKE A QUILT.
A QUILT THAT GOES ON A BED, A QUILT THAT IS A WORK OF ART.
THEY CONTAIN LAYERS WITH PIECES OF MATERIAL STITCHED TOGETHER SOME QUILTS, COMBINE STORIES AND CULTURE FROM OUR RICH HISTORY IN THIS COUNTRY AND SEW IT ALL INTO ONE SINGLE QUILT.
BUT WHAT DO QUILTS HAVE TO DO WITH MUSIC? MUSIC DOES THE SAME THING.
WE ARE GOING TO COVER THE FOLLOWING MUSIC GENRES, THE MUSIC DURING THE TIME OF SLAVERY, NEGRO SPIRITUALS, THE BLUES RAG, TIME JAZZ, THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE GOSPEL, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, SOUL, AND R AND B AND HIP HOP.
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE FUN SEEING HOW EACH GENRE IS CONNECTED TO THE OTHERS, JUST LIKE A QUILT.
SO THIS IS THE PROGRAM TRAILER.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IN MAKING THIS, THIS WAS ALL DONE COMPLETELY IN-HOUSE USING SOUTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS.
ONE COMING FROM DALLAS AS WELL, BUT THE MUSICIANS REPRESENTING THESE GENRES AND THE SCORE OF THE FILM BY DR.
AARON PRADO, SAN ANTONIO ARTISTS ARE ALL DONE INTERNALLY.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN SHARING THIS WORK, NOT WITH JUST THE SCHOOLS, BUT THERE'S BEEN INTEREST FROM EVEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT ON USING THIS AS A TOOL.
I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY, MUSICIANS FROM GENRES LIKE JAZZ WENT ON TOUR GLOBALLY, AND THAT WAS KIND OF OUR SOFT POWER TOOL BACK IN THE DAY.
AND SO IN THE SAME WAY, THERE'S BEEN INTEREST, THIS, THE FILM HAS GONE AROUND THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT, IT'S BEEN SCREENED.
AND IF WE CAN PULL UP ACTUALLY THE LANDING PAGE FOR THE QUILT, WE CAN GIVE YOU A SAMPLING.
THIS IS THE QUILT PAGE AND IT SHOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
AND WE WILL GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THIS IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK MORE ON THE SITE.
BUT IF WE SCROLL DOWN A BIT, YOU'LL SEE THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED, THAT'S A TRAILER.
WE JUST SAW SOME OF THE CAST, WHICH AGAIN, SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS PREDOMINANTLY.
AND THEN IF WE SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, RECOGNIZE THE FESTIVAL SELECTIONS AND AWARDS.
IT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND IN ITS FULL FORM.
IT'S SCREENED, IT'S BEING SCREENED AT OUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OF THE TOBIN COMING UP IN THE NEW YEAR.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE TEACHERS, THEY CAN TAKE THIS AND BREAK IT DOWN INTO SEGMENTS WHEN THEY COVER THEM IN THE CURRICULUM.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY POWERFUL TOOL.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH EVEN GROWING UP HERE LEARNED BY WATCHING THIS FILM AND ITS CREDIT GOES TO MY COLLEAGUE JULIA, WHO SPENT NIGHT AND DAY ON THIS FILM.
WE FILMED IT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, DURING THE PANDEMIC IN TWO DAYS.
THE POST-PRODUCTION TOOK THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DO LIVE MUSIC, BUT WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT LICENSING IN THE CHALLENGE.
AND THERE'S SOME INCREDIBLE IMAGERY IN HISTORY THAT WENT INTO THIS WORK, WHICH IS, UM, EVIDENT IN TERMS OF THE RECOGNITION THAT IT'S RECEIVED.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO SHARE.
WE ARE MUSICAL BRIDGES AROUND THE WORLD.
WE INVITE YOU TO COME DOWN AND CHECK OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT WE ALSO INVITE YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE QUILT.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE IS ACTUALLY AN INQUIRY AND A SUBMISSION FORM THAT IF YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATORS,
[01:00:01]
TEACHERS, COMMUNITY ART CENTERS HERE, UM, ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED, YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS PAGE AND ACTUALLY REQUEST A SCREENING.AND WE WILL MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE, UM, REALLY, YOU'VE GOT AN ASSET HERE.
JULIA HAS MAKE AUSTIN HER HOME NOW.
SO WE'VE LOST HER IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT YOU'VE GAINED A HUGE ASSET HERE AT AUSTIN FILM.
SO, UM, YOU CAN CALL ON HER IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY WITH THE SCREENING.
AND WE CAN EVEN BRING SOME OF THE MUSICIANS UP TOO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO SHARE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR ABOUT US, AND THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER CELESTE FOR INVITING US AND ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, UH, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME IN, UH, PRESENT THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CASAD AS WELL FOR BRINGING IT TO THE COMMISSION.
UH, IT'S KIND OF FASCINATING TO SEE HOW, UH, THE PROJECT HAS KIND OF HAS FOUND THIS EXPANDED, UH, YOU KNOW, USE THIS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER? YEAH, IT'S SUCH A NICE PROJECT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND TELL US ABOUT IT.
AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE ARE SO MUCH SOMETIMES IN OUR OWN BUBBLE HERE IN AUSTIN IN TERMS OF ARTS AND MUSIC AND, AND COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, YEAH, REALLY NICE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
WE ALSO HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION.
WE HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
SO AS I MENTIONED, NINE ARMS OF PROGRAMMING.
BUT I WAS JUST TELLING JULIA BEFORE THIS, WE'VE TAKEN ON A, WHEN WE MOVED FROM JUST LIVE PERFORMANCES TO VIRTUAL DURING THE PANDEMIC AND CONTINUED BEING VIRTUAL POST PANDEMIC, WHAT WE FOUND IS A GLOBAL FOLLOWING.
AND ONE OF OUR VIDEOS THAT WE JUST POSTED ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL JUST WENT VIRAL DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY WEEKEND, AND THIS MORNING WE CLOCKED AT HALF A MILLION VIEWERS.
SO THE IMPACT THAT WE MAKE IN OUR SMALL TOWN OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR HISTORIC CATHEDRAL IS NOW GLOBAL.
AND SO THESE PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT'S THE QUILT, WHETHER IT'S OUR CONCERTS, WE KIND OF THINK OUR, OF OURSELVES AS SORT OF A, A GATEWAY DRUG TO MUSIC.
IT'S, THE FOUNDERS I MENTIONED IS CLASSICALLY TRAINED, BUT THERE WAS NOT REALLY AN APPETITE FOR THAT.
YOU MAY FOLLOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR, OUR ORCHESTRA, AND IT'S JUST, YOU'VE GOTTA BE NOVEL IN HOW YOU APPROACH IT.
SO NOT EVERYBODY HAS THIS INTEREST OR THIS TRAINING OR PROCLIVITY, BUT WHAT THEY DO TRUST IS THE MUSICAL BRIDGES BRAND.
THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT WHEN THEY SET FOOT IN THE CONCERT AT NO COST, THEY KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PROGRAM THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
BUT WE BRANCH FROM CLASSICAL TO WORLD MUSIC TO JAZZ TO FOLK AND AND CROSSOVER IN BETWEEN.
AND THAT MAKES IT INTERESTING.
AND PEOPLE BECOME INTERESTED IN THE ARTISTS.
THEY BECOME INTERESTED IN THE GENRE, THEY BECOME INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND THAT HELPS THEM, WHETHER THEY'RE FOLLOWING ONLINE OR IN PERSON, BRING THEIR FAMILY OR THEIR NEIGHBOR OR THEIR CHILDREN.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WALK INTO THE CATHEDRAL THAT ARE COMING IN OFF THE STREET FROM THE SANDWICH BOARDS AS VISITORS, THEIR DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS.
THEY'RE SOMETIMES PARISHIONERS THAT STAY AFTER MASS HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO SEE THIS AWARD-WINNING, INSPIRING MUSIC.
SO FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO OUR PATRONS TO THOSE WITH VERY LITTLE THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS.
SO I WOULD NOW SAY THAT WE HAVE HALF A MILLION
UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS ONLINE OR DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I JUST THINK IT'S FANTASTIC.
YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, UH, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTS THAT WERE GATHERED.
YOU SAID IT WAS, UH, WHAT, WHAT WAS IT? A FLUTE PLAYER THAT PLAYED ACCOMPANYING A, A, A, WHAT WAS THE DEMOGRAPHIC AGAIN? YEAH, WE HAD KENAN OSME WHO'S A SYRIAN AND CLARINETTIST FROM SYRIAN CLARINET, YOYO MA, SILK ROAD PROJECT, AND KOR RAD, WHO'S ARMENIAN AND WHO DOES OUTREACH FOR THAT TO, TO GET TO THESE OTHER COUNTRIES TO BRING THEM.
WE, THE FOUNDER AND THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AS WELL AS THE ARTISTIC COORDINATOR ARE BOTH CLASSICALLY TRAINED AND PERFORMED GLOBALLY, BUT THEY, THROUGH THEIR INITIAL CONTEXT, WE'VE BRANCHED OUT.
AND NOW WITH THE POWER OF YOUTUBE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE ANYONE.
BUT WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE NETWORK OVER A QUARTER CENTURY THAT'S DEVELOPED.
AND WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SAN ANTONIO FOR MUSICAL BRIDGES, WE'RE NOT JUST A PRESENTING ORGANIZATION THAT'S BRINGING SOMEBODY IN FOR A NIGHT AND THEN THEY MOVE ON TO TOUR THE NEXT DAY BECAUSE THE WORK IS SO UNIQUE.
UH, SOMETIMES AN HOUR LONG CONCERT, IT'S COMMISSIONED WORKS ARE INCLUDED.
[01:05:01]
ARE USED TO PLAYING AS A QUARTET AND WE ADD A SINGER.SO THINGS LIKE THAT THAT MAKE IT VERY UNIQUE.
AND SO THEY OFTEN SHARE THE MESSAGE WHEN THEY GO BACK.
PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN HEARD OF SAN ANTONIO, MAYBE THE SPURS, THE ALAMO RIVERWALK, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GLOBAL AUDIENCE.
BUT IN OUR VERY KIND OF SMALL NICHE COMMUNITY, THE WORD HAS GOTTEN OUT.
AND WHEN PEOPLE GET INVITED, THEY KNOW THEY'LL BE STAYING FOR THE BETTER PART OF A WEEK PERFORMING IN SCHOOLS FOR SENIORS MEMBER CONCERTS, COMMUNITY, AND THEY GET A REAL FEEL FOR THE CITY AND THEY LIKE IT.
SO WHEN THEY SHARE THAT MESSAGE, IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR US TO GET ARTISTS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A MASSIVE VENUE CHARGING HIGH TICKETS, BUT WE'RE BRINGING THAT CALIBER OF ARTISTS LEVEL IN SO OUR ACCESS BECOMES EASIER AND THAT NETWORK CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO IT'S BOTH THROUGH THE POWER OF OUR NETWORK, LEVERAGING WHAT OTHER ARTISTS KNOW AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHO THEY THINK WOULD FILL WELL, FIT WELL WITH OUR PROGRAMMING, OUR ARTISTS, UH, DIRECTORS, CONTACTS, AS WELL AS PLATFORMS LIKE YOUTUBE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER CA.
UM, I'M JUST SO MOVED AND SO UTTERLY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOUR STAFF.
UM, I KNOW HOW FABULOUS JULIA IS AND I'M SO GLAD SHE'S MAKING AUSTIN HER HOME NOW.
BUT, UM, WE WILL DEF PLEASE CONSIDER US, UM, AN ALLY AND ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, OR CERTAINLY MYSELF FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN A MUSIC COMMISSIONER, UM, THERE'VE BEEN SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO US LOOKING FOR CURRICULUM OR OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITHIN SCHOOLS, UM, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, INSIDE SCHOOLS AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOLS.
SO, UH, WE CAN DEFINITELY SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN.
BUT I'M EXTREMELY IMPRESSED AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE, THE TRIP, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, UP I 35 TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TOPIC? AND UH, WELCOME TO AUSTIN
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS
[5. Discussion on city support for community / grass-roots organizations.]
DISCUSSION ON CITY SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION.THIS IS, UM, STEMMING FROM, UM, UH, THE DISCUSSION AROUND SUNDAY SESSIONS THAT WE WERE HAVING EARLIER.
UH, AND I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, YOU'VE TAKEN POINT ON THIS.
I ALSO HAVE HAD SOME FOLLOW UPS HERE.
YEAH, I DID, I DID FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, STAFF AND ONE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES.
I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK, SO I'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE INTENT WAS WITH THE, I THINK THE, THE BLUES ON THE GREEN RESOLUTION THAT ALSO WAS INTENDED TO, UM, SUPPORT SMALLER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN UTILIZING PARK SPACES FOR MUSICAL EVENTS.
SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE PLAN WAS THERE, IF THERE'S NOT, OR, OR WHAT THE INTENTION WAS.
AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSION MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE PUT IMPLEMENTED.
BUT AT THIS TIME I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY INFO FROM COUNSELOR STAFF ON THAT.
UM, AND THANKS FOR, UH, KEEPING UP ON THAT.
UM, MOVING ON DISCUSSION AND, UH, JUST QUICKLY, UH, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THE TOPIC BEFORE I MOVE ON? OKAY.
[6. Form working group to discuss and share recommendations on Austin Live Music Fund Program.]
POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE, UH, THE ACTION ITEM TO FORM THE WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS AND SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS ON AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND PROGRAM.UH, IF ANYBODY COULD PLEASE MOTION TO FORM THE WORKING GROUP.
MOTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR PATTERSON? YES.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PRICE.
UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION NEEDED, UH, BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? RIGHT.
THE MOTION IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER PRICE, UH, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER CARVALHO.
I'M ALWAYS MISSING SOME ONE PERSON.
GREAT COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, UH, IN THE WORKING GROUP.
WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND AND SEE IF HE'S STILL GOING TO BE PARTICIPATING OR NOT.
UM, AND, UM, WE CAN HAVE UP TO FIVE COMMISSIONERS ANYWAY, BUT, UH, REGARDLESS, I'LL, I'LL KEEP THE COMMISSION INFORMED AND
[01:10:01]
WE'LL SEE WHERE WE WANT TO GO FROM THERE.UM, AGAIN, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, SORRY I DID NOT ASK THIS BEFORE, ERICA, IS, UH, WHAT IS A GOOD TIMEFRAME FOR US TO COME BACK WITH, UM, ANY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR TAKE A VOTE AT THIS COMMISSION TOO FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU TO BE, OR FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THE FEEDBACK INTO THE NEXT ROLLOUT? UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, HONESTLY, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GET YOU THE THOUGHTS THAT WE HAD SO FAR TODAY SO THAT YOU COULD START USING THAT IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
IS THAT DOABLE? ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF.
UM, PROBABLY WE'LL HAVE ONE MEETING IN DECEMBER AND, UH, TRY TO HAVE SOME MORE, UH, MEETINGS IN, UH, IN JANUARY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT IS IF WE WANT TO INVITE ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS OVER OR, OR JUST GET, GET THAT ENGAGEMENT INDIVIDUALLY ON OUR SITES, BUT BRING THAT, UH, INTO, INTO THE WORKING GROUP.
WE, WE COULD, WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS IN THAT FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER.
WELL, AND REAL QUICK, AND ALSO THE PUBLIC INPUT TOOL THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT USED TO BE CALLED SPEAK UP AUSTIN, IT'S NOW PUBLIC INPUT.
UM, WE'LL HAVE THAT UP AND RUNNING FOR YOU BY THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY TO USE IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY TO HELP YOU WITH GATHERING THAT FEEDBACK.
BECAUSE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE GET FROM THE REWORKING GROUP, WE WANT TO HOPE, WE HOPE THAT COMMUNITY HAS GIVEN THEIR INPUT TO YOU GUYS AND TO US FOR YOU TO SEE SO THAT WE DON'T THEN HAVE TO GO ASK THE COMMUNITY IN FEBRUARY, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? 'CAUSE THEN THAT WILL ADD MORE TIME SO THAT 'CAUSE WE'LL NEED TO BUILD EVERYTHING OUT IN TIME FOR A MAY LAUNCH.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK, UM, I THINK OUR ROLE HERE IS TO REPRESENT THOSE ASPIRATIONS AND TO ADVISE COUNCIL.
SO WE WILL DO, DO OUR DILIGENCE AND I THINK THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE SURVEY, THE RESULT THROUGH THE EXCELLENT, THROUGH THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND ALSO FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN MM-HMM,
UM, I THINK ALL OF THAT INCORPORATED IS WHERE WE WILL MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM.
SO I THINK THEY WILL BE HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIVE ENOUGH TO MAKE, HAVE AN IMPACT, WHICH I THINK THE CHANGES THAT, UH, THAT WE SAW TODAY ARE ALREADY ON THAT PATH.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? GOOD TO GO? ALRIGHT, FUTURE AGENDA
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. UM, IN JANUARY, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL GET A DATE CONFIRMATION FROM, UH, UH, SHELBY.UM, LET'S, UH, LET'S KEEP THE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE ONE OR NOT, BUT, UH, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, AND THEN UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS, WE'LL HAVE LIVE MUSIC FUND COLLECTIONS UPDATE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A 5 24 AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND BRIEFING.
UM, UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, WE'LL KEEP DISCUSSION ON CITY SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS.
WE'LL ADD AN UPDATE FROM, UH, AT LEAST AN INTERIM UPDATE FROM THE, UH, LIVE MUSIC FUND WORKING GROUP.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, WE MIGHT ALSO HAVE, UH, PAT
UH, SO WE'LL KEEP THAT ON THERE AND WE'LL CHECK IN WITH HIM IF, UH, IF THEY WILL BE COMING IN IN, UH, JANUARY.
ANYTHING ELSE IN THE DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR JANUARY AT THIS POINT? OKAY.
AND ANYTHING UNDER DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS FOR JANUARY.
SO IF, UH, ANYTHING ELSE NEEDS TO BE ADDED, UH, IF COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY IDEAS, WE CAN ALWAYS PROPOSE IT LATER WITH ONE SECOND, WE CAN GET IT ADDED TO THE AGENDA.
UH, KEEP IN MIND PLEASE, THE, UH, THE NEW KIND OF TIMELINE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH, WE'VE SHIFTED LEFT ON EVERYTHING.
UH, WE START BUILDING THE AGENDA WITHIN THE WEEK, UH, AND ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, FEEDBACK KIND OF BY THE MIDDLE OR THE THIRD WEEK.
UH, BUT I THINK A WHOLE WEEK BEFORE WE, THE AGENDA IS ACTUALLY GETTING FINALIZED, UH, AND READY TO POST.
UM, ANYHOW, SO WITH ALL THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, COULD WE JUST TAKE, UH, COULD SOMEBODY MOTION TO APPROVE NAVAL? YOU CAN MOTION TO APPROVE AND THEN SOMEBODY CAN SECOND RIGHT AFTER.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ARE APPROVED.
ALL RIGHT, THIS A SECOND FROM ME.