[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION IN, UH, APRIL TO ORDER.[MUSICAL PERFORMANCE]
PERFORMANCE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM, UH, REX COMMISSIONER DAVILA, UH, RECES, AND, UH, THE BROWN EXPRESS.I I GOTTA GIVE A CALL TO, UM, COMMISSIONER ILLA.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, SUCH A WONDERFUL, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT TOOK ME BACK HOME.
THAT TOTALLY TAKES ME BACK HOME.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? YES.
[Additional Item]
THANK YOU,I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INVITE, UH, COMMISSIONER SILVA, UM, FROM, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL'S OFFICE.
UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO
[00:05:01]
INTRODUCE YOURSELF? UH, I DON'T THINK I'LL SAY MUCH, UM, BUT I WILL JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF REAL QUICKLY.I'M JUST SOMEBODY WHO LOVES, I LOVES LIVE MUSIC, UM, AND WOULD JUST WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP SUPPORT MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS, ONLY BECAUSE I'M IN COMPLETE AWE OF PEOPLE WHO GET ON STAGE AND, AND PERFORM.
VERY, VERY GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE ALONG, UH, WE WILL HAVE TAKEN TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON OTHER COMMISSIONS AND STUFF, BUT, UM, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND RAMP UP OF SOME ON SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT ANYTIME TO REALLY ANY ONE OF US.
I WOULD OFFER EVERYONE UP
UM, COME ON IN APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
IF EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MEETING MINUTES FROM, UH, LAST MONTH FROM MARCH.
UH, IF SOMEBODY COULD PLEASE MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER PRICE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER AGUILAR.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO TABLE THIS FOR, UH, THE NEXT MEETING IF WE DON'T HAVE, UH, AT LEAST SIX VOTES.
SO WE COULD, SHELBY, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WE JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT? UH, THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION.
UH, WE HAVE FOUR VOTES, SO WE WILL HAVE TO TABLE THIS ITEM.
YEAH, SO WE WILL, WE'LL DO THE APPROVAL FOR THE MARCH AND APRIL MEETING MINUTES IN, UH, IN THE NEXT MEETING.
LET ME MAKE A NOTE OF THAT PENDING FOR ME.
[2. Live Music Fund collections briefing by Kim McCarson, Program Manager, Music & Entertainment Division, Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment. ]
BRIEFINGS.WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC, FUN COLLECTIONS, BRIEFING BY KIM MCC, CARSON PROGRAM MANAGER, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A DIFF IT'S THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATION WITH A PURPLE COVER AND IT SAYS HOT COLLECTIONS.
ERICA SHAMLEY, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
I HOPE YOU'RE ALL DOING WELL TONIGHT.
KIM IS ON VACATION IN EUROPE RIGHT NOW, HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME.
AND SO SHE WISHES SHE COULD BE HERE, NOT, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, SO I HOPE SHE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE COLLECTIONS THAT WE'VE DONE AND THESE TWO SLIDES, WE'LL SHOW YOU FOR JANUARY AND FOURTH FEBRUARY, UH, COLLECTIONS TO DATE AND, AND HOW IT COMPARES TO LAST YEAR.
SO THIS FIRST SLIDE IS JANUARY, 2025 WITH ENCUMBRANCES.
AND SO YOU SEE IT GOES UP TO 809,445 AND WHERE WE ARE IN COMPARISON TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.
UM, AND SO THIS IS THE FEBRUARY, 2025, UH, COLLECTION SO FAR.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY ON PAR WITH WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR WITH AN ADDITIONAL 306,000, 6 0 7 COLLECTED.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIONS, WE HAVE NO GUARANTEE OF WHEN THEY ROLL IN.
IT'S WHEN THE HOTELS, UH, SEND THEM TO THE CITY.
AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE PRETTY ON, YOU KNOW, TAP WITH WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME LOWERED COLLECTIONS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF COLLECTIVELY OVER THE MONTHS, BUT SO FAR IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY MINIMAL.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
[3. Austin Live Music Fund briefing by Erica Shamaly, Division Manager, Music and Entertainment Division, Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment]
AS WELL.AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND BRIEFING BY IKA SHAMLEY.
OKAY, EVERYBODY AGAIN, ERICA SHAMLEY, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, THE LATEST STATS, LIKE WE DO EVERY, UH, MONTH ON.
AND ACTUALLY THERE EVEN ARE SOME MORE UPDATED NUMBERS THAT WERE JUST SENT TO ME, BUT, UM, I'LL JUST SHARE THAT WITH YOU THE NEXT TIME.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE ONE AGREEMENT LEFT TO BE SIGNED OUT OF THE 136 TOTAL GRANT AGREEMENTS.
UM, SAME THING WITH, UH, TWO MORE GRANT ORIENT, UH, AGREEMENT ORIENTATIONS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, ANOTHER FOUR OF THE FINANCIAL, UH, INFORMATION FORMS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AS WELL.
[00:10:01]
THEN FIRST PAYMENTS THOUGH HAVE BEEN MADE TO THOSE 132 THAT DID GET IN THEIR FINANCIAL INFORMATION FORMS. UH, 57 SECOND PAYMENTS SO FAR OUT OF 1 36 AND 13, FULLY PAID AND COMPLETED AWARDS OUT OF, UH, 1 36.AND I KNOW THESE NUMBERS HAVE IMPROVED, YOU KNOW, HAVE SLIGHTLY SHIFTED IN THE LAST WEEK.
AND I, AGAIN, I WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AT THE MAY MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, WAIT, ACTUALLY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND SO, THE APP, UH, APPLICATION SCHEDULE.
SO CANDACE COOPER'S HERE, SHE IS ACME'S NEW CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
AND, UH, SHE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY HELLO, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU DO IT,
AND THEN WE COULD, AND MAYBE JUST GIVE A QUICK LITTLE OVERVIEW AROUND THOSE TWO BULLETS, UM, OR MORE INFORMATION TO COME, SO, SURE.
GOOD EVENING MUSIC COMMISSION.
AND, UM, AS MENTIONED, I AM THE ACTUAL INTERIM CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR, UH, ACME THAT IS ARTS, CULTURAL MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR OFFICE IS STILL FAIRLY NEW AND I AM ALSO NEW TO THIS SPACE, AND SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT, UM, WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU, HOPING TO BUILD A PARTNERSHIP.
AND IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUR OFFICE, WE ARE WORKING ON A ROBUST, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR SPECIFICALLY OUR OFFICE.
BUT AS PART OF THAT PLAN, WE ARE LOOKING BACK THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED SO FAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS, IS WE ALWAYS GO OUT AND WE ASK QUESTIONS, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY COME BACK AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU ALL SAID, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS, IN THE VERY BEGINNING STAGES OF COLLECTING WHAT'S BEEN SAID IN PROBABLY THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT LEGACY DOCUMENTS, AND THEN FROM THERE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH A, WITH A PLAN OF ACTION IN TERMS OF THE, THE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN AS A CITY TO ADDRESS THOSE, THE INPUT THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED.
AND THEN WITH THAT, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH ALL THE DIVISIONS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, ACME WAS CREATED BY BRINGING IN FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND MULTIPLE DIVISIONS FROM THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE'VE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF INTERNALLY MEETING WITH ALL THOSE DIVISIONS, IDENTIFYING WHO OUR STAKEHOLDERS ARE, AND WORKING WITH OUR CORPORATE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE TO CREATE AN OVERARCHING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROCESS.
SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF THE CULTURAL ARTS AND FUNDING PROGRAMS. WE WILL, THAT PLAN WILL INCLUDE INPUT FROM THAT, BUT ALSO IT WILL INCLUDE, UM, AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT.
AND SO WE WILL BE WORKING, UH, VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR CULTURAL ARTS AND FUNDING TEAMS TO CREATE AN INTERNAL ASSESSMENT AS WELL.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER.
AND, UH, FOR HER AND DIRECTOR MEANS LEADERSHIP AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING WITH ALL OF YOU TO MAKE OUR GUIDELINES BETTER AND RE AND REFLECTIVE OF WHAT EVERYBODY REALLY WANTS TO SEE.
AND, UH, IN FACT, UH, WE WILL BE PROVIDING YOU GUYS AN UPDATE, UH, BASED ON WHAT YOU TELL US TODAY.
UM, YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE PREVIOUS MEETING IN OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR BACK FROM YOU TODAY.
AND THEN OUR GOAL IS TO GET BACK TO YOU IN MAY WITH SOME MORE, PRETTY MUCH FINAL GUIDELINES FOR THIS YEAR'S AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO PLEASE, AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE THIS SURVEY QUESTION OPEN AT OUR WEBSITE, SO YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS LINK, THE CULTURAL ARTS AND MUSIC FUNDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.
IT WILL REMAIN OPEN THROUGH JULY.
AND IT'S JUST A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
UM, WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE THAT YOU HAVEN'T SHARED WITH US ALREADY? YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE, UH, GO FILL OUT YOUR THOUGHTS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE ASSESSMENT THAT IS COMING FORWARD IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, ERICA.
UM, WELCOME, UH, CANDACE TO THE TEAM.
UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU, UM, UH, WORKING IN A CME ACME, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
PLEASE, UH, LEVERAGE, UH, UH, THIS COMMISSION, UM, AS YOU NEED TO, UM, AS YOU DIG INTO HISTORY, AS YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE EVOLVED, UH, AND, UH, WE CAN DEFINITELY, UH, PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE ON THE SAME.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU ERICA FOR, UM, UH, FOR, FOR, UH, GIVING THIS UPDATE.
NO, AND I WAS JUST GONNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE MET, UM, AT THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND AGAIN, WE'RE, OUR GOAL AGAIN,
[00:15:01]
AND I JUST WANNA BE VERY, VERY CLEAR, IS TO PARTNER WITH ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONS, BUT VER IN TERMS OF THE INVENTORY THAT WE'RE DOING OF PUBLIC INPUT, UM, WE WANT TO HEAR NOT ONLY FROM THIS COMMISSION, BUT FROM OUR, OUR PUBLIC.AND, UM, IN ORDER FOR THIS OFFICE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE BEING ADVOCATES FOR MUSIC.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S KIND OF OUR GOAL FROM A LEADERSHIP STANDPOINT.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU CAN JOIN US.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, UM, UH, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO LIKE A 360 FEEDBACK, UM, THAT I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UH, LOOKING AT THE HISTORY, WHAT, WHAT WAS SAID, WHAT'S BEING SAID RIGHT NOW WITHIN THIS COMMISSION, UH, WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, DIRECT WAYS OF ENGAGING AS WELL.
LIKE A LOT OF US HERE DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY TOO.
SO YES, WE ARE KIND OF FILTERING THAT AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PRESENTING, UM, TO YOU ALL.
SO, UM, I, I JUST LOVE THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING TO BROADEN THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND KIND OF MAKING IT MORE 360.
QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS? I BEFORE
AND I WILL JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, IF YOU GO TO THE AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND WEBPAGE THERE AND YOU SCROLL DOWN, YOU CAN SEE OUR MASTER TIMELINE OF HOW WE GOT HERE STARTING IN 2019 WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED TO CREATE THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
AND IT HAS LOTS OF LINKS TO MUSIC COMMISSION MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S BURIED NOW IN A ONE WEBPAGE REPRESENTING AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE ACME LEADERSHIP ON, UM, KIND OF REPURPOSING THIS INFORMATION, GETTING IT TO YOU, REENGAGING EVERYONE AND FINDING NEW PEOPLE THAT YET HAVEN'T YET ENGAGED WITH US.
UH, 'CAUSE THINGS CHANGE, UH, REALITY CHANGES OUR HISTORY, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING DOES.
SO WE NEED TO BE REACTIVE TO THAT AND ALWAYS BE WILLING TO PIVOT AND EVOLVE ALONG WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO
[4. Make Music Day Alliance following presentation by Matt Fox, Chapter Advisor, Make Music Day Alliance Inc.]
DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THIS, UH, AGENDA IS MAKE MUSIC DAY ALLIANCE FOLLOWING PRESENT, UH, DISCUSSION ON MAKE MUSIC DAY ALLIANCE.FOLLOWING PRESENTATION BY MATT FOX, CHAPTER ADVISOR, MAKE MUSIC DAY ALLIANCE, INC.
HOW'S IT GOING? UH, THANKS FOR LETTING ME COME AND SPEAK TODAY, AND THANKS TO SHELBY FOR TUNING ME INTO THIS.
UM, I SPOKE LAST MONTH JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A VERY, VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW ON THIS CONCEPT AND JUST WANT TO KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT, UH, HOPEFULLY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, I'M MATT FOX, I'M THE CHAPTER ADVISOR FOR MAKE MUSIC ALLIANCE.
SO THIS IS FUNNILY A PRESENTATION I DO VIA ZOOM MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT I LIVE HERE, SO I WAS LIKE, WHY DON'T I JUST DO THIS IN PERSON ONCE? SO, UH,
SO I'M GONNA GONNA GO OVER AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE CONCEPT OF MAKE MUSIC DAY IS, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY CELEBRATE IT IN JUNE, AND THEN WHAT THAT HAS LOOKED LIKE IN TEXAS OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, AND WHAT I'M HOPING WE CAN MAYBE PRODUCE HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, I MENTIONED THIS I THINK THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, BUT THIS CONCEPT STARTED 40 YEARS AGO IN, IN FRANCE CALLED FE, THE LA MUSIC.
AND THE WHOLE IDEA WAS ON JUNE 21ST, WHICH IS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR, EVERYBODY IN A COMMUNITY GOING OUT AND MAKING MUSIC REGARDLESS OF THEIR LOCATION, AGE, BACKGROUND, OR EVEN MUSICAL ABILITY.
SO IMAGINE ALMOST A HALLOWEEN FOR CONCERTS THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO, WHETHER OR NOT YOU'VE EVER PLAYED AN INSTRUMENT, JUST GOING OUT AND CELEBRATING YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, YOUR COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC MAKING.
SO IN FRANCE, FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, IT'S A NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
PEOPLE GET THE DAY OFF WORK, UP TO 60% OF THE POPULATION GETS INVOLVED.
IT'S LIKE AN ABSOLUTE KIND OF BEAUTIFUL, JUST LIKE MULTIDISCIPLINARY, UH, PARTY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT EXPECTING A FEDERAL HOLIDAY FOR MUSIC MAKING HERE IN THE STATES, UH,
UM, IT HAS GROWN A LOT, UH, ACROSS THE WORLD OVER THE PAST 40 OR SO YEARS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE, THERE'S KIND OF A MAP OF DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT HAVE PRODUCED IT, HOW THEY PRODUCE IT, UM, LET Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE SLIDES LATER.
BUT, UM, IT'S GROWN A LOT, UH, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE STATES.
UH, I WORK ALONGSIDE ABOUT 175 COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE PRODUCING THIS EVENT RANGING FROM YOUR HOUSTON, NEW YORK, CHICAGO'S, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 200 PERSON VILLAGES IN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'S A VERY SCALABLE CONCEPT THAT REALLY WORKS IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLACES.
SO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE IN THE STATES, IT VARIES COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, BUT HERE IN THE STATES IT'S REALLY SHOWN ITSELF TO BECOME THIS VERY TWOFOLD THING IN COMMUNITIES.
SO FIRST OFF, EVERYONE HERE STILL DOES IT ON JUNE 21ST EVERY YEAR, WHICH FALLS ON A SATURDAY THIS YEAR.
UM, ON ONE SIDE, IN A COMMUNITY,
[00:20:01]
YOU HAVE PEOPLE JUST BUSTING ALL OVER THE PLACE.THIS IDEA THAT ANYONE CAN BE A PERFORMER ANYWHERE CAN BE A HOSTING LOCATION.
SO YOU'RE NOT JUST DOING YOUR TRADITIONAL VENUES, YOUR NORMAL SIDEWALKS, YOU'RE REALLY OPENING UP THE FLOOR FOR ANYBODY TO HOST MUSIC IN ANYONE TO PLAY AT PLACES.
UH, SO WHETHER IT'S SAY, YOU KNOW, SHOE STORE, A SYNAGOGUE, A PARK, KINDA ANYTHING GOES AND ANYBODY CAN PLAY IN THESE SPACES.
THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, WHICH YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF, UM, ON SOME OF THESE IMAGES ARE, I JUST SAW THE FULLERTON IMAGE.
UM, THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF ARE WHAT WE CALL OUR PLAY ALONGS, OUR JAMAL ALONGS.
AND THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY GROUP GATHERINGS OF CATCHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, GETTING THEM TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE MUSIC, GETTING THEM TO MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER, REALLY BREAKING DOWN THOSE WALLS OF WHAT BEING A MUSICIAN IS AND TRYING TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU ARE, THAT MUSIC MAKING IS SOMETHING FOR YOU.
SO THAT'S JUST A MAP OF ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT I WORK WITH, UH, HERE IN THE STATES.
YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT TEXAS HAS HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF GROWTH IN THE PAST YEAR, UM, AND THERE'S A SLIDE LATER ON THAT'LL SHOW ALL THE TEXAS GROUPS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT UNIQUE IS WITH ALL THESE EVENTS HAPPENING IN A COMMUNITY, PEOPLE PLAYING EVERYWHERE, JAMS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
IT'S NOT A SINGLE ORGANIZER THAT IS ORGANIZING ALL THESE EVENTS.
IT IS ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY PRODUCING SOMETHING.
SO WHETHER IT'S A FAMILY ON THEIR PORCH, PUTTING ON A JAM, LOCAL UNIVERSITY, PUTTING ON 12 HOURS OF MUSIC, IT VARIES PLACE TO PLACE JUST WITH THAT SPIRIT OF FREE ACCESS TO MUSIC HAPPENING ON A DAY TO WHATEVER DEGREE PEOPLE SEE FIT.
UM, SO ACTUALLY FAST FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THEN I'LL JUMP PRETTY QUICK.
THIS IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF REBOUNDED FROM COVID.
SO IN TEXAS, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GROW IT A LOT HERE.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 24, I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY LIKE 26 SINCE THIS SLIDE WAS MADE.
BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE AND THE MUSIC FRIENDLIES PROGRAM TO ENGAGE WITH THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE RUNNING THE MUSIC FRIENDLIES IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS.
'CAUSE THAT IS OFTEN THE ORGANIZATION OR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR A GRASSROOTS THING LIKE THIS TO TAKE PLACE IN A COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR AT THE NATIONAL LEVELS, WE ARE A RESOURCE BASE THAT FEEDS DIFFERENT RESOURCES TO WHOEVER IS TAKING ON THIS CONCEPT IN AN AREA.
SO THAT RANGES FROM HUNDREDS OF FREE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WEB SERVICES, PR EFFORTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT ORGANIZATION OR GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS IN A CITY CAN KIND OF PLAY THAT CAT HERDER OF SORTS OR, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF LOOSE PERSON WHO'S PUTTING UP THAT CALL TO SAY, WHO IN TOWN IS DOING THIS? HOW CAN WE GET THEM TO DO THINGS? AND THEN WRANGLING THAT INFO TOGETHER AND PRESENTING IT AS A UNIFIED CONCEPT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IT'S TAKEN OFF REALLY WELL HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, I MEAN, IN EACH OF THESE, THE GROUP THAT'S TAKING IT ON IS DIFFERENT IN PLACES.
SOMETIMES IT'S CITY GOVERNMENT, SOMETIMES IT'S A NONPROFIT, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC BATCH OF DIFFERENT ARTS INDIVIDUALS.
BUT REALLY THE GOAL OF THIS CONVERSATION TODAY WAS JUST TO RAISE THIS TO Y'ALL.
THE MUSIC COMMISSION OF COURSE.
'CAUSE YOU'RE VERY TAPPED INTO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M IN THESE MEETINGS, I'M TYPICALLY SAYING I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT FIT OF WHAT GROUP OR ORGANIZATION IN AN AREA MIGHT ALREADY BE DOING DIFFERENT GRASSROOTS ACTIVATIONS, ENGAGING VARIOUS POCKETS OF A COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THIS EVENT'S UNIQUE IN THAT IT'S ENGAGING BOTH THE MUSIC AND THE NON-MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS IS TARGETING THE MUSICIANS AND THE NON-MUSICIANS IN TOWN ALL TO GET INVOLVED USING MUSIC AS A MEDIUM TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO ONE ANOTHER.
UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THAT KIND OF FAMILY OUTREACH ANGLE OF GETTING CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INSTRUMENTS TO THEN GIVE AWAY TO THEM, UH, GETTING, YOU KNOW, THAT PARENT WHO'S HAD ONE MUSIC LESSON AND KNOWS ONE SONG, A CHANCE FOR THEM TO HAVE A STAGE ON A DAY TO PLAY, BUT ALSO AT THE, AT THE SAME TIME SHOWING OFF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY THAT'S ALREADY HERE.
SO, LITTLE BIT OF AN AMORPHOUS ASK, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT JUST BE MAYBE IF SOME OF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED MAYBE MEETING LATER TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FOLKS IN THE AREA THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT.
BUT YEAH, ESSENTIALLY JUST SEEING WHO IN AUSTIN.
'CAUSE AUSTIN'S A FUNNY ONE 'CAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A MAKE MUSIC DAY HERE IN THE PAST A COUPLE TIMES, UH, BEFORE I JOINED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
BUT, UM, IT HAS REALLY KIND OF GROWN QUICKLY IN THE PAST TWO YEARS OF THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
AND AUSTIN IS RIGHT NOW ONE OF THE BIG, ONE OF THE BIG CITIES THAT'S LEFT, UH, THAT I'M HOPING TO GET ON BOARD, ESPECIALLY WITH DALLAS AND HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO ALL DOING, UH, PRETTY HEAVY WORK ON IT AT THIS POINT.
SO, YEAH, I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS IF Y'ALL, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
IT'S A VERY AMORPHOUS, DECENTRALIZED KIND OF CONCEPT OF AN EVENT, BUT YEAH.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CONCEPT? NO, THANK YOU, MAN.
YEAH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I LOVE THIS.
THE ELEVATOR PITCH IS FANTASTIC.
HALLOWEEN FOR CONCERTS, I CALL IT MY 200 FLOOR ELEVATOR PITCH BECAUSE I NEVER THAT'S THAT'S AWESOME.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHAT
[00:25:01]
IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN, IN THROWING THESE EVENTS? THIS MANY PEOPLE, THIS MANY INSTRUMENTS PERMITS? WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU FACING? YEAH.WELL IT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE THE NUANCES OF WHAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING IN DIFFERENT AREAS, IT VARIES PLACE TO PLACE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MENTION PERMITS, UM, SOME COMMUNITIES DON'T EVEN REALLY BOTHER WITH PERMITS FOR PUBLIC SPACES.
WHEREAS YOU GO TO CHICAGO AND IT'S $200 PER PERMIT.
SO A HUGE BARRIER FOR THEM IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH THE PERMITTING OFFICE AND FIND A DEAL TO MAKE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER THAT WE DID THERE WAS THEY DO A WAVING OF THE PERMITS FOR A SINGLE DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE CONCEPT, BUT THAT'S ALSO BECAUSE THE MAYOR GOT REALLY BOUGHT IN.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE PART OF MY JOB IS WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND FIGURING OUT THE NUANCES OF THAT AREA.
UM, I THINK THE BEAUTY OF THIS EVENT IS THE SCALABILITY OF IT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON EVERY STREET CORNER, EVERYBODY'S DOING IT.
THAT'S NEVER HOW THE FIRST YEAR GOES.
IT'S THAT IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY FINDING THOSE CORE PARTNERS WHO WILL DO A GREAT JOB WITH IT, DO RIGHT BY IT, WITH THE MISSION AND THE HEART OF IT INTACT, AND LET THAT BE THE SEED THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SPRINKLES IT OUT TO THE OTHER PLACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE VARIOUS RESOURCES THAT MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER.
ONE THING THAT I'D SAY SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN IS SOMEONE WHO LIVES HERE AND KIND OF DO A LOT OF THIS NATIONALLY.
I'D SAY THE GAME HERE IS THE DIFFERENTIATION TACTIC OF THE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LIKE THE HONK FEST, THE HAM DAY, LIKE THINGS LIKE THIS WHERE IT'S LIKE, WELL BE FREE.
SO I THINK JUST TO SPEAK TO THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS VERSUS THOSE, I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT IS THE PR GAME ALMOST OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO WALK UP TO SOMEONE AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO FREE MUSIC ON A DAY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS? YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE MUSIC EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I THINK THE BEAUTY OF THIS EVENT IS IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY AS FESTIVAL.
IT'S NOT EVEN A SINGLE CONCERT.
IT'S KIND OF A CELEBRATION THAT THE CITY'S CURATING ITSELF IN REAL TIME.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO THESE PARTNERS AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, ON THIS DAY YOU CAN BE INVOLVED FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT, AS SHORT AS YOU WANT TO, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.
SO IN SOME WAYS IT CREATES THIS KIND OF, UM, KIND OF LIKE EQUITABLE VOICE DRIVING WHERE YOU'RE LETTING PEOPLE KIND OF KEEP THEIR OWN AGENCY AS TO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE EVENT.
AND THE BARRIER IS SO LOW TO ENTRY THAT ANYTHING GOES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S JUST A SOLO ACOUSTIC THING HAPPENING OR WHETHER IT'S A FULLY PRODUCED STAGE HAPPENING, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING.
WHICH, OF COURSE, THAT OPEN-ENDEDNESS CAN BECOME INTIMIDATING.
AND PART OF MY JOB IS MEETING WITH THE ORGANIZER VETERINARIAN SAYING, OKAY, WELL HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS A LITTLE MORE CONCRETE? HOW DO WE FIND YOUR PARTNERS TO FIND ANCHOR EVENTS TO THEN SEED IT OUT? AND SO THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT IT AND SEES LOGICAL EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S STRATEGIES TO GO ABOUT THAT.
BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST BARRIERS, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY'S THE ORGANIZER, THE PERMITS AREN'T AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE IF IT AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL LIBRARIES DOING IT AND THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMITTING PERSON.
SO IT DEPENDS UPON WHO'S THE ORGANIZER AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS.
BUT I THINK OFTEN IT IS FIRST THE CITY BUY-IN.
UM, 'CAUSE IF THE CITY'S BOUGHT IN, OFTENTIMES A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PARK SYSTEMS, THE PERMITTING SYSTEMS AND STUFF LIKE THAT BECOME INFINITELY EASIER.
UM, BUT I THINK TOO, IT'S ALSO IN A COMMUNITY THIS LARGE, I THINK THE ISSUE IS ALSO IN A FIRST YEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GROWING SMALL, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO GROW EQUITABLY.
YOU WANNA SHOW REPRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE YOU ALSO DON'T WANNA FALL INTO THE, OH, WE PUT IT ON A FIRST YEAR AND ONLY RED RIVER WAS ACTIVATED.
IS THAT REALLY A COMMUNITY WIDE EVENT? YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY.
SO IT'S, I THINK PART OF IT IS THAT GAME OF FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY PLAN THINGS IN AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S PARTNERSHIPS WITH LIBRARIES, TRANSITS AND PARKS, THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT ACCESS, ABOUT GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.
SO I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO GO ABOUT IT, BUT OFTENTIMES IT'S MYSELF AND I, WE HAVE A TEAM OF ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE THAT MEET WITH WHOEVER THE LEAD IS IN AN AREA, FEED THEM RESOURCES, INSIGHTS.
AND I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS, IF WE DO OUR JOB RIGHT, THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW THAT WE EXIST.
AND WE'RE JUST FEEDING THINGS TO MAKE THAT LOCAL ORGANIZER LOOK GOOD, ESSENTIALLY.
UM, SO MAKE MUSIC AIRLINES IS, THAT'S A NONPROFIT? YES.
WE'RE A 5 0 1 C3, UH, BASED OUTTA BROOKLYN TECHNICALLY, BUT OUR STAFF ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, AND WE'RE, SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ARE IS WE'RE A RESOURCE BASE THAT'S A DUES BASED GROUP THAT PEOPLE PAY INTO TO GET RESOURCES FROM US THAT WE SEED OUT TO THEM.
UM, IT'S NOT REQUIRED FOR THEM TO JOIN US TO DO MAKE MUSIC DAY, BUT JUST SO WE DON'T BURY A LEAD HERE, UM, IT'S THREE 50 A YEAR TO JOIN US.
SO WE MAKE IT INTENTIONALLY INCREDIBLY LOW BY DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, THEY GET UP TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, 500 FREE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WEB SERVICES, LIKE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ESSENTIALLY IF I'M ONE-ON-ONE WITH SOME OF Y'ALL, I CAN LIKE KINDA WALK THROUGH THE ITEMIZED LIST OF WHAT WE OFFER, BUT I WON'T BORE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO IT'S, IT'S RESOURCES AROUND ENGAGING IN MUSIC, LEARNING MUSIC, UM, EXACTLY.
SO THE GOAL IS TO GET EVERYBODY IN A COMMUNITY OUT MAKING MUSIC.
SO I THINK THE OBJECTIVE WITH EACH PERSON VARIES, RIGHT? SO THE PERSON THAT'S NEVER PLAYED MUSIC, THE GOAL IS TO GET THEM TO TOUCH AN INSTRUMENT, ENJOY IT MM-HMM
AND MAYBE THEY GO HOME WITH IT.
UH, THE BAND THAT'S PLAYING, JUST GET THEM A CHANCE TO GO OUT AND PLAY AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE EDUCATIONAL SIDE OF THAT, GETTING INSTRUMENTS TO PEOPLE, CATCHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND GETTING
[00:30:01]
'EM INVOLVED IN MUSIC MAKING.BUT THEN ALSO THAT OTHER SIDE OF GIVING PEOPLE ACCESS TO SPACES TO PLAY.
UM, AND ACTUALLY I USED TO LIVE IN NASHVILLE AND IRAN, THE MAKE MUSIC DAY THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, A BIG THING THAT I DID WAS FINDING PARKS TO GIVE US THEIR BAND SHELLS AND INFRASTRUCTURES.
AND THEN GIVING THOSE BAND SHELLS TO RS WHO HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR THE PARK SYSTEM.
SO WE WERE ALMOST LIKE THE CONVENER OF GETTING TWO GREAT GROUPS TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING INTERESTING AND SEEING WHERE THAT GOES.
BUT I'D SAY, YEAH, THE OBJECTIVE VARIES LOCATION TO LOCATION.
'CAUSE OF COURSE YOU'RE MEETING WITH PEOPLE AND SAYING, YOU'RE A SHOE STORE, WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF THIS DAY? AND THEY'RE GONNA SAY, I WANT TO SELL SOME SHOES, IDEALLY.
UH, SO THE, THEY MIGHT BE HOSTING MUSIC FOR THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF IT, AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CHAMBERS AND THE BIDS GET INTERESTED.
BUT THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU MIGHT BE WORKING WITH THE LOCAL SUMMER CAMP.
SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF CHILDREN AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT WITH THEM, SO THEN MAYBE THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING FREE LESSONS FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
SO I THINK THE DIFFERENCES WHY PEOPLE JOIN IT IS ALWAYS VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, NEEDS.
BUT THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO GET INVOLVED IS SO OPEN-ENDED THAT I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO GET OUT OF IT AS WELL.
JUST, UH, ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION IS WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR ENGAGEMENT? UH, AND I'M SORRY I IF I MISSED THIS MM-HMM
WITH THE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS IN THIS MIX.
UH, SO THE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, SO IT, SO THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT FOLDS THERE.
UM, SO IT'S AN OPEN DOOR REQUEST FOR PEOPLE TO COME PLAY AT THINGS.
SO ANYBODY CAN COME JOIN IN AND GET INVOLVED.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS THAT WE DO FROM OUR LEVEL TO HELP POTENTIALLY BRING IN SOME MORE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE A FM IN COMMUNITIES SPECIFIC TO THE MPTF, IF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT POCKET OF MONEY, IT'S THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TRUST FUND.
AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY, UH, SOME MONEY THAT IS HELD FOR, UH, FOR US.
IT'S UTILIZED FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING PARTICIPATORY EVENTS.
AND WE HAVE A TEAM MEMBER WHO'S HER SOLE JOB IS ENGAGING WITH A FM LOCALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY TO RUN IT THROUGH WHATEVER THAT MAKE MUSIC DAY CHAPTER IS INTO THE POCKETS OF THE LEADERS OF THOSE JAMS. SO I THINK IT VARIES THOUGH.
UM, AGAIN, I RAN THE NASHVILLE MAKE MUSIC DAY FOR YEARS WHEN I LIVED THERE AND WE HAD, UH, 500 MUSICIANS ACROSS 80 VENUES AND GAVE OUT 5,000 INSTRUMENTS.
AND WE HAD REALLY PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS PLAYING FOR FREE BECAUSE IT WAS THIS KIND OF LIKE JOY OF PERFORMANCE DAY KIND OF THING.
AND IT WAS ALSO LETTING PEOPLE PLAY WHO ESSENTIALLY, LIKE PROFESSIONALS PLAYING THINGS THEY DON'T NORMALLY GET TO PLAY.
LIKE I'VE MEMBERS OF JACK WHITE'S BACKING BAND PLAYING TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN MUSIC AT THEIR FAVORITE GUITAR STORE.
'CAUSE NOBODY WOULD BOOK THEM TO PLAY THEIR TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN MUSIC KIND OF THING.
SO IT WAS LIKE, SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS WE'RE FINDING PEOPLE'S NICHES AND INTERESTS AND KIND OF JUST FINDING LIKE, WHAT LEVEL DO YOU WANT TO DO TO CELEBRATE THE COMMUNITY KIND OF OF THING.
SO THERE IS AN ENGAGEMENT ON THAT.
BUT I THINK THE CORE OF THIS CONCEPT, AND THIS IS WHAT I ALWAYS DRIVE IN WITH OUR CHAPTERS, IS THAT THIS IS BOTH FOR MUSICIANS AND NON-MUSICIANS TO PLAY MUSIC MM-HMM
SO I THINK THAT AS LONG AS THAT STAYS AT THE HEART OF IT, UM, IT'S REALLY OPENING UP KIND OF A WIDE NET TO ANYBODY TO GET INVOLVED.
COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
[5. SIMS Foundation 30th Anniversary following presentation by Derrick Lesnau, CEO, SIMS Foundation.]
ITEM IS SIMS FOUNDATION 30TH ANNIVERSARY FOLLOWING, UM, PRESENTATION BY DEREK LESNER, CEO SIMS FOUNDATION.THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UM, SO YEAH, DEREK, LESS NOW, CEO OF SIMS FOUNDATION.
I AM, UH, HERE TO JUST KIND OF, UH, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY AS AN ORGANIZATION AND ALSO JUST, UH, INCREASE AWARENESS THAT THIS IS OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY.
SIMS FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1995, AND SO THREE DECADES LATER, UH, WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE KIND OF IN A REBIRTH OF THE ORGANIZATION TO SERVE OUR, OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, HOPEFULLY IN A BETTER WAY, UH, AND IN A MORE COLLABORATIVE WAY, NOT ONLY WITH THE CITY, BUT WITH THE OTHER LOCAL AREA NONPROFITS.
THEY REALLY FOCUS ON THIS SPACE.
UM, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT DON'T KNOW, UH, THE SIMS FOUNDATION, WHAT WE DO IS WE CONNECT, UM, MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS THEIR DIRECT DEPENDENT FAMILY MEMBERS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND RECOVERY RESOURCES.
AND SO THE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY EDUCATING FOLKS, UH, OF OUR RESOURCES AND, UH, HOW PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO US AND THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH OUR CLINICAL STAFF WHO THEN DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF, UM, CHALLENGES THEY'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
AND SO WE HAVE A PRIVATE PROVIDER NETWORK OF OVER A HUNDRED FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SPACE, WHO WE CAN THEN PAIR OUR CLIENTS WITH SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE A VERY PERSONAL APPROACH TO THEIR, UH, NEEDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR RECOVERY RESOURCES.
UH, WE ALSO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HOST EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS SO THAT WE CAN HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADDICTION, HARM REDUCTION, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, THE LEVEL OF ACUITY THAT FOLKS MIGHT NEED.
[00:35:01]
RECENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD WAS A RECOVERY 1 0 1 WORKSHOP THAT WE HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH A, UH, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, IN WHICH WE PUT ON A WORKSHOP FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.AND WE ALSO OFFERED FREE NARCAN TO FOLKS SO THAT THEY HAD A WAY TO, UM, EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THAT KIND OF A RESOURCE BEING IN SPACES WHERE A LOT OF LIVE MUSIC TAKES PLACE.
UH, SO AGAIN, THE WAY WE DO IT IS A REAL PERSONAL APPROACH.
IT'S A CASE MANAGEMENT APPROACH THAT WE USE SO THAT WHEN FOLKS CONTACT US AND THEY REACH OUT TO SIMS FOR HELP, THEN OUR TEAM WILL CONNECT WITH THEM TO DETERMINE HOW TO BEST PROCEED WITH CONNECTING THEM TO A PROFESSIONAL THAT CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH THE KIND OF CARE THAT THEY NEED.
UH, AND THESE ARE FOLKS, THESE IN OUR PRO PROVIDER NETWORK THAT ARE VERY USED TO WORKING WITH, UH, THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UH, IT, IT IS A PASSION OF THEIRS.
THEY, THEY WORK WITH US TO GIVE US A VERY GENEROUS DISCOUNTED RATE SO THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE SU TO SUPPLEMENT THE COST OF THE CLIENT'S CARE, THAT THE COST IS NOT A BARRIER.
UH, AND, AND THESE ARE PROVIDERS WHO, AGAIN, HAVE A PASSION FOR THIS SPACE.
UH, IT IS A VERY TRUSTED NETWORK, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO NOT ONLY CONTINUING THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, BUT REALLY COMMITTED TO APPROACHING IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY NOW, NOT ONLY BY UTILIZING, UH, CLIENTS' EXISTING RESOURCES, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN CONNECT WITH OTHER LOCAL NONPROFITS IN THIS SPACE WHO WORK WITH CLIENTS ON A SIMILAR LEVEL SO THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORTS AND ALSO STRENGTHENING EACH OTHER, NOT ONLY TO INCREASE AWARENESS FOR OUR SERVICES, BUT ALSO INCREASING COMMUNICATION AMONGST THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE THIS SPACE.
UH, SO THERE HAVE BEEN, I THINK, UM, OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES, MAYBE NOT AS MUCH OF A REMEMBRANCE OF HOW SIMS FOUNDATION WAS STARTED.
SO I REALLY WANTED TO JUST DRAW EVERYBODY'S, UM, YOU KNOW, REM REMEMBRANCE BACK TO SIMS ELLISON.
SIMS ELLISON WAS THE BASIS OF A LOCAL BAND IN THE NINETIES CALLED PARIAH.
HE LOST HIS BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION IN 1995.
AND AFTER READING AN ARTICLE IN THE STATE'S BEEN WRITTEN BY MICHAEL CO, UH, CORCORAN, THEN, UH, OUR FOUNDERS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO TURN PAIN INTO PURPOSE.
AND THEY ESTABLISHED THE SIMS FOUNDATION 30 YEARS AGO WITH ABOUT $5,000.
AND THEY ESTABLISHED IT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS IN THIS SPACE WHO DON'T HAVE A NORMAL NINE TO FIVE JOB TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS THAT ARE WORKING TIRELESS, UH, HOURS, AND HAVING NON-TRADITIONAL SCHEDULES WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO MAYBE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL CARE THAT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY DOES.
SIMS FOUNDATION WAS NAMED AND FOUNDED AFTER SIMS ELLISON, WHO REALLY WENT THROUGH SOME TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN AND DIDN'T HAVE A SUPPORT STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
AND SO 30 YEARS AGO, SIMS FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A PIONEER IN THIS SPACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MUSIC COMMUNITY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO WITHOUT A PLACE TO TURN.
AND 30 YEARS LATER, UH, WE ARE STILL DOING THE SAME WORK.
WE ARE WANTING TO GROW, OR WANTING TO EXPAND, AND WE'RE WANTING TO IMPROVE HOW WE SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT DURING OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN, OUR, ONE OF OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES IS TO CALL EVERYBODY'S MEMORY BACK TO SIMS ELLISON AND THAT PERSON WHO LOST HIS BATTLE WITH DEPRESSION BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A RESOURCE.
FAST FORWARD 30 YEARS LATER, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE SIMS FOUNDATION, YOU HAVE SEVERAL OTHER MUSIC CENTRIC NONPROFITS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING THIS COMMUNITY.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER AND ALIGN OURSELVES SO THAT WE CAN WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING TO INCREASE THE FUNDING THAT WE ALL RECEIVE, BUT MAYBE WORK A LITTLE BIT MORE SMARTER AND WORK CLOSER TOGETHER SO THAT FOLKS WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF OUR SERVICES CAN LEARN ABOUT US THROUGH MAYBE ANOTHER MUSIC CENTRIC NONPROFIT.
IF THERE ARE SERVICES THAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE AND OUR, UH, OR NEEDS THAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE, AND THERE ARE OTHER NONPROFITS THAT CAN FULFILL THAT NEED, THEN WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN CONNECT THEM EFFICIENTLY SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE, THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE MET.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF IMPACT NUMBERS.
OVER 25,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERVED OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
OVER 300,000 COUNSELING SESSIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT BY OUR PARTNERING NETWORK PROVIDERS.
AND OVER $50 MILLION OF LIFESAVING HEALTHCARE RESOURCES HAVE BEEN INVESTED INTO THIS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE SIMS FOUNDATION.
AND THE GOAL IS TO NOT ONLY CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK, BUT AGAIN, CONTINUE TO GROW INTO THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT NEED OUR SERVICES.
RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY ONLY SERVE THE SEVEN, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES.
AND AS, UH, YOU KNOW, MY PREDECESSOR MATT, UH, HAD MENTIONED THERE ARE, UH, SO MANY OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS THAT ARE GROWING AND THAT HAVE, UH, A LARGE POCKET OF MUSICIANS THAT NEED THIS KIND OF SUPPORT.
HOW AMAZING WOULD IT BE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE SAME KIND OF SERVICES THAT THE LOCAL CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE THROUGH SIMS AND OTHER NONPROFITS? SO OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK FORWARD TO HOW DO WE GROW, IMPROVE, AND INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF OUR SERVICES.
[00:40:01]
SLIDE.LITTLE BIT OF A SAVE THE DATE.
UM, WE ARE AGAIN, GONNA TAKE SOME TIME THIS YEAR TO CELEBRATE OUR PAST AND CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE SIMS FOUNDATION OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES.
IT'S GONNA BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT.
IT'S GONNA BE FROM THREE TO 9:00 PM THAT EMPIRE.
UH, WE ARE GONNA HAVE ABOUT 11 TO 12 DIFFERENT ACTS PERFORMING.
UH, WE WERE A VERY, UH, GRATEFUL AND, UM, UH, UH, GENEROUS, UH, YOU KNOW, RECIPIENT OF THE ELEVATE AWARD THAT CAME THROUGH, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND SO, UH, A LOT OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PUTTING ON THIS PUBLIC CELEBRATION, UH, ARE, ARE BEING PAID FOR BY THE, THE FUNDS THAT WE WERE, UH, GENEROUSLY GIVEN THROUGH THE, THE ELEVATE GRANT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST WANT TO THANK THIS COMMISSION, THANK THE CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND THANK ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN MAKING THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND SERVING THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, IMPORTANT IN AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
WE ARE, ARE CONTINUING TO KIND OF, UH, COME OUT OF, UH, UH, SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE EXPERIENCED AT, AT THE END OF LAST YEAR THAT REALLY CAUSED US TO HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK INWARD AND, UH, REEVALUATE HOW WE, UH, OPERATE OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION, AND ALSO HOW WE CARRY OUT OUR SERVICES.
UM, OUR PROGRESS RIGHT NOW IN REACHING BACK OUT TO ALL OF THE ALMOST 500, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THAT, UH, TRANSITION.
UH, WE ARE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH TOUCHING EACH ONE OF THOSE FOLKS INDIVIDUALLY.
UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME DELAYS IN GETTING SOME RETURNS FROM EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS, BUT THAT'S JUST PART OF THE GAME.
UH, WE DO ANTICIPATE BY THE END OF THIS MONTH THAT ALL, ALL OF OUR MESSAGING AND EACH ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UH, WILL HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.
AND AFTER THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE CAN START MOVING INTO THOSE WHO WERE PREVIOUS ON A WAIT LIST FOR SERVICES.
AND THE GOAL IS TO REALLY GET OFF OF THAT WAIT LIST, UH, WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER THAT, UH, UH, FIRST POINT OF CONTACT.
SO, AGAIN, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
REALLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING OUT ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE PUBLIC CELEBRATION COMING UP IN MAY.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING ACTS.
UH, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CITY PROCLAMATION.
WE'VE GOT A, A RECOGNITION FROM THE STATE, UH, FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, AGAIN, JUST A LOT OF WAYS FOR US TO NOT ONLY LOOK BACK AT ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, BUT WAYS TO TALK ABOUT AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE MOVING FORWARD.
AND, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON, UH, 30 YEARS, UH, OF THIS ORGANIZATION IN WHICH A VERY VITAL ORGANIZATION FOR THIS, UH, COMMUNITY HERE.
UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE ACCESS SERVICES FROM SIMS. I HAVE, UH, CLOSE THERAPIST FRIENDS WHO HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES THROUGH, SO IT IS JUST SUCH A, A PART OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OFTEN THE MUSIC ECOSYSTEM AND THE MUSIC FAMILY HERE.
UM, I WILL, UH, YIELD TO THE COMMISSION IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONER CASADA, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH SIMS IN THE PAST AND I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WHERE YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THIS ORGANIZATION INTO THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
AND, UM, IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK.
SO I REALLY BRAVO FOR BEING A REMARKABLE LEADER AND HAVING AN AMAZING STAFF.
UM, THAT'S, UM, REALLY PAVING A WAY FOR THE FUTURE.
AND ALSO JUST BRAVO TO AUSTIN.
THERE'S VERY FEW CITIES ON THE PLANET EARTH THAT ARE DOING THIS KIND OF WORK FOR MUSICIANS.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT A SPECIAL COMMUNITY AND, AND CELEBRATE THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE IN AUSTIN.
SO, THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING OUT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT.
AND YOU SAID IT, IT, IT REALLY IS THE TEAM OF SUPPORTERS THAT WE HAVE AND OUR STAFF THAT DO THE LEG WORK.
AND IT, I'M VERY HUMBLED TO, TO LEAD THE TEAM.
UH, AND ONE THING THAT I LEARNED MY FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB WAS, UM, THE AMOUNT OF PASSION THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR THIS ORGANIZATION IS IMMENSE.
UH, AND THE AMOUNT OF, UH, GRASSROOTS SUPPORT THAT, THAT IS NOT ONLY FOR SIMS, BUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS SPACE.
UM, BEFORE I EVEN STARTED, I HAD COFFEE WITH PAT, UH, FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, AND THAT WAS OUR CONVERSATION.
IT'S, IT'S THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND MAKING SURE THAT WE SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL BENEFIT SO MUCH FROM THAT MAKES US THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS BEFORE WE LET THE GENTLEMAN GO? THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, UM, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS. UM, ALL RIGHT.
UH, THERE'S ONE MORE ITEM HERE.
[6. Input on recent increase in number of performance rights organizations and their licensing revenue distribution practices.]
UH, INPUT[00:45:01]
ON RECENT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR LICENSING REVENUE DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES.SO THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INPUT THAT'S COMING IN FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, I BELIEVE.
UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, YOU WANTED TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY CHECK IN WITH YOU IF YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
UH, UH, SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE, UM, UM, BMI WAS GOING TO, UH, GIVE A, UH, LITTLE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE FROM, UH, MICHAEL COLLINS FROM NEW YORK.
HE'S ACTUALLY OVER MOST OF BMI.
UH, BUT, UH, SO I THINK SOME WIRES GOT CROSSED AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, UH, GET HIM ON THE CALL TONIGHT.
BUT, UM, I, I, DOING SOME RESEARCH A LITTLE BIT MYSELF AS A MEMBER OF BMI, AND, YOU KNOW, THE MUSICIANS ARE, UH, PART OF THE PROS.
THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT THEY'RE CRACKING DOWN ON, UM, UM, ARTIFICIAL STREAMING NUMBERS, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A THING THAT'S, THAT'S ON THE, ON THE RISE LATELY.
AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S LIKE FOUR DIFFERENT PARTS THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
ONE IS A BOT BOTNETS, UM, NETWORKS OF COMPUTERS THAT ARE BASICALLY USING MALWARE TO GENERATE FAKE STREAMS, UM, ON MASSIVE SCALES.
AND THERE'S ALSO A, A NUMBER OF STREAMING SERVICES OUT THERE OR BOT SERVICES OUT THERE THAT WILL ARTIFICIALLY STREAM YOUR, UM, YOUR, YOUR TRACKS FOR YOU IF YOU PAY THEM A SMALL, UM, LOFTY FEE.
AND, UM, THERE'S ALSO THE MANIPULATION SERVICES FOR STREAMING, AND THEN THERE'S ACCOUNT HIJACKING, UM, OF WHICH I THINK A NUMBER OF ARTISTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE BEEN, UM, VICTIM TO.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO LIKE PLAYLIST MANIPULATION.
SO, UH, PLAYLIST CURATORS ARE ARTIFICIALLY INFLATING THE POPULARITY OF CERTAIN SONGS, UM, BY GENERATING FAKE STREAMS. AND ALL OF THESE THINGS BASICALLY COME DOWN TO A PAYMENT.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT VERY MUCH OF A PAYMENT.
IT'S LIKE 0.0 SOMETHING CENTS, DEPENDING ON WHICH PLATFORM YOU'RE USING, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A, UM, UM, IT ADDS UP OVER THE COURSE OF A QUARTER, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS, POTENTIALLY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING PAID OUT TO, UM, UM, ARTISTS OR FAKE BOTS OR SOMETHING BECAUSE OF, UM, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY, UH, IF WE COULD KEEP THIS ON THE AGENDA, I WILL, I WILL TAKE THE L FOR THIS ONE, AND I WILL HAVE, UM, MR. COLLINS HERE FOR NEXT MONTH, AND POSSIBLY MITCH AS WELL.
HE'S AT, UM, SAXON RIGHT NOW WITH HIS BMI, UM, SHOWCASE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
UH, I, UH, QUICKLY WANTED TO REQUEST, UM, ALL COMMISSIONERS TO, UH, LOOK AT THE EMAIL THAT CAME FROM, UH, ERICA AND, UH, ON THE, ON THIS TOPIC.
AND, UH, ERICA, I, I DO BELIEVE YOU SENT IT OUT TO EVERYBODY, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT'S A REQUEST FOR COMMENT, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON A POLICY POLICY CHANGES THEY COULD BE LOOKING AT RELATED TO PUBLIC RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS MM-HMM
UM, BOTH AS WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND HAD MENTIONED, BUT ALSO HOW THEY COLLECT PAYMENTS FROM BUSINESSES, WHETHER IT'S A RESTAURANT PLAYING MUSIC, A LIVE MUSIC VENUE, UM, AND THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME OPAQUE KIND OF PROCESSES THEY'RE TRYING TO UNWIND AND UNDERSTAND BETTER.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO, UM, PLEASE GO TO THAT WEBSITE, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, CHARLA, IF YOU COULD MAYBE SAY IT OUT LOUD, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY COULD FIND IT, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, I'D LIKE TO BE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THIS LINK.
UH, IF YOU COULD JUST, UH, YEAH, IT IS, UM, COPYRIGHT C-O-P-Y-R-I-G-H T.GOV/POLICY/P RO DASH ISSU, I-S-S-U-E-S.
YES, GOOGLE THE, IT'S A POLICY REVIEW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTO PUBLIC RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND A REQUEST FOR COMMENTS BEING COLLECTED THROUGH APRIL, I THINK 11TH.
FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF COMMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER DEADLINE IN MAY FOR A SECOND KIND OF RESPONSES REPLIES TO THOSE COMMENTS.
SO FOR ALL OF US, WHETHER YOU'RE A LIVE MUSIC VENUE, A, UH, ANY BUSINESS THAT HAS MUSIC, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER PIPED IN OR LIVE MUSIC, UM, THIS AFFECTS YOU AS WELL AS MUSICIANS WHO, UH, DEPEND ON THE REVENUE GENERATED BY THE PROS.
UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY BRIEFLY THAT I, I'M GLAD TO SEE AN ITEM LIKE THIS COME BEFORE COMMISSION, AND I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT UP AGAIN.
UM, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND FOR YOUR OUTREACH ON A PRESENTER FOR THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, AS, BECAUSE WITH THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, WE'VE TALKED SO MUCH ABOUT ALL THE, ALL THE WAYS THAT
[00:50:01]
MUSIC BUSINESSES, UM, ARE PART OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN.SO I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY HELPFUL TO THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO'S NOT A MUSICIAN, BUT ALSO JUST SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF ADVOCACY, YOU KNOW, AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL.
UH, AND THANK YOU ERICA, ALSO FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING US AWARE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON.
UH, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, REVIEW THE EMAIL FROM ERICA COMMISSIONERS ALSO, UH, PLEASE REVIEW THE LINK.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SHORT, UM, UH, BUT INTERESTING READ, UH, KIND OF CLEARLY DEFINING THE ISSUE.
AND ALSO, OF COURSE, UH, PLEASE PROVIDE ANY COMMENTARY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE BY APRIL 11TH.
AND THEN THE OTHER DEADLINE IS MAY 27TH.
THANK YOU, MR. I ALSO THINK IT, IT MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA, UM, FOR THIS COMMISSION AS A BODY, YOU KNOW, WITH LIKE OFFICIAL CITY LETTERHEAD TO KIND OF SEND OUR OWN LETTER TO THE US COPYRIGHT OFFICE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION OF WHATEVER THAT IS THAT WE DECIDE BASED ON WHAT WE LEARN.
I KNOW THAT THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 11TH FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF COMMENTING, BUT I JUST, I THINK THAT, UM, AFTER WE HEAR, UM, BACK FROM SOMEONE ELSE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY, IT MIGHT, IT, IT WOULDN'T HURT IF WE, IF WE DID THAT, I DON'T THINK.
I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
LET ME, UM, OR IF YOU COULD, OR LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THE MECHANISM ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, SURELY WE CAN CONSIDER DOING THAT.
SO PROCEDURALLY, UM, AND I CAN SEE OUR LIAISON, SHELBY HAS GOT HER EARS PRICKED UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS RIGHT, BUT YEAH, SO WE WOULD WANT THAT, THE TEXT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT THAT WE WANT, WE'D WANT THAT POSTED IN BACKUP IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IT AS A VOTING ITEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS UP FOR CRAFTING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, THIS IS, WE'RE IN THE APRIL MEETING, SO IF WE WANTED TO TACKLE THAT IN MAY, OR IF WE WANTED TO LISTEN TO THE PRESENTER FIRST AND THEN TACKLE THAT IN JUNE.
BUT, BUT WE DO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WOULD WANNA TAKE POINT ON THAT, ON CRAFTING THAT LANGUAGE SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON, UM, ON THAT.
AND I'LL AGREE, BUT I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA.
ONE IS, UH, THE VOTE HERE AND THEN, UM, ALSO TO COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND'S POINT TO WHERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A LETTERHEAD AND THAT ACTUALLY GOING FROM THE CITY TO, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO THE MECHANISM OF HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, UH, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF DIRECTLY, IT'S NOT THAT DIRECT TO WHAT WE DO HERE, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE SHOULD JUST, UH, FIGURE THAT OUT BASICALLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS. UH, WE HAVE, UH, OKAY, WE HAVE, UH, CONDUCT I A MOTION.
UM, SO I WOULD MOTION THAT WE MOVE UP, UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE, THE WORKING GROUP UPDATE, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COVER ALL THAT AND THEN MOVE ELECTIONS TO THE END.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER PATTERSON TO MOVE, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT TO AFTER WE COMPLETE DISCUSSING WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
SECOND, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
ALL IN FAVOR? OH, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PLENTY TO MOVE THIS.
[9. Update from the Austin Live Music Fund Working Group on Live Music Fund by Chair Nagavalli Medicharla]
UPDATE.SO WE HAD A COUPLE OF, UH, FOLLOW UPS, UM, AFTER THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LAST, UM, COMMISSION MEETING, LET ME GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP, UH, THE DOCUMENT AND, UH, PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
THESE ARE SEVERAL COMMENTS CAPTURING EVERYTHING THAT, UM, WAS, UH, COLLECTED AS FEEDBACK FROM, UH, THE LAST WORKING GROUP, UH, WHERE WE HAD COMMISSIONER BLEVINS, UH, COMMISSIONER PRICE, COMMISSIONER CARVALHO, MYSELF, AS WELL AS, UH, LEMME THINK COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONERS.
OH YEAH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT FIRST.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE MET AS COMMISSIONERS ONE TIME JUST TO ESTABLISH WHAT IT IS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS PART OF THIS FOLLOW UP WORKING GROUP BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONER ALREADY YIELDED RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THE LAST TIME AROUND THAT WE VOTED ON.
UH, SO, AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO, UM, HAD, UH, UH, MR. PAT
SO WE HAD ONE MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED, UH, MUSICIANS AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS, AND WE HAD
[00:55:01]
ANOTHER MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED, UH, VENUES AND THE FEEDBACK AROUND THAT.SO ESSENTIALLY THE GOAL OF THIS CONTINUED WORKING GROUP OR A FOLLOW-UP WORKING GROUP WAS TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PROVIDED THE LAST TIME THAT WE VOTED ON AND PASSED AT THIS COMMISSION, AND ALSO TAKE THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
SO THE DRAFT RUBRIC THAT WAS PROVIDED BY ERICA AND CITY STAFF AND COMPARE, UH, REVIEW AND JUST PROVIDE FEEDBACK BASED ON THAT.
SO THE IDEA OF THIS WORKING GROUP WAS NOT NECESSARILY TO YIELD ANY NEW RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT NOW WE HAVE BOTH OF THESE VERSIONS AND TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, UM, ALSO TO NOTE THAT THE CITY'S RECOMMENDATION ALREADY INCORPORATED, UM, SEVERAL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD MADE FROM THIS COMMISSION.
SO, SO WE WERE JUST PROVIDING FEEDBACK.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND SHARE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A RECOMMENDATION WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS ANYWAY, UH, AFTER THE MEETING.
SO, SO YOU HAVE IT AS WELL AS STAFF.
SO YOU HAVE IT BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LENGTHY.
UM, BUT LET'S START WITH INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS AND PROMOTERS, RIGHT? SO THE FIRST SECTION THAT WAS PROVIDED BY STAFF WAS CULTURAL TOURISM, MARKETING AND OUTREACH, WHICH HAD ITEMS LIKE INNOVATIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES, UM, EXPANDING AUDIENCES AND FAN BASES LOCALLY AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
IMPACTFUL SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT PROVIDES ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES FOR AUDIENCES WITH DISABILITIES, PROGRAMMING AND FEATURES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES, PROGRAMMING OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC.
SO ON THIS SECTION, I'LL READ OUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THE SUGGESTIONS THAT, UH, CAME UP IN THE WORKING GROUP ON ACCESSIBILITY.
THE ASK WAS TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AN ACCESSIBLE WEBSITE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL THAT NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE? UH, A DA COMPLIANT SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS.
SO ASK VERY SPECIFIC DIRECT QUESTIONS AROUND ACCESSIBILITY AND SCORE THOSE ACCORDINGLY.
WE WANTED TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR NON-ENGLISH PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE.
UH, THE GROUP PREDOMINANTLY BELIEVED THAT THIS COULD DISADVANTAGE ARTISTS THAT ARE NOT SINGING IN ANY LANGUAGE BUT ENGLISH ESSENTIALLY.
IT COULD ALSO DISADVANTAGE SOMEBODY LIKE A HIP HOP ARTIST WHO SINGING IN OR RAPPING IN ENGLISH, RIGHT? SO, SO WE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE THAT PARTICULAR CRITERIA.
ALTERNATELY WE FIGURED THAT THAT COULD BE DIVERSE OUTREACH TO DIVERSE DIASPORA IN THE AUSTIN MSAS AND KIND OF REALLY REACH OUT TO, UH, UH, THE BROADER COMMUNITY THROUGH MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, AND ALSO MAYBE WHY, UH, MARKETING IN NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER MEDIA.
AND THAT WAY WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY, BUT NOT HAVE THAT SPECIFIC CLAUSE ON MUSICIANS THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET SOME EXTRA SCORE IF YOU ARE PROGRAMMING PROVIDING NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING AT THIS NEXT SECTION WAS AUSTIN MUSIC ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THIS HAD ITEMS LIKE PACE, AT LEAST THE CITY OF AUSTIN MUSICIAN PAY RATE TO HIGHER PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS PACE A LIVING WAGE TO MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, HIGHER AT LEAST 40% LOCAL MUSICIANS, HIGHER CREATIVE SEE AROUND FOR SUCH OPERATIONS AS MERCHANDISE MARKETING, ET CETERA, HIRES LOCAL CREATIVE SPACES.
THE FEEDBACK AROUND THIS WAS THAT TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENTS AROUND LIVING WAGE AND THE CITY RATE LIVING WAGE IN AMONGST MUSICIANS IS IT'S SUBJECTIVE.
UM, THE IDEA WAS THAT IT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE MET BY A LOT OF ARTISTS UNLESS THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THESE GRANT DOLLARS.
SO THE REQUIREMENT THAT, UH, ONCE SOMEBODY ACTUALLY GETS THE GRANT AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PAY, UH, MUSICIANS AT THE CITY RATE MAKES SENSE, BUT TO EXPECT THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING THAT RATE, UH, WE THOUGHT WOULD PUT A LOT OF, UH, CREDIBLE ARTISTS, UM, AT A DISADVANTAGE.
AND THEN IF KEEPING THE REQUIREMENT THAT 40% OF THE BAND MEMBERS, UH, BE LOCAL, THEN CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF LOCAL.
IS IT JUST THE CITY DISTRICTS OR ARE WE SAYING CITY AND MSAS? SINCE THE, SINCE THE, UH, GRANT, UH, EXPANDS TO MSAS, WE FORGET THAT THE DEFINITION OF LOCAL SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, THE MSAS.
MOVING ON TO ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, THIS INCLUDED ITEMS LIKE PARTICIPATE IN CAREER TRADING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PARTICIPATES IN MUSIC PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS, CULTURAL CENTERS,
[01:00:01]
ET CETERA, PARTICIPATES, VOLUNTEERS AT BENEFIT CONCERTS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR NONPROFIT ENTITIES.LIMITED ACCESS TO FINANCIAL LENDING, UH, LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH SPOKEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD, LIVES IN A QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK, NO PREVIOUS LIVE MUSIC, UM, UH, AWARD FUND.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE HAD MOST OF THE FEEDBACK.
UM, WE, AGAIN, THIS, A LOT OF THIS, IF YOU SEE, WE ARE KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD ALREADY VOTED ON, ESSENTIALLY, WHERE WE DIDN'T INCLUDE ITEMS LIKE THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACT WHERE WE REMOVED, UH, OR WE DIDN'T INCLUDE SOMETHING LIKE OTHER THAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
SO SINCE IT WAS DISCUSSED IN MUCH DETAIL, A LOT OF, UH, THE FEEDBACK ACTUALLY LANDED BACK TO WHERE OUR INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS CAME FROM.
SO HERE THE IDEA WAS TO AVOID WHAT I THINK, I'LL LEAVE THAT OUT, BUT THE IDEA WAS TO ESSENTIALLY AVOID ECONOMIC ASKS THAT MAY UNINTENTIONALLY PENALIZE EVEN BIPOC ARTISTS.
SO IF WE ARE LOOKING TO BUILD EQUITY, UM, THROUGH ECONOMIC PARAMETERS, UH, THAT IS, I UNDERSTAND IS, IS A VIABLE, UH, WAY TO DO THIS.
BUT, UM, WE STILL FELT THAT THAT MIGHT END UP PENALIZING FOLKS INCLUDING, UH, BIPOC ARTISTS.
SO WE WANTED TO REMOVE QCT AND AS WELL AS ENGLISH LANGUAGE BEING SPOKEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY PROVE IT.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO REMOVE THAT, REMOVE LENDING RELATED QUESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, HARD TO VERIFY AND, UH, UH, ANY, UM, BASICALLY, UH, IT WAS IN SOME WAYS ALSO NOT DEEMED EVEN EQUITABLE.
REMOVE PRIOR FUNDING, BONUS PENALTY.
SO THERE WAS A STRONG FEEDBACK AROUND THIS AS WELL, IS WE DON'T WANT TO PENALIZE ARTISTS THAT GOT THE GRANT IN THE PAST MUSICIAN CAREERS, UM, ESPECIALLY AS THEY'RE THRIVING AND BUILDING, UH, BILLING AND THRIVING.
IT TEND TO HAVE FAIRLY, YOU KNOW, SHORT TIME SPANS, UH, IN, IN THE BUILD PERIOD.
SO IF A MUSICIAN IS REALLY HITTING, UH, AND I'M FOCUSING ON MUSICIANS, APPLIES TO MUSICIANS AND INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS, BUT IF A MUSICIAN IS HITTING A LOT OF THE CRITERIA, THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE, AND WE ALREADY HAVE A GAP OF ONE YEAR IN, UH, IN THE GRANT.
SO SOMEBODY GETS A 20 OR 30 K GRANT, UH, 20 K GRANT THIS TIME, THEY ALREADY CANNOT APPLY IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR.
SO TO AGAIN, PENALIZE THEM IN THE THIRD YEAR WHEN THEY APPLY, UH, FOR A NEW GRANT, UM, IT DIDN'T SEEM FAIR, ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN A MUSICIAN IS ACTIVE AND THRIVING.
UH, AND SO IF THEY CAN HIT A LOT OF THE MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE WITHIN THAT SECTION, THEN, UH, WE FIGURE THERE'S NO REASON TO, UM, UH, PENALIZE THEM OR, YEAH.
SO, SO THE OTHER THING IS, WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE GRANT AMOUNT TO 20 K, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME MORE FOLKS IN, UH, THIS TIME.
ALSO, THE SECOND YEAR WHEN THE FOLKS WHO GOT THE GRANT THIS YEAR CANNOT APPLY WILL BE ABLE TO GET ANOTHER BATCH OF FOLKS IN.
SO IT FELT OKAY THAT, THAT FOLKS CAN APPLY AGAIN.
UH, ONCE THE TWO YEAR PERIOD IS DONE.
UM, WHERE ARE WE? OKAY, UH, THEN YEAH, MAKE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT QUESTIONS ROBUST.
UH, THIS AGAIN, FEEDS INTO, UM, WHY WE DEEM THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY FOR FOLKS TO APPLY AGAIN AND NOT BE PENALIZED FOR IT.
BECAUSE IF THE QUESTIONS ARE ROBUST, THEN THE, IF THEY MEET ALL THAT CRITERIA, THEN IT'S FAIR GAME.
UM, THEN COMES, UH, MUSIC INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
SO UNDER THIS, WE HAD ITEMS LIKE PERCENTAGE OF PERSONAL INCOME DEPENDENT ON MUSIC, NUMBER OF MUSIC INDUSTRY RECOGNITION AWARDS.
FREQUENCY OF THIS IS FROM THE, FROM CITY STAFF, RUBRIC, FREQUENCY OF PUBLIC SHOWS FOR AUDIENCES OF AT LEAST 300 NUMBER OF MUSIC STREAMS AND DOWNLOADS, RECORDINGS, RECORDINGS, ET CETERA.
SO WITHIN THIS, OUR SUGGESTIONS WAS TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT ON THE PERCENTAGE OF INCOME FROM MUSIC.
IT WAS ALSO DEEMED INEQUITABLE AT SOME LEVEL, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PENALIZE MUSICIANS WHO ARE DOING MULTIPLE JOBS JUST TO SUSTAIN THEIR MUSIC AND THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
SO, EVALUATE MUSICIANS BASED ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS, EVALUATE MUSICIANS BASED ON THEIR OUTPUT AS A MUSICIAN, BUT DON'T PENALIZE THEM FOR MAYBE HOLDING MULTIPLE JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET OR, OR TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.
USE RECOGNITION INSTEAD OF AWARDS AS A QUALIFIER.
UH, SO JUST TO BROADEN THAT BUCKET TO, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN JUST ONE OR TWO SPECIFIC AWARDS.
[01:05:02]
IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF SHOWS, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS USE REASONABLE NUMBERS LIKE, UH, MAYBE FIVE PLUS SHOWS OR THREE PLUS SHOWS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, OR LAST ONE YEAR OR TWO YEARS, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A BIGGER NUMBER.DIFFERENT MUSICIANS USE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO BUILD THEIR CAREERS.
SOME OF THEM ARE, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY COULD CHOOSE HOW MANY SHOWS THEY PLAY DIFFERENTLY THAN SOMEBODY WHO'S PLAYING VERY PROLIFICALLY, BUT AT LEAST, BUT STILL HAVE LIKE A FIVE PLUS OR, UH, SOME REASONABLE NUMBER.
UH, THAT DOES PROVIDE A, UH, SOME POINTS TO FOLKS THAT ARE ACTIVELY, UH, PLAYING LIVE WITHIN, UH, QUESTIONS FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
WE HAD SHARED, UH, A POWERPOINT THE FIRST TIME.
WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS AT THE COMMISSION THE LAST TIME, BUT SOME SUGGESTED QUESTIONS AROUND MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHERE THINGS LIKE, HAVE YOU PERFORMED ON STAGE WITHIN THE AUSTIN MSA WITHIN THE, SAY, IN THE LAST ZERO TO TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE RECENT PAST, REWARD THEM.
HAVE YOU PERFORMED ONLINE, UH, WITH, WITHIN THE PAST ZERO TO TWO YEARS, HAVE YOU RELEASED MUSIC ON PLATFORMS SUCH AS SPOTIFY? HAVE YOU PERFORMED AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH THE CAPACITY OF 2000 OR MORE PATRONS? UM, HAVE YOU RECEIVED PUBLIC RECOGNITION SUCH AS AWARDS, FEATURE ARTISTS, MUNICIPAL HONORS? HAVE YOU RECEIVED RADIO BROADCAST, AIRWAVE, AIRPLANE AIR STATIONS, UM, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, WATERLOO, IHEART, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN UNIVISION, AND JUST, JUST KSZI, UM, KDXC AND EXPAND THAT.
THE IDEA IS, AGAIN, TO REALLY PROVIDE WEIGHTAGE TO A BROAD RANGE OF THIS MEDIA, ESSENTIALLY, WHETHER IT'S PRESS OR RADIO, JUST PROVIDE VANTAGE TO A BROAD RANGE, NOT, NOT JUST THE FEW SPECIFIC ONES THAT MAY OR MAY BE DEEMED, YOU KNOW, MAINSTREAM.
UM, HAVE YOU APPEARED ON BROADCAST TELEVISION, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN PUBLIC, PBS, ET CETERA? UM, HAVE YOU APPEARED IN PRINT MEDIA? MINIMUM, SAY YOU COULD PUT A LIMIT TO THE CIRCULATION, LIKE, OR A BASIC THRESHOLD, LIKE A THOUSAND OR 500, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, INCLUDING, UM, MAYBE PUBLICATIONS LIKE, UH, TRIBE IS LEVELS, UH, CHRONICLE LOST IN SOUTH ASIAN, THE VILLAGER, ET CETERA.
SO IT COVERS A LOT OF DIVERSE ARTISTS THAT LIVE AND WORK IN OUR, UH, COMMUNITIES.
UM, HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SINGLE LICENSING OR PERFORMANCE, UM, OR ROYALTY? SO STREAMING REVENUE, AND WE COULD HAVE A MINIMUM THRESHOLD, LIKE A HUNDRED DOLLARS IF SOMEBODY IS DOING WELL THERE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD HAVE SOME POINTS ASSIGNED TO THAT.
HAVE YOU TOURED OR PERFORMED PROFESSIONALLY OUTSIDE OF THE MSA, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT, SO THIS IS JUST A LONG LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT IT CAN REALLY ALSO SERVE AS A DIFFERENTIATOR ON, UH, WHO'S, WHO'S VERY ACTIVE AND, UH, UH, AND BE ABLE TO REWARD, UH, SOME OF THAT.
UH, BEFORE I MOVE ON TO VENUES, ANY, UH, COMMENTS? SO THIS IS BASICALLY A DOCUMENTATION OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED AROUND INDEPENDENT, UH, PROMOTERS AND MUSICIANS, UH, IN THE WORKING GROUP
UM, IN TERMS OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT, THAT'S FOR THE, SO THERE'S TWO TIERS OF GRANTS.
SO THE LIST THAT YOU WENT THROUGH, THAT'S FOR THE, THE LARGER GRANTS ONLY, OR HOW, HOW WOULD THAT APPLY IN THE SMALLER $5,000 GRANT? THESE WERE JUST SUGGESTIONS.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE $5,000 GRANT, UH, THERE WOULD BE MUCH MORE LIMITED QUESTIONS, UM, AND NOT, NOT SUCH EXTENSIVE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT'S ONE WAY, UM, IF I THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN WE SAY ANYBODY CAN APPLY TO EITHER OF THESE, THEN AN EMERGING ARTIST OR AN AN ARTIST THAT'S JUST STARTING OUT MIGHT COME AND LOOK AT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AND DECIDE THAT THEY'RE BETTER OFF APPLYING TO THE 5,000, UH, DOLLARS CATEGORY.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S, RIGHT NOW THE IDEA IS THAT'S GONNA BE AN ANNUAL ONE AS OPPOSED TO THIS, UH, GRANT THAT IS A, UH, A BIENNIAL ONE ONCE IN TWO YEARS.
ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS ON THIS? YES.
UH, SO IT, IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE, LIKE, LIKE WE'RE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE RIGHT NOW.
JUST A LITTLE BIT, JUST A, UH, ARE FIRST QUESTION, ARE THESE, I MEAN, THESE AREN'T RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'RE NOT LIKE VOTING ON THIS TODAY, ARE WE? NO, THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, WAS A, IT'S JUST FOLLOW UP A COMP A FOLLOW UP, ESSENTIALLY COMPARISON TO THE, WE ALREADY, THE COMMISSION ALREADY VOTED RIGHT
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ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.SO IT IS A COMPARISON BETWEEN THAT AND THEN ALSO THE RUBRIC THAT, UH, STAFF HAD SHARED THE LAST TIME.
AND SO THE GOAL WAS ESSENTIALLY TO JUST PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON, UM, ON EVERYTHING THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
I MEAN, THESE DON'T FEEL LIKE, THESE DON'T SEEM LIKE, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE FEEDBACK.
IT SEEMS MORE LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO FOR NEXT TIME, KIND OF, KIND OF THING, WHICH IS THE FEEDBACK, BECAUSE IT'S VERY CLOSE TO PRETTY MUCH, IT'S EMPHASIZING MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE ALREADY VOTED ON, RIGHT? SO IS, SO ARE THESE RULES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT FOR NEXT TIME, OR IS THIS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE SAYING TO US? BECAUSE IF IT'S COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, IT WOULD BE, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK SHOULD HAPPEN VERSUS THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH, NOT PUSH THROUGH, BUT, BUT, UM, LIKE, UH, IT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE NOT SUGGESTIONS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS LIKE, HEY, THESE ARE WHAT WE'RE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR, THESE ARE THE RULES FOR NEXT TIME BASED ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR, THESE ARE THE RULES THAT THE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA CALL THIS RULES, BUT THESE ARE THE CRITERIA THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION, OKAY.
UH, A LOT OF THESE THAT WE HAD ALREADY RECOMMENDED AND VOTED ON.
UH, SO WHAT WE ARE IS, UH, DOING RIGHT NOW IS ESSENTIALLY COMPARING NOTES.
UM, AND THERE IS, THERE ARE THINGS SAY THAT, UH, THAT ARE IN THE RUBRIC THAT THE CITY STAFF HAS PROVIDED SURE.
THAT, UH, MAYBE WE ARE STILL NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE QCD OR THE LENDING, UH, ASPECT, OR THE, UH, DO YOU SPEAK MORE THAN ONE? UH, DO YOU SPEAK A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT HOME? SO THERE ARE ITEMS LIKE THAT.
I'M JUST GIVING THESE AS EXAMPLES THAT WE ARE BASICALLY SAYING, OKAY, WE WANT, WE STILL WANT THOSE REMOVED.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN THOSE, IN OUR RECOMMENDATION.
THEY ARE IN THE CITY RUBRIC, CITY STAFF RUBRICS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE REMOVED.
WE STILL DON'T AGREE WITH THOSE.
AND THEN THE OTHERS, BIT OF IT IS MAYBE JUST EXPANDING ON WHEN WE SAID MUSIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES? WHAT WOULD WE MEAN BY THAT? THAT WE WANT TO BRING MUSIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS BACK INTO THE MIX AND HAVE THEM WEIGH, UH, HAVE THEM, UH, WE PUT 50% AGAINST THAT IN, IN THE VOTE THAT WE TOOK.
SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE CRITERIA THAT WE, THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SADE, UM, I WONDER, OR I GUESS THE WAY THAT MY BRAIN IS PROCESSING THE INFORMATION IS THE 2025 WORKING GROUP CAME UP WITH, YOU'RE MEMORIALIZING THIS INFORMATION FROM THE LAST MEETING, THE 2025 WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, PUT TOGETHER AND YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE ANALYZING ALL THE INFORMATION FROM WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DECIDED.
THE LAST TIME THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVE MU, OR NOT MAYBE THE LAST TIME, BUT THIS, THIS FROM THE LA FROM THE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT PROCEEDED YES.
THIS LAST MEETING, THE WORKING GROUP IS MEMORIALIZING THIS INFORMATION AND THEN IT WOULD BE LOOKED AT AGAIN WITH FRESH EYES WHEN YEAH, QUESTION MARK.
AND THEN, AND THEN WHEN IT DID FOR PUBLIC AND COMMISSIONER, UNDERSTANDING THESE WOULD BE REVIEWED WHEN, FOR WHAT GRANT CYCLE? YEAH.
SO THE REC THE WORK, WE HAD A WORKING GROUP AND WE PROVIDED RECOMMENDATIONS LAST TIME WE VOTED ON WITH THE MAJORITY.
AND SO THE MUSICAL MISSION HAS ALREADY PROVIDED A RECOMMENDATION THAT GOES TO COUNCIL ON THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, UH, CRITERIA FOR THIS YEAR AND IN FUTURE, WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE STAFF PROVIDED A RUBRIC FROM THEIR END, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, ALSO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR EXPERIENCE, WHAT FEEDBACK THEY HAVE.
AND THEY PROVIDED US A, A, A SNAPSHOT OF THAT IN THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
IN THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
THEN SOME FOLKS WANTED TO CONTINUE THE WORKING GROUP SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE, OR THE SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE CONTINUE THE WORKING GROUP.
SO WE PROVIDE FEEDBACK NOW WITH BOTH SETS OF INFORMATION, BASICALLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WORKING GROUP DID.
SO WE ARE NOT YIELDING ANY NET NEW RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE ALREADY SAID WE WANTED TO SEE IN HERE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT STAFF HAS PROVIDED, WE ARE JUST COMPARING NOTES AND REACTING TO IT, ESSENTIALLY.
AND, UH, THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS THAT WE FEEL, OKAY, GOOD TO GO.
THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS IN THERE THAT
[01:15:01]
ARE CONCERNING TO US, LIKE THE Q CT AND A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS THAT WE ARE POINTING OUT.SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE STATING NOW IS WE STILL DON'T SEE VALUE IN THIS, THIS, AND THIS.
UM, SO ACTUALLY SOME OF THIS THAT YOU WILL SEE IS WHAT WE DON'T WANT, BECAUSE THAT JUST KIND OF MEANS THAT THE REST OF WHAT STAFF IS, HAS PROVIDED IS GOOD TO GO.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHY YOU'RE KIND OF HEARING MORE ON, WE DON'T WANT THIS AND WE DON'T WANT THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE RESPONDING WITH, RIGHT? IS ESSENTIALLY THE THINGS THAT WE STILL DON'T THINK QUITE CLICK.
THE REST IS, IS, IS KIND OF MAYBE EITHER IT'S CLOSE TO WHAT WE ALREADY RECOMMENDED OR WHATEVER NEW NET NEW STAFF MIGHT HAVE PUT IN THERE, WE WILL LIKE IT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE KIND OF HEARING MORE OF, YOU KNOW, WE STILL WANNA TAKE THIS OUT, TAKE THAT OUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE STILL DON'T AGREE WITH A COUPLE OF THESE ITEMS. FAIR ENOUGH.
SORRY? TIMELINE, YEAH, FOR THE, I THINK THE TIMELINE WOULD HELP JUST, YEAH, KIND OF VISUALIZE, LIKE WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? LIKE, HERE WE'RE IN APRIL, 2025, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE NEXT BEATS FOR THE NEXT GRANT CYCLE AND WHAT THAT, WHAT ARE THE NEXT BEATS? YEAH.
UM, THESE ARE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WHAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU LAST TIME WAS JUST KIND OF TAKING ALL YOUR FEEDBACK AND PUTTING IT INTO A SCORING MATRIX LIKE WE DO EVERY YEAR TO BE LIKE, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE THE QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE COMING FROM.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS HELP WITH THE WAITING OF EACH SECTION, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY DIDN'T SEE EYE TO EYE FROM A STAFF AND WORKING GROUP PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT GETS MORE POINTS, WHAT SECTIONS GET MORE POINTS.
UM, 'CAUSE STAFF IS LOOKING AT THIS AS, THESE ARE HOT FUNDS, HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TECH FUNDS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DRIVE TOURISM TO AUSTIN AS A GLOBAL MUSIC DESTINATION.
AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SECTION AROUND CULTURAL TOURISM AND MARKETING TO HAVE REALLY, YOU KNOW, MORE POINTS, UH, TO, TO STAY IN LINE WITH THE STATUTE, WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO REALLY IT IS, IT'S ABOUT FINDING THAT, UH, COMFORTABLE PLACE BETWEEN YOU GUYS AND WITH STAFF ON THE SCORING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WEIGHTING OF EACH SECTION.
AND OF COURSE, WE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LET US KNOW, WE, WE STILL DON'T LIKE THIS ELEMENT OF ACCESS TO SERVICES OR THIS, AND THAT'S FINE.
WE WILL, WE'LL TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT.
LIKE I SAID, THIS WILL BE FINAL GUIDELINES NEXT MONTH.
SO THIS WOULD BE ROLLING OUT THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DISCUSSING NOW IS FOR OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS YET TO BE LAUNCHED.
UM, SO ERICA IS LOOKING TO COME UP WITH THE FINAL DRAFT OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR THE RUBRIC IN MAY.
SO ESSENTIALLY THAT WILL TAKE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FROM THE WORKING GROUP TODAY, THAT WILL TAKE OTHER FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAVE THAT WILL TAKE THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE AND THEIR OWN DATA.
AND COLLECTIVELY WITH THAT STAFF WILL BE PROVIDING A RUBRIC FOR 2025 IN THE MAIN MEETING.
AS I UNDERSTAND AS FAR AS WEIGHTAGE, UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH.
HOW, HOW, HOW MANY PAGES IS THAT, THAT YOU'RE READING THERE? IT'S ABOUT, UM, A COUPLE OF PAGES.
COMMISSIONER
IT, IT, IT JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ABOUT SIX, SEVEN PAGES.
IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ALL AT ONCE.
I MEAN, IF YOU, I MEAN, FOR, I, I GAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU ALL JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND I LAID OUT MY OWN GUIDELINES, AND THAT WAS TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR US TO SHARE OR BEAR FOR, FOR A MOMENT.
BUT, BUT NOW WE'RE KIND OF COMBINING THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS WITH CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR WAITING ON A FEW THINGS.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, I THOUGHT THIS CAKE WAS BAKED ALREADY AND IT'S FINE.
UM, UM, SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING.
I THINK THE OTHER THING TOO IS WE DID RECOMMEND IT IN THE WORKING GROUP.
I WAS PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP THAT WE GET RID OF THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK.
AND THEN BASED ON THE GUIDELINES, I WASN'T HERE FOR THE MEETING THE PREVIOUS, BUT THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK ACTUALLY MADE IT BACK IN TO, UM, TO THOSE WEIGHTED METRICS AS WELL.
SO I'M, I'M KIND OF, IT, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND HISTORICALLY THE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN THAT WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THANK YOU, AND THEN THEY GO AND THEY DO OTHER THINGS NOT CONTRARY TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY JUST DON'T TAKE ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE GIVE THEM BECAUSE WE JUST RECOMMEND THINGS.
[01:20:01]
SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE INPUT THAT'S BEING LOOKED AT NOW, AND, UH, WE'RE ALL, IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING KINDA LIKE BACK TO A DRAWING BOARD WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH WHAT THIS IS.UM, AND I WILL ALSO SAY THIS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGACY FOR ARTISTS THIS TIME AROUND.
AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, INCLUDING THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACT INTO THIS, WHICH, UM, AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS, THAT'S GOING TO PARTICULARLY AFFECT PEOPLE OF COLOR, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A LEGACY WITH MARGINALIZED GROUPS, IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THEY DON'T LIVE AT A QUALIFIED S TRACK ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DOING WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IN THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY LIVE IN OTHER AREAS OF TOWN.
WELL, THE LEGACY PART OF IT, AND THE QUALIFIED TO TRACK PART OF IT ARE BASICALLY GONNA EVEN THEMSELVES OUT WHEN IT COMES TO SOME SORT OF WAITING.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF FUNDING.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AT THIS, AT THIS POINT.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WANT TO INCLUDE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T FULL-TIME MUSICIANS AND, AND, AND KIND OF LIKE GET, MAKE THE PLAYING FIELD SORT OF, EVEN IN TERMS OF LIKE, IF A, IF SOMEONE IS A FULL-TIME TOUR MUSICIAN VERSUS SOMEONE THAT COLLECTS A W2 SALARY AND ALSO PLAYS MUSIC, THAT'S KIND OF BEING WEIGHED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY NOW.
THAT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH THIS.
UM, THIS IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.
WE, I AM THANKFUL TO STAFF TO MAKING, FOR MAKING THIS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS BECAUSE THIS ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE AND GO BACK AND FORTH, HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THIS CRITERIA, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE CONCERNS AROUND BRAND PROCESS HAVE BEEN THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
THIS IS A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW.
WE GOTTA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
WE GOT A SUGGESTION BACK, A DRAFT SUGGESTION BACK FROM STAFF TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE HAD, WE HAD OFFICIALLY RECOMMENDED FROM THIS COMMISSION, AND NOW WE ARE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACT TO THAT, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, ESSENTIALLY.
DID THEY SEND THAT TO US? UH, PLEASE.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE ARE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACT TO IT, ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT? SO STAFF TAKES THIS BACK AND NOW THEY CAN REGISTER, OKAY, THERE IS STRONG AGREEMENT WITH THIS AND DISAGREEMENT WITH THESE ITEMS STILL THAT THEY THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
AND SO THEN THEY MAKE THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THIS.
DID THEY APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTERRUPTION? DID THEY EMAIL, UM, US AS COMMISSIONERS OR DID THEY EMAIL YOU? WHO DID THEY EMAIL? LIKE THE BACK AND FORTH THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.
WHAT, WHERE DID THAT COME? NO, THIS WAS AT THE COMMISSION LAST TIME.
YEAH, IT WAS PRE, SO STAFF PRESENTED IN THE LAST RIGHT COMMISSION MEETING THERE, THERE, UM, THEIR DRAFT FOR HOW THIS PROCESS WOULD WORK.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS BASED ON WHAT, WHAT THE WORKING GROUP CREATED, AND THEN THEY SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR FEEDBACK.
SO, UM, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE FEEDBACK, WE HAVE, WE'VE PROVIDED ABOUT HALF THE FEEDBACK THAT STAFF MEETS.
LIKE WE'VE PROVIDED FEEDBACK TODAY ON, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW A MUSICIAN, HOW IT'S ESTABLISHED THAT A MUSICIAN OR PROMOTER, UM, HAS A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE OR ACCOLADES.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, WE'RE HAVING SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THINGS LIKE THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK, LIKE, UM, AND THESE ARE, THESE ISSUES ARE THINGS, UH, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH POTENTIAL, LIKE FINANCIAL NEED OR THE NEED TO, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN AN ERA WHERE WE DEI IS THIS BIG LAND MINE, RIGHT? BUT, SO STAFF IS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT LIKE, WELL, HOW DO WE ELEVATE PEOPLE THAT NEED A LEG UP? SO WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT WE HAVE STAFF HERE AND THERE LISTENING AND TENTATIVELY SO I THINK THAT I'M, I'M CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE ABSORBING THIS, BUT I THINK THAT THE PART THAT DIDN'T COME BACK IS THAT SPECIFICALLY THE WEIGHTING OF EACH, UM, LINE ITEM ON THE RUBRIC, YOU KNOW, GETTING, GETTING TO THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MARKETING PLAN IS A BIG PART OF THAT, AND THE TOURISM PART.
AND I WOULD SAY PERSONALLY THAT I, YOU KNOW, JUST REACTING TO WHAT STAFF SAID AND WHAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE WORKING GROUP THAT YEAH, IF THIS ISRI, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK IT'S A, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT IS ARE THESE ACTIVITIES DRIVING TOURISM? AND, AND I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GOING OUT
[01:25:01]
TO THE PUBLIC? ARE THEY RAISING THE PROFILE OF AUSTIN? ARE THEY, ARE THEY ACTUALLY ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GONNA HELP THAT MUSICIAN, THAT PROMOTER ELEVATE THEIR OWN CAREER AND NOT JUST BE KIND OF STUCK IN, IN WHAT WE'VE JOKINGLY CALLED THE VELVET RUT FOR 25 YEARS? SO, UM, YEAH, SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE WORKING GROUP HAS DONE.I KNOW THAT IT IS, BEING IN A WORKING GROUP IS, THERE'S SO MANY HOURS OF WORK THAT GOES ON THAT'S NOT HERE ON THE DAIS ONCE A MONTH.
UH, BUT ALSO STAFF, LIKE, THEY DO A LOT OF RESEARCH.
THEY KNOW THINGS THAT WE CAN'T KNOW BECAUSE THAT THIS IS THEIR JOBS AND THEY, THEY LOOK AT ALL OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT STAFF IS, IS LISTENING CAREFULLY AND, AND TAKING THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION, AND THEN LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT'S, WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHAT'S ACTIONABLE, UM, BASED ON THE, THE FEEDBACK OF THIS VERY PASSIONATE COMMISSION AND THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE AND BRING.
UM, THE, ON THE WEIGHTAGE, I THINK WE, THE WEIGHTAGE WAS ALREADY PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE WANTED A HEAVY WEIGHTAGE OF 50% ON MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND THEN FURTHER ON WE HAD, UH, PROVIDED WEIGHT FOR, UH, LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WE HAD PROVIDED WEIGHT FOR MARKETING, AND THEN WE HAD PROVIDED WEIGHT FOR, UM, ACCESSIBILITY.
SO I THINK THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAS ALREADY RECOMMENDED WHAT, WHERE WE WANT TO PUT THE EMPHASIS ON.
SO WHAT I WOULD REQUEST STAFF IS AS WE MOVE THINGS AROUND, MAYBE RECATEGORIZE A FEW THINGS TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND A FOCUS ON TOURISM AND MARKETING.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IN CONFLICT WITH WHEN WE HAVE A HEAVY WEIGHT ON SOMETHING LIKE MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
BECAUSE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE SUGGESTED AS PART OF THE MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND THAT KIND OF BASICALLY ESTABLISHES WHAT LEVEL AN ARTIST IS WORKING AT, AND IF THEY HAVE PRESS, IF THEY HAVE, UH, IF THEY ARE TOURING, IF THEY ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLAYING A FESTIVAL, ET CETERA, SORT OF, THAT KIND OF BASICALLY POINTS TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY, UH, FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, ENABLING TOURISM ESSENTIALLY.
SO I THINK, I THINK IF YOU CATEGORIZE THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, THAT'S FINE.
UH, WHICH IS WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN, IN PUTTING, MOVING A FEW OF THESE THINGS AROUND.
UH, SO I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT TOURISM AND MARKETING IS IMPORTANT FOR HOT TAXES, BUT SOME OF THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE WAY, THE QUESTIONS AROUND MUSICIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE BEING ASKED.
SO FROM THE COMMISSION, I THINK WE, WE ARE CLEAR ON WHERE WE WANT THE EMPHASIS TO BE.
WE WANT A MUSICIAN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO BE GIVEN THE UTMOST PRIORITY, FOLLOWED BY, UH, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC IMPACT.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU USING LOCAL MUSICIANS, LOCAL, UH, OPERATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, ET CETERA, AS WELL AS, UM, AS MARKETING PLANS.
AND WE, THIS TIME INCLUDED PAST AS WELL AS MORE FUTURE MARKETING PLANS.
HOW HAVE YOU MARKETED IN THE PAST? UH, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MARKET WITH THE DOLLARS, WITH THE GRAND DOLLARS IN THE FUTURE? SO I, I, I FEEL, UH, IF, IF WE STILL FURTHER NEED TO COME BACK WITH, UH, SPECIFIC SCORES AGAINST THE CRITERIA THAT STAFF HAS BUILT, UH, I'M PRETTY SURE WE CAN, UM, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CAN TAKE, MEET ANOTHER ROUND AND COME UP WITH, COME UP WITH THOSE SCORINGS.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR ON, ON PROVIDING, UH, WHERE WE WANT THE VANTAGE TO BE.
UH, COMMISSIONER CASADA, I AM GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO SAY I MISSED THE LAST MEETING, SO I, SO I'M ABSORBING AND TRYING TO LISTEN AND, AND TRUST THE PROCESS HERE.
UM, BUT I WONDER IF GOING FORWARD, UM, AS AN ACTIVE, I, I DON'T WANNA GET KIND OF INTO THE MI MINUTIA OF THE, I I TRUST EVERY SINGLE COMMISSIONER HERE.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AS WE ARE, UM, WORKING TOGETHER WITH STAFF.
I WONDER IF IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE A CALENDAR, LIKE DO WE NEED TO SET A TIMELINE LIKE DATES, DUE DATES FOR THE REST OF 2025 AND INTO 2026, AND THEN BACK UP THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND WHEN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, PRESENTS TO COMMISSIONERS, LIKE, DO WE HAVE, DO, CAN WE GET MORE FOCUSED ON THAT? SO IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT FOR THIS WHOLE TEAM AND YOUR MM-HMM
SO, UH, ERICA SHANLEY, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION MANAGER AGAIN, UM, MY GOAL IS TO GET YOU GUYS A FINAL SET OF GUIDELINES IN MAY.
[01:30:01]
I ACTUALLY WAS LOOKING BACK AT OUR ENGAGEMENTS OVER 2021 AND 20 22, 20 23, AND WE'RE FOLLOWING BASICALLY THE, ALMOST EXACTLY TO THE MONTH OF HOW THIS WORKS OF US KIND OF GOING BACK AND FORTH.BUT IT DOES HAVE TO END AT SOME POINT.
UH, WE HAVE TAKEN ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT, AND THEN NEXT MONTH WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE FINAL GUIDELINES BASED ON, AGAIN, THE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE HEARING, REITERATING, YOU KNOW, UH, DESIRES AROUND, UH, OMITTING CERTAIN CRITERIA.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UP TO STAFF TO BE ABLE TO OPERATIONALIZE THESE GUIDELINES AND GET SOME SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND GET A GRANT LAUNCHED.
SO THE GOAL IS TO HAVE KIND OF FINAL GUIDELINES TO YOU GUYS BY NEXT MONTH.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T STILL GIVE US FEEDBACK.
WE'RE ALWAYS TAKING FEEDBACK NO MATTER WHAT, AND WE'LL ALWAYS DO WHAT WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT FEEDBACK THAT IS REASONABLE, LOGICAL, AND ACTIONABLE.
SO, UM, WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THIS FINAL VERSION NEXT MONTH.
YOU CAN STILL GIVE US FEEDBACK, BUT WE WILL NEED TO LAUNCH THIS SUMMER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO KEEP MOVING ON GETTING TO OUR GRANT AGREEMENTS AND GETTING FUNDING DONE.
WHAT I'D ALMOST LIKE TO SAY IS, LIKE, I FEEL LIKE COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND IS A LITTLE SURPRISED AS I AM ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAIL OF THE WORKING GROUP AND HAPPENS EVERY YEAR
SO THAT, THAT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE.
I'M NOT, I DON'T FEEL PERSONALLY TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THE, NOT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, SCRATCH THAT WORD.
THE, UM, THE FEED FEEDBACK, FEED FEEDBACK,
BUT I, I JUST FEEL LIKE AT SOME TIME, AT SOME POINT, I DON'T KNOW IF THE STAT, IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO JUST ALWAYS THROW Y'ALL OUR FEEDBACK.
LIKE, I DO WONDER IF WE NEED TO HAVE A TIMELINE TO HELP US JUST STRUCTURALLY FOCUS ON EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS DURING YEAH, OUR WORK AS A COMMISSION.
I THINK SINCE JANUARY WE, I HAVE TARGETED MAY AS THE FINAL GUIDELINES.
AND SO YES, WE'RE JUST GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN DO BACK AND FORTH.
'CAUSE WE DO WANT TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AND I DO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GO LOOK AT THE BACKUP FROM LAST MEETING, UH, THE PRESENTATION AROUND THE AUSTIN LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT HAD EVERYTHING THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AND LIKE IN CATEGORIES IN THE WAITING FOR, FROM THE WORKING GROUP, AND THEN WHAT STAFF RECOMMENDED.
AND THEN WE KIND OF MASHED IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE SCORING MATRICES.
AND I GUESS I'M MORE CONCERNED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE LIKE, IS THIS PROCESS WORKING? DO WE NEED TO SOLIDIFY SOME DATES IN THE FUTURE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S KIND OF MESSY.
THAT MIGHT JUST BE MY FEELINGS.
WELL, THAT'S ALSO, WE'RE GOING THROUGH TRANSITION.
UM, OUT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT INTO THE AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE OF ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, UH, CANDACE COOPER HERE IS GOING TO BE WORKING WITH ALL OF THE GRANTS AROUND A LARGER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN, UH, BECAUSE WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY IN MUSIC THAN IN ARTS OR WITH CSAP, YOU KNOW.
AND SO WE NEED TO DEFINITELY KIND OF BRING THAT IN SO THAT IT'S, UH, ONE VOICE IN TERMS OF, SO THAT WE CAN LEVEL SET EXPECTATIONS WITH ALL COMMISSIONERS, WHETHER IT'S ARTS OR MUSIC OR ANYONE ELSE.
SO, UH, SO JUST BEAR WITH US, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS PICK IT'S COUPLE MONTHS.
IT'S NOT JUST STAFF, I BELIEVE I'M NOT ADDRESSING JUST STAFF.
I'M TALKING ABOUT US WORKING TOGETHER.
CAN I, CAN I ALSO ADD, JUST SO WE ARE ALL REMINDED, ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE ALWAYS SENT TO EVERYBODY.
UM, PART OF THE JOB IS BEING AWARE OF WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT FORMER MEETINGS, BOTH FOR THE MINUTES AND SO THAT YOU CAN COME PREPARED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
WHAT ERICA AND NAGA VALLEY WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN IS THAT THE TIMELINE IN ESSENCE WAS MAY, THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
YOU HAVE THE LIBERTY TO SET A SCHEDULE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH YOUR TIME AS A WORKING GROUP, UM, SO THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK TO OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, YOU CAN COLLABORATE WITH US IN FEEDBACK.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE THE LIBERTY TO DO.
AND ME, ERICA, AND EVERYBODY ELSE HERE ARE DEF WE CAN PROVIDE CLARITY FOR YOUR WORKING GROUPS.
BUT, UM, HONESTLY, IN MY OPINION, WORKING GROUPS, THAT SCHEDULE SHOULD ALL THAT THAT Y'ALL HAVE, YOU HAVE, YOU CAN DO THAT.
YOU CAN BE READY FOR OUR MEETINGS, BUT, UM, WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE CLARITY.
SO ERICA AND STAFF JUST OFFERED IT LAST MEETING, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY GREAT THAT WE COULD DO.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT FEEDBACK.
'CAUSE MORE TIME WAS OFFERED TO US TO HAVE MORE OF YOUR FEEDBACK AND TO HAVE ANOTHER EXTRA MONTH TO SET A SCHEDULE TO MEET AMONGST YOURSELVES AND HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
AND ANY DOCUMENTS THAT YOU EVER NEED ARE ALWAYS SENT TO EVERYBODY, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE OR NOT.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE ALWAYS, LIKE, OUR VIDEOS ARE ALWAYS POSTED, AND I ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU SEE AN AGENDA ITEM OR SOMETHING YOU WANNA BE READY FOR, FOR
[01:35:01]
NEXT MEETING, YOU CAN JUST GO IMMEDIATELY TO THAT AGENDA ITEM.AND I, I KNOW THAT I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THAT TOO.
I GUESS I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE NEED TO GET MORE SCHEDULED AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M, THESE ARE LIKE, UH, LIKE QUESTIONS NOT COMING.
LIKE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN IMPROVE UPON? IS, IS REALLY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK LIKE, ON A TIMELINE, BUT THAT IS THE, THE VERY PRAGMATIC PERSON IN ME.
LIKE, CAN'T WE HAVE THESE DATES THAT WE'RE WORKING UP? YEAH, I MEAN, TYPICALLY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A TIMELINE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BUT THERE'S JUST BEEN SO MUCH STILL EVOLUTION HAPPENING WITHIN MUSIC.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH OF A SILOED THING HAPPENING IN ACROSS ALL FUNDING PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE OVERLAPPING ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES.
THIS IS NOT OUT OF NO, YOU KNOW, SHAMING OR ANY LIKE TOTALLY, YOU KNOW, UPSETNESS.
THIS IS JUST ME REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT UPON THIS.
AND I KNOW EVERYONE'S WORKING VERY HARD AND WE'RE ALL COMING FROM A GOOD PLACE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY EXCITED FOR ACME BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT OF ACME IS THAT THE CITY IS PLACING A HUGE AMOUNT OF IMPORTANCE IN THE FACT THAT WE COME TOGETHER AND WE COORDINATE BETTER.
AND SO I'M, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, CANDACE COOPER TO DO THAT IN LINE WITH ALL FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER AROUND CULTURE AND ARTS AND MUSIC AND, UM, SO WE WILL GET BETTER.
WE ALWAYS SHOULD STRIVE TO BE BETTER.
AND ALSO, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THE FEEDBACK ON THAT.
AS A REMINDER, STAFF CAN BE INVITED TO WORK IN GROUP MEETINGS TO ALSO HELP YOU KIND OF GET DIRECTION AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, AS THAT YOU REQUEST IT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR OUR FAMILIES.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT TIP, THANK YOU.
BUT YEAH, WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME AND I CAN ALWAYS HELP YOU COLLABORATE ON THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS SCHEDULING AND, AND SEEING WHATEVER EXPERTISE YOU NEED, GETTING YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
COMMISSIONER AGUILAR, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING AGAIN, JUST GOING BACK TO, TO YOU GUYS' POINT AS FAR AS WHERE THIS INFORMATION COME FROM, AND THANK YOU SHELBY, FOR SAYING, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE, EVERYTHING WE'VE DISCUSSED.
'CAUSE I, AND WHAT I, UNDER WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM THIS, UH, CONVERSATION WHEN, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, NAGA STARTED, UH, WAS THAT, UH, IT WAS JUST A RESPONSE TO, YOU KNOW, THE CRITERIA THAT WAS BEING SO WE'RE NOT CREATING RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL CLEAR ON THAT.
UH, I I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT THAT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WAS FEELING LIKE, YEAH, THIS IS, THESE ARE, THIS IS JUST, THAT'S WHAT I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.
SAY, HEY, LOOK, NOW HOW WE GO ABOUT THAT? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, I I, I THINK THIS, THIS IS BASICALLY THE PROCESS.
I FEEL LIKE I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEHIND OR DEFINITELY NOT AHEAD, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE THAT BEHIND.
MAYBE US, US AS A GROUP ARE, BUT I THINK THE, THE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CITY, UH, BETWEEN THE STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONER, I, I THINK IS PRETTY CLEAR.
LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO, WHICH IS HERE'S SOME MORE FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
WELL, AM I CLEAR ON THAT? YES.
THAT STATE COMMISSIONER, I THINK IN ALL, IN ALL DUE RESPECTS, I THINK THAT, THAT THE CONFUSION COMES FROM BOTH OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE ABSENT LAST MEETING.
BUT EVERYBODY WHO WAS ON THE WORKING GROUP IS IN FULL UNDERSTANDING.
THERE WAS A CONVERSATION, A PRESENTATION GIVEN BY STAFF.
WE TOOK THE FEEDBACK BECAUSE WE WERE ALL HERE.
IF YOU WERE HERE, REMEMBER, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
WE NEED TO HAVE TIME TO DISSECT.
THIS CHAIR DID A FANTASTIC JOB SCHEDULING THE WORKING GROUP.
EVERYBODY THAT WAS ABLE TO BE THERE WAS THERE, IT WAS OPEN TO EVERYONE.
AND WE CAME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I, I, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS TIMELINE THING.
AND, AND THE CONFUSION IT THAT, TO SHELBY'S POINT, THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
EVERY SINGLE EMAIL I KNOW I HAD STRUGGLED WITH AT FIRST, SHE MADE IT VERY CLEAR ON A COMMISSION MEETING.
IT'S IN YOUR CALENDAR, ALL THE DOCUMENTS ARE THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED, SORRY, BUT THE COMMISSION IN THE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE WORKING GROUP DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE LAST MEETING.
I MEAN, IT'S, YEAH, NO, I, I, AND JUST, I'M SORRY FOR THE RECORD, LIKE I KNEW THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS FEEDBACK, THIS FEEDBACK, THIS IS JUST FEEDBACK, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I JUST, OKAY.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PRICE FOR CLARIFYING.
COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN CHARLOTTE AS WELL.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR LE NOT LEVERAGE, UM, THE, THE WEIGHTAGE AND, AND HOW MANY THINGS SHOULD BE WEIGHTED, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, WELL, I THINK COMMISSIONER MAD WHAT SHE, SHE STRAIGHTENED ME OUT ON THAT.
LIKE SHE WAS EXPLAINING THAT BASICALLY Y'ALL HAVE PROVIDED THAT AS WELL ALREADY.
SO WE PROVIDED THAT AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, RIGHT? SO THINGS HAVE BEEN REARRANGED A BIT.
UM, SO I'M REQUESTING STAFF TO TAKE OUR
[01:40:01]
ORIGINAL WEIGHTAGE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO CONSIDERATION AND ADJUSTED AS, AS IT, IT, IT SEEMS NECESSARY, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT BECAUSE WE DID PROVIDE WHERE, WHERE WE WANTED TO PUT THE EMPHASIS ON AND PERCENTAGES WHEN WE HAD THE RECOMMENDATION.UM, SO JUST FII, THERE IS A VENUE SECTION THAT WE NEED TO COVER THAT I'M
SO, UM, COMM UH, SORRY, ERICA, PLEASE, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, YEAH, I'LL PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AFTER THAT.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL GO AND REVIEW VENUES.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UM, CALL UP MR.
SO JUST ABOUT THE WEIGHTAGE, AGAIN, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LAST PRESENTATION, WE JUST KIND OF PUT IT VERY CLEARLY, THIS IS WHAT YOUR WEIGHTAGE WAS, THIS IS WHAT STAFF IS, RIGHT? I WANT YOU GUYS TO GO AND JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT STAFF IS SAYING, AND SAME THING WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IN THE SAKE OF TRANSPARENCY, IT'S SO THAT IT'S DISCUSSED THAT THERE ARE NO SURPRISES WHEN IT COMES TO WHY ONE SECTION MAY HAVE MORE POINTS THAN ANOTHER.
WE BROUGHT IT UP, WE DISCUSSED IT, AND, UH, AND WE MOVE ON.
UH, BECAUSE STAFF WILL ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE AGAIN, WHAT IS ACTIONABLE, REASONABLE FALLS WITHIN THE STATUTE IN TAKING ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT WHERE WE CAN ALWAYS THANK YOU.
SO I THINK WE, WE CAN, UH, GO AHEAD AND COMMISSIONER SILVA, ARE YOU GOOD? OH, I SAW YOUR HAND EARLIER.
I WAS GONNA ASK A KIND OF A PROCESS QUESTION.
AND SO BASED ON WHAT I HEARD, THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING A WORKING GROUP, THE, THE, THE COMMISSION ASKED A WORKING GROUP TO TAKE A LOOK AND PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT STAFF PRESENTED HERE.
THIS ITEM ISN'T AN ACTION ITEM.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST A PRESENTATION FROM THE WORKING GROUP TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH AND YES.
ABOUT WHAT THE STAFF PRESENTED LAST MONTH.
AND IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS YES.
IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM, SO YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT.
SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF LIKE, HERE'S WHAT YOU, WHEN YOU GOT TO DETAIL, DIVE INTO THE DETAILS AND SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON IT.
HERE'S THE THOUGHTS THAT YOU HAVE, AND NOW THE WHOLE COMMISSION CAN, CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
AND SO I'M, I TOOK IT AT THAT AND SAID, I'M REALLY ANXIOUS OR TO, UH, UH, ANTICIPATE HEARING WHAT THE WORKING GROUP DISCOVERED OR, OR PULLED UP.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M READY TO HEAR WHAT THE VENUES, UH, PORTION OF IT TOO.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION TO STAFF STAFF'S JUST GONNA GET TO LISTEN TO OUR DISCUSSION AND THEN TRY TO INCORPORATE WHATEVER THEY HAVE FOR THEIR FINAL DOCUMENT THAT THEY PROVIDE NEXT MONTH.
DO I HAVE THAT PRETTY YET? ABS OKAY.
MY CONCERN WITH THAT THOUGH, ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
MY, MY COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
MY CONCERN WITH THAT THOUGH, IS THAT FOR THE, THE, IS THAT DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR LAPTOP, IS THAT DOCUMENT SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION? NO, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE THAT.
IT'S NOT, BUT IT'S FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
IT'S THE OUTPUT FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
TWO, I WAS PART OF THE, I WAS PART OF THE, I'M OBLIG TO SHARE THIS AHEAD OF TIME.
LET ME, UH, THAT I WAS PART OF THE WORKING ON GROUP THOUGH, AND I WAS NOT INVITED TO THAT MEETING.
YES, YOU WERE PART OF THE LAST WORKING GROUP.
MY INTENT LAST TIME WAS TO CLOSE THE WORKING GROUP OUT BASED ON THE RUBRIC THAT STAFF PROVIDED.
UH, THE SUGGESTION WAS TO CONTINUE THE WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMISSION AT THAT POINT DECIDED TO INCLUDE SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS INTO THE MIX.
AND BASICALLY, MYSELF OR, UH, COMMISSIONER CARVALHO ALSO JUST SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE WILLING TO STEP OUT IF, IF YOU WANTED TO COME BACK IN AND JOIN.
BUT ESSENTIALLY AT THAT POINT, THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE WORKING GROUP WITH SOME NEW MEMBERS WITHOUT ME.
MY FEELINGS ARE HEARD ABOUT THAT.
BUT THIS DOCUMENT HERE THAT YOU ARE NOW JUST TELLING US ABOUT, THAT'S EIGHT PAGES LONG.
WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF AGREE TO IT, AND THEN IT'S GONNA GO BACK TO CITY STAFF AND THEY'RE GONNA MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THIS THING.
SO BASICALLY, TECHNICALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE'RE SKIPPING THE RECOMMENDATION PROCESS OF THESE NEW GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN COOKED UP, WHICH WAS PART OF MY ARGUMENT THE LAST TIME I PRESENTED TO THIS COMMISSION.
AND NOW IT GOES BACK TO CITY STAFF, AND THEN I CAN TELL YOU WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE SOME THINGS AND THEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA TAKE OTHERS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
COMMISSIONER LIN, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THESE ARE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS, THIS IS FEEDBACK.
WE ARE NOT VOTING ON ANY OF THIS.
BUT YOU'RE SENDING THAT TO THEM AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THIS.
I, I COULD, I COULD, I'LL SHARE IT WITH THE COMMISSION AS WELL.
WE COULD STILL COME BACK WITH COMMENTS, BUT THE RECOMME OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, YOU CAN SHARE RIGHT NOW, THIS
[01:45:01]
IS WHAT THIS OPPORTUNITY IS FOR.SO FEEL FREE EVERYBODY TO ADD IDEAS, THOUGHTS, NEGATIVE, POSITIVE, WHATEVER YOU WANT.
LET'S, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, THOUGHTS, JUST GET IT OUT RIGHT NOW, WITHIN GOOD TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE PUBLIC COMMS AS WELL THAT'S WAITING ON US.
AND AS OPPORTUNITY, AS FAR AS FUNDAMENTAL.
AS FAR AS FUNDAMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION CODE, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN VOTED AND SENT ON.
UM, SHOULD WE MOVE ON TO VENUES? ARE WE READY FOLKS? YEAH.
UM, SO THE VERY FIRST THING IN THE VENUES WAS THAT THERE WAS, UH, A PRIORITY ITEM IN THE VENUES THAT BASICALLY SAID THAT THE WORKING GROUP HAD, UH, PREVIOUS CITY FUNDING AS A PRIORITY ITEM.
SO, UH, I JUST, UH, I THINK I'VE ALREADY INFORMED ERICA ABOUT IT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A CONSIDERATION FOR PREVIOUS CITY FUNDING IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VENUES EITHER.
WE DON'T WANT, AGAIN, VENUES OR INDEPENDENT PROMOTERS OR MUSICIANS TO BE PENALIZED BECAUSE THEY GOT THE GRANT, UH, THE PREVIOUS YEAR OR TWO YEARS BACK.
UM, SIMILAR TO, UH, MUSICIANS WITHIN LIVE MUSIC VENUE DEVELOPMENT, WE HAD, WE HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO FINANCIAL LENDING, QCT, NO PREVIOUS LIVE MUSIC FUND BOARD.
ONCE AGAIN, UH, WE ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF INCLUDING ANY OF THESE IN, UH, THE CRITERIA.
UH, AS A BUSINESS, WE WOULD ASSUME THAT, UH, A LIVE MUSIC VENUE OF ANY SORT WILL HAVE ACCESS TO SOME FINANCIAL LENDING.
SO TO USE THAT, UH, TO PENALIZE, UH, UH, UH, A LIVE MUSIC VENUE, UH, DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO US.
UH, SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THESE THREE REMOVED FROM THE LIVE MUSIC FAN, UH, VENUE DEVELOPMENT ITEM.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION AROUND THE GOVERNING, UM, UH, BASICALLY THE GOVERNING CRITERIA, RIGHT? SO IN OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE SAID THAT WE WANT A STRICT DEFINITION OF VENUES, WHAT WE VOTED ON.
I SAID THAT WE WANTED A STRICT DEFINITION OF VENUES.
WE WANT THAT TO SERVE AS A BARRIER OR A THRESHOLD OF ENTRY, ESSENTIALLY.
SO IF YOU MEET SO AND SO CRITERIA FOR A VENUE, YOU CAN APPLY, OTHERWISE YOU CANNOT EVEN APPLY THE RUBRIC THAT STAFF PRESENTED.
BASICALLY ALLOWED ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO APPLY IN AND THEN PUT THE BURDEN OF PROOF ON THEM TO BASICALLY PROVE, UH, IN DIFFERENT WAYS HOW, UH, THEY, THEY ARE, UH, OR, OR MEET DIFFERENT CRITERIA AND HOW THEY ARE, UH, ALLOWED.
WE STILL FEEL STRONGLY THAT BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED FUNDS, THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR CRITERIA ON WHAT DEFINES A LIVE MUSIC VENUE.
AND, AND ONLY THOSE FOLKS SHOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY.
STAFF HAS, I THINK, ALSO STRONG, UH, UH, IDEAS AROUND WHY THAT IS AN ISSUE.
AND, AND EVERYONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS TO PROVE HOW THEY'RE SUPPORTING MUSIC.
IF THAT IS THE CASE, OUR RECOMMENDATION OR OUR SUGGESTION IS THAT WE USE THE GOVERNING DEFINITION AND VARIOUS CRITERIA UNDERNEATH THAT, THAT DEFINES A, A MUSIC VENUE.
IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A PERFORMANCE SPACE? DO YOU HAVE A, A BACK LINE? DO YOU HAVE SECURITY, A BOOKER? SO MANY, UH, VARIOUS CRITERIA.
WE WANT THOSE CRITERIA TO BE SCORED AT, AT STRONGLY SO THAT THE VENUES THAT ARE TRULY SUPPORTING LIVE MUSIC, THAT ARE TRULY LIVE MUSIC VENUES CAN FILTER UP ESSENTIALLY THROUGH THE SCORING MECHANISM.
WE WOULD STILL PREFER THAT TO BE, UH, A CRITERIA FOR EVEN APPLYING.
BUT IF THAT'S, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN, THEN WE WOULD WANT THE GOVERNING DEFINITION TO HAVE STRONG WEIGHTAGE ON, YOU KNOW, WHO GETS, YOU KNOW, WHO GETS PRIORITIZED.
AND WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES, UH, THAT ARE STRUGGLING, UH, AND WITH THESE LIMITED FUNDS HAVE ACCESS TO THESE FUNDS.
SO BEYOND THAT, UH, WE HAD SIMILAR ITEMS LIKE ACCESSIBILITY, NON-ENGLISH, UH, SPEAKING COMMUNITIES, PROGRAMMING AND FEATURES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES.
UM, SAME COMMENTS AS WE SEE, UM, IN, IN, FOR MUSICIANS.
UH, MAKE A DA QUESTIONS, ACCESSIBILITY QUESTIONS VERY CLEAR.
UM,
YOU COULD ASK SOME EXA UH, QUESTIONS LIKE, DO YOU PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY INFO ON YOUR WEBSITE? DO YOU HAVE A CONTACT PERSON FOR ACCESSIBILITY INQUIRIES? DO YOU HAVE WRITTEN ACCESSIBILITY POLICIES? SO JUST BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS.
WHEN IT COMES TO AN EXAMPLE, LIKE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION, PROVIDE TWO EXAMPLES OF EVENTS WHERE A SL INTERPRETERS WERE AVAILABLE
[01:50:01]
IN THE PAST YEAR OR THE PAST SIX MONTHS.SO ASK VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AROUND ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, REMOVE THE QUESTION FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING AUDIENCE.
UM, IF IT IS ABOUT OUTREACH TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND THROUGH NON-ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS, UH, PROMOTIONS OF EVENTS THROUGH THAT, THAT SEEMS MORE VIABLE THAN INSISTING THAT A VENUE PROVIDE PROGRAMMING IN NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING, UH, UH, OR OR TOO LONG NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING, OR RATHER, RATHER PROGRAMMING IN A, IN, IN A, IN A LANGUAGE THAT'S NOT ENGLISH, ESSENTIALLY.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT CAME UP IS, UH, FOR VENUES SPECIFICALLY, IS, UM, HOW ABOUT INSTEAD OF SAYING PROGRAMMING FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES, HOW, HOW ABOUT WE SAY GENRE DIVERSITY? GIVE AN EXAMPLE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR LIKE THREE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GENRES, RIGHT? UH, IT COULD BE, UM, UH, A HIP HOP SHOWCASE, AND THEN IT CAN BE A, AND SOMETHING ELSE, RIGHT? SO, SO MAYBE SHOW DIVERSITY AND SUPPORT FOR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THROUGH, THROUGH, UH, GENRE DIVERSITY ESSENTIALLY, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, SPECIFYING LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO WITHIN, UM, WITHIN THE ECON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, BUCKET STAFF HAD, UH, IN THE RUBRIC QUESTIONS LIKE, MORE THAN 50% OF INCOME IS GENERATED THROUGH MUSIC EVENTS, HIRES 40% LOCAL MUSICIANS HIRES LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CREATIVES FOR OPERATIONS, PERFORMANCE TICKET SALES.
THIS IS ALL FROM THE RUBRIC THAT WAS PROVIDED.
LAST, UH, IN THE LAST MEETING, PROVIDES FREE OR LOW COST TEMPORARY SPACE FOR OTHER CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, TRACK RECORD OF ADDING LOCAL BANDS OF SUPPORT FOR TOURING SHOWS, PROVIDES INTERNSHIPS, UM, HOST BENEFIT CONCERTS.
SO ONE OF THE EMPHASIS WAS IN THE FIRST YEAR, AS WE ARE SETTING THESE, SOME OF THESE NEW QUESTIONS FORWARD, THERE IS NO STANDARD DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE, UM, TO PROVE HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW THESE CRITERIA HAS BEEN MET.
AND SO SOME OF THESE WILL HAVE TO BE THROUGH AN OWNER SYSTEM, UH, IN THE FIRST YEAR THIS YEAR, IF THESE ARE ROLLED OUT.
AND THE ASK IS FOR CITI TO WORK WITH THE INDUSTRY TO COME UP WITH DUE DOCUMENTATION, UM, CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, UH, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SAY HOW MANY OF YOUR ARTISTS WERE LOCAL, 40% OF YOUR ARTISTS WERE LOCAL VERSUS, UH, NATIONAL ARTISTS, RIGHT? SO HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO SHOW THAT? SO THIS YEAR, IT COULD BE SHOW FIVE EXAMPLES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SFI EXAMPLES IN THE LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A STANDARDIZED, SOME STANDARD WAY OF ASKING FOR THEIR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF IT'S A SPREADSHEET OR, OR, OR SOMETHING SIMPLE THAT VENUES CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE THAT EVIDENCE, RIGHT? SO, SIMILARLY, INCOME, WHEN WE SAY INCOME FROM MUSIC, SALES, MUSIC EVENTS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, IS IT, IS IT ALCOHOL SALES? IS IT, UH, TICKET SALES? WHAT DOES THAT ENCOMPASS? RIGHT? SO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE PROVIDE, UM, SOME WAY OF, UH, A DOCUMENT REQUIREMENT ON HOW THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, SHOWN BASICALLY.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE ASK ESSENTIALLY IS, IS, AND THEN, UM, THE MORE SHOWS HOSTED, THE MORE POINTS ABOUT, ESSENTIALLY THAT IS ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR A LIVE MUSIC VENUE.
SO MAYBE PROVIDE RANGES THERE.
UM, TICKET SALES, UH, WAS SEEN AS A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE VENUE THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THE SMALLER VENUES COULD, COULD GET DISADVANTAGED IF TICKET SALES BECAME A CRITERIA.
UH, SO THAT, THAT WAS, UH, NOT PARTICULARLY FAVORED WHEN IT CAME TO INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, UH, THIS WAS NOT STRONGLY FAVORED.
WHAT WAS FAVORED MORE WAS PERHAPS THE IDEA THAT DOES THE VENUE HIRE TEMPORARY STAFF, UH, OR PERMANENT STAFF DURING BUSY TIMES.
UM, SOUND ENGINEERS, PRODUCTION STAFF, UH, AND OTHER MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS THAT THE VENUES HIRING AS OPPOSED TO, UH, INTERNSHIP, INTERNSHIP OR APP APPRENTICE, UH, PROVIDING THAT.
UH, SO THOSE WERE KIND OF THE MAIN THINGS IN, UH, AROUND VENUES, ESSENTIALLY.
A LOT OF IT THAT ARE COMMON THAT WERE NOT LIKED ON THE MUSICIAN, INDEPENDENT PROMOTER SIDE.
WERE ALSO NOT LIKED FOR, UH, VENUES LIKE THE QCT AND MULTI-LANGUAGE, ET CETERA.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME ITEMS VERY SPECIFIC TO THE VENUES
[01:55:01]
IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH REVENUE ARE YOU GENERATING FROM MUSIC EVENTS, UM, INTERNSHIPS OR, OR TEMPORARY STAFF THAT WERE VERY VENUE SPECIFIC.UH, AND AGAIN, I CAN GO AHEAD AND SHARE THIS DOCUMENT WITH STAFF, BUT, UH, I WOULD PAUSE THERE FOR, FOR A MOMENT.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO INVITE, UH, MR. BTA, THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT, UH, FOR COMING UP, UH, AND SPEAKING UP, SPEAKING HERE.
NO, I'M LOOKING IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS YOU WANNA HOLD OFF, UH, LET, LET'S GET MR.
YEAH, I, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU TO THE WORKING GROUP FOR ALL THIS FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER.
I KNOW THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS SOME, A LOT OF THINKING AND YOU TOOK THE EXTRA STEP PAST THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO GIVE FEEDBACK BASED ON WHAT THE STAFF GAVE YOU, AND IT THIS, IF IT, AND IT, APPARENTLY, IT SEEMS VERY REASONABLE TO STAFF'S TIME CONSTRAINTS.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HARD WORK ON THIS COMMISSION.
HEY, GUYS, COMMISSIONERS, UM, FIRST OF ALL, SORRY I'M A LITTLE UNDER DRESS, DRESS FOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
I JUST CAME FROM THE GYM DOWN THE STREET, UH, BUT, UH, GREAT TO BE HERE.
AND, UM, JUST, UH, WE HAVE SOME NEW FOLKS HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SILVA, WELCOME.
UH, JUST FOR SOME SUPER QUICK BACKGROUND, UH, I AM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS NONPROFIT.
UH, OUR VERY FIRST PROJECT SIX YEARS AGO WAS TO LO I, I SAY LOBBY, BUT WE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY, UH, TO HELP ESTABLISH WHAT WE NOW CALL THE LAB MUSIC FUND.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS SUCH, WE FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP SHEPHERD THIS THING ALONG.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS PLEASED TO SERVE ON, UH, THIS AND MANY OTHER WORKING GROUPS SURROUNDING THIS FUND, UH, FOR MANY YEARS NOW.
UM, AND I THINK I'M JUST HERE TONIGHT AS, UH, JUST TO UNDERLINE A COUPLE OF POINTS.
I'M, I'M JUST A BIG OLD HUMAN HIGHLIGHTER TONIGHT, AND I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC POINTS AROUND, UH, AGAIN, THE, UM, QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, BANKING, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL INFORMATION, UM, UH, QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK AND, UH, NON, UH, ENGLISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSEHOLD, AWARDING EXTRA POINTS FOR THAT AS COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND HAS POINTED OUT SEVERAL TIMES, UH, IN THE PAST, THAT THIS INADVERTENTLY DOES PENALIZE, UH, OTHER, UH, DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING VERY HARD, UH, TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
UM, AND ALSO, I WILL REITERATE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE BROUGHT UP BEFORE THAT, UH, A LOT OF THESE FUNDS, UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE KNOW, DEI INITIATIVES ARE UNDER FIRE AND ARE IN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE RIGHT NOW.
AND CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ANY FUND IN DANGER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU GUYS MAY HAVE ALREADY DETERMINED THAT, THAT THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE, BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA BE AS SAFE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DILIGENT AS POSSIBLE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE, WE KEEP THIS FUND AROUND LONG AFTER WE'RE ALL, UH, GONE, RIGHT? UM, SO JUST WANTED TO UNDERLINE THOSE POINTS AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T INADVERTENTLY PENALIZE, UH, DIVERSE MUSICIANS BY ADDING IN THESE PARAMETERS.
AND ALSO TO UNDERLINE THE FACT THAT I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH DIVERSITY INITIATIVES WITH INCREASED MARKETING TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE, LET'S, LET'S UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE MARKETING TO THESE COMMUNITIES? ARE WE REACHING OUT TO DAWA, WE REACHING OUT TO, UH, THE AUSTIN TEJANO MUSIC COALITION AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SATURATING THESE COMMUNITIES.
ARE WE REACHING OUT TO THE L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND MAKE SURE WE HIT ALL THOSE POINTS AND, AND MAKE SURE TO SATURATE IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, LAST COUPLE OF THINGS I'LL BRING UP THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD TONIGHT.
UH, NUMBER ONE, I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S SEEN THE NEWS, BUT, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS NOW DO HAVE TO PAY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES.
THIS IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION.
UH, SO THAT'LL INCREASE THE FUND IN COMING YEARS.
THIS IS, THIS IS ONE REASON TO CELEBRATE TONIGHT.
WE CAN, WE CAN ALL REJOICE IN THAT.
[02:00:01]
THE OTHER ONE, UH, BEING THAT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST BRING IT UP HERE AND RECOMMEND THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THIS IS ALL ON A TIMELINE AND WE WANT TO GET THIS THING DONE DILIGENTLY, BUT, UM, WE HAVE A NEW OFFICE.I THINK SHE JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM A MOMENT AGO.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS, UH, WE SHOULDN'T FINALIZE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE, UH, THE, UH, PROCESSING INTAKE IS DONE, UH, WITH THE ACME OFFICE.
THEY'RE JUST GETTING UP AND RUNNING AND KIND OF GETTING A LAY OF THE LAND.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT ALL THIS INFORMATION AND MAKING RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THIS AND, UM, ALL THE OTHER CAD FUNDS.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR INPUT AS WELL AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR PAT? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU PAT, SO MUCH FOR ALSO, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I THINK, WELL THAT'S THE, UH, END OF THIS, UH, LONG TOPIC.
UH, MY REQUEST TO STAFF WOULD BE TO TAKE ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK INTO CONSIDERATION AND REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO WHY WE FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT CERTAIN ITEMS. UH, AND I HOPE THAT THOSE WILL BE, UH, TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS YOU BUILD THE NEXT, UM, OR TO THE, UH, WHAT MIGHT BE THE FINAL RUBRIC FOR, UM, ROLLING OUT THESE FUNDS THIS YEAR.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE DOCUMENT THAT THE WORKING GROUP PRODUCED GETS SENT TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION JUST SURELY YES.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT WAS, UH, PASSED BY THIS COMMISSION.
TWO MEETINGS BEFORE THAT WILL BE IN BACKUP.
I'LL SEND YOU THE LINK FOR THAT.
AND THEN, UM, UH, THIS DOCUMENT I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE WITH EVERYBODY YEAH.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR, UH, BEING PATIENT THROUGH THAT.
[7. Conduct elections for officers; Chair, Vice Chair, Parliamentarian and Secretary for 2025- 2026 term]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS. SO FIRST OF ALL, UH, THE FIRST ITEM IN HERE IS, UH, CONDUCT ELECTIONS FOR OFFICERS, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, PARLIAMENTARIAN, AND SECRETARY FOR, UH, 20 25, 20 26 TERM.UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, BEFORE WE EVEN, UH, HEAD TO THE TOPIC, I WOULD, UM, UH, SINCERELY LIKE TO THANK THIS COMMISSION, ALL MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR, UM, ASKING ME TO DO THIS JOB FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UM, I HAVE TRULY APPRECIATED THE, THE TRUST AND, UH, YOUR COLLABORATION WITH ME.
UM, SO SHOULD WE START WITH CHAIR? DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR? I NOMINATE NAVAL CHARLA.
DO WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR MYSELF?
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER LAR.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE MYSELF AS CHAIR.
UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND NOMINATED HIMSELF AS CHAIR.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO DO PROCEDURALLY SHELBY HERE, OR CAN WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE VOTE? THERE'S NO MORE, NOT ME.
UM, WE, WE HAD A SECOND, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER CHARLE.
UH, COULD WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, ALL RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE, UH, 1, 2, 3, 6 VOTES, UH, IN FAVOR.
UM, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, HOW DO YOU VOTE? COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND? VOTE TO KNOW.
COMMISSIONER SAI, I TRULY THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS, WHAT I FEEL IS A, IS A REAL PRIVILEGE.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO VICE CHAIR.
UH, DO WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR? IF, IF I MAY, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK COMMISSIONER PATTERSON TO, UH, CONTINUE.
I JUST ALSO DO WANNA SEE THAT IF THERE'S OTHER INTEREST, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON IS MY NOMINATION.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CASADA.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR?
[02:05:03]
OKAY.ALL IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, UH, SIX, UH, VOTES IN FAVOR.
UH, COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND, HOW DO YOU VOTE? COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND VOTES NOW.
SO COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, MOVING ON TO PARLIAMENTARIAN.
DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS OR ANY VOLUNTEERS DO YEAH, PEOPLE CAN SELF NOMINATE.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO? THE GLAMOR OF PARLIAMENTARY BEING PARLIAMENTARY, UM, IT'S ALMOST AS GLAMOROUS AS BEING VICE CHAIR.
IF ANYBODY YEAH, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COVER, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITIES, I MEAN, MAINLY IT'S, UH, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE RULES AND, UH, HELPING US RUN SMOOTHLY.
WE HAVE A, NO ONE ELSE WOULD LIKE COMMISSIONER SILVA.
I SECOND, UH, THAT NOMINATION.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, GOT IT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, MR. SILVA, COMMISSIONER SILVA IS THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
UM, DO WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR SECRETARY COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND? WOULD YOU LIKE TO NOMINATE YOURSELF AGAIN FOR THIS YEAR? I WOULD NOT.
AND JUST FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SECRETARY, IT'S JUST, UM, KIND OF WHAT WE SAW TODAY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT FORMER MEETINGS.
HELPING ME DOUBLE CHECK, UM, AND THEN PREPARING FOR UPCOMING MEETINGS.
DO WE HAVE ANY VOLUNTEERS? I, ALL RIGHT.
UM, WHAT'S THE PROCEDURE IF NOBODY
WE, WE DON'T HAVE A SECRETARY.
DO WE JUST, UM, COULD WE TABLE IT FOR, I'LL FOLLOW UP, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A SECRETARY, SO WE'RE GOOD.
WE GOT, WE'LL FOLLOW UP, BUT WE'RE GOOD ON WAY BACK.
UM, COULD WE, YEAH, WE SHOULD PUT THAT ITEM BACK ON FOR, UH, NEXT MONTH.
SO DO WE NEED TO MOTION FOR THAT OR ARE WE OKAY? WE'RE GOOD.
WE CAN JUST PUT THAT IN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THANK.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
[8. Select a music commission representative for Downtown Commission vacancy. ]
ITEM IS SELECT A MUSIC COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE FOR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION VACANCY.UM, ANY, IS IT VACANT?
WHY? THEY LET US KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY.
ARE YOU? I, SO THEY DID NOT TELL ME.
THAT I HAD BACON
UM, SO I WAS DISTRICT SEVEN NOW COMMISSIONER SILVA IS DISTRICT SEVEN AND I AM NEWLY THE DISTRICT 10 APPOINTEE.
SO THAT MAY BE OKAY WHERE IT CAME YOU, BUT I'M STILL GETTING THE EMAILS FROM IF YOU STILL LIKE TO DO IT, THEN WE'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
UM, I WOULD NOMINATE MYSELF PERIOD.
I SECOND TO STAY ON DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
I MEAN, IF ANYBODY ELSE IS SUPER INTERESTED, WE CAN ALWAYS SWITCH THAT OUT.
UM, BUT IT DOES DOVETAIL REALLY WELL WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND IT'S A LOT OF LAND USE THINGS, WHICH I AM THE PERSON THAT'S INTERESTED IN THAT, BUT IT'S, IT, SOME OF THAT REALLY GETS INTO THE WEEDS.
SO IT'S NOT THE MOST, IT'S NOT AS EXCITING AS THIS COMMISSION, Y'ALL TELL YOU THAT
UM, BUT YEAH, WE, DO WE NEED TO VOTE? NO.
COMMISSIONER PATTERSON CONTINUES ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. MUSICAL PERFORMANCE.AS OF RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL FOLLOW UP.
BUT FEEL FREE TO ADD FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. FEEL FREE.
UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR BOTH THE, THIS MONTH AND THE LAST MONTH.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A LAND USE WORKING GROUP.
UPDATE ON THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
[02:10:01]
STAYS.UM, THE TWO, BOTH THE STAFF BRIEFING STAY, UM, UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS IS WHERE YOUR UPDATE COMES IN.
UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON? YES.
COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT LINE? OH, OKAY.
SO THAT WOULD BE A WORKING, LET'S SEE.
UPDATE FROM THE JOINT ARTS AND LAND, SORRY, LEMME START AGAIN.
UPDATE FROM THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC LAND USE WORKING GROUP ON THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
SO THAT'S A WORKING GROUP UPDATE? YES.
UM, ANYTHING UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS? MOTION? UM, DO WE WANNA TEASE OUT ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FOR THE NEXT MEETING? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF IT WOULD BE INVITING SOMEONE FROM SOUTH BY, OR WOULD IT BE A DISCUSSION ITEM? OR IT COULD BE ANYTHING THAT WE CHOOSE TO.
IT SEEMS THAT THAT IS SOMETHING TO ADDRESS FROM THIS COMMISSION, UM, AND HAVE SOME KIND OF DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT NEXT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER FEEDBACK TO HELP ARTICULATE WHAT THAT MAY BE IN TERMS OF A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? YEAH, I THINK ESPECIALLY SINCE THE, THE MAJOR CHANGES THAT THERE'S NOT A CONVENTION CENTER FOR THE EVENT TO BE HELD AT.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE I THINK, REALLY INTERESTING TO KNOW.
I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE, BUT I, I I THINK THIS COMMISSION, UM, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, HOW THAT'S GONNA BE BROKEN UP INTO OTHER VENUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE SAY, UM, UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS, UM, UPDATE FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ON THE 2026, UH, EVENT, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF VENUE SPACE.
AND, UH, UH, JUST, JUST FII THAT I HAD REACHED OUT TO SOUTH BY, UM, FOR, UH, THIS COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, THE FOLKS I KNEW WERE TRAVELING, THAT'S WHY I REACHED OUT TO OTHER FOLKS TO SEE IF THEY HAD, UH, OTHER CONNECTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE ENTITY.
ANYTHING ELSE UNDER, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS? UH, THE PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, UH, LICENSING REVENUE WITH DISTRIBUTION PROVIDES? RIGHT.
SO WE REPEAT, REPEAT THAT ITEM.
UH, WHAT ELSE? OKAY, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS. ANYTHING FOR NEXT, UH, NEXT MONTH? ALRIGHT, UM, WORKING GROUP UPDATE.
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THIS ITEM OUT, UH, SO THAT WE FORMALLY CLOSE THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, BUT WITH BEFORE THAT I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY CHECK IN OR I CAN DROP AN EMAIL TO, UH, FOLKS THAT, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, IF YOU WANNA MEET ONE MORE TIME AND TALK ABOUT THE WEIGHT AGES.
UH, ERICA, DO YOU STILL SEE VALUE IN THAT IN US EMAILING YOU SOMETHING OR, OR ARE WE GOOD WITH WHAT WE, WE PROVIDED IN OUR RECOMMENDATION? THE MORE THE MERRIER IF YOU WANT.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY DO ONE, ONE CONNECT.
UM, I PROMISE GUYS IT WON'T BE A LONG ONE.
UH, LIKE, WE'LL TALK LATE AGE.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
NEXT MONTH WE CAN SEE IF THERE IS A NEED TO CONTINUE THE WORKING GROUP OR WE CAN CLOSE IT.
UH, SO LET'S VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEMS. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. YOU CAN MOTION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? YOU CAN MOTION.
UH, I MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE ALL OF THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSED SO FAR.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STRICKLAND.
WE GOOD TO GO? MOTION TO ADJOURN OVER LOTS, LOTS OF HANDS.
WE HAVE A FIRST AND MULTIPLE SECONDS, SO, UM, MEETINGS ADJOURNED.
UM, THANK YOU TO STAFF, THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, COMMUNITY THAT CAME IN TO SPEAK TODAY.