Deep in the heart of Te as An Austin Music Exclusive

By: Maya Graziano

F F

or as long as we’ve been around Austin has earned its title of Music Capital of the World. But now the music industry is expanding and changing, but just how much is it changing and can Austin keep up to remain a popular music destination?

As our population grows, Austin grows with it. Certain aspects of the city change and modernize to adapt to the new trends or norms in society. This article will address the Music experience in Austin from many different perspectives. I talked to Friends Bar Manager, Tommy Burghardt, who has been working in the Austin music industry for 10 years. Burghardt started out as a doorman for the bar, worked his way up, and ended up

1720 becoming the manager. I also talked to South By SouthWest photographer, Melissa Bordeau, who has worked with the South by crew for various events ranging from all over Austin. Bordeau has only worked with

SXSW for 3 years, but she describes it as a dream job. Lastly, I talked to Luis Ramirez, an upcoming musician who recently split from his band to pursue a solo career in Music. Ramirez is an original songwriter who writes, sings, and performs Latin Pop music.

Austin is constantly growing, from our population to our attractions this city is very well known. Music is an everchanging industry that is very popular amongst tourists. The reason Austin is such a popular place to visit is because it has a plethora of music within its city. Downtown is filled with local restaurants that have bands and musicians who play in an intimate setting where listeners can just sit, eat their food, and enjoy the music around them. If that’s not your thing we have several concert venues where local or widespread artists play. In addition to concerts ATX is known for its two major music festivals; ACL, which is a festival in Austin that occurs during the fall, and SXSW, which is a festival that occurs in the spring. When I asked Bordeaux what SXSW had to offer she said, “[SXSW] introduces you to artists who haven’t blown up yet and you get the opportunity to see them in this smaller more intimate setting and maybe a year later their blowing up and selling out seating at concerts.” Bordeaux describes attending the festival

I just love how

as eye opening, and it broadened her taste for types of music. SXSW doesn’t just bring artists to Austin, but it lets the artists who already live here play in a very professional setting. The festival provides such a huge opportunity for aspiring musicians to experience new things, meet important people like producers, directors, sponsors etc, be introduced to other artists, and expand their knowledge about new paying gigs. This is what the music industry is about. It’s not just about playing music and getting paid, it’s about meeting new people, and learning new things. Austin’s variety in its music scene caters to the taste of many different people. Because of the range of music venues, musicians, and concerts, it shouldn’t be hard to find something you enjoy. People think about so many different things when they consider what it is that makes listening to music enjoyable. Whether that’s location, styIe, musician, or cost. I asked two different people what they enjoyed about Austin’s Music scene and this is what they said. Austin’s music scene is “casual” says Manager Tommy Burghardt of Friends Bar. “[It] appealed to me because it’s sort of the last low to no cover, shows all the time, people can just walk down the street, see a band they like and then go see them without having to buy tickets in advance kinda place.” Our music industry is known to be a strong supportive community. Even though our city has exploded in size, we haven’t lost our small town appeal. As Burghardt describes, “I just love how Austin’s music industry is such a community, you know, how bands are constantly building each other up and supporting each other”. The current variety in the music industry diversifies the interests locals share. Because Austin is expanding, it can now account for those new interests and provide venues that cater to them.

Friends Bar is a great example of this, because it is a predominantly blues style venue, so when people want to listen to blues music, they know that Friends Bar would be the place to go! So many venues in Austin are like that. They focus more on a specific genre of music that attracts its own scene, rather than having 5 different bands play, one who plays rock, the other pop, jazz etc.

This is also how Austin differs from other music industries, while other industries focus on providing to the universal music scene, Austin focuses on individual music scenes.

Part of the charm of Austin’s music industry are the several artists that contribute to it. As Austin grows the experience of being a musician changes. As part of the entertainment aspect of the music industry, I wanted to include what it is like being a musician who works in the music industry in Austin.

As a part of its music scene it is important to understand the effort that goes into being an Austin musician. I talked to Luis Ramirez, a local musician who specializes in Latin pop music. He describes being a musician in Austin as “rewarding, challenging, and definitely not easy” He has been playing professionally for about 10 years, not including time during the pandemic.He says that Austin started out closed off from Spanish, Latin, and multicultural music in general. “I first started back in 2010 and there were certain venues that wouldn’t allow Spanish speaking performers to perform Latin or Spanish music at all, everything had to be in English”. He says that as time went on he noticed that audiences shared a larger acceptance of varieties in music, and not just Latin, but queer music too. Music venues broadened their availability for Latin artists to play, which made it easier for him to get his music out there and have people hear his work. The thing he loves most about music, he says, is that “music is a way that I can really express myself and make sense of experiences I’ve had” He says that he loves how he “can create [his] art and share it with the world”. Ramirez also works as a Spanish teacher at LASA highschool, and he shares his love for Latin music with his students. Many have said that Mr. Ramirez inspired them to start listening to Latin music, and now they have a newfound love for it. “ Mr. Ramirez introduced me to the late Latin artist Selena, and now she’s all I listen to. She has become someone that I aspire to be!”says a student at LASA highschool. Music can touch so many people and bring them together. It is such a historically important aspect of the social community that surrounds Austin, so many locals couldn’t imagine this city without it!

Music courses through the veins of Austin. It has been a part of ATX for as long as ATX has been around. We started with music, and it won’t ever leave until we do! Over the years Austin is prone to change, but I hope that Music will remain the heart and soul of this beautiful city. If you are ever visiting and are looking for something to do, check out all of the music venues and local musicians that are in Austin.