Tone Deaf by LASA Ezine

Tone Deaf Ezin e Fal l 2020

Tabl e of Contents 6

Meet the Editor s

Mor e than Music

By AmelieHonegger

How W ell Do You Know Me? By AmelieHonegger

Get to Know Austin's Most Popular Live Music Hotspots By MateoRives

16 Tone Deaf, Page 4

The Austin Live Music Scene By MateoRives

Musical Madness By Morgan Walker

Finding Music W ithin Mayhem By Morgan Walker

Keeping Austin Musical

By ZacKahn

How to Get and Pl ay a Gig By ZacKahn

Making a Music Scene By Wesley Lindelow

Music Evolution By Wesley Lindelow

For year s, th e city of Au stin h as teem ed with l ive m u sic ven u es an d a r ich m u sical l an dscape, an d was coin ed th e Live M u sic Capital of th e wor l d. In th is m agazin e, we expl or e ever yth in g fr om th e l ife of a per for m in g m u sician , th e h istor y of m u sic in Au stin , th e m u sic pr ogr am s at an Au stin h igh sch ool , an d th e detail s beh in d Au stin City Lim its an d Sou th by Sou th west. Th e editor s, Am el ie, M ateo, M or gan , W esl ey an d Zac each dig deep in to an aspect of Au stin ?s gr eat m u sical l an dscape. W e wor k ed h ar d over a sem ester an d cr eated th is m aster piece for you gu ys to en joy. H appy r eadin g! - Am el ie, Zac, M or gan

Photo provided by Visit Austin

W esl ey,& M ateo

Photo provided by StubHub

Letter Fr om the Editor s Tone Deaf, Page 6

Mat eo

14 year s ol d Extr over t Loves to pl ay video gam es W an ts to be a l awyer Scar ed of scor pion s

Amelie

14 year s ol d In tr over t Loves to pl ay vol l eybal l W an ts to do som eth in g in scien ce Fear s th e deep, u n k n own ocean

14 year s ol d Am biver t Loves to pl ay basebal l Doesn 't k n ow wh at car eer h e wan ts Fear s sl eepin g th r ou gh h is al ar m

15 year s ol d Am biver t Loves to bak e Fear s cock r oach es an d pr ocr astin ation Aim s for l aw sch ool

Zac

Mor gan

Wesley

14 year s ol d In tr over t Lik es to r ead an d do r esear ch on l in e Fear s al l bu t th e sm al l est r ol l er coaster s W an ts to pu r su e a car eer in scien ce or m ath em atics

More than Music How Music Fest ivals Impact so Much Mor e Than Just your Weekend By: Amelie H onegger

Roughly 450,000 people gathered for Austin City Limits in October 2019 at Zilker Park. This year had an economic impact of $264.6 million. Photo and information provided by Heywood Hotel, Austin.

ou fol l ow th e big cr owds of peopl e ou t in to th e str eets. You can stil l h ear som e peopl e sin gin g son gs an d see th e l igh ts of peopl e wavin g th eir gl ow stick s. You get in to you r car an d dr ive h om e wh il e you h u m you r favor ite son g fr om th e fu n n igh t ou t. You gr ab som e of th e food l eftover fr om th e cater in g.

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It?s stil l war m an d as you ch ew th e del iciou s fl avor s fil l you r m ou th . You r car pu l l s in to th e dr iveway of you r r en tal h om e for th e week en d an d you u n l ock th e door to you r tem por ar y h om e. You l ay down in th e com for tabl e bed an d go to sl eep, cl u tch in g you r tick ets, k n owin g it wil l be an oth er fu n day of m u sic tom or r ow.

Over 730,000 peopl e com e to Au stin to en joy good m u sic an d food at m u sic festival s ever y year. W h at m ost of th ose peopl e don 't k n ow is th at th ey ar e su ppor tin g a m icr o-econ om y th at r each es far beyon d ju st a day of fu n . Fr om r eal tor s to h om eown er s, an d cater er s to r estau r an t own er s, m ost of th em m ak e a l ot of th eir

m on ey off of th ese cou pl e of days th at m u sic festival s ar e h el d. Th at's wh y,wh en Au stin M ayer Adl er can cel ed Sou th by Sou th west, du e to COVID, it h ad r ippl e effects acr oss Au stin 's econ om y. Cater er s h ad to can cel th eir even ts, cau sin g th em to l ose a ton of th eir r even u e, sh or t ter m r eal tor s didn 't get m on ey fr om th eir r en tal s an d r estau r an ts didn 't get th at l ittl e extr a boost of m on ey for th e m on th .

Shor t Ter m Impact s on Real Est at e Kevin H u tch ison is a r eal tor at Real ty Au stin an d h as been wor k in g in th e r eal estate in du str y for 20 year s. Befor e th er e was an Au stin City Lim its (ACL) or a Sou th by Sou th west (SXSW ) m u sic festival , Au stin was al r eady k n own for bein g a m u sical

city. ?W h en I got in to th e bu sin ess, I wou l d say th at Au stin was r el ativel y on th e m ap al r eady,? H u tch ison said. ?W e wer e al r eady con sider ed k in d of th e en ter tain m en t h u b of Texas an d th e l ive m u sic capital of th e r egion .? Al th ou gh Au stin was al r eady expan din g befor e th er e wer e m u sic festival s an d th e econ om y was r el ativel y good, m u sic festival s h ave h el ped th e sh or t ter m r eal estate bu sin ess. ?W h en you h ave som e of th ose festival s goin g on , ACL or Sou th by Sou th west, sh or t ter m r en tal s ar e a big th in g in Au stin ,? H u tch ison said. ?Peopl e wan t to be cl ose to th ose festival s.? Th en wh en th ose peopl e th at r en t ou t th eir h om e

wan t to sel l th eir h om e th e val u e of th eir h ou se is h igh er becau se th e h ou se is in cl ose pr oxim ity to wh er e th e m u sic festival s tak e pl ace. H u tch ison said, ?An d even for r esal e val u es, th at cer tain l y com es in to pl ay.? M u sic festival s al so h ave a m ajor im pact on th e tou r ism in du str y. M ost bu sin esses th at pr ofit off of tou r ism n eed th ese even ts to h appen so th at th ey can m ak e en ou gh m on ey to pr ofit at th e en d of th e year. ?For th e festival itsel f, I th in k it pou r s m il l ion s an d m il l ion s an d m il l ion s of dol l ar s in to ou r con su m er econ om y for th e sh or t ter m . Th at's with pu r ch ases, an d l odgin g an d ever yth in g th at com es with [m u sic festival s]...? H u tch ison said. ?Sh or t ter m , I wou l d say, con su m er ism is wh er e we m ak e m ost of ou r m on ey off of th is.?

Shor t /Long Ter m Impact s on Hospit alit y Kevin Hutchison (center) with his colleagues standing in front of an ?I Love Realty Austin so Much?sign. They are doing a silly pose and are having lots of fun before a big Realty Austin Party. Photo provided by Hutchison

Ben Edger ton wor k s in th e h ospital ity in du str y. Edger ton own s th e r estau r an t Con tigo, as wel l as a cater in g bu sin ess, Con tigo Cater in g. H e fou n ded Con tigo in 2010 an d Con tigo Cater in g in 2014.

In Edger ton ?s m in d, th er e ar e two m ain m u sic festival s th at h appen , ACL an d SXSW .

com e back an d do it again th e n ext day. It's ver y sel f-con tain ed, an d so we don 't r eal l y see m u ch bu sin ess at th e r estau r an t, ?On e is r eal l y,r eal l y,r eal l y big for u s, an d th e oth er on e an d we don 't do m u ch does al m ost n oth in g for u s,? cater in g.? Edger ton said. On th e oth er h an d, SXSW is h u ge for both com pan ies. Su r pr isin gl y th e m or e

Contigo restaurant prepared to welcome customers back into their dining area after the long months of being only take-out due to COVID-19. Photo provided by Contigo Restaurant Instagram and Contigo.

popu l ar m u sic festival does n oth in g for Con tigo. ?ACL festival does al m ost n oth in g for u s becau se it's th e k in d of festival wh er e ever ybody goes to on e pl ace, an d al l th e food an d bever age ar e tak en car e of th er e,? Edger ton said. ?Th ey [th e peopl e th at go to ACL] stay th er e al l th e way u n til th e h eadl in er ,an d it's over at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00 o'cl ock at n igh t. Th en th ey go h om e to sl eep becau se th ey'r e gon n a Tone Deaf, Page 10

?Sou th by Sou th west is al ways th e biggest week of th e year for both th e r estau r an t an d th e cater in g bu sin ess becau se it's a festival th at's spr ead ou t al l over th e wh ol e town ,? Edger ton said. ?Al l th ese differ en t in dividu al bu sin esses wil l com e to Au stin , an d th ey'l l h ost par ties. W h en th ey h ost th e par ty,th ey n eed som ebody to pr ovide food. Th ey n eed h el p. Al so, at n igh t, al l th e peopl e th at ar e h er e for th e

festival , th ey go ou t to eat an d so we fil l u p [th e r estau r an t]. W e fil l u p a l ot du r in g Sou th by Sou th west ever y year at th e r estau r an t.? Not h avin g SXSW th is year didn ?t im pact th e Con tigo r estau r an t too m u ch . Th ey stil l h ad th e sam e sal es; th ey ju st didn 't h ave th at l ittl e extr a boost of m on ey. On th e oth er h an d, th e Con tigo cater in g bu sin ess wil l be im pacted a l ot if th er e is n o SXSW in 2021. ?Th e r estau r an t wil l be ok ay becau se we m ak e ou r m on ey con sisten tl y ever y day,an d th en we h ave on e week wh er e it pu m ps u p a l ittl e bit, bu t it doesn 't m ak e or br eak ou r m on th or ou r year ,? Edger ton said. ?Th e cater in g [bu sin ess] wil l su ffer m or e sign ifican tl y becau se th at week r epr esen ts a dispr opor tion ate am ou n t of ou r r even u e for th e m on th , or for th e year. If it doesn 't h appen in 2021, it's goin g to be a h ar d situ ation for th e cater in g com pan y.?

Long Ter m Impact s on Real Est at e M u sic festival s al so im pact m or e l on g ter m aspects in th e Real Estate bu sin ess, su ch as h ou se pr ices.

?Lon g ter m , it h as absol u tel y affected ou r r eal estate econ om y,in th e val u es of ou r r eal estate,? H u tch ison said. ?I th in k it's al so been th e en tr y poin t for som e fair l y l ar ge bu sin esses. I th in k we've attr acted en tr epr en eu r s an d in vestor s. So l on g ter m , it's h ad an effect on th e bu sin ess acu m en of Au stin .? M u sic festival s can al so dr aw peopl e to Au stin , wh ich m ean s peopl e wil l be bu yin g m or e h ou ses. ?I th in k th at [m u sic festival s ar e] th e dr aw wh en [peopl e wan tin g to l ive in Au stin ] fir st get h er e,? H u tch ison said. ?Th ey com e to en joy th e m u sic festival . Th en on ce th ey get h er e, th ey star t to exper ien ce th e cu l tu r e; th ey star t to ch eck ou t th e r est of Au stin . I th in k for a l ot of peopl e, th ey fal l in l ove with it an d stay. Th ey com e for th e m u sic bu t stay for Au stin ."

Dif fer ent Views on Music Fest ivals Both Edger ton an d H u tch ison appr eciate th e bu sin ess th at th ey get fr om m u sic festival s, bu t Edger ton despises ever y aspect of th e m u sic festival s th em sel ves. ?I h ave al ways com par ed [m u sic festival s] to an al l

you can eat bu ffet,? Edger ton said. ?W h en I h ave a n ice m eal , I wou l d l ik e to eat th e food th at I or der an d savor it an d en joy it. W h en I go to an al l you can eat bu ffet, I feel l ik e, in or der to get m y m on ey's wor th , I h ave to eat al l th e food. An d th en I en d u p n ot even en joyin g th e food becau se I get fu l l , an d th en I go eat m or e ju st becau se it's th er e.? H e al so doesn ?t l ik e h ow m u ch m u sic th er e is.

"They come for the music but stay for Austin" ?W h en I l isten to m u sic, I wan t to go see an ar tist th at I've ch osen to see, an d en joy th at exper ien ce, an d th en spen d tim e with m y fr ien ds tal k in g abou t it an d en joyin g it for wh at it is,? Edger ton said. ?W h en I go to a m u sic festival , I feel l ik e I paid so m u ch m on ey th at I h ave to l isten to ever y sin gl e bit of m u sic an d by

Su n day,I don 't wan t to l isten to an y m or e l ive m u sic.? H u tch ison , on th e oth er h an d, l ik es m u sic festival s. ?I've been to Au stin City Lim its. I've been to Sou th by Sou th west,? H u tch ison said. ?I u sed to go to Aqu a Fest, wh ich was th e ol d sch ool m u sic festival we u sed to h ave. I've been a par t of [th e m u sic festival s cr owd]. An d I get it, I m ean it's a l ot of fu n .? Du e to COVID, Edger ton h ad to cl ose down th e r estau r an t, bu t th ey open ed back u p in th e su m m er. H u tch ison 's bu sin ess h as been th r ivin g. H e h as sol d m an y h ou ses an d th e r eal estate bu sin ess h as pick ed u p a l ot.

Conclusion Th e n ext tim e you 'r e h ol din g on to you r pr eciou s tick ets, as th e l in e sl owl y m oves al on g, an d th e Texas h eat beats down on you r back , r em em ber ,th e m u sic an d food is wor th th e h eat. Al on g with al l th e fu n th at m u sic festival s br in g, you get to su ppor t n ot on l y th e m u sic ar tist th at you cam e to see, bu t an en tir e city?s econ om y. Fr om h ou sin g to r estau r an ts, you can su ppor t th e Au stin dr eam .

How w el l do you k now me? Shor t Quizzes t o See How Well you Know your ACL and SXSW Singer s By: Amelie H onegger

Bi lli e Ei li sh Photo provided by Teen Vouge Information Provided by The Famous People

1. W h en is Eil ish ?s bir th day?

2. W h at son g did Eil ish fir st get fam ou s for ?

A. Septem ber 21, 2001 B. Novem ber 18, 2001 C. October 30, 2001 D. Decem ber 18, 2001

A. Bad Gu y B. Bel l y Ach e C. Ocean Eyes D. Lovel y

3. W h at year did Eil ish sin g at ACL?

4. W h er e was Eil ish bor n ?

A. 2020 B. 2017 C. 2019 D. 2015

A. Los An gel es B. Las Vegas C.San Fr an cisco D. Por tl an d

Li zzo 2. W h at is Lizzo's r eal

1. W h en is Lizzo's bir th day?

n am e?

A. M ar ch 23, 1988 B. M ay 9, 1988 C. Apr il 27, 1988 D. Febr u ar y 28, 1988

A. M el issa Jeffer son B. Lizzo C. Liza Jeffer son D. Vivian e Jeffer son

3. W h at is Lizzo's m ost popu l ar son g?

4. W h en did Lizzo pl ay at ACL?

A. Cu z I Love You B. Tr u th H u r ts C. Ju ice D. Good as H el l

A. 2013 B. 2018 C. 2016 D. 2019

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Photo provided by Kxan Austin Information provided by The Famous People

Chi ldi sh Gamb i no Photo provided by COOG Radio Information provided by Biography

1. W

h at is Gam bin o m or e fam osl y k n own for ? A. Actin g B. Sin gin g C. Dir ectin g D. W r itin g

2. W h en did Gam bin o pl ay at ACL? A. 2019 B. 2012 C. 2016 D. 2009

3. W h en is Gam bin o's bir th day?

4. W h at is Gam bin o's r eal n am e?

A. Septem ber 25, 1983 B. October 31, 1983 C. Au gu st 23, 1983 D. Septem ber 7, 1983

A. Kid Gam bin o B. Don al d Gl over C. Seth Gl over D. Seth Gam bin o

Check your answers here: https://tinyurl.com/lasaezine2020music

Wi lli e Nelson 1. W h en is Nel son s bir th day? Photo provided by Rolling Stone Information provided by The Famous People

A. Apr il 23, 1933 B. M ar ch 30, 1933 C. Ju n e 15, 1933 D. M ay 13, 1933

2. W h at ban d was Nel son in ? A. Ch er ok ee In dian s B. Th e Tr actor Boys C. Ch er ok ee Cowboys D. Th e Cowboys

3. H ow ol d was Nel son wh en h e star ted pl ayin g m u sic?

4. W h en did Nel son pl ay at SXSW ?

A. 10 year s ol d B. 19 year s ol d C. 6 year s ol d D. 16 year s ol d

A. 1999 B. 2019 C. 2014 D. 2013

Get to Know Austin's Most Popul ar Live Music Hot spots Lear n mor e about t hese four incr edible places and what made t hem some of t he most popular and enjoyable live music hot spot s in Aust in.

By: M ateo Rives

ACL L i v e

- Establ ish ed in 1974, an d l ocated in th e M oody Th eater - H om e to th e l on gest l astin g m u sic tel evision ser ies - Th e state of th e ar t l igh tin g an d sou n d m ak es it on e of th e best ATX in door con cer t ven u es

The incredible ACL Live, at the Moody Theater. Image provided by Mateo Rives

Th e Con t i n en t al Cl u b

2 The famous jazz venue, The Continental Club, on Congress. Image provided by Mateo Rives.

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- Open ed in 1955 on Sou th Con gr ess Aven u e - On e of th e m ost popu l ar tou r ists attr action s of Au stin - M an y fam ou s peopl e su ch as W an da Jack son per for m ed h er e

St u bb's BBQ - Establ ish ed in 1986 on Red River in down town - it h as a 1,800 capacity m ak in g it a ver y popu l ar ven u e - Not on l y is th e sou n d an d l igh tin g in cr edibl e, bu t th e food bein g ser ved is al so del iciou s

The small but great venue, Stubb''s BBQ, on 8th street. Image provided by Mateo RIves.

Th e M oh aw k L

- Establ ish ed in 2006 in th e Red River Distr ict - On e of th e m ost r epu tabl e pl aces for m u sician s of var iou s gen r es to per for m - Al th ou gh it m ay be sm al l , Th e M oh awk is on e of th e m ost l oved ven u es in Au stin

The Austin venue, The Mohawk, on Red Rives street. Image provided by Mateo Rives.

The Austin Live Music Scene How t hese venues t ur ned Aust in int o t he Live Music Capit al of t he Wor ld By M ateo Rives As you wal k th r ou gh th e str eets of Au stin ?s l ive m u sic scen e, you fin d you r sel f l ost in option s. So m an y l igh ts an d m u sic com in g fr om al l dir ection s. W ith al l th e possibil ities an d m u sic th at Au stin h as to offer ,it is h ar d to k n ow wh er e to go an d wh at to exper ien ce. Th er e?s n o dou bt th at th e Live M u sic Capital of th e W or l d h as a l ot to give wh en it com es to ven u es an d l ive m u sic in gen er al . It can be h ar d to pick th e r igh t pl aces wh en Au stin h as so m an y option s. Lu ck il y, based on m an y opin ion s an d sou r ces, th er e ar e a l ot of ven u es an d h otspots th at tr u l y con tr ibu te to th e Au stin l ive m u sic scen e.

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Au stin is a gr eat pl ace for m u sician s to th r ive, an d th is is becau se Au stin h as a l ot of oppor tu n ity. David H in ojosa is a Au stin Live M u sic Per for m er wh o h as l ived h is en tir e l ife in th e h ear t of th e l ive m u sic capital of th e wor l d. H e an d h is ban d h ave exper ien ced th e Au stin m u sic scen e fir st h an d. ?Pr e COVID an d befor e ever yth in g was sh u t down ,bar s an d ven u es wer e al ways l ook in g for ban ds to pl ay,? H in ojosa said. ?So th er e's n ever a sh or tage of oppor tu n ity in Au stin .?

Even th ou gh th is is tr u e, Au stin al so h as a l ot of com petition , so it al l depen ds on th e situ ation .

?Th er e's so m an y peopl e th at ar e com petin g for a spot to pl ay th at it k in d of becom es n ot wor th it,? H in ojosa said. Au stin is al so ver y diver se wh en it com es to th e m u sic gen r e. It is a pl ace wh er e al l types of m u sic ar e accepted, wh ich is wh at m ak es it so differ en t fr om oth er cities . Au stin h as been cal l ed th e Live M u sic Capital of th e W or l d for m an y r eason s. M an y peopl e say it?s becau se of its festival s, su ch as ACL an d SXSW .

Th ese festival s, al on g with m an y oth er s, ar e on l y a sm al l par t of wh y Au stin h as been given th is n am e. Th er e is so m u ch m or e th an festival s th at m ak es th e Au stin m u sic scen e.

Au stin al so h as m an y fam ou s l ive m u sic ven u es an d spots. Au stin h as been k n own for th is for a ver y l on g tim e an d is over al l even bigger th an ACL an d SXSW . Th er e ar e so m an y differ en t th in gs to exper ien ce an d en joy. Th ese ar e som e of th e pl aces in Au stin th at m ak e th e m u sic scen e. Th e M oody Th eater is a state-of-th e-ar t, 2,750-per son capacity l ive m u sic ven u e th at h osts appr oxim atel y 100 con cer ts a year. It ser ves as th e per m an en t h om e for th e tapin g of th e ser ies, Au stin City Lim its, wh ich is th e l on gest r u n n in g m u sic ser ies in Am er ican tel evision h istor y.

Pr ofession al ph otogr aph er Scott Newton h as been a ph otogr aph er in Au stin for over 13 year s. H e h as captu r ed m an y con cer ts an d festival s in Au stin . Newton tal k ed in an in ter view abou t h ow ACL Live h as th e gr eatest l ive m u sic per for m an ces h e?s ever seen . ?Th e th eater is tr u l y a wor k of ar t, an d it is a ven u e an yon e can en joy if

you wan t to exper ien ce l ive m u sic at its fin est,? Newton said. Th e Con tin en tal Cl u b on Sou th Con gr ess sh ou l d be at th e top of an y Au stin l ive m u sic l ist for both visitor s an d l ocal s. It open ed in 1955, an d th e 200-capacity r oom h as sin ce h osted m an y fam ou s ar tists an d ban ds. Al th ou gh th e stage an d capacity is pr etty sm al l , Th e Con tin en tal Cl u b m ak es al l sh ows a m or e in tim ate an d el ectr ic exper ien ce.

The outstanding ACL Live at the Moody Theatre. Image provided by Mateo Rives.

Th e M oh awk is a top destin ation for m u sician s an d on e of th e m ost-l oved join ts for l ive m u sic fan s. Rowdier fan s fl ood th e gr ou n d l evel in fr on t of th e stage wh il e oth er s seek in g a m or e l aid-back feel ch oose between th r ee bal con y l evel s, in cl u din g a r ooftop patio an d a bir d?s-eye side-stage viewin g space. Th er e?s al so a fir eside bar an d in door stage. Diego Joh n son is a M u sic Dir ector in Au stin . Joh n son h as l ived in Au stin al l of h is l ife an d h as visited m an y differ en t ven u es an d join ts. Joh n son ?s favor ite ven u e is Th e M oh awk .

Th e M oh awk on Red River Str eet. Im age pr ovided by M ateo Rives

pan dem ic m an y m u sician s ar e l osin g th eir jobs. Au stin ?s l ive m u sic ven u es an d join ts h ave cl osed down or ar e goin g ou t of bu sin ess du e to COVID-19. Th e fam ou s Jazz ven u e, Th e Con tin en tal Cl u b on Con gr ess Aven u e. Im age pr ovided by M ateo Rives.

?It?s tr u l y on e of th e best ven u es in Au stin , it?s an in cr edibl e pl ace for an yon e wh o en joys l ive m u sic,? Joh n son said. Even wh en th er e?s n o l ive m u sic, th e M oh awk is a h appy h ou r h aven . Th e M oh awk is on e of th e m ost l oved l ive m u sic join ts in al l Au stin an d gives off a ver y h om ey vibe.

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Al l of th ese pl aces ar e wh y Au stin is su ch a big attr action wh en it com es to m u sic. Au stin h as so m an y pl aces an d ven u es th at offer in cr edibl e exper ien ces for an yon e l ook in g for a sh ow.

Al th ou gh Au stin h as a l ot of l ive m u sic ven u es, join ts an d spots to offer , du e to th e COVID-19

Gr eg Goodm an is an oth er m u sician th at per for m s l ive m u sic in Au stin . H e an d h is ban d h ave per for m ed at m an y ven u es an d join ts. Goodm an h as been a per for m er in Au stin for over 19 year s an d h as seen m an y ven u es cl ose down an d m u sician s l ose th eir job. ?Th er e's gon n a be a gr eat deal of ven u es th at ar e cl osin g befor e th e en d of th e year ,? Goodm an said.

A fam ou s Au stin Ven u e, Stu bb's BBQ on Red River Str eet. Im age pr ovided by M ateo Rives.

?Eith er th ey'l l com e back u p, or th er e wil l be n ew peopl e. Bu t yeah , th er e's gon n a be a dem an d.? Lu ck il y,th er e is a good ch an ce th at on ce th is is over , Au stin wil l m ak e a good r ecover y an d th e l ive m u sic scen e an d ven u es wil l r evive. W ith a l ittl e bit of tim e, Au stin wil l on ce again be th e l ive m u sic capital of th e wor l d.

"t h is c o mmu n it y is w h a t ma k es a u s t in s o u n iq u e" - d a v id h in o j o s a

Musical Madness

M organ Walker

Want t o get musical, but not sur e how ?

Choir

Im age of th e CH OIR Awar ds. Ph oto cou r tesy of Der ic Lewis

Ch oir is k n own for n ot on l y its fan tastic m u sical per for m an ces, bu t for its str on g sen se of fam il ial com m u n ity an d fr ien dsh ips. Ch oir is a l ow-str ess cl ass, al th ou gh stu den ts ar e expected to dig deep in to th eir m u sic an d al ways pu t for th th eir gr eatest per for m an ce. Th er e ar e m u l tipl es l evel s for ch oir avail abl e to stu den ts, fr om begin n er 's l evel to th e Con cer t Ch oir. Al l ch oir s per for m at sch ool even ts, an d m an y stu den ts ar e expected to com pete at even ts l ik e Region , a ch or al pr ogr am th at r equ ir es stu den ts to au dition an d per for m . Over al l , Ch oir is k n own as th e per fect pl ace to sin g, wor k h ar d, an d m ak e a l ot of fr ien ds.

If you r cl ass sch edu l e is al r eady fu l l , bu t you stil l wan t to get m u sical at LASA, th en LowKey Acapel l a is th e per fect cl u b for you . LowKey is a stu den t cl u b, spon sor ed by ch oir dir ector Der ic Lewis, th at focu ses sol el y on acapel l a. Th e cl u b per for m s at sch ool even ts, an d m eets du r in g l u n ch (often on Fr idays) du r in g a r egu l ar sch ool year. Th e son gs th at ar e per for m ed, an d th e pr ojects th at th e cl u bs tak es on , ar e al l com pl etel y ch osen an d com pl eted by th e stu den ts. So, if you 'r e l ook in g for a fr ien dl y com m u n ity wh er e you can h ave ton s of fu n an d per for m sol os, LowKey Acapel l a is th e pl ace to go.

Low Key Acapella Tone Deaf, Page 20

Or chest r a Or ch estr a is a gr eat pl ace to h on e you r m u sic sk il l s, per for m ,com pete an d m ak e l ots of fr ien ds. Th er e ar e five or ch estr as: Ph il h ar m on ic, Ch am ber , Con cer t, Cam er ata, H on or s an d Or ch estr a ar e avail abl e to al l gr ades (9-12). Th e Or ch estr a per for m s fr equ en tl y,as wel l as com petes in even ts l ik e UIL (Str in g Or ch estr a). Not on l y th at, bu t th e or ch estr a h as r eceived m u l tipl e m u sical awar ds, in cl u din g fr om th e Festival s of M u sic com petition . Or ch estr a is a cl ass th at r equ ir es a l ot of h ar d wor k , pr actice an d dedication fr om its stu den ts, bu t is h igh l y r ewar din g.

Band Th e Ban d pr ogr am is in cr edibl y exten sive, an d in cl u des a m ar ch in g ban d, m u l tipl e con cer t ban ds, two jazz ban ds, a per cu ssion gr ou p an d a col or gu ar d. Sim il ar to Or ch estr a, stu den ts in Ban d ar e extr em el y dedicated an d ar e expected to wor k ver y dil igen tl y. Th e Ban d(s) com pete an d per for m fr equ en tl y,often h avin g to tr avel for cer tain even ts. Ban d is m ost k n own for its deep sen se of com m u n ity an d fr ien dsh ip, an d l ik e ch oir ,is often descr ibed as fam il ial .

Finding Music W ithin Mayhem How t he Music Communit y at LASA has Come Toget her in Cr isis By M organ Walker

to adapt to ou r estr an ged cir cu m stan ces. Yet, even in h e h ol l ow th eater is th ese tr yin g tim es, stu den ts an d teach er s h ave m an aged eer il y sil en t for ju st a to con n ect th r ou gh th e fr action of a secon d as th e in descr ibabl e power of ar tists at th e al tar of m u sic m u sic with th e val u es th ese tak e an el egan t in h al e. Befor e th e au dien ce h as th e pr ogr am s h igh l igh t. ch an ce to bl in k , th e ech o of Th r ou gh l eader sh ip, fr ien dsh ip an d h ar d wor k beau ty soar s th r ou gh th e th ese m u sic cl asses can em pty space. After a few sh ape stu den ts, an d th eir eter n al m in u tes of pu r e per spectives an d iden tities, m u sic, th e en sem bl e for l ife. Now m or e th an ever , fin ish es on a h igh n ote. For ju st a m om en t after ,th er e is th is cou l d n ot be m or e cr u cial . an oth er sil en ce, a sou l fu l exh al ation . Th er e?s n oth in g Music Classes in a l ik e it. Th is year ,th at n ever Pandemic got to h appen . In th e m idst of a pan dem ic, peopl e acr oss th e gl obe h ave str u ggl ed to fin d a sen se of cam ar ader ie an d com m u n ity. At LASA, m u sic pr ogr am s th at depen d on in -per son pr actice, per for m an ce an d fr ien dsh ip h ave been for ced Tone Deaf, Page 22

Fin din g ways to l ear n an d pr actice m u sic with ou t an in -per son en sem bl e is in cr edibl y difficu l t. For m an y LASA m u sic pr ogr am s l ik e Ban d an d Ch oir ,it is cr itical . Du r in g th e pan dem ic, teach er s h ave tu r n ed to tech n ol ogy

in an effor t to pr ovide stu den ts with a su bstitu te for in -per son l ear n in g. Com m on assign m en ts in cl u de stu den ts l ear n in g m u sic in dividu al l y,th en r ecor din g th em sel ves an d su bm ittin g th eir wor k so th at teach er s can cr eate a vir tu al en sem bl e per for m an ce. Ban d Dir ector Pon der East an d h is col l eagu es h ave h ad to com pl etel y r eth in k h ow to str u ctu r e th eir cl asses. ?Th e m ost im m ediate im pact th at al l th is h as h ad on th e Ban d pr ogr am is th at we can 't r eh ear se as an en sem bl e,? East said. ?It's for cin g u s to pl an l esson s an d cu r r icu l u m s th at we h ave n ever pl an n ed befor e.? Lik e Ban d, th e Ch oir Pr ogr am depen ds on bein g abl e to r eh ear se an d in ter act in per son , both for

th e sak e of th e m u sic an d th e ch oir com m u n ity. Ch oir Dir ector Der ic Lewis h as al so h ad to r ecr eate h is cu r r icu l u m for a vir tu al en vir on m en t, bu t cr eatin g a ch oir com m u n ity over Zoom h as pr esen ted its ch al l en ges. ?Th ey [th e stu den ts] n eed a pl ace to ju st br eath e in , an d for a l ot of peopl e, th at?s ch oir ,? Lewis said. ?Th at is th e cam ar ader ie of bein g ar ou n d oth er peopl e an d bein g in th at space togeth er , an d n ot bein g abl e to do th at is difficu l t.? Th e m u sic com m u n ity at LASA h as em br aced th is ch al l en ge with vigor ,joy, an d an u pbeat attitu de. ?Th ey [stu den t l eader sh ip] r ose to th e ch al l en ge,? East said. ?Th ey wer e ver y pr oactive an d h ad a positive attitu de, an d k ept al l of th e r est of th e stu den ts in th e ban d pr ogr am togeth er.

It made it st ill feel like a band as much as possible.? Values in t he Classr oom M u ch of th is su ccess of on l in e m u sic l ear n in g can

Choir students at the Austin I.S.D. Performing Arts Center for an event in 2016. Image provided by Deric Lewis.

be attr ibu ted to th e val u es th at th e LASA m u sic pr ogr am s em ph asize. For pr ogr am s l ik e Ban d, Or ch estr a, an d Ch oir ,m u sic is on l y par t of th e equ ation . H avin g stu den ts gr ow as in dividu al s an d em body im por tan t val u es, as wel l as givin g stu den ts am pl e oppor tu n ity to in tegr ate im por tan t exper ien ces th ou gh l eader sh ip an d h ar d wor k , is wh at m ak es th ese pr ogr am s special . W ith com m u n ity com es cam ar ader ie, with position s l ik e Ban d M ajor s or Ch oir Officer s com es l eader sh ip, an d with th e cu r r icu l u m com es th e abil ity to tr u l y en deavor. ?I wan t ou r stu den ts to appr eciate th e cr aftsm an sh ip th at com es fr om pr acticin g an d r eh ear sin g with oth er s... Al l of th e in dividu al sk il l sets th at go al on g with th at; h ar d wor k , dedication , an d focu s an d sel f discipl in e,? East said. ?Not ever ybody gets th at ch an ce to r eal l y devel op th em sel ves to a poten tial . By doin g ar t, I th in k you h ave th at oppor tu n ity,an d I wan t th em to do th at. Th at h el ps th em becom e better peopl e acr oss al l ar eas of l ife, n ot

Tone Deaf, Page 24

ju st pl ayin g m u sic.

I want people t o appr oach t heir whole life like t hey

Lewis said. ?It sh ou l d teach you som eth in g abou t you r sel f. You ou gh t to see you r sel f in th at l esson .?

Finding Communit y in Music

appr oach lear ning t o

Du r in g a pan dem ic, h avin g a com m u n ity is m or e play music.? im por tan t th an ever ,an d Ch oir h as sim il ar pr in cipl es th er e is n o better pl ace to of fr ien dsh ip, l eader sh ip fin d th at th an in th e m u sic an d team wor k , al l of wh ich pr ogr am s at LASA. l ast a l ifetim e. In th e Each Fin e Ar ts pr ogr am cl assr oom , each l esson is offer s cl ose fr ien dsh ips, cr afted with th e pu r pose of fam il ial com m u n ity,an d stu den ts seein g som eth in g h eaps of fu n m em or ies. in th eir ar t. ?Ban d is a fam il y,? East said. ?W h en you ch oose to pl ay a spor t, or you ch oose to be in an extr acu r r icu l ar gr ou p, th ose ar e you r n ew fam il y m em ber s.? Sim il ar to Ban d, Ch oir al so h as a str on g sen se of con vivial togeth er n ess.

Photo of the Sweepstakes award earned by the Choir (for the first time ever) in 2016.Image provided by Deric Lewis.

?My philosophy of

?Ch oir is l ife,? Lewis said. ?If you l ik e ch oir ,com e l ive with u s. Fin d you r peopl e. Com e be with you r peopl e. It's ju st l ik e ban d or an yth in g el se, or ch estr a.

educat ion is t hat any sor t of lesson

It 's a wor ld unt o

t hat 's wor t hwhile

it self. It 's a

should be a mir r or,? micr ocosm.?

Th e oth er th in g th at th ese m u sic pr ogr am s offer is fr eedom .

Post Pandemic

?Th e stu den ts m ak e it th eir own becau se th ey h ave ch oice,? Lewis said. ?I th in k th e stu den ts m ak e th e pr ogr am th eir own m or e so th an m e, becau se th e best th in g I can do is sor t of pr epar e th e pr ogr am , pr epar e th e stu den ts, an d th en get ou t of th e way? I wan t it to be abou t th e stu den ts.?

Ever sin ce th e cor on avir u s fir st in vaded ou r l ives, we've k n own th in gs wou l d n ever be th e sam e, even after th e pan dem ic en ds. After h avin g to adapt to teach in g m u sic in a vir tu al l ear n in g en vir on m en t, m an y teach er s an d dir ector s th in k th at pr ogr am s an d cl asses in th e LASA Fin e Ar ts Pr ogr am s m igh t k eep m u ch of wh at was l ear n ed du r in g ou r gl obal cr isis,

specifical l y th e tech n ol ogies u sed in on l in e m u sic edu cation . ?Ever ybody h as n ow becom e m u ch m or e com peten t at actu al l y u sin g som e of th ese on l in e m u sic n otation s softwar e, so th at th ey can ar r an ge an d n otate th eir own m u sic,? East said. Not on l y h as Ban d seem in gl y adapted per m an en tl y,bu t th is tech n ol ogical m otif span s m u l tipl e m u sic pr ogr am s. ?Th e tech n ol ogy piece was n ot a big par t of Ch oir u n til n ow,? Lewis said. ? I see u s k eepin g th at.?

Photo of the whiteboard in the choir classroom with a solfege sequence written on it.Image provided by Deric Lewis.

Th e Ban d an d Ch oir pr ogr am s h ave pr oven th at even in a pan dem ic, th e power of com m u n ity can br in g u s togeth er. Th r ou gh excel l en t teach er s, m u sic softwar e, Zoom an d stu den t l eader sh ip, th e m u sic pr ogr am s wer e abl e to adapt to l ife in COVID-19. W ith th eir togeth er n ess an d sol idar ity,th ey wer e abl e to th r ive, even if th eir cu r r icu l u m s wil l n ever be th e sam e. It is possibl e to m ak e m u sic, fr ien dsh ips, per for m an ces an d even th e im possibl e h appen over Zoom .

Keeping Aust in Musical Inside t he bust ling, secr et wor ld of Aust in musicians. By Zac Kahn You step ou t on to th e stage with you r in str u m en t an d l ook ou t on th e cr owd. You feel th e an ticipation star t to bu il d. You an d you r ban d h ave been pr epar in g for week s, an d n ow it?s sh ow tim e. You r in str u m en ts ar e tu n ed, th e m u sic is in you r h ead, an d n ow you get to h ave a gr eat tim e pl ayin g with you r ban d. Au stin r esiden ts an d m u sic l over s al ik e u n dou btedl y k n ow th at Au stin is con sider ed th e Live M u sic Capital of th e W or l d, a titl e th at wasn ?t official l y given to th e city u n til 1991. Sin ce th en , Au stin h as em br aced th e design ation , on l y gr owin g in popu l ar ity an d vol u m e. Th e ACL festival was in tr odu ced in 2002, boom in g th e tou r ism in du str y as its popu l ar ity gr ew. Now, Au stin is con sider ed on e of th e best Tone Deaf, Page 26

pl aces for a m u sician to m u sical in fl u en ces ar e l ive, du e to al l of th e based in Au stin . ven u es, th e popu l ar ity,an d ?M y biggest in fl u en ces dyn am ic of th e city. in th e Au stin com m u n ity, W il Br ook h ar t is a with ou t a dou bt at th e top m u sician wh o both gr ew wou l d be th e ban d H ik es. u p an d star ted h is m u sic Th ey?r e a m ath r ock car eer in Au stin . H e says gr ou p,? Br ook h ar t said. ?I th at h e h as fon d l ik e to cal l th em m y m em or ies of gr owin g u p qu asi-gu itar teach er s in Au stin an d becau se I tau gh t m ysel f exper ien cin g th e m u sic gu itar by steal in g scen e. ever yth in g th ey did, an d ju st goin g to th eir sh ows, ?M u ch to m y par en ts? an d th en goin g h om e to tr y dism ay,I was goin g to sh ows two or th r ee tim es a to r epl icate wh at I saw an d h ear d.? week at Red River [Distr ict],? Br ook h ar t said. ?M y ju n ior year an d sen ior year of h igh sch ool I was gettin g x?s on m y h an ds an d sn eak in g in to 21+ sh ows. Au stin defin itel y pr ovided a r eal l y gr eat l ocation for aspir in g, you n g r eck l ess m u sician s.? Br ook h ar t al so said som e of h is gr eatest

Casie Lu on g, an oth er Au stin m u sician , th in k s th at th e Au stin m u sic scen e is exception al l y vibr an t, especial l y wh en com par ed to oth er m ajor cities ar ou n d Texas. ?I th in k wh at's cool abou t Au stin is, ou t of al l th ese oth er cities, if we'r e ju st tal k in g abou t Texas, is th at it's th e you n gest on e,?

Lu on g said. ?Th er e's a l ot of peopl e m ovin g h er e, you get a l ot of con n ection s, n etwor k s, col l abor ation s an d var iou s gen r es th at peopl e ar e r eal l y open to.? Br ook h ar t bel ieves th at Au stin gives u p an d

to h ow ver satil e m u sic can be.? As a n ative Au stin ite, Br ook h ar t h as gar n er ed m an y opin ion s on th e Au stin m u sic dyn am ic, an d h e descr ibes it l ik e th is:

W il Br ook h ar t per for m s at Ch eer Up Ch ar l ie?s du r in g h is fir st sin gl e r el ease on Ju l y 1st, 2019. Ph oto by H el ain e Bach .

com in g m u sician s m an y oppor tu n ities to pr actice an d im pr ove th eir m u sical abil ities. ?Pl aces l ik e M oth er Fal con M u sic Lab, wh ich is a son gwr itin g su m m er cam p for m iddl e an d h igh -sch ool er s, give you n g m u sician s th e oppor tu n ity to h ave an am azin g, cr eative son gwr itin g exper ien ce over th e su m m er ,an d pl aces l ik e th at r eal l y open ed m y eyes

?Two an swer s, an d th ey?r e pol ar opposites. On on e h an d, Au stin is extr em el y wel com in g. You can fin d an y type of m u sic. Th er e ar e so m an y oppor tu n ities to pl ay,so m an y differ en t cr eative ideas an d peopl e tr yin g th eir own stu ff. Ever y sin gl e sou n d im agin abl e, you can go h ear in a cl u b. On th e fl ip side, it?s al m ost too m u ch . It's over satu r ated. Th er e's so

m u ch m u sic! An d th en th er e's al so so m uch m usic. W ith al l of th e m u sician s th em sel ves, th e ban ds an d th e ar tists, th er e's th e sm al l est am ou n t of cl iqu in ess, bu t th at bein g said, it's al so ju st su ch a su ppor tive com m u n ity th at you can con n ect with oth er peopl e so easil y ju st by sh owin g u p to th eir sh ows an d su ppor tin g th em an d th eir m u sic? Both ar tists ar e exper ien ced in th e Au stin m u sic com m u n ity,h avin g per for m ed m an y tim es at var iou s ven u es ar ou n d Au stin . Lu on g?s exper ien ce star ted with h er fir st gig. ?I pl ayed at a coffee sh op, Ir ie Bean coffee sh op on Sou th Lam ar ,? Lu on g said. ?It was som e sor t of ben efit sh ow. I pl ayed pian o an d san g.? Lu on g al so said th at, to get to wh er e sh e is n ow, sh e h ad to star t fr om th e bottom . ?W h en I m oved h er e in 2013, I was giggin g abou t two tim es a week , an d it was pl ayin g som e of th ose

gigs th at ar en 't n ecessar il y gr eat.? Lu on g said. ?I was payin g th e du es, an d pl ayin g a l ot of gigs th at didn 't pay as gr eat ju st to get m y foot in th e door an d get som e pr actice tim e in as a ban d.? Sh e al so said th at on ce sh e h ad establ ish ed h er sel f ar ou n d Au stin , sh e was abl e to con tr ol h er destin y a l ittl e bit m or e. ?Abou t 2015, I star ted bein g m or e sel ective with m y gigs an d with m y ban d, so it wou l d be l ess fr equ en t, bu t m or e pay,becau se som e of th ose wou l d en tail m or e pr ivate con cer ts or ju st com pan y con cer ts,? Lu on g said. ?Obviou sl y th at was befor e COVID.? Sin ce ear l y M ar ch , th e Un ited States h as been in th e m iddl e of a gl obal pan dem ic wh ich h as tested al l of ou r str en gth . W ith in th e Au stin m u sic com m u n ity,Br ook h ar t th in k s th at th er e ar e m ajor obstacl es stan din g in th e way of r etu r n in g to n or m al .

said. ?Th e biggest ven u e th at's gon e so far is Bar r acu da on Sixth Str eet. I've pl ayed th er e, an d I've seen som e of m y favor ite sh ows th er e. In a per son al way,th at's r eal l y sad an d su ck s, becau se th at?s a pl ace th at I wou l d h ave l oved to com e back to. W il l it be tak en over by som eon e el se? W h o k n ows. Th e Red River cu l tu r al distr ict won ?t exist in th e n ear fu tu r e, an d th at is wh at is at th e cor e of Au stin m u sic for a l ot of peopl e, at l east m y cir cl e of fr ien ds an d m u sician s. I wou l d h ope ever yth in g can get back to th e way it was.?

Casie Lu on g sin gs at th e l ocal Au stin m u sic ven u e Stay Gol d on East Cesar Ch avez Str eet in Ju l y 2018. Ph oto cou r tesy of Casie Lu on g.

Lu on g, h owever ,is m or e optim istic, an d sees th e ?It's defin itel y been pan dem ic as a tim e to str essfu l an d sad to see ven u es cl osin g.? Br ook h ar t gr ow. ?I th in k th is is a sad Tone Deaf , Page 28

tim e, becau se it's a r ebu il din g tim e, bu t it's al so a h opefu l tim e th at we can star t r eeval u atin g h ow we?ve tr eated m u sician s, an d h ow ven u es h ave tr eated m u sician s as far as pay an d as far as m u sician r igh ts an d equ ity,? Lu on g said. ?Abou t 15 to 20 of th e ven u e own er s ar e wh ite, an d th er e ar e on l y a few POC (Per son of Col or ) own er s. It?s a r eal l y tigh tl y k n it gr ou p. I'm on th at side of wan tin g to advocate for equ ity an d m ak in g su r e th at th er e's fair wage an d al so fair sel ection s of wor k in g with POC's n ot ju st in th e ar tist pool , bu t

al so in th e m ar k etin g pool an d video an d pu bl ish in g pool , m ak in g su r e th at ever ybody k in d of h as m or e r oom , so to speak in

th e Au stin m u sic scen e.?

th ey wor k an d l ear n fr om Regar dl ess of th e tou gh th em in r eal tim e. Real l y, ju st don 't be afr aid to ask tim es, th er e is a n ew peopl e th at h ave been gen er ation of h opefu l m u sician s on th eir way to su ccessfu l wh at m ak es th em su ccessfu l . I don 't th e Au stin m u sic scen e. h ave an y h esitan cy to text Lu on g an d Br ook h ar t ack n owl edge th e str u ggl es a Gr am m y Awar d win n in g pr odu cer wh ose ph on e of becom in g a m u sician n u m ber ju st r an dom l y fel l an d h ave advice for th ose l ook in g to fol l ow th at path . in m y l ap an d ask h im , ?H ey,can I bu y you coffee ?Be h on est with you r sel f,? Lu on g said. ?It's n ot an easy path . It's ver y fu l l of u ps an d down s. It's on e th in g to say,?I l ove m u sic, I l ove pl ayin g it, an d it fil l s m y h ear t.?It's an oth er th in g wh en ever you sl ap th at on as a car eer , bein g a for m of in com e, an d a for m of a gr in d an d a h u stl e. Th at can cer tain l y m ak e or br eak it for m an y an d ju st pick you r br ain on fol k s.? an yth in g between m u sic ?You 'r e gon n a h ate a to m u sic bu sin ess to ju st bu n ch of th e stu ff you l ife??Bu il din g con n ection s wr ite.? Br ook h ar t said. an d fin din g peopl e th at ?Th at's good. Figu r e ou t can fin d peopl e for you wh at you don 't l ik e abou t it, th at ar e su ccessfu l in stu ff an d th en don 't do th at n ext th at you 'r e in ter ested in is tim e. Cr eate a l ot. W atch r eal l y im por tan t. Th at's an d con n ect with peopl e, beyon d m u sic, th at's ju st m eet as m an y peopl e as wisdom .? you can an d ask a l ot of Both Lu on g an d qu estion s. H over over Br ook h ar t bel ieve th at peopl e's sh ou l der s wh il e Au stin is on e of th e

gr eatest cities in th e wor l d for m u sic. As we con tin u e to pr ogr ess th r ou gh th is pan dem ic, it is in cr edibl y im por tan t th at we ban d togeth er as a com m u n ity to h el p save a m ajor par t of Au stin ?s iden tity. To h el p l ocal m u sic ven u es, visit saveour stages.com to see h ow you can m ak e a differ en ce.

W il Br ook h ar t an d Casie Lu on g per for m togeth er in Decem ber 2019 at H ol e in th e W al l , a l ocal Au stin m u sic h otspot. Ph oto by H el ain e Bach .

Ou tside of th is, h owever , Au stin is stil l k n own for its m u sic an d th e m an y ways it captivates tr avel er s an d l ocal s al ik e with th e m esm er izin g option s to watch an d l isten to m u sic in l ocation s ar ou n d town . On e th in g?s for su r e: as l on g as Au stin exists, m u sic wil l al ways defin e th e city,th e l ocal per for m er s an d th e r esiden ts al ik e.

How t o Get And Play A Gig: Accor ding t o an Aust in Musician Casie Lu on g , a l ocal Au stin m u sician , gave m e h er th ou gh ts abou t h ow to be as su ccessfu l as possibl e wh en pl ayin g a gig in an d ar ou n d th e Au stin ar ea.

By: Zac Kahn 1. Th e fir st step to pl ayin g an y gig is to "book " it. Lu on g says to u se al l of th e r esou r ces th at you h ave avail abl e to you . Sh e says th at h avin g con tacts at th e ven u es th at you wan t to per for m at is cr u cial , h owever ,if you don 't h ave an y con tacts at ven u es, you m igh t n eed to pr om ote you r sel f. Lu on g says th e best way to do th is is to h an g ou t at th e ven u e to in qu ir e abou t possibl e sh ows th at you cou l d pl ay th er e. Lu on g str essed th at, in or der to be su ccessfu l you n eed to cast you r n et wide an d cr eate oppor tu n ities for you an d you r ban d.

2. Lu on g says th at r eh ear sin g with wh om you 'r e goin g to be per for m in g, even if th at's ju st you r sel f, is ver y im por tan t to h avin g a su ccessfu l gig. If you don 't r eh ear se you won 't be abl e to pl ay to you r fu l l poten tial at you r gig. Lu on g says th at if you r u l tim ate goal is to bl ow away ever yon e l isten in g to you , r eh ear sal is in str u m en tal in th at pr ocess. W h en you r eh ear se befor e th e sh ow you won 't h ave to wor r y abou t m essin g u p wh en you 'r e on stage, an d you can be m or e focu sed on th e m u sic you 'r e pl ayin g.

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3. Obviou sl y,you can 't pl ay a gig with ou t th e pr oper equ ipm en t. If you don 't h ave an y of th e equ ipm en t th at you n eed, th er e ar e al ways option s. Lu on g r ecom m en ds Rock n ' Rol l Ren tal s for ch eap equ ipm en t th at you can bu y or r en t, bu t in a pl ace l ik e Au stin , th er e is a ver y l on g l ist of pl aces to ch oose fr om to get qu al ity equ ipm en t for you r gig.

4. No gig is su ccessfu l with ou t an au dien ce, an d if you wan t an au dien ce to sh ow u p, Lu on g says you an d you r gr ou p ar e pr obabl y goin g to h ave to do th e h eavy l iftin g you r sel ves. Usu al l y you h ave to do you r own m ar k etin g an d pr ess if you 'r e doin g th is al l DIY,so h ave som e tim e set aside to do th at. M ak e su r e th is step is al l h an ds on deck , as you wan t as m an y peopl e as possibl e to sh ow u p.

5. Lu on g says th at th e type of m u sic you 'r e goin g to pl ay can an d sh ou l d ch an ge based on h ow th e ban d feel s an d th e au dien ce you 'r e pl ayin g to. Lu on g l ik es to k eep h er sol o sets m el l ower th an h er ban d sets, bu t sh e al so says it's im por tan t n ot to k eep th e sam e en er gy for th e en tir e set becau se you wan t to k eep th e au dien ce's atten tion , an d en er gy ch an ges ar e a gr eat way to do th at. Lu on g says th at if you 've pl ayed som e sl ower ,ch il l er son gs, th en you sh ou l d pr obabl y ch an ge u p th e en er gy an d m ood with a faster ,m or e u ptem po son g. In th e en d, it's u p to you to see h ow th e au dien ce r eacts to you r son gs so you can ch an ge you r set accor din gl y.

6. Gettin g in th e r igh t h eadspace is cr u cial befor e a con cer t. As som e peopl e h ave th eir r itu al s an d su per stition s, Lu on g says to do wh atever wor k s for you . Sh e l ik es to star t th is pr ocess in th e week s l eadin g u p to th e gig. Sh e al so says th at en vision in g a good exper ien ce can h el p you feel m or e con fiden t. An oth er way to h ave a good, su ccessfu l set is to focu s on in dividu al th in gs th at you wan t to do du r in g you r gig. W h en you ar e con fiden t an d focu sed, it r efl ects in you r ban d an d you sou n d better as a gr ou p .

7. Fin al l y,on ce th e gig h as been pl ayed an d you an d you r ban d h ave (h opefu l l y) h ad a l ot of fu n pl ayin g togeth er ,it's in cr edibl y im por tan t to th an k th ose wh o h el ped you get to th e poin t th at you ar e at. Lu on g says to m ak e su r e you em ail th e book er (th e per son wh o book s th e even ts an d ban ds for a ven u e) to th an k th em for al l owin g you to pl ay at th eir ven u e. Th is wil l sh ow gr atitu de towar ds th e ven u e, so if you wan t to go back to th at ven u e an d pl ay again , th ey wil l r em em ber you wel l . Th an k you r ban d for h el pin g you ach ieve wh at you wan ted to ach ieve (pl ayin g th e gig), an d m ak e su r e to th an k th ose wh o h el ped to adver tise you r gig an d dr aw atten tion to it. Th is wil l m ak e th em m or e l ik el y to h el p you ou t th e n ext tim e you ar e pl ayin g a gig. On ce you h ave com pl eted th is step an d th e on es pr oceedin g it, you h ave h opefu l l y pl ayed a ver y su ccessfu l gig!

By: Wesley L indelow

Making a Music Scene A t imeline of Aust in's music hist or y Au stin h as an in cr edibl y vibr an t m u sic scen e, bu t th e m u sic scen e was n ot al ways th is r en own ed. Let's l ook back on wh at h as h appen ed over it's m an y year s. Th e Au stin M u sic Scen e h as been ar ou n d for a ver y l on g tim e. In th ose days, Au stin was extr em el y segr egated, so two scen es em er ged, on e for jazz an d on e for cou n tr y. Th e m u sic scen e r eal l y cam e al ive ar ou n d 1970, wh en ACL TV was fou n ded, th e Ar m adil l o W or l d H eadqu ar ter s, an d W il l ie Nel son m oves back . Th e ACL Live Sh ow begin s in 2020, dr awin g an oth er wave to Au stin . Recen tl y,th e COVID-19 pan dem ic h as affected th e m u sic scen e. Al l in al l , it is a ver y r ich h istor y.

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Musical Evolution How Aust in's Music has Adapt ed and Changed Au stin h as a l ar ge an d diver se m u sic scen e th at h as existed for a cen tu r y. Ju st becau se it h as existed for a cen tu r y does n ot m ean it stayed th e sam e for th at en or m ou s per iod of tim e. Th e Au stin m u sic scen e h as evol ved an d ch an ged, as differ en t styl es of m u sic waxed an d wan ed in popu l ar ity. As tim e wen t on , th e m u sic scen e took th e sh ape th at we k n ow today, som ewh er e wh er e an en or m ou s var iety of m u sic can be en joyed On e of th e peopl e wh o wor k s to cu l tivate th is m u sic scen e is Ter r y Lick on a, th e execu tive pr odu cer of th e ACL tel evision sh ow. H e h as been wor k in g with th e sh ow to sh ape th e Au stin M u sic Scen e sin ce 1979, an d h as h el ped to establ ish Au stin as th e Live M u sic Capital of th e W or l d. ?Au stin h as gon e th r ou gh th ese differ en t cycl es: jazz, bl u es, r ock , pu n k . W h o k n ows wh at th e n ext big th in g is goin g to be,? Lick on a said. Tone Deaf, Page 34

Wesley L indelow

H owever ,th e star t of th is stor y of diver sity is in fact th e opposite of diver se. Au stin in th e 1920?s was segr egated to th e poin t wh er e th er e was n o on e Au stin m u sic scen e, bu t r ath er two. On th e East side of Au stin , th e m u sic scen e was l ar gel y jazz an d bl u es, an d was m ostl y fr equ en ted by Afr ican -Am er ican s. On th e W est side of Au stin , th e

1930?s th e bl u es scen e becam e m or e an d m or e active, bu t W or l d W ar II began sh or tl y after th is, br in gin g th e Au stin m u sic scen e to a h al t wh il e th e war r aged. Du r in g th is tim e per iod, n ot m u ch ch an ged in th e Au stin m u sic scen e. In th e 1950?s, th e Au stin m u sic scen e was r evital ized fr om its dim in ish m en t du r in g

?Aust in has gone t hr ough t hese dif fer ent cycles: jazz, blues, r ock , punk . Who k nows what t he next big t hing is going t o be.?

-Ter r y Lickona W or l d W ar II.

m u sic scen e was m ostl y for cou n tr y m u sic, an d was l ar gel y fr equ en ted by W h ite UT stu den ts. Segr egation in Au stin was su ch an en or m ou s pr obl em th at th e two m u sic scen es bar el y in ter acted. Th r ou gh ou t th e

?So after W or l d W ar II en ded th e m u sic scen e sl owl y star ted to k in d of com e back to l ife,? Lick on a said. As th e m u sic scen e was r ebu il t, a n ew for m of m u sic was begin n in g to

becom e popu l ar in th e 1960?s. Du r in g th is per iod, psych edel ic r ock su r ged in popu l ar ity. Th e gr eatest in fl u en cer of th is tr en d was Rok y Er ick son , th e fath er of psych edel ic r ock . H e was bor n in Dal l as, an d h is ban d, th e 13th Fl oor El evator s, h ave in fl u en ced th e styl es of r ock u p to today. ?After th e 1960?s, th er e was som e psych edel ic r ock m u sic th at was ver y popu l ar on th e Au stin scen e at th e tim e,? Lick on a said. ?Rok y Er ick son was pr obabl y on e of th e best k n own .? Th e Au stin r ock scen e con tin u ed to gr ow an d fl ou r ish , h owever it began to be over sh adowed by th e Au stin cou n tr y scen e as popu l ar ity ch an ged again . By th e 1970?s, Au stin ?s cou n tr y scen e was gr owin g fast. Su dden l y,Au stin was a h u b of cou n tr y m u sic an d was dr awin g atten tion fr om acr oss th e cou n tr y. ?Th er e was a r ock m u sic scen e in Au stin in th e 1960?s th at was r eal l y begin n in g to gr ow wh en al l of a su dden cou n tr y m u sic k in d of m oved in an d took over ,? Lick on a said. As th is was dr awin g m or e atten tion to Au stin , a du o of factor s in fl ated th e Au stin m u sic scen e to n ew h eigh ts. Th e

An Austin City Limits Music Festival from past years. Photo courtesy of ACL Music Festival

Ar m adil l o W or l d H eadqu ar ter s was fou n ded, cr eatin g a n ew popu l ar ven u e for ar tists to per for m an d r eceive pu bl icity. Th e Ar m adil l o W or l d H eadqu ar ter s an d its effects on th e Au stin m u sic scen e was on e of th e m an y th in gs I discu ssed with l ocal ar tist El ias H asl an ger. H asl an ger is a n ative Texan an d r esiden t of Au stin . H e h as pl ayed saxoph on e pr ofession al l y for 25 year s. ?I th in k th e m ost icon ic

on e [m u sic ven u e] th at r eal l y pu t Au stin on th e m ap ear l y an d its you k n ow fam e as a m u sic town was th e Ar m adil l o W or l d H eadqu ar ter s,? H asl an ger said. ?So I th in k a l ot of peopl e poin t to th at as k in d of a pl ace wh er e th e m agic h appen ed an d r eal l y pu t Au stin on th e m ap as a pl ace for l ive m u sic.? On top of th is, ACL TV was fou n ded, br in gin g m u sical atten tion

Terry Lickona during an interview with Austin Monthly. Photo courtesy of Bill Sallans.

fr om ever ywh er e it was br oadcast. Au stin was su dden l y in th e spotl igh t, an d was cem en ted th er e by th e m u sician s, both fam ou s an d n ew, wh o cam e fl oodin g in . W il l ie Nel son m oved back to Au stin in th e 1970?s, an d an in fl u x of br igh t n ew m u sician s br ou gh t an en or m ou s am ou n t of diver sity in to Au stin m u sic. ?As a r esu l t [of n ation al atten tion ] an d coin ciden tal l y in 1974, Au stin City Lim its th e Tone Deaf, Page 36

TV sh ow began ,? Lick on a said. ?An d so th at br ou gh t a l ot of atten tion to Au stin m u sic, as wel l Au stin CIty Lim its, ju st l ik e it is today, was on n ation al TV, an d so peopl e al l over th e cou n tr y cou l d watch it.? As Au stin m u sic con tin u ed to r ide on th e wave of th is boom in its m u sic scen e, m u sic popu l ar ity sh ifted again . Th e in com in g ar tists gave r ise to a m u sic scen e th at h ad an en or m ou s n u m ber of types of m u sic in it. Pu n k r ock began to tak e off du r in g th e 80?s an d 90?s as th e Au stin m u sic scen e

con tin u ed to gr ow an d evol ve. ?An d th en after th e 1970?s, l ik e I said, th er e was a pu n k m u sic scen e th at took off I?d say star tin g in th e 80?s in to th e 1990?s,? Lick on a said. In 2000, a n ew bu r st of atten tion wen t to Au stin du e to th e begin n in g of th e ACL Live Sh ow. Popu l ar ity of Au stin m u sic expl oded yet again , as n ow ar tists h ad an even t wh er e th ey cou l d per for m for h u n dr eds of peopl e at on ce, an d gath er h u ge am ou n ts of atten tion , th is attr acted m or e

m u sician s, an d diver sified th e Au stin m u sic scen e even m or e. ?Now it?s a m or e diver se m u sic scen e th an it ever was back th en ,? Lick on a said. ?You wil l fin d al l k in ds of m u sic in Au stin depen din g on wh at cl u b you go to an d wh at n igh t of th e week .? H owever ,we can n ot discu ss th e past of Au stin m u sic with ou t l ook in g at th e pr esen t an d th e fu tu r e. Th e cor on avir u s pan dem ic h as cau sed an im m en se am ou n t of pr obl em s for Au stin m u sician s an d th e m u sic scen e in gen er al . You can n ot atten d in per son con cer ts du r in g social distan cin g, so m u sic ar tists, as th e back bon e of th e m u sic scen e, ar e n ot gettin g paid as m u ch . Th is is a pr obl em , becau se th e Au stin m u sic scen e is a l ar ge par t of wh at Au stin is. ?M y h ope is th at th e city wil l do wh at?s r equ ir ed to h ave peopl e m ar k tim e an d m ak e it th r ou gh u n til we can safel y con gr egate again . H asl an ger said. ?An d I wou l d h ope th en it?s n ot ju st back to bu sin ess bu t we?ve l ear n ed som eth in g fr om th is.?

Photo of Elias Haslanger from his website. Photo courtesy of Todd V W olfson

?An d I wou l d h ope th en it?s n ot ju st back to bu sin ess bu t we?ve l ear n ed som eth in g fr om th is.?

Keep AUSTI N Weir d -Red W assenich