The Sound of Local Fests

All about music festivals here in Austin!

By: Madison Cassels

You’re standing in the heart of Austin, surrounded by thousands of people who are all there for the same reason - music. The sun is shining, the smell of food trucks and beer fill the air, and the sound of live music echoes through the streets. This is the experience of attending one of Austin’s many local music festivals.

Austin has been known as “Live Music Capital of the World” since 1991, and its musical history dates way before then. A main part of the music scene here is festivals, no matter how large, or how small. The start of many of these festivals was in 2002, with ACL (Austin City Limits), and since then it has only grown. A deeper aspect of going to these festivals is to feel emotions. Whether it’s an adrenaline rush from rock n’ roll, or tears running down people’s cheeks to slow alternative pop. Songs are there to make people experience a strong sense of emotion, and the performance aspect only adds on to that.

Festivals are all unique to the creator’s visions. There are so many different ones with completely unique vibes. One of these local music festivals is the Levitation Festival, founded by Rob Fitzpatrick. He has always had a love for music and has a background in design/web development. This knowledge goes into the start of him and his friends creating the festival. From the start, he always had a clear vision of what he wanted the festival to be like.

Fitzpatrick states that he started it “in 2008 with my friends The Black Angels who are an Austin-based psychedelic rock band. The idea was to invite their favorite bands, and that’s still a big factor in what we do - we consider what would be cool from that perspective and then branch out from there. Our programming starts with psychedelic rock and then branches out from there into adjacent genres like punk, metal, folk, electronic and general indie / underground / non-mainstream music.”

Besides, festivals have several elements that contribute to the emotional aspect, including the visual component. The costume may display if the performance is more bold or soft, for instance. The background is able to tell a story in the productions as well. On top of this, the color during performances has a major effect on how people perceive the songs and overall performance, this is due to color theory.

Fitzpatrick says, “Color theory is something that lighting designers and visual artists keep in mind - and in the context of a performance they’re looking to amplify the feeling behind their songs or take the viewer somewhere. Color is one of the tools visual artists and lighting designers use to hit those emotional chords that we have as human beings - that audio and visual pairing is really powerful.”

Another local music festival, owned by Travis Sutherland, is called the URBAN fest.. One of the festival’s distinguishing features is its camping option, which adds a new and exciting dimension to the entire experience. It’s this aspect that sets URBAN fest apart and makes it a truly unique and special event.

“Camping at our festival provides attendees with an opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the festival environment and make the most of their time at the event.”, Sutherland voices. “Some of the ways that camping can enhance the music festival experience is from convenience, socialization, extended experience, and flexibility. It creates a sense of community and allows attendees to fully immerse themselves in the festival environment.”

Austin, Te xas is widely known as the Live Music Capital of the World for good reason. This and many other factors are what make it a perfect place for music festivals. The city has a rich and vibrant musical history that spans multiple genres and decades. It started in the 1960s when a group of counterculture musicians moved to Austin to escape the rigid music industry in Los Angeles and New York. This gave rise to the Austin music scene, which was centered around the iconic Armadillo World Headquarters. Today, the music scene in Austin is as strong as ever, with countless venues hosting both local and international acts every night of the week. From blues to country, punk to indie rock, Austin has something for everyone.

Sutherland states he chose to have his festival in Austin because it “offers a unique and exciting backdrop for a music festival, with a dynamic and inclusive community, a wealth of cultural attractions, and a passionate and supportive fan base.”

Fitzpatrick also mentions how lucky he is “to be in Austin, the community is very supportive of music and the arts, there’s a great scene here, and per capita more people see shows in Austin than anywhere else - so we really lucked out starting it in Austin. It wouldn’t have worked in a lot of other cities.”

Bianca de Leon is a singer who has performed at numerous music festivals, one more recent being UTOPiA fest. She was born in Corpus Christi, raised in Houston, then lived in California for a long time. She ended up moving to Austin after a very large earthquake. A benefit of this move was that she was able to more easily tour, as in California touring was only along the coast. She has been into music since she was very young saying “I had a xylophone when I was little and could barely even walk or speak”. Throughout her life she has experienced many festivals and talks about the process of it.

De Leon describes it as “a very connecting experience”. She is able to feel the shared passion for music in the space, and the positive vibes radiated. She loves how people are able to enjoy and feel the songs she sings. Not only that, but it being a festival means that people from all over the world will come and experience it together.

As for the actual festival and how that goes, de Leon states how there “isn’t really a lead-up to the festival, it is more just showing up and singing”. Once she gets out on the stage, she instantly feels a connection with the crowd and the adrenaline begins to disappear as she sings. However, she mentions how “the lights blind me as soon as I go on stage”, and how it is hard to really see anything.

Getting performers for music festivals can be a relatively straightforward process. Of course it will vary from festival to festival, but many of the local ones in Austin don’t require too much effort to find an artist. For example, the LEVITATION festival has a pretty laid-back application process.

Fitzpatrick says how there “is no formal process”, and that generally they will book “agents and agencies to find out which artists are planning to tour TX or North America in the time period of our event”, people from a “wishlist that we’ve developed - our favorite bands, artists who have inspired us - and most importantly ones we know our audience would be excited to see”, a specific band “based on the recommendation of another band/artists we work with”, and directly reach out “to artists who have caught our ear/eye on the internet or at live shows”.

However, that is not to say that it doesn’t take a while to set up the whole festival. There are many aspects and parts of a festival that have to be put together and perfected for the festival to be ready. Also, the size of the whole festival should be taken into consideration, as it will have a heavy impact on the number of things it takes to get it ready, causing a variety in the time range it takes from festival to festival.

“The time it takes to get it ready can vary, but it usually takes the whole year to plan and prepare.” states Sutherland. Some key factors that affect the time it takes to get ready are “concept and planning, booking performers, logistics, marketing & ticket sales, and staffing.”

In the end, attending a local music festival in Austin, Texas is an experience that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the world. The city’s rich musical history and vibrant community create the perfect backdrop for festivals that cater to all musical tastes. The Levitation Festival and URBAN fest are just two examples of the diverse range of festivals that Austin has to offer. The emotion that music evokes is amplified by the visual aspects of the performances, including the use of color theory, costumes, and background production. The supportive community in Austin and the easy process of booking artists make it an ideal location for music festivals. Ultimately, the music festivals in Austin are more than just a celebration of music; they are a celebration of community, creativity, and the emotions that music can evoke.

The effects music has on film

By Madison Cassels

Most Popular Songs in Snow White:

I interviewed 22 people, showing them the same short film with different soundtracks over it. The short film is of a dog chewing a toy next to a young kid, while the mom and dad are talking in the background. It then cuts to the dog and toddler on a walk by themselves. For half, I had the film with upbeat, happy music. For the other half, I put slow, sad music over it. I compared their interpretations of the film to show how impactful music is in films:

1. Heigh-Ho

2. Someday My Prince Will Come

3. Whiste While You Woek

4. The Silly Song

The first ever commercially issued film soundtrack was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was released during January 1938, and since then has seen numerous expansions and reissues. The compositions were all written by Larry Morey and Frank Churchill. In 1940, the first pressing set was selling for $1.50. Disney did not have their own music publishing company at the time, and all the songs from Snow White’s soundtrack are actually still controlled by the Bourne Co. This is the only soundtrack that Disney was not able to acquire all their music back from. This soundtrack changed the film and music industry forever. Plus, all the songs in this soundtrack are still popular to this day!

I interviewed 22 people, showing them the same short film with different soundtracks over it. The short film is of a dog a toy next to a young kid, while the mom and dad are talking in the background. It then cuts to the dog and toddler on a walk by themselves. For half, I had the film with upbeat, happy music. For the other half, I put slow, sad music over it. I compared their interpretations of the film to show how impactful music is in films:

Interpre Ta Tions

The parents got a divorce, so the dog and kid ran away.

INTERPRE TA TIONS

The dog is trying to comfort the kid as their parents fight.

MOST COMMONL Y USED songs in music

The parents decide they want to sell the dog, so the kid sadly takes the dog to its new home.

The parents got a divorce, so the dog and kid ran away.

The dog is trying to comfort the kid as their parents fight.

DISNEY MO VIES with largest amount of songs

The dog is the kid’s best friend and they play and go on a walk.

It is a wonderful day and summer just started so the parents let their kid take their dog on a walk.

MOST SOLD movie soundtr ack

The kid just got the dog for their birthday and they are having fun together.