This article takes a look at the death and rebirth of Austin Texas as it pertains to music in the urban artistic society.
If you have lived in Austin for more than twenty years, you know that Austin then is not the Austin of today. However, it is hard to imagine the full effect on musicians, especially African-American musicians.
The impact on those who are professional, classically trained, and who perform on the same level and in the same venues as
their white counterparts is quite different.
First, let us look at the impact on musicians in Austin as a whole. For ease and hypothetical purposes, imagine that there were 1000 venues twenty years ago; and that those thousand venues were still not sufficient for the thousands of bands that sought to perform throughout the city. Now imagine that the thousand venues were reduced to hundreds while the number of bands increased. One can readily see that there is a huge disparity here. Now, if we add the variable of musicians playing “black music” then.... This is where most discussions go silent and there are no answers.
Viewing Austin through the lens of a black professional musician at this time translates into a very unpromising story. Most of our everyday entertainment seekers are not even aware that the music industry crashed years ago and is now on the journey to recovery or reinvention. The domino effect of this crash reaches every city that has made music part of its quality of life. What made Austin unique in the past was that it was supported primarily through local means. The locally owned stores and other promotions kept Austin from dipping when the hi-tech
industry crashed. Solution Challenge:
Consider the answers to these questions
(1) What will recreate the organic authentic feel that attracted all parts of the world to Austin in the first
place?
(2) How do we get the financing for our cultural infrastructure?
(3) How do we get artistic and creative people to have the same deep-seeded interest in the operation of private sector businesses along with the educational value of that information?
We must teach and learn revival and survival simultaneously. Support the creative people in your area.
As always, I invite you to write me at Eclectic Shades magazine and let us know your thoughts.
Mr. Nobody
The Death and Rebirth of Austin Texas Musicians
A Look at the Urban Artistic Society