[Music Advisory Board: Public Listening Session #1]
[00:00:19]
AND I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE.UH, I THINK SOME OF YOU, UH, MAY KNOW ME FROM, UH, BOMBON TEXAS.
IT'S A, UH, LATIN INSPIRED GROUP.
I LEAD UP WITH ORIGINS HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND WE'VE GOT MEMBERS IN THROUGHOUT TEXAS, FLORIDA, IN CHICAGO.
BUT MORE RECENTLY, I TOOK ON A, A NEW ROLE HERE WITH THE CITY AS, UM, THE CITY'S VERY FIRST MUSIC OFFICER FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
AND, UM, THE OFFICE HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF, UH, SUPPORTING ARTS AND CULTURE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND NOW WITH, UH, ME IN THIS ROLE, WE HAVE SUPPORT FOR THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, THINGS WE DID, OR A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE DID LAST MONTH IS, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PASS AN ORDINANCE WITH THE HELP OF, UH, THE MAYOR, THIS ADMINISTRATION, OUR OFFICE AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND PUT IN PLACE NINE, UM, MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE THEM A MINUTE FOR THEM TO GET SETTLED IN.
AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER THIS BOARD, UM, TO BASICALLY, UM, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HELP AD ADVISE, UM, OUR OFFICE AND OUR ADMINISTRATION ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE DID WAS, UH, ROLL OUT THE MUSIC DIRECTORY.
NOW, THIS DIRECTORY'S, UM, WAS SET UP TO, UH, ENCOURAGE, PROMOTE, AND SUPPORT, UH, LOCAL TALENT AND MUSIC BUSINESSES AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS SO THAT WE ALL HAVE A CENTRAL PLACE, UM, WHERE FOLKS CAN GO.
UH, IT'S A GOOD RESOURCE, YOU KNOW, FOR FOLKS TO, UH, FIND OTHER, UH, TALENTED FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CITY.
AND MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT NEXT SUPER BOWL, YOU KNOW, WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, A CENTRAL PLACE WHERE THEY CAN FIND, UH, CREATIVE TALENT HERE.
UM, AND NOW THAT I THINK WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR I THINK JASON JASON'S.
UH, WANNA START WITH SOME INTRODUCTIONS HERE.
UM, A BIG PIECE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR, UH, THIS WORK TO BEGIN IS GETTING TO KNOW NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, AND LET ME START OFF WITH, UM, MARK AUSTIN.
UM, HE'S THE OWNER AND HE'S, HE'S THE OWNER AND, UH, OF COMPANY OF THE CONVOY, CONVOY GROUP, APOLOGIES.
UM, AND HAS ALSO CO-FOUNDED THE HOUSTON MUSIC FOUNDATION.
SO, MARK, YOU WANNA SAY, I MEAN, I'M SURE A LOT OF FOLKS KNOW MARK.
UM, HE'S ALSO THE, THE BOARD VICE CHAIR.
SHE IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF HIP HOP VINTAGE FLEA MARKET, AND, UH, IS ALSO A A B GIRL.
SO,
UH, WE'VE ALSO GOT HENRY GUIDRY, ALSO KNOWN AS G DASH CEO OF SWISH.
A HOUSE, UH, OVER TO MY RIGHT, WORKING AT THE DESK.
YOU WANNA STAND UP ERIC SECRETARY, UH, ERIC JIMENEZ, UH, ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTOR AT PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M.
WE'VE GOT, UH, JAGGY JAGGY AL WHITE, OAK MUSIC HALL, AND PEG STAR, ALSO JASON KANE, WHO'S A ENTERTAINMENT AND CONCERT, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, AT, UH, HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
SHE'S THE MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER OF HOUSTON.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, OUR CHAIR, UH, JASON WOODS, ALSO BETTER KNOWN AS FLASH GORDON PARKS.
SO, UM, THE CITY RECOGNIZED, UH, A NEED TO HAVE THE BOARD, UM, EARLY ON IN THIS ADMINISTRATION.
[00:05:01]
AND WITH SUCH, SUCH SIGNIFICANCE TO, UH, WHO HOUSTON IS.UM, WE ESTABLISHED THIS BOARD TO IMPACT AND INFLUENCE THE CITY'S WORK.
COUPLE OF OUR, UM, WELL, OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS TO, UH, HAVE THE BOARD SERVE AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AND THE ITS MUNICIPALITY, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY HOUSTON.
UM, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES, FOSTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR MUSICIANS AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
SOME OF THOSE GOALS INCLUDE PRESENTING TOP CHALLENGES AND OR OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON MUSIC COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, DEVELOP POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS IN SUPPORT OF MUSICIANS AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND LASTLY, ENCOURAGE REGISTRATION TO THE, UH, NEW MUSIC DIRECTORY.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SIGNED UP, THERE'S QR CODES UP, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT HERE ON OUR PRESENTATION SLIDES AND ALSO OUT IN THE LOBBY.
FEEL FREE TO SCAN THEM AND YOU CAN START YOUR PROFILE THERE.
UM, NEXT THING WE WANT TO DO IS, UM, OH, DO WE HAVE TRACY AND LUPE AROUND? OKAY.
THEY'RE ALSO, UH, PART OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AS, AS ALTERNATE.
SO, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME, THEY MAY, YOU KNOW, FILL IN, BUT THEY'RE ALSO EQUALLY QUALIFIED AS, AS THE REST OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT HAPPY TO HAVE YOU GUYS ON BOARD AS WELL.
NEXT I WANNA INTRODUCE, UM, OUR, OUR MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR NICOLE IRVIN.
SHE'S BEEN REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN TAKING THE STEPS FORWARD TO INCLUDE THIS MUSIC COMMUNITY IN, UM, THE HOUSTON'S IN HOUSTON'S GROWING ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME HER TO THE MIC.
I MEAN, I'M FROM THE SOUTH, SO I LIKED A LITTLE BIT OF CALL AND RESPONSE TO GO ON, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, AS GRACIE SAID, MY NAME IS NICOLE IRVIN, AND I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF REPRESENTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN RUNNING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
IT IS AN HONOR BECAUSE I GET A CHANCE TO WORK FOR A LEADER WHO HAS BEEN CLEAR IN HIS SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS THROUGHOUT HIS ADMINISTRATION HERE IN THE CITY, BUT ALSO IN HIS TIME IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN AUSTIN.
UM, IT IS ALSO AN HONOR TO REPRESENT YOU AS HOUSTONIANS, AS MUSICIANS, AS CULTURAL WORKERS.
UM, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR OFFICE IS AVAILABLE AND AS A RESOURCE.
AND SO OUR OFFICE IS THE PUBLIC ARM FOR ALL THINGS ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE ALSO MANAGE TWO PRINCIPAL WAYS THE CITY INVEST IN THE ARTS, AND THAT'S THROUGH GRANTS.
AND THERE IS, UM, A WONDERFUL YOUNG LADY OUTSIDE CALLED TAYLOR JACKSON, WHO RUNS THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE GRANT PROGRAM.
SO THERE ARE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT WE PROVIDE ON A QUARTERLY AND AN ANNUAL BASIS HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND WAY THAT WE PRINCIPALLY INVEST IN THE ARTS IS THROUGH PUBLIC ART.
AND SO WHEN YOU SEE ART ON OUR STREETS AND OUR LIBRARIES AT OUR POLICE STATIONS AND AIRPORTS, UM, THAT IS ART THAT THE CITY IS INVESTING IN.
UM, BUT WE RECOGNIZE, AS GRACIE SAID, A SIGNIFICANT GAP, UM, AND A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN A SPACE WHERE IT IS SUCH A PART OF OUR DNA IN THE CITY, AND THAT'S MUSIC.
UM, AND SO IT HAS BEEN TRULY AN HONOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BRING ON BOARD GRACIE CHAVEZ.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE, UM, BROUGHT ON BOARD A MUSICIAN AND A MUSICIAN WHO HAS BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHO IS A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, WHO HAS A LOVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO LEAD THIS WORK.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THESE FOLKS BEHIND ME BECAUSE IT IS ONE THING TO DO WORK FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S ANOTHER TO VOLUNTEER, RIGHT? AND SAY, I'M GONNA PUT MY NAME OUT THERE, PUT MYSELF OUT THERE TO BE A CONDUIT, TO BE AN EAR AND A VOICE.
SO THANK YOU ALL OF YOU, REALLY FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS WORK.
SO TONIGHT, AS GRACIE SAID, WE REALLY WANTED TO START THIS OFF BY LISTENING AND HEARING FROM YOU.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT HONOR AND I AM SUPER EXCITED, UM, NUMBER ONE, TO HAVE THE COUNCIL
[00:10:01]
MEMBER FOR THIS DISTRICT, UM, HERE THIS EVENING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, DISTRICT C AND WE ALSO HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, AND I LIKE TO CALL THEM UP.AND THE REASON I WANNA CALL THEM UP, AND, UM, THEY'RE NOT HERE JUST FOR THIS REASON.
UM, I'M SURE THEY'RE EXCITED JUST TO BE IN HOUSTON, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S HOUSTON.
UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, GRACIE HAS BEEN WORKING IN ENSURING THAT THERE IS A DESIGNATION, UM, THAT HOUSTON IS, HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, WHICH IS MUSIC FRIENDLY.
UM, BUT WE HAD NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE AS A PART OF THEIR OFFICIAL, UM, PROGRAM.
AND SO TONIGHT, THAT RECOGNITION, THAT CERTIFICATION, UM, WILL HAPPEN FROM THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
AND SO WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS STOP, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN TELL, I'M A TALKER, SO I COULD BE HERE ALL NIGHT, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA STOP THERE AND INTRODUCE YOU.
WE HAVE CHIP AND BRANDON, THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO HIM.
BRANDON, DIRECTOR IRVIN, IT'S A REAL HONOR.
AND GRACIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
I'M GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
I'M THRILLED TO BE IN HOUSTON.
I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME BACK TO HOUSTON AS A TRAVELING, TOURING RECORDING MUSICIAN.
IT WAS A THRILL TO COME TO HOUSTON.
EVERY TIME WE CAME TO PLAY, I WAS JUST TALKING TO OUR COUNCILWOMAN FRIEND, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT'S KIND OF A, A NEAT THING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS PARTICIPANTS, ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS WHO MADE THEIR LIVING, UH, WORK IN THESE OFFICES.
UH, WHEN I GIVE TALKS, UH, AROUND THE STATE ABOUT MY LOVE, UH, FOR THE TEXAS MUSIC INDUSTRY, IT COMES FROM A PLACE OF TRUE EXPERIENCE.
UH, I STARTED TOURING WHEN I WAS A LATE TEEN BASED OUT OF TEXAS, AND PLAYED ALL OVER OUR GREAT STATE, ALL OVER OUR, UH, COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
AND, UH, I WAS THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
IT WAS A LIFELONG DREAM TO PLAY MUSIC FOR A LIVING.
AND IT IS AN EVEN GREATER HONOR NOW FOR ME TO COME BACK AS DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE AND TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS THAT MAKE TEXAS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AND VIBRANT MUSIC INDUSTRY ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD.
IT WAS OUR IDEA EARLY ON IN MY TENURE AS DIRECTOR OF TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE TO TRULY DO THE WORK OF ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTRIBUTIONS ECONOMICALLY AS WELL AS CULTURALLY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ACROSS THE STATE.
AND IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO TALK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, BUT IT'S DOABLE.
WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO US, HOWEVER, AND A NEED WE ISOLATED AND SOUGHT TO REMEDY EARLY WAS THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY REAL TRUE WAY TO SPEAK WITH LOCAL INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WAS IMPACTING THEM LOCALLY.
NOW WE ARE A HUGE STATE, AND WE ARE A HUGE STATE, UH, THAT HAS, UH, DRAWN UPON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FOR YEARS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE MAP, FROM THE VALLEY TO WEST TEXAS, EAST TEXAS, NORTH TEXAS.
AND WE ARE ALL A PART OF WHAT I CONSIDER THE TEXAS MUSIC INDUSTRY ECONOMY.
BUT TO BETTER MAKE SURE, TO ENSURE, IF YOU WILL, THE FURTHER GROWTH OF THAT MUSIC INDUSTRY ECONOMY, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO, FIRST OF ALL, DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT, TO LISTEN TO THE NEEDS, THE THOUGHTS OF INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS OR STAKEHOLDERS LOCALLY.
AND WHAT DIRECTOR IRVIN AND GRACIE HAVE TOUCHED ON, UH, IS THAT THE PROGRAM WE DESIGNED, THE FRAMEWORK WE DESIGNED THAT MARK AND I TALKED ABOUT IN 2016, AND FRIENDS OF OURS ALL ACROSS THE STATE NOW HAVE TALKED ABOUT, IS TO CREATE THIS FRAMEWORK THAT HAS A HIGH BAR FOR ENTRY.
WE NEEDED TO CREATE THIS ADVISORY BOARD OF DIVERSE INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS THAT CAN LISTEN TO A DIVERSE, UH, GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS A WIDE POPULATION.
NO WIDER POPULATION IS THERE THAN THE ONE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHICH IS A REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY.
AND NOT SIX MONTHS AGO OR FOUR YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER ELSE.
THIS IS A HUGE PLACE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING A LOT OF INCREDIBLE WORK.
SO WE NEEDED THIS WORK PUT INTO IT.
WE NEEDED THIS ADVISORY BOARD BUILT.
WE NEED A MUSIC OFFICER WHO TRULY UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMUNITY.
WE NEEDED A SIGNAL OF PARTNERSHIP THROUGH OUR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH OUR OFFICE, AND WE NEEDED TO BEGIN TO GROW TOGETHER, UH, TO BUILD THESE PROGRAMS
[00:15:01]
STATEWIDE.I'M THRILLED TO SAY NOW THAT WE HAVE NEARLY 40 MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AROUND THE STATE, AND WE ARE THRILLED TO SAY THAT TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO WELCOME HOUSTON INTO THAT PROGRAM AS THE LARGEST, MOST DIVERSE, AND ONE WITH, UH, ARGUABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSIC INDUSTRY HISTORIES IN OUR STATE.
AND WE ARE THRILLED TO DO THAT.
WITH THAT, I, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, CHIP AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US UP HERE AS WELL.
AS YOU CAN TELL, THIS IS NOT ALL ABOUT TEXAS.
THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE IS THRILLED TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES LIKE HOUSTON AND ALL OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE NOT EVEN PART OF THE PROGRAM YET TO ADVOCATE FOR THE TEXAS MUSIC INDUSTRY ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, FEDERALLY IN DC AND STATE HOUSE.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES TO DO GREAT WORK ON THE LOCAL LEVEL SO THAT WE KEEP WHAT WE HAVE, WE GROW WHAT WE HAVE, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEEDS ARE BETTER HEARD AND, UH, OUR INDUSTRY IS VALIDATED AND RESPECTED LOCALLY.
UH, SO TO THAT END, I'M GONNA HAND THIS OFF TO MY FRIEND CHIP ADAMS, WHO RUNS THE MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES PROGRAM IN OUR OFFICE AND SAY A TREMENDOUS THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SELFLESS BOARD MEMBERS WHO'VE AGREED TO BE A PART OF TAKING THIS FRAMEWORK AND THIS OFFICE THAT GRACIE WILL NOW RUN FORWARD.
AND WE ARE JUST INCREDIBLY, UH, PROUD OF THE PROGRESS UP TO THIS POINT, AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT HOUSTON DOES, UH, WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, CHIP, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT OVER.
WELL, EVERYBODY, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S LEFT TO BE SAID BESIDES THE, THE GOOD FUN PART, WHICH IS CERTIFYING HOUSTON AS A, AS MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.
UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE TMO NOW FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, BUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
YOU KNOW, BRENDAN HAS ALREADY EXPLAINED, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH HOUSTON IS SUCH A MASSIVE PART OF THE TEXAS MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE GLOBAL MUSIC INDUSTRY.
BUT FOR ME, PERSONALLY, LOOKING AT WHAT HOUSTON DID AND CHANGED MY LIFE WITH MUSIC, I MEAN, LOOKING AT MY LOVES OF MUSIC FROM ZZ TOP TO KRUM BIN, THE AMOUNT OF INFLUENTIAL EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC IS, IS NEVER ENDING.
THAT COMES FROM THIS STATE AND, AND FROM THIS CITY.
I ACTUALLY GREW UP, UH, ELEMENTARY THROUGH JUNIOR HIGH OUT IN SPRING.
AND SO MY FOLKS WOULD DRIVE ME INTO HOUSTON.
AND MY FIRST TASTE OF LIVE MUSIC WERE COMING INTO THE CITY, GOING TO THE ASTRODOME AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, GEORGE STRAIT AND WAYLON JENNINGS AND THE JACKSON FIVE VICTORY TOUR.
UH, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS, THAT'S REALLY WHAT SET ME ON MY PATH, BECOMING A MUSICIAN, FOLLOWING MY HEART, GETTING INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND NOW FINDING MY WAY HERE IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS.
SO THIS MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
SEE HOUSTON FINALLY BECOMING ONE OF OUR, OUR MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, BRENDAN KIND OF TOUCHED UPON WHAT EVERY SINGLE CITY HAS TO DO, UH, TO BECOME CERTIFIED IN OUR PROGRAM, DEVELOPING IN, IN, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT.
OUR, OUR LIAISON WITHIN EACH CITY.
SO WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE STATE, THE CREATION OF AN ADVISORY BOARD.
AND THIS IS A FANTASTIC ADVISORY BOARD THAT I CANNOT WAIT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER.
UM, EVERY CITY HAS TO DEVELOP THE DIRECTORY OF MUSIC INDUSTRY DIRECTORY SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR LOCAL MUSIC INDUSTRY.
ALL THOSE PIECES HAVE TO BE DONE BY EVERY CITY TO BE CERTIFIED.
SO THE CERTIFICATION IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A, A PAT ON THE BACK.
AND YOU LIKE MUSIC, A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO IT TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC INDUSTRY AND TO SEE THE CITY HAVE THE DESIRE TO GROW AND EXPAND ITS MUSIC INDUSTRY.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY A, A WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT AND I'M SO, SO VERY PROUD OF HOUSTON.
UH, I THINK WE'VE GONE ALONG ENOUGH.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ABBY, DO YOU WANNA COME UP? YEAH.
SO I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME HOUSTON AS OUR 38TH CERTIFIED MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, AND WE DO HAVE YOUR OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE.
SO CONGRATULATIONS CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I CANNOT WAIT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK TOGETHER.
ALRIGHT, I'M JUST GONNA, AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN TO YOU ALL, NOT YOU ALL LISTEN TO US.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M ABBY CAYMAN, I REPRESENT THIS AREA.
UM, I'M SO PROUD AND I JUST WANNA GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE HEIGHTS THEATER FOR HOSTING THE FIRST OF, I HOPE, WHAT WILL BE MANY TOWN HALLS, UM, BEING A MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THAT'S THE DESIGNATION THAT WE'VE JUST RECEIVED, UM, AS YOU HEARD, A LOT GOES INTO IT.
SO HUGE SHOUT OUT, DIRECTOR IRVING.
UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR TURNER GIVES THE, THE CHARGE AND THE COMMITMENT AND HE HAS BEEN, UM, AN UNBRIDLED SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS, BUT DIRECTOR IRVING TAKES THAT VISION AND PUTS IT IN PLACE.
[00:20:01]
A LOT OF CREDIT DIRECTOR GOES TO YOU, GRACIE, FOR STEPPING UP THE BOARD.UM, BUT FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE, DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU ALL WERE THE FIRST TO SHUT YOUR DOORS AND THE LAST TO OPEN.
AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BE TOGETHER NOW TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT THE ARTS, HOW WE EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION, HOW WE SUPPORT YOU ALL, UH, IS MORE CRITICAL THAN EVER.
AND I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU, UH, SPEAK YOUR MIND.
I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU WILL SPEAK YOUR HEART, BUT IT IS REALLY INFORMATIVE.
YES, WE HAVE INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY ON THIS BOARD, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM YOU SO THAT THEY CAN SAY, HEY, WE HEARD FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS MUSICIAN, WE HEARD FROM, UH, THE SYMPHONY ON THIS.
I'M NOT GONNA START CALLING PEOPLE OUT, BUT YOUR VOICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS, AND I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU.
AND LASTLY, I WANNA THANK THE STATE.
UH, I WAS JOKING EARLIER, UH, SOMETIMES WHEN THE STATE COMES DOWN TO HOUSTON, IT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT THE CITY NECESSARILY WANTS, UM, BUT IN THIS CASE, AND I THINK IT'S SO, SUCH AN EXAMPLE OF HOW MUSIC BRINGS EVERYONE TOGETHER.
SO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE STATE HERE WITH US IS A TRUE PRIVILEGE.
SO, TO BRENDAN AND CHIP, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TRIP DOWN HERE.
THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH OUR CITY.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE ARE HERE TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY, LIFT UP THE ARTS, AND MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE PERSON KNOWS WHAT HOUSTON IS ABOUT.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S THE GREATEST CITY FOR MUSIC IN THE WORLD.
ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS, UH, REALLY TURNING THE MIC OVER TO YOU.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE WE GET STARTED IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU GUYS WERE INVITED HERE.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER MUSICAL DISCIPLINE, WHATEVER GENRES, WHATEVER PREFERENCE OR PRACTICE, WE'RE ALL HERE AS FELLOW MUSICIANS, UH, FELLOW MUSIC PROFESSIONALS AND, UH, MUSIC BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO JUST A, YOU KNOW, REMINDER, LET'S ALL BE RESPECTFUL, LISTEN AND CONDUCT YOURSELF AND THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, I'M GONNA BEGIN TO CALL SOME SPEAKERS THAT HAVE REGISTERED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
YOU'VE GOT UP TO THREE MINUTES, UH, TO ADDRESS THE BOARD WITH WHATEVER CONCERNS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BROUGHT HERE TONIGHT.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS MAY RESPOND, YOU KNOW, TAKE A A COUPLE OF MINUTES IF, IF, UH, YOU DO SO, UM, AFTER WE, WE GO THROUGH OUR LIST OF SPEAKERS HERE, UH, IN THE THEATER TONIGHT, UM, SECRETARY, UM, ERIC JIMENEZ WILL, UM, ALSO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN VIRTUALLY ONLINE.
'CAUSE WE ARE STREAMING THIS LIVE ON, UH, HOUSTON TELEVISION ON FACEBOOK.
SO, WITH THAT SAID, I'D LIKE TO CALL, UM, TIZIANO HERNANDEZ.
DO WE HAVE TIANO HERNANDEZ HERE? OKAY.
EZRA, IF YOU CAN COME UP TO THE MIC.
THANKS FOR, UH, GIVING THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AS A 50 YEAR VETERAN OF THE HOUSTON MUSIC INDUSTRY, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE THOUSANDS OF WORKING HOUSTON MUSICIANS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WHO ALREADY KNOW THAT HOUSTON IS A MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.
WE VOTED WITH OUR FEET, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT NOT ONLY IS HOUSTON A GREAT PLACE TO WORK AND MAKE A LIVING, HOUSTON ALSO HAS A VERY RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE WAY FAR BEYOND ANY OTHER CITY IN HOUSTON.
AND SO, MY OTHER CAPACITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NEW OFFICIAL TEXAS MUSIC HALL OF FAME.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR 20 YEARS, AND WE HOPE TO
[00:25:01]
ANNOUNCE SOMETIME AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, THE SITE AND THE PLANS FOR A 300,000 SQUARE FOOT TEXAS MUSIC MUSEUM AS PART OF THE UMBRELLA OF THE 26 MUSEUMS AROUND TEXAS.THAT WILL BE SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND EXHIBITORS.
WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, 61 MUSIC FAMILIES WHO HAVE COMMITTED ARTIFACTS.
UH, THESE ARTIFACTS WILL NOT BE SOLD TO THE MUSEUM, AND THEY WON'T BE LOANED TO THE MUSEUM.
THEY'LL BE LEASED BY THE MUSEUM.
AND SOME OF THESE TEXAS MUSIC FAMILIES WHO NEVER RECEIVED RECORD ROYALTIES WILL FOR THE FIRST TIME START SEEING SOME INCOME FROM THE WORK OF THEIR PREDECESSORS.
WELL, THIS IS A NOBLE FENCER TO RIGHT SOME WRONGS AT THE PRESENT TIME.
THE, UH, SEVERAL COURT CASES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT OUR APPARENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE TRUE OWNERS OF THE FEDERAL TRADEMARK, TEXAS MUSIC HALL OF FAME, AND THE TE TEXAS MUSIC HISTORY TRAIL, WHICH WE EXPECT TO SET UP AROUND TEXAS TO VISIT THESE 26 OTHER MUSICIAN MUSEUMS THAT, UH, ARE FASCINATING PLACES.
I'VE BEEN A FEW OF 'EM MYSELF.
THIS IS A MUCH A BIGGER ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION THAN YOU CAN ENVISION AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UH, YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT SPACE CENTER HOUSTON HAS AN ANNUAL ATTENDANCE OF 1,400,000 PEOPLE THAT'S FAR GREATER THAN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ON CLEVELAND OR THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME IN NASHVILLE.
AND WE EXPECT THIS MUSEUM TO RIVAL THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE.
IT, IT'LL BE IN FOUR OR FIVE SECTIONS THAT WILL, THAT WILL, UH, ILLUSTRATE THE, THE HERITAGE OF TEXAS MUSIC AND COUNTRY HISPANIC ROCK AND ROLL, BLUES AND JAZZ.
AND IT WILL PROVIDE SOMETHING FOR ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN MUSIC TO SEE WHAT AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TEXAS HAS MADE TO THE WORLD UP UNTIL THIS TIME.
AND I FEEL LIKE, UH, WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET FROM YOU GUYS AND EVERYBODY IN HOUSTON TO CHANGE THE PRECONCEPTION THAT THE TEXAS MUSIC HALL OF FAME NEEDS TO BE IN AUSTIN.
AND I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD.
UM, IS THERE ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE JOY HILL HERE? OKAY, WONDERFUL.
GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND HONORING OUR CITY.
UM, I'M WITH EZRA CHARLES, MY LATE HUSBAND WAS ROCKY HILL, DUSTY HILL, BIG BROTHER.
AND HE WILL BE IN, HE'S BEEN, HE'S GOING INTO THE HALL OF FAME, THE TEXAS MUSIC HALL OF FAME.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND US GETTING OUR ARTIST ACKNOWLEDGED AND HONORED.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M JASON WOODS, UM, FLASH GORDON PARKS.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, BASED ON THOSE TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS, THAT'S AMAZING.
SO, OKAY, NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, CION TAYLOR.
DO WE HAVE CION TAYLOR HERE? OKAY.
UH, BARRY ING OR COUGHING? OKAY.
WELL, THIS IS A FANTASTIC GROUP AND, UH, IF I'M TO BELIEVE THE, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT HOUSTON IS EVERY DAY 145 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN HERE.
SO GOOD JOB ON BRINGING A, A GROUP THAT AT LEAST IS STARTING IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, IT'S FANTASTIC THAT YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, I'VE REALIZED HOW TOUGH IT IS AND HOW WISE IT WAS TO HAVE A BOARD HERE THAT CAN SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, GUYS LIKE YOU THAT HAVE LIVED IN THIS, THIS WORLD AND CAN HELP COMMUNICATE TO THESE PEOPLE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
PARTICULARLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE RODEO PEOPLE THAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE COME AND SEE THE RODEO EVERY YEAR? TWO
[00:30:01]
AND A HALF MILLION, TWO AND A HALF MILLION.AND HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU SELL OUT THAT ARENA? 13.
AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY NIGHTS ARE YOU HAVING A GIG? HOW MANY, HOW MANY DAYS DOES THE RODEO GO ON? UH, THE STADIUM SHOWS FOR 20, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE BARBECUE AND OUR CLUBS AND OTHER AREAS.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, ORGANIZATIONS OF ITS KIND IN TERMS OF LIVE MUSIC.
AND IT'S THE QUIETEST, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF MILLION FANS I'VE EVER SEEN.
ANYWAY, MY NAME IS BARRY COFFING.
I'M A GRADUATE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS.
I RAN OFF TO LOS ANGELES FOR 25 YEARS, UH, GETTING INTO, UH, ALL KINDS OF MISCHIEF.
I WAS ASSIGNED TO WARNER BROTHERS, SOLD SEVEN COPIES.
I HAD A RECORD DEAL ON SONY, WHICH WENT BANKRUPT WITHIN SIX MONTHS.
AND I CURRENTLY HAVE A, UH, PUBLISHING DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSAL I CAN'T GET OUT OF.
SO I'VE REALLY EXPERIENCED THE MUSIC BUSINESS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
UM, UH, HOWEVER, I'M ALSO AN EMMY LOSER AND, UH, BUT I HAVE ALSO WRITTEN NUMBER ONE HIT TEAM SONGS AND WRITTEN 200 SONGS FOR FILM AND TV.
AND I AM BACK, I'M BRINGING MY COMPANY FROM LOS ANGELES TO HOUSTON.
UM, BEFORE WHEN I CAME BACK, I STARTED A, A THING CALLED SPRINGBOARD, WHICH WAS A MUSIC FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE, BUT VERY BOUTIQUEY.
IT WAS A FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE DESIGNED TO HELP ARTISTS FOR TWO DAYS.
WE BRING IN MUSIC SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS AND PEOPLE.
AND MARK ACTUALLY WAS AT OUR SECOND ONE AT WAREHOUSE LIVE.
UH, AND WE, UH, TRY TO COACH UP THE PEOPLE HERE AND ALSO BRING INCREDIBLE INDUSTRY PEOPLE TO SHOWCASE THIS.
WE ARE LOOKING TO COME BACK TO HOUSTON.
WE GOT SOME SUPPORT, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT YOU GUYS COULD DO SLIGHTLY BETTER.
UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES I'LL BRING IN THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT NOTHING ON YOU GUYS.
THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND EVERYBODY, THEY GAVE US A $20,000 GRANT AT GEORGE R. BROWN, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL THESE PANELS, BUT THEN WHEN YOU WENT IN THERE, IT'S, OH, DID YOU WANT POWER WITH THAT? OH, YOU DON'T WANT THE INTERNET, DO YOU? YOU CAN'T BRING FOOD IN BECAUSE IF YOU DO EARMARKS, GOT THE CONTRACT AND YOUR JELLY DONUTS $4 AND 50 CENTS.
SO THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT YOU GUYS COULD DO TO FILL SOME GAPS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
THERE ALSO WAS SOME ADVERTISING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET INTO, BUT THEY MADE A RULE THAT WE COULD NOT SPEND IT UNLESS IT WAS 150 MILES OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON.
WE COULD HAVE SPENT THAT IN, YOU KNOW, NORTHWEST HOUSTON, SOUTHWEST HOUSTON, AND BROUGHT PEOPLE INTO THE CENTER.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, GALVESTON.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF OF HOLES THAT YOU GUYS WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
BUT ALSO TOO, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I WOULD LOVE HELP WITH IS YOU HAVE HOTELS.
IF I'M CORRECT, YOU'VE GOT THE HILTON BY DISCOVERY GREEN AND THE MARRIOTT.
UH, THE ABILITY TO DO EVENTS, PARTICULARLY EVENTS THAT WERE DOING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, IF WE COULD HAVE A HOTEL DEAL WHERE WE COULD BRING SPEAKERS IN AND DO THINGS EITHER THROUGH A NON-PROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT, BUT IN ORDER TO COACH THESE GUYS UP.
'CAUSE THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS MOVING TOO FAST FOR ANY OF US TO KEEP UP.
IF WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE WE WOULD HAVE HELP WITH THOSE THINGS, OR SOME, LIKE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE DEPRECIATING ASSETS.
IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE ROOM, WHAT'S, WHY NOT GIVE IT TO US FOR WHAT IT COSTS FOR YOU FOR THE MAID SERVICE? THANK YOU.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ANY THOUGHTS? ANY THOUGHTS FROM THE BOARD? THANK YOU.
UM, I DO WANNA SHARE THAT, UH, ONE ACKNOWLEDGING EVERYONE IN PERSON IN THIS ROOM, UM, AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ALL THESE YEARS, THE GRATITUDE IS BEYOND ME TO BE IN THIS ROOM SITTING HERE WITH SOME LEGENDARY PEOPLE THAT I JUST MET AT THE DOOR.
SO, UM, I AM VERY CURIOUS TO HEAR, AND THESE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WITH THE VENUES, THAT IS A BIG, UH, ISSUE THAT I'VE COME RUN INTO THIS LAST YEAR AND A HALF BEING SOMEONE THAT'S, UH, RUNNING SOME FESTIVALS HERE IN HOUSTON AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
ALSO, OUR FIRST SPEAKER, MR. EZRA, THAT IS AMAZING.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT, UH, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF.
SO THIS IS A LEARNING PROCESS ALSO FOR MYSELF, UM, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN DOING FOR DECADES HERE IN OUR AMAZING STATE.
SO I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO CONTINUE TO HEAR SOME OF THESE ADVERSARIES THAT ARE GOING ON AND TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK AND REALLY DO MY RESEARCH AND EDUCATING MYSELF, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE THAT NEED TO KNOW THIS, THAT HAVE NO CLUE WHATSOEVER.
SO I'M MYSELF BEING AWARE OF WHAT'S KIND OF GOING ON AS OF TODAY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME TOO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM SEEING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE HAD HEARD, UH, JUST FROM OUR LAST SPEAKER ITSELF, BARRY, THAT, UM, IS GOING ON.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BRIDGE THESE GAPS.
ONE MORE COMMENT FROM MARK AUSTIN
I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYBODY TOO.
EZRA, THANKS FOR SHARING THAT.
THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE HOPE TO LEARN IN
[00:35:01]
HERE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ALL IN THE SAME ROOM, EVEN THOUGH THIS ROOM IS NOT FULL TO THE WALLS.THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT REALLY GIVE A CRAP ABOUT WHAT ALL OF US ARE DOING.
AND A LOT OF US DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER.
UH, YOU AND I HAVE TRADED EMAILS BEFORE, AND THAT'S ABOUT AS FAR AS WE GOT, YOU KNOW, AND SO US BEING IN THIS ROOM AND SHARING WHAT WE'RE UP TO, THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WILL, WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT AND PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER, RIGHT? SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM THESE SESSIONS IS OPEN COMMUNICATION AND WE'RE SHARING.
AND BARRY, I WANT TO SHARE, LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE HUSTLED, UH, UH, SPRINGBOARD FOR YEARS.
YOUR, YOUR, I BELIEVE YOUR HEART'S IN THE RIGHT PLACE ABOUT TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING.
WE DESERVE THESE TYPES OF EVENTS.
UM, AND IF THEY'RE, AND INFORMATION IS POWER.
AND I BELIEVE THAT FINDING OUT WHAT THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP YOU AS OF RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S OUT THERE TO MAKE THESE THINGS MORE, UH, FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
I, I'VE FLOWN IN ARTISTS BEFORE.
I'VE PAID FOR HOTEL ROOMS. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A PROGRAM OR, OR A GRANT OR ANYTHING YOU CAN APPLY FOR.
BUT IT'S SO HARD TO GO FIND SOME OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO HOPEFULLY ALL OF US HAVING EXPERIENCED SOME OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SHARING, OBVIOUSLY THAT RINGS A BELL TO ME.
I'M LIKE, LET'S GO FIND OUT WHAT ALL PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR.
AND FOR A LONG TIME IT WASN'T NECESSARILY DESIGNATED TOWARDS MUSIC, RIGHT? IT WAS THE ARTS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY MUSIC.
AND OUR HOPE HERE IS THAT WE FIND OUT WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO US.
IF IT'S NOT HERE, WE GO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING HERE BECAUSE I'VE TRIED TO DO A LOT OF THIS KIND OF STUFF IN THE CITY, AND IT'S BEEN VERY HARD AND IT'S A LOT OF IT'S COME OUTTA MY POCKET.
UH, BUT IT'S BEEN FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A BRIDGE THERE TO BE BUILT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO, IS TO BUILD THAT BRIDGE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL, I'M SURE WE'LL GET INTO AT SOME POINT ABOUT MORE FESTIVAL TYPE STUFF, EXPERIENCES HERE.
THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE LIVING HERE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN.
HAVING ATTENDED SOUTHERN SMOKE THIS WEEKEND, IT WAS GANGBUSTERS.
AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON MUCH LARGER SCALES AND MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR YEARS TO COME AND GENERATIONS TO APPRECIATE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING HERE IS FOR A QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, HOW DO I GET A HOTEL ROOM FOR SOMEBODY I FLEW IN TO EDUCATE THE HOUSTON PUBLIC ON PUBLISHING RIGHTS OR WHATEVER.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
UM, RU ROB, HOPE YOU'RE IN THE AUDIENCE HERE.
MARTIN PENDERGRASS, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
UM, MY NAME'S, UH, MY PENDERGRASS.
I'M FROM ENGLAND ORIGINALLY, BUT I'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON FOR 20 YEARS NOW.
AND, UH, I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST, I, I, I, I'M A DJ AND, BUT, UH, BEYOND THAT I HAVE A, UH, A PASSION AND AN INTEREST IN A WIDE RANGE OF MUSIC.
UM, I REMEMBER COMING HERE AND I USED TO LISTEN TO LIGHTNING HOPKINS AS A TEEN AND LIKE THIS GUY'S FROM THIRD WARD, BUT THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT I'M AWARE OF TO COMMEMORATE THIS GUY THAT HAD JUST SUCH A MASSIVE INFLUENCE ON ROCK MUSIC, ON, ON BRITISH ROCK MUSIC THAT IN TURN INSPIRED, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN ROCK.
UM, UH, AS A DJ, THERE WAS A BIG, UH, PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC SCENE IN THE UK IN THE, UH, EARLY EIGHTIES.
AND THE BIGGEST TRACK WAS, UH, BY 13 FOUR ELEVATORS WHO WERE ORIGINALLY FROM AUSTIN.
BUT THE LABEL THAT PUT THEM OUT WAS HERE IN HOUSTON.
INTERNATIONAL RECORDS, AND AGAIN, THERE'S, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT COMING INTO HOUSTON DAILY FOR BUSINESS, ET CETERA, LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO, UH, THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS STUFF IF IT WAS COLLATED AND IT WAS ORGANIZED IN SOME WAY.
SO YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING, HAD SOME BUSINESS OVER IN CULLINS SIX 10 AREA.
AND, UH, I, MY FIRST TRIP TO HOUSTON, I WENT TO SCREWED UP RECORDS AND TAPES, THE, THE COLIN LOCATION.
AND, UH, I WAS LIKE, I, I'LL JUST DRIVE BY AND SEE WHAT'S THERE NOW.
AND IT'S JUST THIS ABANDONED BUILDING.
AND I DON'T KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE AWARE, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT BE THE, THE, THE INFLUENCE, THE, THE, THE DJ SCREWS SQUISH HOUSE THAT CULTURE HAS HAD ON THE PLANET.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, DJS LIKE DIPLO, UH, DRAKE CONTINUING TO SPREAD THIS, THIS, THIS, UM, MAKE MONEY OFF THIS HOUSTON CULTURE.
AND YET, UH, THIS, THIS BUILDING IS SITTING ABANDONED.
SO I, UH, I WAS IN CHICAGO EARLIER THIS YEAR AND, UH,
[00:40:01]
THIS, THE CHICAGO, THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, I THINK IT IS, THEY HAVE A, A WEBSITE AND THEY HAVE, UH, PLAQUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO CELEBRATE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT VENUES, ET CETERA.UH, AND CHICAGO'S MUSIC HISTORY, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING.
WHY, WHY ARE WE HEARING ABOUT AUSTON ALL THE TIME? WE'RE HEARING ABOUT NASHVILLE, CHICAGO.
AND, OKAY, UNLESS I'M TALKING ABOUT HIP HOP, I'M TALKING ABOUT PSYCHEDELIA, ABOUT, UH, WHAT ABOUT TEJANO CAJUN COUNTRY BLUES, YOU KNOW, ROCK.
I MEAN, THE, THE AMOUNT OF MUSICAL HERITAGE HERE IS PHENOMENAL.
YOU KNOW, THEN YOU LIKE FITZGERALD'S.
I MEAN, THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY THAT THIS IS ORGANIZED FOR OUR TOWNERS.
'CAUSE THEY BELIEVE ME, THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT.
THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN, WELL, IF A, IF A, A A 19-YEAR-OLD KID IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND IS LISTENING TO MUSIC, YOU KNOW, RECORDED IN THE LATE SIXTIES IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
BELIEVE ME, THERE'S PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS STUFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, MARTIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED WITH MARTIN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND YESTERDAY HE SENT ME THAT PHOTO OF THE SCREWED, UH, SCREWED UP RECORD SHOP, UM, THAT HE DROVE, UH, HE DROVE BY, UH, YESTERDAY.
AND, UM, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPONSE THAT IT'S GOTTEN.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO PRESERVE, HOPEFULLY PRESERVE MORE OF THOSE LANDMARKS HERE IN, UH, HOUSTON.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, MUCH RESPECT LIL MARTIN, LEGENDARY DJ, Y'ALL.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST BRING UP, THERE IS A HISTORICAL MARKER FOR LIGHTNING HOPKINS ON EMANCIPATION IN BETWEEN DARLIN AND HOLMAN.
UM, IT'S NEXT TO A BUS STOP AND A GOOD, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, GREAT VISUAL ARTIST.
UH, ROBERT HODGE ACTUALLY DID A PIECE TO HONOR LIGHTNING HOPKINS.
HE, UH, CREATED A BUS STOP FOR HIM.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PROGRAMMING AROUND 2014, BUT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THERE ARE TONS OF SPACES THAT SHOULD BE HONORED.
ONE PARTICULARLY, UH, PEACOCK RECORDS IN FIFTH WARD.
UM, THAT BUILDING SAT ABANDONED FOREVER TRANSFERRED TO A CHURCH, AND NOW IT'S NOTHING THERE.
UM, THERE ARE MARKERS AROUND THE CITY, BUT YES, WE NEED TO DO WAY MORE AND CREATE SOME TYPE OF TOUR SITUATION FOR TOURISM TO REALLY FLOURISH IN THE CITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY ABOUT THIRD WARD, 'CAUSE THAT'S MY LITTLE TURF OR WHATEVER, WHICH I JUST REALLY LOVE.
AND THE THINGS YOU WOULD SAY ABOUT LIGHTNING HOPKINS AND ALL THE OTHER THIRD WARD PEOPLE.
THE THIRD WARD MUSICIANS AND, AND, AND THE THINGS THAT WE DID.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN THEY ASKED ME ABOUT BEING ON THIS COMMITTEE, I WAS LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I COULD DO, BUT MAN, IF WE CAN SPEAK FOR THIRD WARD AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE, I'M I, I'M IN, YOU KNOW,
LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THAT TRAY
IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, THERE'S AN HONORARY MARKER IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
THAT SUITE IS CALLED THE LIGHTNING SUITE.
IT HAS A, HAS A, A PAINTING OF HIM.
SO WE, WE DO NEED TO HONOR OUR PAST.
AND, AND I THINK EVERY MCDONALD'S THAT BEYONCE'S EVER EATEN AT SHOULD HAVE A PLACARD.
YOU KNOW, LIKE
AND IN TOURISM AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE'S FIRST STOP IS, IS, UH, SCREWED UP TAPES AND RECORDS.
SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THE CITY HAS TRIED IN THE PAST, WE HAD A HUGE MURAL PUT ON THE SIDE OF A BUILDING, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO IT'S BEEN NOW, THREE OR FOUR, MAYBE MORE, OF LIGHTNING HOPKINS.
IT WAS LIKE THE SIZE OF A BUILDING.
AND THEY'RE DOING THOSE MURALS AND THINGS NOW AND AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE ARE THE VOICE OF MUSIC.
AND WE SAY WE WANT REPRESENTATION FOR MUSIC TOO.
WE'VE GOT THIS SUPER RICH HISTORY OF BEYONCE, LYLE LOVE, ZZ TOPP AND ALL THOSE GUYS.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE NEXT GENERATION IN, UH, KUNG BEN AND SOLANGE AND, UH, UH, TRAVIS SCOTT AND LIZZO.
AND I MEAN, THE NAME, THE NAMES JUST KEEP COMING.
AND THIS ISN'T JUST A ONE TIME THING.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO I, I HEAR YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
I WOULD LOVE TO PUT THAT ON MY LIST OF CONCERNS, IS TO MAKE MORE OUT OF THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S HERE AND MAKE PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR GENERATIONS TO COME TO COME AND APPRECIATE.
AND WE TELL THE STORIES AND WE KEEP THEIR SPIRIT ALIVE AS WELL AS DOING THINGS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? OKAY, WE'RE READY FOR OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
WAS ACTUALLY CALLED RIGHT BEFORE I WALKED IN.
DO YOU HAVE A MOMENT? UH, WHAT WAS YOUR NAME? ANDREW DAVIS.
[00:45:04]
GOOD DAY EVERYONE.THANK YOU'ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU'ALL FOR, UM, COMING TOGETHER.
THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
I HAD A COUPLE OF HOWS, UM, TO REALLY TO TRY TO DIAL IN A COUP.
UM, MARK, YOU DID NOTE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, WE HAVE LIKE A ARTS LIKE, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT, THAT, UH, HAS LIKE ACCESS TO LIKE GRANTS FUNDING.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD IS LIKE, KIND OF LIKE TRYING TO GEAR TOWARDS AS FAR AS LIKE HAVING LIKE RESOURCES TO, TO, TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OUT FUNDING.
LIKE HOW, LIKE WE GET IN AN ART SCENE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE COME ACROSS THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE CHALLENGING IS HOW THE TERM BEING AN ARTIST IS DEFINED.
AND SO IN THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HOW WILL THE TERM BEING A MUSICIAN BEING DEFINED, UM, ALSO, UH, HOW DO WE EXTEND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYDAY WORK MUSICIANS AND, AND ARTISTS CAN DO? UM, HOW DO WE APPROACH CREATING A DEDICATED PITCH, UH, FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS THAT WE CAN PITCH TO RADIO STATIONS, TO, TO, TO GET THEM AIRPLAY? ALSO, HOW DO WE GET COMPANIES LIKE LIVE NATION TO BE INVOLVED WITH SUPPORTING LOCAL ACTS FOR TOURING ARTISTS? UH, AND ALSO AS A COMMUNITY, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMUNITY TO CREATE AN INDEX OF INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL CAN HOLD, UH, AND USE FOR ACCESSIBILITY IF ANYONE'S NEED ANYTHING.
ANYTHING LIKE LAWYERS, IF ANYONE'S NEEDING ANYTHING, LIKE ACCESS TO PUBLICISTS.
AND ALSO, UM, JUST GOING BACK TO THAT INITIAL QUESTION IS A FURTHER EXTENSION OF THAT IS LIKE, HOW WILL A MUSICIAN BE DEFINED VERSUS SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS THEIR BUSINESS STRUCTURE SET UP? THANK YOU.
WHAT'S THAT? IT'S FOR ANYONE TO, TO, TO ANSWER FOR SURE.
UM, LET ME JUST, UM, I KNOW YOU, YOU JUST WALKED IN, BUT, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DID IN, UM, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP, UH, I GUESS A, A SUPPORT FROM THE CITY FOR, UH, LOCAL MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UH, LAST MONTH WE ROLLED OUT THE MUSIC DIRECTORY AND THAT'S GONNA BE SORT OF A CENTRAL HUB FOR NOT ONLY MUSICIANS, BUT MUSIC PROFESSIONALS AND, AND FOLKS THAT OWN MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES.
SO IF YOU WILL, UM, THINK ABOUT LIKE THE NEXT SUPER BOWL, THE NEXT WORLD CUP, UM, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT DATABASE, UH, READY AND AVAILABLE, NOT ONLY TO FOLKS COMING IN TO HIRE OUR CREATIVE CLASS, BUT ALSO, UH, AMONGST OURSELVES.
SO YOU MENTIONED ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEYS, LIKE IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'D BE A GREAT PLACE TO START TO, TO LOOK FOR THAT TYPE OF, OF, UH, PROFESSIONAL, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
THAT, THAT DIRECTOR SHE'S REFERRING TO, ACTUALLY THEY DO IT ON A STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
AND I BELIEVE BRENDAN AND CHIP, IF YOU'RE HERE, YOU CAN REQUEST IT RIGHT? AND GET A COPY OF IT DIGITALLY.
IS THAT FREE? IT'S FREE ONLINE AND SEARCH FOR MM-HMM
SO, SO THERE'S A STATEWIDE ONE ALREADY AND IT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS, AS WE PUT INTO IT, RIGHT? SO WE NEED EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
I'M ASSUMING EVERYBODY IS AT LEAST TANGENTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THIS CITY.
GO TO THE MUSIC DIRECTORY, PUNCH IN YOUR INFORMATION.
AND WHO KNOWS WHO WILL FIND YOU WHEN THE WORLD CUP COMES HERE.
THEY'RE GONNA GET THAT DIRECTORY MM-HMM
AND THEY'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THAT DIRECTORY TO FIND PRODUCTION COMPANIES, MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, YOU NAME IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SET UP FOR.
AND THAT'S HOW THE STATE USES IT TOO.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD ACCESS IT BY THE WEB, BUT MM-HMM
I MEAN, IT'S THIS MASSIVE DIRECTORY AND THEY UPDATE IT CONSISTENTLY SO THAT ALL THE ATTORNEYS THAT REPRESENT MUSICIANS OR PUBLISHING COMPANIES THAT EXIST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEIR INFORMATION, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, MAILING ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, NAMES ARE ALL LISTED THERE.
VERY USEFUL DOCUMENT THAT I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN UTILIZE.
I THINK SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF WOULD OBVIOUSLY GO GANGBUSTERS ON IT.
'CAUSE IT'S FULL OF REALLY IMPORTANT CONTACTS YOU, YOU COULD MAKE ON YOUR OWN.
IF YOU'RE AS AGGRESSIVE AS YOU ARE ABOUT MAKING A CAREER, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'RE HUSTLE STRONG.
I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, YEAH, SORRY I DIDN'T TO CUT YOU OFF.
BUT, UH, UM, WE ALSO HAVE THAT MUSIC DIRECTORY SET UP, UH, WHERE IT'S SEARCHABLE AND IT'S FREE TO SEARCH ONLINE.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO ADD TO IT IF EVERYONE, EVERYONE HAS A PHONE, THAT QR CODE THAT'S UP ON THE, UH, PRESENTATION SLIDE AND IT'S ALSO UP IN THE LOBBY, FEEL FREE TO SCAN IT AND, UH, YOU CAN EITHER SAVE IT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ADD YOUR PROFILE LATER OR YOU CAN START IT, UM, AND FINISH IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS MARK SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY AS GOOD AS WHAT WE PUT INTO IT.
AND I, I, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DEFINING ARTISTS VERSUS MUSICIAN VERSUS VISUAL ARTISTS VERSUS WHATEVER, BECAUSE, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY A COVID QUESTION, IS IT NOT LIKE ABOUT APPLYING FOR FUNDS, BUT NOT BEING AN ARTIST, BEING A, UH, NOT NECESSARILY A COVID QUESTION, BUT IT, IT COULD APPLY, BUT FOR INSTANCE, UH, MOVING TOWARDS THE FUTURE WHEN, YOU KNOW,
[00:50:01]
LIKE THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD DOES GET TO A SPACE WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO ADMINISTER GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.HOW WILL THE TERM MUSICIAN BE DIFFERENTIATED? BECAUSE IN THE ART SPACE, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH SO LIKE, STRUCTURED TO LIKE, HAVE TO CONSIDER AROUND LIKE A CONTEMPORARY OR A VISUAL ART PRACTICE OR SEND US YOUR, YOUR W NINE OR YEAH, THOSE QUESTION YEAH.
AND UPLOAD WORK SAMPLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I, I WANNA SAY THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE FOUNDED THE HOUSTON MUSIC FOUNDATION, AND WE NAMED IT THAT IN HOPES THAT WE WOULD GROW IT INTO SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER.
BUT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, IT'S BEEN AN EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND.
AND THAT WAS DONE BECAUSE I KNOW THE GIG COMMUNITY VERY WELL.
AND I KNEW THAT MUSIC WASN'T NECESSARILY IN THE DEFINITION OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, FOR INSTANCE.
AND A LOT OF THE OTHER ALLIANCES, A LOT OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE SET UP TO HAVE EMERGENCY FUND TO MEET THESE GIG WORKING, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS AND THE DEFINITION DID NOT INCLUDE MUSIC FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH.
AT ONE POINT IT WAS OPENED, THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY, BUT THAT WAS LONG DOWN THE ROAD.
AND SO THAT WAS, AND I'M NOT DISPARAGING THAT, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE HERE TO FIX, IS TO SAY, HEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ARP IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT INCLUDES MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND NOT JUST MUSICIANS, NOT JUST THE SOUND GUY, NOT JUST THE VENUE OWNER.
EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN THIS INDUSTRY, WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY ON THAT SAME PLATFORM.
AND I DON'T THINK WE KNOW THE ANSWER OF THE DEFINITION BETWEEN ARTIST AND MUSICIAN, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE EVERY TIME THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEFINITION TO BE MADE, THAT WE'RE IN THE ROOM AND WE'RE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY.
AND THAT, AGAIN, NOT NEGATIVE, WE'RE HERE TO, WE'RE HERE TO WALK FORWARD.
SO THAT'S HOW, I'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTION, BUT I DO HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN.
I DO WANT US TO TALK ABOUT IT AS A BOARD, UH, AT SOME POINT.
UM, AND THEN YOU TALKED ABOUT GIG, GIG WORK, I'M SORRY, UH, AIRPLAY AND, AND INCORPORATING FOLKS LIKE LIVE NATION, YOU KNOW, THEIR TOURING BUSINESSES HEADQUARTERED HERE.
THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES.
UH, SOME ARE PROBABLY IN THIS ROOM.
UH, BUT AGAIN, GREAT QUESTION.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, CAN'T FIND OUT.
THAT'S WHAT THESE SESSIONS ARE FOR, IS FOR US TO LISTEN, WRITE IT DOWN, AND TRY TO GET ANSWERS AND COME BACK TO YOU GUYS.
IF NOT TO START FROM, THIS DOESN'T EXIST, HOW DO WE MAKE IT EXIST? AND I'M HOPEFUL, BUT IT'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING I KNOW THE ANSWER TO TODAY AND MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE CAN ANSWER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS AND, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS ARE REALLY WELL THOUGHT OUT.
AND ACTUALLY TOUCHING ON THE, THE LOCAL BAND QUESTION.
SO SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP KRUNG THEN EARLIER, THAT BAND PLAYED MORE FREE SHOWS FOR ME THAN ANYONE.
LIKE, I MEAN, YOU, YOU REMEMBER THAT.
SO, AND THEY'RE FROM OUR TOWN.
SO THEN, SO WHEN YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REPRESENT LIVE NATION ANYWAY, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THE OFFICES HERE, BUT WE BOOK A LOT OF SHOWS AND THE AMOUNT OF SHOWS WE USED TO HAVE LOCAL BANDS ON HAS DRASTICALLY DROPPED, I WOULD SAY, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING NOTES, I'M DEFINITELY GONNA FIND OUT LIKE, WHAT, WHAT CAUSED THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
AND I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING MARK WAS SAYING ABOUT YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DEF DEFINING A MUSICIAN OR MUSIC.
I THINK WHEN IT RELATES TO THESE PUBLIC FUNDS OR THESE, THESE PROGRAMS IS EVEN IF YOU LIKE, THINK ABOUT LIKE HOW, UH, DURING COVID HEALTH BENEFITS OR MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS WERE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO QUOTE UNQUOTE ART ARTISTS, I THINK MAY HUMBLY I SUGGEST THAT THE QUESTION COULD BE REPHRASED TO NOT HOW IS A MUSICIAN DEFINED, BUT HOW IS AN ARTIST DEFINED? AND IF, IF WE THEN JUST START TO INCLUDE MUSICIANS INSIDE MORE INSIDE THE WORD ARTIST, WE'LL START TO PROBABLY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
RIGHT? ANY OTHER THOUGHTS FROM THE BOARD? UM, DIRECTOR IRVING, DO YOU WANNA SHARE SOME REMARKS ON, UH, GRANTS? I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT CONRAD JOHNSON HAS, HAS WALKED IN.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, OKAY, GREAT.
SAY, UM, SO CITY I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, WE DESIGN NOW WHEN LOOK HISTORICALLY AND WHO WE GRANTED FUNDS TO, THEY HAVE INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
UM, AND SO THAT THEN THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF OUTREACH.
WE A BETTER OF MAKING THAT EVERYONE THESE DOLLARS ARE AVAILABLE ALL.
UM, AND SO IT'S NOT BY DEFINITION EXCLUDE, OH, I WILL JUST QUICK, QUICKLY SAY WE, THE CITY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE DOLLARS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, UM, ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE A DEFINITION THAT EXCLUDES MR. JOHNSON.
AND I'VE JUST BEEN NOTIFIED, UH, MR. CONRAD JOHNSON, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STEP UP TO THE MIC.
[00:55:02]
THANK YOU.APPRECIATE, UH, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, WE HAVE A, MY MAIN CONCERN IS I HAVE A BIG BAND.
IT'S A 17 TO 20 PIECE ORCHESTRA.
IT'S NOT, BUT TWO BIG BANDS, AND ANYBODY CAN CORRECT ME ON THAT IN THIS CITY, CORRECT? ANYONE ELSE THAT WANT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET WORK FOR THIS BIG BAND.
AND, AND MY BAND IS COMPRISED OF ALL PROFESSIONALS.
I MEAN, THESE GUYS CAN WORK ANY DAY OF THE NIGHT IF THEY CAN GET THREE TO $400 A POP.
THEY WORKED AT, UH, MOST OF 'EM, BEEN ON THE ROAD WITH THE, FOR RIGHT NOW TO PLAY WITH ME.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WORK FOR, I ONLY HAVE ONE JOB PER MONTH AT A PLACE CALLED EMMETT.
AND THEY SO GRACIOUSLY TAKEN US IN AND WE BUILT A CROWD ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, BUT THAT JUST WON'T CUT IT.
WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE HOLIDAYS, SENDING OUT LETTERS TO VARIOUS ENTITIES SUCH AS, UH, RIVER OAKS COUNTRY CLUB, SHELL OIL, UH, VARIOUS ENTITIES SUCH AS RA, UH, ATE, UH, COUNTRY CLUB, THE, THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL ENTITIES OUT THERE THAT CAN USE BIG VANS, BUT I NEED HELP FROM THE CITY AS WELL, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WE'VE ONLY BEEN HIRED MAYBE AS A BIG FAN, MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE OVER THE LAST, I GUESS THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS.
AND SO WE'VE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT AND I'M SURE THAT, AND I THINK WHOEVER'S HURT, IS ANYONE HURT US IN HERE? THEY PROBABLY WOULD AGREE.
SO, I I I I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF YOUR TIME, BUT I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I KNOW, UH, UH, MISS CHRIST CHRISTENSEN DOWNTOWN, BEEN KNOWING HER FOR YEARS.
CAN'T NEVER GET ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE FROM HER, BUT IT'S ALL, UH, EVENTUALLY I'LL, I, I KEEP TRYING, YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME RESPONSE FROM SOME OF THE CITY, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS AND, UH, PRETTY MUCH THAT'S ALL.
I REMEMBER ON THAT PAPER IT DID SAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. JOHNSON.
CAN YOU PLUG THE VAN? THE WEBSITE ADDRESSES? IT'S ALL ON MY WEBSITE.
HOW ABOUT SWINGING IN THE PARK ONCE A MONTH? YEAH, YEAH, THAT'D BE NICE.
AND THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THE SEQUEL TO DO THE SEQUEL TO THE MOVIE, BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERESTING CONCEPT ON THE SEQUEL, SUCH AS, I, I'M JUST EXPOUNDING A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT YOU SAID, UH, THAT IT'S GONNA BE BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED IN MOBILE ALABAMA IN 1972, AND THAT WAS, UH, GEORGE WALLACE TERRITORY.
AND SO, SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET FUNDING FOR THAT.
THAT'S, WELL, I SAW THE FILM COMMISSION WAS ON THERE AND WE'VE DONE A, A FILM HERE ALREADY, SO THAT'S THING ELSE, ANOTHER PROJECT, BUT BASICALLY WORK FOR THE BIG BAND.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE AT ANY TIME.
I HAVE TO BREAK IT UP INTO SMALLER PIECES.
BUT BASICALLY I'M SELLING THE BIG BAND DON'T, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW BECAUSE WE, I HAVE PEOPLE COME TO ME WANTING TO DO SWING, UH, WANTING TO JUST HEAR JAZZ.
SOME WANT TO DANCE, SOME WON'T, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
CAN ALL OF YOU SIT ON THIS TAPE? SURE CAN.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, MUCH RESPECT TO THE LEGACY OF CONRAD JOHNSON SENIOR AND, AND NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY WHAT HE, WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO AT CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HE INFLUENCED ALONG THE WAY BEFORE HE EVEN
[01:00:01]
LANDED AT CASHMERE, UM, WHEN HE TAUGHT AT BOOKER T WASHINGTON.OF COURSE, BUBBA THOMAS BEING A, A DISCIPLE OF HIS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
AND ANYBODY IN THE ROOM WHO HASN'T SEEN THE ORCHESTRA PERFORM AND EMMETTS OR ANYWHERE, IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION.
AND I, I KNOW I CAN SPEAK FOR THE BOARD SAYING WE WILL WORK DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO FIND SPACES FOR LEGACY ACTS SUCH AS YOURSELF TO BE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE, UM, LIKE SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO KNOW THE LEGACY THAT'S HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE, UH, WE DO UMBRELLA AND WE ARE, WE ARE PRIVILEGED THAT HE CAME TO US AND HE SAID, CAN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HELP US? AND WE WOULD LIKE, OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
LUNDY, IF YOU WANNA SHARE, UH, WHAT YOU KNOW YOUR CENTER DOES, UM, AND MAYBE GIVE OUT A WEBSITE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AS WELL.
WELL, OUR COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER, HOUSTON, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THIRD WARD, UM, WE ARE YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE ALL OF US, WE TEACH MUSIC LESSONS TO KIDS.
WE TEACH, UH, PIANO LESSONS AND VOICE LESSONS AND VIOLIN.
YOU KNOW, WE TEACH THE LESSONS TO THE KITTIES AND SOME OF, SOME OF WHOM HAVE GONE ON TO BE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN WE ALSO UMBRELLA THESE WONDERFUL MUSICIANS.
SOME IT RANGES FROM SOMETIMES AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET GRANTS AND YOU HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE, UH, EXPERIENCE OF GETTING THE IRS 5 0 1 C3, WHICH IS SOMETHING OF AN ADVENTURE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A GROUP LIKE THE CONRAD JOHNSON ORCHESTRA AND, AND, AND SOME OTHER GROUPS SOMETIMES, BECAUSE SOMETIMES MUSICIANS, THEY DON'T, THEY WANNA GET GRANTS AND THEY WANNA GET IT WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF A 5 0 1 3, BUT THEY DON'T WISH TO, UM, DEAL WITH THE, THE RIGORS.
SO OUR 5 0 1 C3 COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER, HOUSTON SAYS, OKAY, WE WILL WRITE THE GRANT FOR YOU.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU GET YOUR MONEY.
AGAIN, MORE RESOURCES IN CASE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, WANT TO FOLLOW DR.
LUNDY AND, AND GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, ARE WE READY FOR OUR NEXT SPEAKER? UM, CARRIE MELENSON, HOW Y'ALL, HEY, EVERYBODY I KNOW ON THE BOARD UP THERE, I'M A, UH, SONGWRITER, SINGER, COMPOSER, BAND LEADER, CREATIVE MUSICIAN.
I TOUR, I DO POP-UPS ON THE STREET.
UH, I JUST, I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE ANSWERS FOR MAYBE WHY THERE ARE SO FEW, UH, LOCAL AND EVEN REGIONAL ACTS SHOWING UP ON OPENING SPOTS FOR LIVE NATION AND WHATNOT.
UM, THERE, THERE'S THIS THING THAT'S HAPPENING.
THERE WAS, UH, UH, WHERE MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN GETTING PAID EXACTLY THE SAME SINCE LIKE 1975.
UM, IT'S REALLY CRAZY WITH LIKE ALL THIS INFLATION AND STUFF JUST OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES.
UM, WE HAVE A WHERE TO START THERE? UH, I'LL JUST BE QUICK.
WE GOT THREE MINUTES, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
I SHOULD HAVE STARTED A TIMER.
I'VE JUST BEEN HEARING ALL THIS STUFF FROM AUSTIN, HOW AUSTIN IS COMPLETELY GUTTED AND IT'S ALMOST DEAD.
MUSICIANS CAN'T LIVE IN THE CITY.
THERE WAS A THING, UH, WHERE MUSICIANS FINALLY START GETTING PAID A LITTLE MORE BY THE CITY.
UM, I, I THINK THE MAIN PROBLEM IS PAY AND COMPENSATION FOR PERFORMANCES.
LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAIN ISSUE.
LIKE, THERE'S SOME COOL BANDS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE MORE BUDGET ALLOWED IT TO PAY BIN FOR A DOZEN FREE SHOWS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FAMOUS, THEY'RE GREAT PEOPLE LOVE 'EM.
I KNOW, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S FRIENDS AND WE PLAY SHOWS FOR OUR FRIENDS AND, AND DO STUFF, ESPECIALLY TO GET IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
BUT, UM, IT'S JUST WEIRD THAT FOLKS ARE PAID HERE.
LIKE, IT'S LIKE, LIKE I SAID, LIKE IT'S 1975.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE REASON THERE'S NO COMPETITION TO LIKE, BE THIS GREAT, AMAZING MUSICIAN.
THERE'S NOBODY, YOU KNOW, I, I'M A SONGWRITER.
I, THERE'S ONLY LIKE ONE GUY IN THE CITY THAT I'M LIKE, OH MAN, THIS GUY, HE KILLS ME.
MARKEL GIBSON, HE COULDN'T BE HERE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL MUSIC DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM IN THE CITY.
LIKE, LET'S JUST GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY.
[01:05:01]
I DON'T LIVE IN SOME FANTASY, LIKE IF YOU PLAY TRADITIONAL MUSIC OR SOME VERY CULTURAL MUSIC, YOU'RE COMPENSATED AND PAID.UM, BUT FOR CREATIVE MUSICIANS, BANDS, PEOPLE PLAY IN THESE SMALL VENUES.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THE, THE TEXAS STATE OFFICE COULD COME UP WITH LIKE A, OR A MUSIC OFFICE COULD COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF RATING SYSTEM OR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR SMALL VENUES.
AND WE'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU WILL NEVER GET PAID THERE.
LIKE, THERE'S NO TRACK RECORD OF THESE THINGS THAT PEOPLE JUST SEE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
THERE'S NO, I DON'T KNOW, BANDS AND REGIONAL ARTISTS DON'T GO TO YELP AND FIND OUT THAT LIKE THIS BOOKING PERSON'S, YOU KNOW, KILLING FOLKS, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE NOT PAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY.
I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN PROBLEM, REALLY.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? UM, I'LL JUST SAY, YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE ALL WANT MONEY, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR OUR TALENTS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE WORLD, RIGHT? LIKE, LIKE BANANAS ARE 59 NOW, SO EVERYTHING SHOULD GO UP.
THIS IS A CITY THAT REQUIRES THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO WE ARE DEFINITELY, 'CAUSE EVERYBODY UP HERE IS AFFECTED BY THE PAY SCALE, THE, LIKE, EVERYBODY'S AFFECTED BY MONEY.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE ARTISTS CAN BE PAID A FAIR WAGE FOR WHAT THEY CREATE ON ALL LEVEL.
SO THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING, WE'LL, WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK.
THIS IS LIKE A THREE HOUR CONVERSATION YOU AND I NEED TO HAVE OVER COFFEE PROBABLY.
UM, NO, UH, THE, THE THING IS, IT, IT IS A, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ANALOGIES YOU CAN USE HERE, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO'S BOOKED THOUSANDS OF OPENING ACTS, THOUSANDS OF LOCAL, LOCAL ARTISTS, I MEAN, I HEAR THAT CONVERSATION.
I ALSO MANAGE THOSE BANDS THAT ARE GETTING PAID A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO PLAY FOR THREE HOURS, RIGHT? AND SO I'VE HEARD IT FROM EVERY DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
NO TWO OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THE SAME.
UH, I, I PAID KRUNG BIN $250 TO PLAY FOR AN HOUR, UH, 12 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, AND NOW THEY'RE SELLING OUT TWO NIGHTS AT RED ROCKS.
AND THEY HAD TO, THEY LEFT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THEY LEFT HERE AND THEY FOUND THEIR FAME AND THEY CAME BACK AND NOW JUY CUT SOME REALLY BIG CHECKS TO COME BACK AND DO THAT.
UM, AND THEY CHOOSE THEIR OPENERS, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF TIMES, IN FACT, I, I BOOK ALL THE MUSIC IN THIS ROOM AND THERE'S A BUDGET FOR AN OPENER ON EVERY SHOW.
AND NINE TIMES OUTTA 10 THAT NATIONAL TOURING ACT, EVEN THE LOCAL REGIONAL ACT HAS THEIR OWN SUPPORT.
I DON'T GET TO SAY I DON'T GET TO CHOOSE.
PEOPLE ASSUME THAT ALL THE OPENING ACTS HERE ARE BOOKED HERE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
BUT IT'S NOT, IN FACT, JOHN EGAN IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ROOM BECAUSE WE'VE BOOKED HIM HERE TO PLAY, AND THE BUDGET'S THE BUDGET, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IF HE DOESN'T WANT THE MONEY, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE THE MONEY.
LIKE I WANT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR EVERY OPENING ACT THAT'S FROM HOUSTON FOR FOREVER.
THAT'S WHAT MY, MY GOAL IN LIFE IS.
BUT I GOTTA BE REALISTIC, YOU KNOW? UH, AND, AND THINGS LIKE MARKET BAR FANIA, FOR INSTANCE.
I'VE BEEN BOOKING FOR 10 OR 12 YEARS AND THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A GREAT BUDGET.
THEY DON'T, I MEAN, THAT PLACE DOES NOT MAKE MILLIONS DOLLARS.
NOT MOST PEOPLE COME THERE TO EAT.
AND WE GIVE GOOD THERE,
AND WE, WE TRY, WE TRY, THERE'S BEEN GOOD MONEY AND THEY'RE COMING OUTTA COVID JUST LIKE WE ARE.
AND THEY STILL ARE COMMITTED TO, AND THE BUDGET HASN'T CHANGED A WHOLE LOT.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, MAN, WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOUGH FOR US TO SPEND THIS MUCH MONEY, SO I GOTTA LISTEN TO THEM TOO.
SO IT'S A GREATER GOOD SITUATION, UNFORTUNATELY, AND NEVER WILL WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S UP TO YOU IF YOU WANNA PLAY FOR ZERO, BUT NOBODY SHOULD, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S WORTH SOMETHING.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THE BUSINESS HAS THE MONEY EVERYONE NEEDS FOR THEIR RENT.
YOU KNOW, SHOULD THEY, SHOULD THEY BE HAVING LIVE MUSIC AS A FEATURE IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO COMPENSATE THE MUSICIANS? NO, THEY'RE COMPENSATING THEM MORE THAN, MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S 20 HOURS OF REHEARSALS YOU HAD TO BUY YOUR INSTRUMENTS AND GUITAR STRINGS.
WOULD YOU RATHER THAT OPPORTUNITY? AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS A THREE HOUR CONVERSATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THAT TO GO AWAY BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF ARTISTS WHO ARE NOW NATIONAL TOURING ARTISTS WHO PLAYED FOR THE 300 BUCKS A POP UNTIL THEY COULD AFFORD, YOU KNOW, TO DO OR THEY SAVE THAT MONEY UNTIL THEY COULD AFFORD TO GO TOUR AND DO THEIR THING.
IT'S MORE ABOUT, THE WAY I LOOKED AT IT WHEN I WAS BOOKING HUNDREDS OF BANDS A MONTH WAS, MAN, I'M REALLY HOPING I'M HELPING PAY SOMEONE'S RENT SO THEY CAN GO TOUR AND LOSE MONEY AND GROW SOMEWHERE ELSE AND ALWAYS COME BACK HOME.
UH, THE LEAD SINGER OF THE ANTES USED TO GET ASKED ALL THE TIME WHY SHE LIVES IN HOUSTON.
SHE'S LIKE, WELL, I'M GONE FOR MOST OF THE MONTH AND IT'S REALLY AFFORDABLE TO LIVE HERE.
WHY WOULD I SPEND $3,000 FOR AN EMPTY APARTMENT IN NEW YORK WHEN I CAN SPEND 500 IN HOUSTON? SO AGAIN, THERE'S SO MANY FACETS TO IT.
[01:10:01]
I CARE.I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE MAXIMUM DOLLAR THAT CAN BE PAID TO EVERY MUSICIAN IS PAID EVERY TIME.
BUT YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE INVOLVED.
THEY'RE TRYING, THEY'RE, MOST OF ALL OF 'EM THAT I WORK WITH, I REFUSE TO LET THEM UNDERCUT ANY ARTIST.
AND WE'RE GIVING, THEY'RE GIVING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DOLLAR THEY CAN AFFORD.
AND SO, IS IT THEIR FAULT? IS IT THE COMMUNITY'S FAULT? IS IT ANYONE'S FAULT? AND AGAIN, THIS IS STUFF WE WANNA ADDRESS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT TRYING TO PUT A RANKING SYSTEM ON SOMEONE AND SAY, BAD NEWS ON YOU FOR PAYING $0 TO THESE MUSICIANS, HELL MIGHT BE A GOOD THING.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LISTENING TO.
WE'LL TRY TO FIND THE ANSWERS.
I'M HOPING THAT THE ECONOMY DOES BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, IN EIGHT 17 AND 18, THERE WERE LOTS OF GREAT GIGGING OPPORTUNITIES AND NOW THEY'RE ALL TRYING TO COME BACK.
AND I, I WANNA SAY BE PATIENT, BE SUPPORTIVE.
I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING YOUR ASS OFF, AND WE WANT TO BE THERE TO TRY TO HELP YOU GET ANSWERS.
AND THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DO TODAY.
BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A COFFEE SITUATION WHERE MAYBE YOU AND I CAN SOLVE THIS WHOLE PROBLEM AND MOVE, MOVE TO THE NEXT PROBLEM.
YOU'RE HEARD, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT IT.
IT IT, THERE'S AN ANSWER SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS.
AND MAYBE WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO CARE AT ONE TIME, WE CAN MAKE, MAKE A CHANGE.
I, I JUST QUICK, QUICK, SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S CALLED A LIVE MUSIC BUSINESS FOR A REASON.
THE MUSICIANS FIRST AND FOREMOST SHOULD MAKE MONEY DOING IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST TRYING TO WHISPER TO MARK ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAUGHT IT OR THOUGHT IT WAS A STUPID IDEA, BUT PROBABLY, PROBABLY THE SECOND THING, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN THE WORLD WE WORK IN, WE BOOK A LOT OF BANDS THAT AREN'T FROM HERE, LIKE THE SHOW.
THERE'S, THE LOCAL BANDS ARE SUPPORT ACTS USUALLY, BUT THEY'RE TOURING.
BANDS ARE COMING TO HOUSTON, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
AND FOR A FACT, I KNOW THAT CANADA, AUSTRALIA, A A FEW OTHERS HAVE SUBSIDIES THAT THE GOVERNMENT THAT GIVES TO BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT I CANNOT PAY THAT BAND MORE THAN WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT THEY CAN'T LIVE OFF THAT COMING HERE.
SO THERE, THERE'S LIKE SOME SORT OF LIKE, MAYBE THAT'S THE RATING.
LIKE THEY CHOOSE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR GRADING PROCESS OR WHATEVER, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK INTO IS AN INITIATIVE FOR HOUSTON TO, UM, I GUESS INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE.
LIKE ON OUR SIDE, THEY'RE BOOKING THESE SHOWS TO CREATE THAT SLOT OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET FOR THE SHOW.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THESE SHOWS ARE VERY THIN BUDGETED.
LIKE THE SMALL, LIKE 500 CAP SHOWS, THE SHOWS THAT WE PUT IN THESE KIND OF ROOMS, THERE'S NOT ROOM IN THEM TO, TO, UH, TAKE ON A COST FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS HERE OR THERE.
UH, THEY'RE SHOESTRING BUDGET SHOWS A LOT OF TIMES.
SO WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THE LONGER DISCUSSION, BUT SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
NEW ORLEANS HAS A THING THAT WE SHOULD TOTALLY STEAL FROM THEM.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S RECORD NOT, BUT, BUT NEW ORLEANS HAS A THING WHERE YOU CAN APPLY.
AND IF YOU'RE A NATIONAL TOURING ARTIST AND YOU HAVE X NUMBER OF DATES, YOU QUAL YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR IT.
AND TWICE FROM STAGE YOU HAVE TO MENTION NEW ORLEANS.
AND THEY'LL PAY, THEY GIVE 'EM LIKE 500 BUCKS A SHOW OR A THOUSAND BUCKS A SHOW OR SOMETHING.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY NOVEL IDEA.
AGAIN, THAT'S WITH ALL OF US CARRYING AT ONE TIME, MAYBE THAT KIND OF STUFF WILL GET HEARD.
EVERY, EVERY SITUATION'S DIFFERENT.
AND THE BUDGETS ARE THE BUDGETS AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO, TO MAKE ROOM.
AND, AND A LOT OF IT'S CORRELATED TO SALES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SELLING, NOBODY CAN COMPLAIN THAT YOU SOLD OUT WHITE OAK.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA GET PAID.
AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE SUPPORT PORT OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S ABOUT BUILDING, UM, BUILDING YOURSELF TO SOME DEGREE, I THINK.
BUT AGAIN, ONE OF 400 THINGS WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDEBAR CONVERSATION SOMEWHERE.
AND LET ME ADD, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY REAL QUICK, UH, ONE THING TO POINT OUT, AS A DJ IN THIS COMMUNITY, I FEEL LIKE HOUSTON PAYS THEIR DJS MORE THAN ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER CITY THAT YOU WOULD GO, YOU CAN'T JUST PULL UP IN NEW YORK AND MAKE $400 OFF A GIG AND YOU HAVE TO PLAY ALMOST EIGHT HOURS THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT LIKE HOUSTON IS DOING THEIR BEST, CONSIDERING THE COST OF LIVING HERE AND, AND ALL THOSE OTHER FACTORS.
YOU PROBABLY ARE MAKING MORE MONEY HERE THAN, AT LEAST FROM DJ WISE.
I CAN SPEAK TO THAT PERSONALLY.
HOWEVER, UM, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL, UH, MR. ALEX NAVARRO TO THE MIC.
UH, HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION.
I COULD TRY TO EXPLAIN, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK HE MIGHT DO BEST AT, UH, OFFERING SOME RESOURCES TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, GRACE, THANKS FOR CALLING ME UP.
UM, YEAH, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION.
SO THAT'S THE, THE LOCAL OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIAN NATIONALLY.
UH, SO WE REPRESENT THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
BUT TOUCHING ON WHAT GRACE IS SAYING, UM, WE ALSO WORK WITH ANOTHER NATIONAL FUND, THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TRUST FUND THAT I'VE BEEN SHAMELESSLY
[01:15:01]
EXPLOITING TO, TO, TO GET MONEY TO OUR MUSICIANS.AND WE, WE FEATURED THE CONRAD JOHNSON ORCHESTRA A NUMBER OF TIMES AND, AND PROUDLY SO, YOU KNOW, THE LEGACY AND, UH, ACTUALLY THIS AND OUR TRIO TONIGHT, OUR, THE TRIO TONIGHT WAS ALL OF OUR MUSICIANS.
UH, AND ACTUALLY THIS LAST SATURDAY TO THE DATE WE CELEBRATED 125 YEARS AS AN ORGANIZATION IN HOUSTON.
SO SINCE 1897, UH, YEAH, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING AND SERVING PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS FROM THE, THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1911, BUT ALSO FREELANCE MUSICIANS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST SHOWCASED, UH, A LEGACY, UM, A LEGENDS HALL OF FAME, WALL OF FAME FEATURING, UH, DUSTY HILL AND, AND YOU KNOW, KENNY ROGERS AND JOE SAMPLE PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM HOUSTON WHO WERE MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL.
UM, AND SO THERE IS, I MEAN, THERE'S EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE SAID TONIGHT.
UH, I, I ECHO, UH, THERE, THERE IS A RICH LEGACY IN HOUSTON OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS.
UM, THERE, THERE IS A NEED, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GET OUR PAY SCALE UP.
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE DO.
I, WE HELP NEGOTIATE, WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE WHO'S AN ORCHESTRA MEMBER WITH A BALLET ORCHESTRA, OR IF IT'S SOMEBODY PLAYING AT EMMETTS OR, YOU KNOW, A COCKTAIL PIANIST OR A COUNTRY BAND GUY PLAYING A DO CDO TO WOODLANDS.
HOW DO WE HELP GET THE BEST DEAL FROM THEM? WHETHER IT'S NEGOTIATING A PRIVATE CONTRACT WITH THAT, WITH THAT MANAGER, UM, JUST, UH, LEGAL PROTECTION, UH, CONTRACT PROTECTION, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, BUT GOING BACK TO THIS FUND, UM, WHAT WE DO, WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS GET, UH, OUR MEMBERS TO DO PUBLIC EVENTS AS SIMPLE AS TONIGHT.
OR, UH, DOT COM ARTISTS WHO PLAY, LIKE AT THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S JAZZ OR CHAMBER MUSIC, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY AND GET FEATURED TO OUR CITY, TO OUR COMMUNITY, GETTING THEM PAID AT OUR WAGE SCALE, THAT IS OKAY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET RICH OFF OF IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A FAIR WAGE SCALE AND ACCOUNTING FOR EVERY DETAIL.
OKAY? YOU'RE PLAYING BANJO AND GUITAR, OKAY? THERE'S A DOUBLING FEE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE LEADER OF THE QUARTET.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE BAND LEADER, OKAY? YOU GET DOUBLE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PLAYING DRUMS, OKAY? THERE'S, THERE'S CARTAGE TO BRING YOUR WHOLE DRUM KIT.
YOU KNOW, THE GIG IS 50 MILES AWAY.
YOU KNOW? SO ALL THESE THINGS WE ACCOUNT FOR, FOR ALL OF THESE, UH, FUNDS.
SO I'M, I'M ANXIOUS TO WORK WITH GRACIE AND, AND EXPLOIT THAT FUND AND GETTING MORE MUSICIANS EMPLOYED AND GIGGING, AND IF IT'S, AT THE VERY LEAST, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME MONEY IN THEIR POCKET, BUT GETTING THEM CONNECTED TO, TO MOVERS AND SHAKERS LIKE YOU ALL GETTING, GETTING THEM OUT VISUALLY TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, OBVIOUSLY, AND LIVE.
UM, BUT I'LL END WITH, WITH KIND OF ONE THING, CONCERN, FRUSTRATION, BEEF, WHATEVER.
I MEAN, I, I'M A NEGATIVE HOUSTONIAN.
AND, AND LIKE A LOT OF MUSICIANS, YOU KNOW, AFTER MY EDUCATION MOVED OUT TO LA TO TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
AND, AND I ENDED UP BECOMING A SESSION MUSICIAN AND TOURING WITH SOME ARTISTS, UM, CARLY SIMON, QUEEN LATIFAH, ROD STEWART, UH, AND THEN SEGUE TO NEW YORK AND, UH, SWITCHED INTO LIKE THE MUSICAL THEATER, UH, COMMUNITY AND PLAYED BROADWAY AND STUFF.
AND THEN MOVED BACK HERE A FEW YEARS AGO AND, AND HAVE BEEN REALLY ENTRENCHED IN JUST TRYING TO GET OUR CITY, UH, TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AND, AND GIVING BACK TO THE CITY.
BUT ONE THING THAT IN MY POSITION THAT I'M FRUSTRATED, I FEEL LIKE, TO PUT IT SIMPLY LIKE THE RIGHT HAND AND THE LEFT HAND AREN'T ALWAYS TALKING TO EACH OTHER IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY WITH MUSICIANS, WHETHER IT'S EMPLOYERS WITH MUSICIANS, SOMETIMES, WHETHER IT'S MUSICIANS WITH MUSICIANS THERE.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE THERE'S A DEEP POOL OF TALENT HERE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHERE IT IS, WHO IT IS, UM, AND HOW TO ACCESS IT.
AND SO I'M ANXIOUS ABOUT AND EXCITED ABOUT THIS GROUP AND ABOUT GRACIE AND, AND NICOLE AND, AND THE NINE OF YOU, 8, 9, 9, THE, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN WORK AND, AND PLEASE COUNT ON ME FROM OUR OFFICE.
WHATEVER I CAN COULD DO, I'M GOING TO ABSOLUTELY PUSH ALL OF OUR MEMBERS TO, TO GET ON THAT LIST.
BUT I WANNA SEE HOUSTON REALLY WORKING TOGETHER, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IN EVERY FORM OF MUSIC.
AND, AND I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M A JAZZ POP THEATER GUY, BUT, BUT I ALSO, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE CLASSIFICATION THAT REALLY HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED HERE IS, UM, IS MORE THE CLASSICAL OR MUSICIAN.
LENNY, YOU KNOW, AND SO, AND, AND MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO NEW YORK AND YEAH, OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA SEE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A BRILLIANT JULLIARD VIOLIN IS PLAYING IN THE SUBWAY STATION.
BUT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE TOUCHING EVERY SPECTRUM, EVERY COLOR OF, OF THE MUSICAL SPECTRUM THAT HOUSTON HAS TO OFFER.
YEAH, OF COURSE WE HAVE BRILLIANT COUNTRY, HIP HOP, GOSPEL,
[01:20:01]
JAZZ, YOU KNOW, BUT LET'S, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE COVERING IT ALL.IF, IF YOU DO WANNA FIND OUT MORE ABOUT, UH, HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION, THERE IS A BOOTH SET UP OUTSIDE.
YOU CAN, UH, CHAT WITH ALEX, UM, AFTER, UH, THE SESSION.
UM, THERE'S ALSO THE GRANT PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE TOO.
UH, HOUSTON ART ALLIANCE, UH, WHO ALSO, UH, DISTRIBUTES GRANTS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ARE THEY OUT THERE IN THAT HALLWAY? THEY ARE.
SO PLEASE STOP, STOP BY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, UH, TABLE AND ASK QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GRANTS, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR MUSIC UNION, ASK QUESTIONS.
UH, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
UM, DO WE HAVE SEAN ALLEN HERE? TERRIBLE.
UM, I'VE HEARD ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TONIGHT.
I THINK THAT EVERYONE HAD SOME STRONG POINTS, SOME CURRENT CONCERNS.
UH, OF COURSE, I'M A MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST.
I'VE BEEN HERE IN HOUSTON FOR 25 YEARS.
UH, I WORKED AT BIG TIME AT BUILDING IMAGE PLACE, THE PLACE HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS ME THAT BROUGHT THEM OVER THERE, UH, TO GET A LOT OF MUSICIANS GOING.
UH, SO, UH, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE DO HAVE A JOB AS MUSICIANS TO GET PEOPLE OUT.
UH, WE HAVE A, UH, A JOB AS, AS A BOARD.
YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED NOTHING ABOUT PROMOTION AT ALL, ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB AT ADVERTISING.
UH, TOO MANY EVENTS ARE HAPPENING.
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
ONCE WE POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERYONE SEES IT AND IT'S LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS GOING ON.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING WE CAN DO TO REALLY GET PEOPLE OUT TO HEAR SOME OF THIS GREAT TALENT THAT WE HAVE.
UH, I PROBABLY HAVE THE STRONGEST REPRESENTATION RIGHT NOW IN BLUES.
I HAVE THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL AWARD-WINNING BLUES BAND IN HOUSTON, IN TEXAS, I'M SORRY.
UH, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH, UH, MANY OF THE OLDER STATESMEN, UH, MILTON HOPKINS, WE JUST LOST HIM, WHO WAS A COUSIN TO LIGHTNING.
AND I ALSO PLAYED FOR BB KING FOR 10 YEARS.
AND I'VE BEEN THROWING BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR HIM FOR 10 YEARS NOW TO HELPING, UH, TO RAISE HIM MONEY 'CAUSE HE CAN'T WORK LIKE HE USED TO.
AND I DO THAT FOR M MULTITUDE OF ALL THE BLUES MUSICIANS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, MORE OF THE CITY EVENTS GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE GENRES.
UH, YOU KNOW, NO NEED TO HAVE FIVE ROCK BANDS, YOU KNOW, THROW SOME OTHER STUFF IN THERE.
THERE'S SOME REALLY, REALLY GOOD BANDS, A LOT OF REALLY GOOD TALENT.
UH, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO THAT'S, UH, PRETTY MUCH WHAT MY COMMENT IS, I GUESS.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? I, I THINK MY ONE COMMENT WOULD BE PERTAINING TO THE ADVERTISING AND, AND PROMOTION.
I, I DEFINITELY BACK THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT BECAUSE I KNOW WITH BEING THAT, UH, WE ARE NOW IN A TIME OF, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, I MEAN, THIS IS THE BASE OF, OF EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING PROMOTED IN EVERY ASPECT OF, OF LIFE IN GENERAL.
SO I THINK THAT THAT IS VERY VALID, VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY, AGAIN, I'M GONNA ALWAYS SPEAK FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION BECAUSE THEY NEED TO HEAR THIS.
THEY'RE, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S, I DON'T, I, I INVITED, I TALK, I WORK FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER AND, UH, IT'S A NONPROFIT AND MAN, I, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME EVERY WEEK, EVERY THURSDAY WE HAD THAT COMMITTEE NIGHT, I'M JUST PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND.
AND I THINK THERE'S STILL THIS VISION OF WHAT THEY SEE THAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR LIFE WHEN IT'S NOT THE REAL WORLD.
BECAUSE THEY, THEY BASE IT OFF OF WHAT THEY SEE FROM, YOU KNOW, THESE REAL LIFE, THESE REAL WORLD, THESE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CRAZINESS THAT GOES ON ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT IT'S THIS, IT'S THEM UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE ARTISTIC BEHIND THE DEPTHS THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT'S THERE.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT, VERY, UH, DEFINITELY EXCEPTIONAL, THAT WE NEED TO GET INTO DOING SOME MORE OF THAT.
BECAUSE WE GOTTA EDUCATE THESE KIDS.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF WHAT, UM, YOU ALL HAVE LEFT LEGACIES FOR THEM TO GROW AND TO BUILD WITHIN THEIR OWN SELF.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT IT'S THERE.
AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE THEY'RE USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND THESE PLATFORMS THAT ARE JUST, THEY'RE THERE, BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN USE 'EM IN A BETTER RESOURCE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU.
I, I WANT, I JUST WANNA SHARE SOMETHING REAL QUICK.
'CAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE MADE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT HOW CAN THE CITY HELP US, OR EVEN HOW CAN THE STATE HELP US? AND I, I'LL SAY THAT, AND WE'VE MADE REFERENCE TORBIN A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW WHO ALL'S FAMILIAR WITH THEM, BUT THEY'VE REACHED INTERNATIONAL FAME AT THIS POINT.
AND JU AND I BOOKED THEM AT A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS, YOU KNOW, 10, 12 YEARS AGO.
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, AND
[01:25:01]
I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SAY YOU'RE DOING THIS OR ANYONE ELSE IS DOING THIS, BUT LOCAL ARTISTS TEND TO COMPARE THEMSELVES TO OTHER ARTISTS.THEY'RE LIKE, MAN, HOW COME THIS GUY'S DOING SO GOOD? AND THAT GUY'S DOING SO GOOD? AND ONE THING I WILL, I WILL POINT TO THAT IS LACKING IN THIS CITY, BECAUSE I AM ONE, IS I MANAGER AND AGENTS AND, UH, ADVERTISE MARKETING PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THESE FOLKS BUILD A TEAM AROUND THEMSELVES.
THEY STARTED INVESTING ALL THEIR MONEY AND MAKING SURE, IF I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADVERTISE, I GOTTA FIND SOMEBODY WHO DOES.
AND AS A PROMOTER, THAT'S LACKING IN THE CITY A LOT.
AND LIKE, IT'S USUALLY PUT ON THE PRODUCER PROMOTER TO PRO, YOU KNOW, TO PROMOTE THE EVENT OR DO ALL THE ADVERTISING OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR MANAGE THE EVENT OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE WEAR TOO MANY HATS IN AUSTIN.
THERE'S MANAGERS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
THERE'S AGENTS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, PUBLIC RELATIONS, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF HARDWORKING MUSICIANS IN THIS CITY WHO DON'T HAVE A TEAM AROUND THEM OF EXPERTISE, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT DOESN'T EXIST HERE.
FOR A LONG TIME, I CONSIDERED MYSELF THE ONLY PERSON THAT WOULD MANAGE A BAND OF THE SIZES THAT I WAS DOING, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE, DIDN'T PAY ANY MONEY, RIGHT? I DID IT FOR, I DID IT FOR THE EDUCATION.
UH, AND IT, IT IS FRUSTRATING AND I CAN HEAR THAT IN ALL, ALL OF YOUR VOICES.
I THINK EVERY LOCAL MUSICIAN WOULD SAY, DAMN, I COULD USE SOME HELP.
AND SO, AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THIS MUSIC DIRECTORY COMES IN.
I, I'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ABOUT SUPER PROFESSIONAL PRODUCERS.
NOT, NOT JUST OUR, OUR AMAZING ONES THAT LIVE HERE, BUT INTERNATIONAL PRODUCERS WHO HIDE OUT HERE AND NOBODY KNOWS THEY EVEN LIVE IN HOUSTON.
SOME, SOMEBODY WAS TELLING ME ABOUT SOME GUY THAT'S GOT 20 GRAMMYS LIVES IN SUGAR LAND AND HE'D NEVER COME.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY KNOWS THAT HE LIVES HERE.
AND IF I SAID HIS NAME, YOU'D PROBABLY KNOW IT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT.
ALL THAT TO SAY, AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S WHY THE DIRECTORY IS SO IMPORTANT.
NOT JUST ON A LOCAL LEVEL, BUT AGAIN, THE STATE.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MANAGER OR YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGENT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE WANTING TO DO THOSE THINGS, YOU'RE WANTING TO ASPIRE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
IT MIGHT BE WORTH VISITING THAT DIRECTORY AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY A RELATIONSHIP, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A MENTORSHIP.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I I I HAVE, WE HAVE LUNCH EVERY OTHER MONTH.
I TRY TO LEARN FROM HIM 'CAUSE THERE'S JUST, HE'S EXCELLING ON A LEVEL OUTSIDE OF THIS CITY LIMITS, YOU KNOW? AND I WANT TO GET TO KNOW HIM.
AND I, I REACHED OUT TO THESE PEOPLE OVER AND OVER.
THAT'S HOW I KNOW HALF THE GUYS IN THIS ROOM.
BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, HEY, ALAN, YOU KNOW, TEACH ME HOW TO BOOK A BAND.
I'VE BEEN DO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT THAT WAS ME BUILDING MY OWN DIRECTORY.
AND SO MY POINT IS, THIS DIRECTORY IS IMPORTANT.
AND IT CAN BE POWERFUL IF YOU'RE LIKE, I NEED HELP MARKETING A SHOW.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET INTO THAT DIRECTORY AND FIND SOMEBODY EITHER FOR HIRE OR HAS AN INTEREST IN LOCAL ART OR WHATEVER, UM, AND MAKE RELATIONSHIPS AND LEARN AND EX EXCHANGE.
AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THAT.
WE'VE ALL BEEN LIVING IN LITTLE DIFFERENT ISLANDS ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE MADE MENTION OF THE ARTS ALLIANCE, UH, AND THE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, UH, GUILD, I, I APOLOGIZE IF I'M MESSING THE NAME UP.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE LEARNED WHEN WE STARTED THE HOUSTON MUSIC FOUNDATION, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE HELPING GIG WORKERS, BUT TURNS OUT IT WAS SYMPHONY PEOPLE AND EDUCATORS.
AND I MEAN, THE MUSICIAN TRANSCENDS THIS, THE CITY LIMITS IN THE LARGEST CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF US HERE AND NOW, BRENDAN AND CHIP, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN SHARE THIS OR NOT, BUT THE LAST TIME I SAW THE QUARTERLY SNAPSHOT, WE HAD, WHAT, 3,300 FULL-TIME MUSICIANS LIVING IN THE CITY AND MORE THAN 10,000 FULL-TIME INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS LIVING IN THE CITY.
IS THAT, DOES THAT FEEL ABOUT RIGHT? BALLPARKY, PULL IT UP.
I THINK I, THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE A COUPLE OF YEARS OLD, BUT 10,000 OR MORE PEOPLE, MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS LIVE AMONGST US.
THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HOW TO HELP YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
AND THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO IT FOR, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS MY PITCH FOR THE MUSIC DIRECTORY, BUT I HEAR YOU COMPLETELY.
CAN I JUMP IN AND TAG? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE.
I KNOW SO MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND I HAVE WATCHED YOUR WORK FOR, UH, MANY YEARS.
AND, UM, THANKS TO THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, THANKS TO EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, WITH THE RODEO, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT AS A HOUSTON INSTITUTION THAT IS UNIQUE TO HOUSTON, AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR MUSIC.
MY FIRST CONCERT WAS, UH, AT, AT THE RODEO SAYING THE OAK RIDGE BOYS.
AND WHAT I THINK A KEY TO THE SUCCESS THAT THE RODEO HAS DONE IS IT'S TRANSCENDS JUST THE MUSIC.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S A SALE OF CATTLE AND LIVESTOCK AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT Y'ALL HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF THIS IS THE EVENT IN TOWN, UH, AND FOR 50, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
BUT THAT LEVEL OF PROMOTION, IT'S ABOUT THE WHOLE SCENE.
IT'S ABOUT, HERE'S A REASON TO GO OUT TO THE CLUB.
AND MY QUESTION ABOUT PROMOTIONS IS WHAT, AND FOR THE ADVISORY BOARD IS HOW CAN YOU EDUCATE, UH, AND HELP PROMOTE AND CONNECT SOME OF THESE DOTS? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT IS THERE, THERE, UH, SO THAT BANDS ARE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY
[01:30:01]
GROWING BANDS AT THE CONTINENTAL CLUB.I BOOKED THE CONTINENTAL CLUB.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS GOING.
AND YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY, IT'S, IT'S THE BANDS THAT ARE HUSTLING, WE CAN TELL IS BOOKING AGENTS WHO'S WORKING IT, WHO'S BRINGING A POSTER TO THE VENUE AND HANGING IT THEMSELVES.
KRUMMANN WAS PROBABLY DOING THAT WHEN THEY WERE PLAYING FREE SHOWS FOR YOU GUYS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE HUSTLE FACTOR IS THERE.
LOUIS ARMSTRONG SAYS EVERY MUSICIAN HAS TO HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE.
SO I GUESS I'LL FLIP THAT WITH WHAT'S THE SIDE HUSTLE OF THE, UH, UH, OF THE BOARD AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ALREADY HARDCORE MUSIC FANS.
HOW DO WE GET SOME CASUAL FOLKS THAT SAY, HEY, I'D RATHER GO TO WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL THAN GO SEE A MOVIE.
I, I'LL SAY THIS, I, I TAUGHT MYSELF A LOT ABOUT HOW TO MARKET A SHOW IN THE CITY.
AND ANYTIME ANYTHING MUSIC EVER RELATED HAPPENS, I SEND AN EMAIL TO EVERY MUSIC WRITER IN THE CITY.
DOES EVERYBODY DO THAT WHEN THEY PROMOTE THEIR SHOWS? YOU KNOW, WHEN I GET A, WHEN I HAVE AN EVENT, I MAKE A FACEBOOK PAGE, I INVITE EVERY PERSON I'D CLICK UNTIL I'M TIRED OF CLICKING AND I KNOW THE GUY WITH THE LAST NAME A'S PROBABLY HATES ME.
'CAUSE THEY ALWAYS GET ALL THE INVITES, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I GET TIRED BY THE BS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PROMOTION THAT YOU CAN DO, THAT'S STUFF'S EVER CHANGING.
AND THE ALGORITHM IS EVER WORKING AGAINST YOU AND WANTS ALL OF YOUR MONEY ALL THE TIME.
BUT THERE'S TUTORIALS ON YOUTUBE, GOOGLE TRENDS FOR, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISING ON INSTAGRAM OR, OR WHATEVER.
I MEAN, ALAN, I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW, I'M SHARING FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT, UM, I, MINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORK HARD, GRIND HARD.
I STILL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, BUT STILL FLYERS, STILL POSTERS STILL HIT CARS WITH HAND BILLS.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO.
WHAT I TRIED FOR A VERY LONG TIME WAS NOT TO GO TO BED WITHOUT DOTTING EVERY I AND CROSSING EVERY T IF THIS SHOW FAILED, IT WASN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T PROMOTE THE HELL OUT OF IT.
AND SO THERE'S STILL LIKE THE, THE GROUND HUSTLE, BUT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THESE WRITERS.
A LOT OF THESE WRITERS WON'T WRITE ABOUT IT 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING YOU ON FACEBOOK.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE YOU'RE PUTTING IT.
SO AS AN ARTIST, YOU GOTTA LIKE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
WHO, WHO DO I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THIS SHOW? WHO DO I WANT REVIEWING? WHO DO I WANT THERE AND WHERE ARE THEY? HOW DO I GET TO 'EM? ARE THEY STUDENTS? ARE THEY PROFESSIONALS? DO THEY GO SEE A SHOW AT THE HEIGHTS THEATER FOR A BAND THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY LIKE, THAT I LIKE AND KIND OF GO FLYER THEIR CARS WHILE THEY'RE INSIDE THIS BUILDING? YOU KNOW, STUFF WE'VE BEEN DOING FOREVER.
BUT I THINK AT A SIMPLE LEVEL, IF YOU'RE NOT DOING AT LEAST THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOURSELF? THIS IS YOUR BUSINESS.
HOPEFULLY IT'S YOUR LLC AND YOU'RE THE OWNER OF IT.
AND IF NOBODY'S, IF SOMEBODY'S WORKING HARDER THAN YOU ARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS, YOU MIGHT WANNA RECONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE IN BUSINESS OR NOT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY BEEN REALLY HARD.
THAT WAS A MESSAGE I TRIED TO GET ACROSS TO YOUNG ARTISTS I WORKED WITH WAS, I'M WORKING HARDER THAN YOU ARE AND YOU OWN THE BUSINESS.
LET'S GO DO ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND WE WILL ACHIEVE.
AND SOMETIMES WE DID AND SOMETIMES WE DIDN'T.
ONE THING I DO WANNA ADDRESS IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW GENERATION AND COMING FROM A MARKETING, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISING BACKGROUND MYSELF, UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN THIS BIG GAP WITH DIGITAL, UH, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISING AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE BRINGING SOME FOLKS UP TO SPEED, YOU KNOW, ON HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, ADVERTISING WORKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK MAYBE THERE ARE SOME GAPS THERE THAT WE COULD CLOSE AS WELL.
MAYBE THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN HELP DEVELOP AND IT'S LIKE, HEY, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SELF-PROMOTE, COME TO THIS SELF-PROMOTE CLASS.
WE'VE GOT PROFESSIONALS THAT'LL TRAIN YOU.
AND JUST TO ADD, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK COMING FROM OUR COMMUNITY HERE AND IN FUTURE SESSIONS, UM, WILL HELP US, YOU KNOW, EVEN MAYBE PROGRAM WORKSHOPS OR PANEL DISCUSSIONS, UM, JUST GIVE BACK, GIVE, GIVE RESOURCES BACK TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO ALL THIS INPUT IS, IS DEFINITELY HELPFUL.
I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MARIAH, BUT MY ARTIST'S NAME IS ARIA AND I WORK WITH THE LOVELY ERICA OVER THERE AT REVISION.
AND I WANTED TO ADD ABOUT, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT PAYMENT, BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND ALSO FOR UP AND COMING ARTISTS, LIKE YOU SAID, ADVERTISEMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS.
AND ONE OF MY THINGS IS I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING, WERE THERE REALLY ANY, UM, BIG PLACES IN HOUSTON ARE FOR UP AND COMING ARTISTS TO COME REALLY SHOWCASE THEIR WORK? NOT, AND I MEAN WORK, LIKE, NOT JUST AN SINGLE, BUT A WHOLE SEGMENT OF WORK
[01:35:01]
AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, AN ALBUM, LIKE THE CONCEPT THAT IS EXPANDED PRETTY MUCH.WELL, WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE ALBUM IS
AND THEN ALSO, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT FOR MUSIC, FOR ME, A LOT OF, AND FOR A LOT OF ARTISTS, EVERY ARTIST IS THAT THEY PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL AND THE PAIN THAT THEY FEEL IN THEIR MUSIC.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LISTEN TO THAT COLLECTIVELY TO RELATE TO THAT MUSIC.
BUT AS A COMMUNITY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HYPE UP MORE OF THAT MUSIC THAT IS MEANINGFUL AND IS DOING A HEALING WORK OR DOING SOMETHING FOR THE GREATER GOOD AND BRINGING AN UNDERSTANDING AS A COMMUNITY.
THEN WE HYPE UP MORE OF THE MUSIC THAT'S MORE VULGAR AND VIOLENT IF WITH OUR ADVERTISEMENT, IF ANYONE UNDERSTANDS OR GETS WHAT I'M SAYING WITH THAT.
AND SEE, UM, AND A CONSTANT REITERATION OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS DETAIL FOR DETAIL AND ABOUT PAYMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE THE ROYALTIES AND COPYRIGHT LAWS FOR A LOT OF US AND HOW THEY CHANGE CAN BE VERY CONFUSING.
'CAUSE ONE DAY IT WAS THIS AND TODAY IS THAT, AND WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL SWINGING THIS WAY IN THAT WAY.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS FROM THE BOARD? ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, I THINK WE HAVE TIME.
WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE OR TWO MORE SPEAKERS.
UH, I JUST WANNA GET THROUGH THE FOLKS THAT HAVE REGISTERED, UM, REAL QUICK.
DOING DOUBLE DUTY, HUH? ALEX
UM, I WORK FOR HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE.
WE'RE THE PUBLIC ACCESS STATION IN HOUSTON.
UM, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 35 YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE A NEED FOR MUSIC TO, TO PLAY ON OUR CHANNELS.
AND THE THE REALITY IS, IS LIKE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 92.
THERE USED TO BE THIS THING CALLED THE PUBLIC NEWS, AND I JUST FELT LIKE THAT WAS A CONNECTION TO A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT Y'ALL DO IS THAT THERE MAY BE A WEBSITE OR SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS EVERYBODY.
UM, HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE HAS PRODUCERS, THEIR PUBLIC, PUBLIC PRODUCERS.
I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE Y'ALL REPRESENT ARTISTS, BUT IN A, IN A WAY WHERE THEY CAN JOIN A GROUP OR SOMETHING AND BE AVAILABLE TO DO THESE SHOWS THAT MAY BE MORE PUBLIC AND NOT LIVESTREAM OR NOT, UH, LIVE NATION OR THERE, WHATEVER.
BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, IS THERE'S A LOT OF LOCALS THAT NEED TO GO OUT AND PLAY TOO.
SO HOW DO YOU, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE MONIES A LITTLE BIT MORE EVEN HOW DO YOU PUT MORE INTO THE COMMUNITY VERSUS BRINGING IN ACTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD INSTEAD, WHICH IS GREAT.
LIKE NUMBERS HAS BROUGHT ACTS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S JUST LIKE, THERE ARE LOCAL MUSIC ACTS THAT ARE JUST AS GOOD.
SO HOW DO YOU SUPPORT THAT AND MAKE IT MORE LOCAL? UM, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE CONNECTION TO MUSICIANS AS WELL THROUGH WHAT WE CREATE.
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU CONNECT THAT? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW THE PRICING.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONNECT TO SOME OF THESE GROUPS THAT ARE, ARE OUT THERE.
AND I MEAN, I WORKED WITH BUBBA THOMAS, I'VE WORKED WITH PEOPLE, I'VE WORKED WITH FLASH GORDON PARKS ON SOME THINGS.
THE THE REALITY IS IT'S LIKE THERE ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING STUFF AROUND HOUSTON.
IT'S LIKE, HOW DO YOU INTERCONNECT IT AND MAKE IT ALL LIKE HOPEFULLY HAVE, HAVE MONIES AND, AND BE ABLE TO FLOURISH IN, IN THAT AND THEN HOPEFULLY DRAW REVENUE BASED ON THE PRODUCT THAT THEY CREATE.
AND, UH, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME, SOME INFORMATION, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHAT MARK WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, SIGN UP FOR THE MUSIC DIRECTORY IS, IS STEP ONE.
UM, AND THAT, CAN I COMMENT ON THAT? SURE.
THE HOUSTON FILM COMMISSION HAS HAD A, A DIRECTORY.
THEY USED TO HAVE A BOOK THAT THEY USED TO PUT OUT.
THEY STOPPED DOING IT BECAUSE IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY DO IT ONLINE.
NOW, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY THAT WAY.
LIKE THERE'S STILL NOT A LOT OF CONNECTION THROUGH THAT.
AND THAT'S FOR THE HOUSTON FILM COMMISSION.
I'D LIKE TO SEE A MORE LOCAL WAY OF CONNECTING IT BEYOND THE MUSIC DIRECTORY, BECAUSE YOU STILL NEED THE MUSIC DIRECTORY.
IT'S JUST HOW DO YOU POPULATE WITH INFORMATION THAT'S MORE NOW AND IN THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW? AND SO THE OTHER SECOND PART OF THAT IS, UH, WE HA UM, HAVE SET UP HOUSTON MUSIC LIVE.
[01:40:01]
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING OUT A HUB FOR OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.UH, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR IT FOR HOUSTON MUSIC HISTORY.
UH, A WAY TO ANNOUNCE, UH, SESSIONS LIKE THIS.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE MUSIC DIRECTORY LIVING THERE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ALSO, UM, UH, AN INTAKE FORM, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS, JUST, UH, THE SAME WAY YOU GUYS DID WHEN YOU R RSVP'D.
SO THAT'S THE NEXT PHASE IS, UM, GETTING THIS ROLLED OUT AND MAKING IT A, UH, A HUB FOR, UH, FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS.
UM, ARE WE, BECAUSE I WANNA ASK SOMEONE ELSE I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
ARE WE DONE WITH THE LIST? 'CAUSE IF WE HAVE A MINUTE, I WAS GOING TO CALL FOR SOMEONE TO COME UP.
SO, UM, YOU, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MUSICIANS, IT'S ABOUT MUSIC PROFESSIONALS AS WELL.
AND WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON THAT TODAY, UM, AS MUCH AS I WOULD'VE LIKED.
BUT I KNOW IT'S THE FIRST SESSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY MUSICIAN WE'VE MENTIONED, THERE'S 20 PEOPLE THAT WORK ON A SHOW FIRST AND LOST OUT.
AND SO THERE'S A GROUP OF 'EM BACK HERE THAT I WORK WITH A LOT.
JUST WANTED TO SEE IF ANYONE WHO WORKS ON THE PRODUCTION SIDE OR TECH SIDE HAS ANYTHING THEY WANT TO MENTION TO THE BOARD OR THE GROUP BEFORE, BEFORE, UH, IT'S TOO LATE TODAY.
SO I'M CALLING YOU OUT AND YOU, WHEN YOU GET TO THE MIC, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, YOUR PROFESSION.
HI, I AM TIM WITH JV AND, UH, I HAVE A LAYUP QUESTION FOR MY FAVORITE BOSS.
UM, SO NOT UPSET
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK ON GETTING A FUND TOGETHER TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH, THE EMPHASIS, UM, BECAUSE SO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE, MY GUYS, WE HAVE A HUNDRED STAGE HANDS AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 TECHS WORKING FOR US.
UM, SOME OF THEM HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT A LOT OF 'EM DON'T.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A FOCUS AND A DIRECTION TOWARDS CREATING A FUND TO HELP THESE PEOPLE LIKE, UH, RECEIVE SERVICES.
IS THAT STILL IN THE CARDS? WELL, FROM MY PERS LUCKILY, THIS IS A GOOD TIMING.
SO I HAD A LOT OF FRUSTRATIONS.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO, WE'VE TRIED, WE RAISED SOME FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE AND WE COULDN'T FIND WHERE TO GIVE THEM.
BUT THIS EVENT, SOUTHERN SMOKE HAPPENED, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT PART OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS GIVING MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR, UH, MUSICIANS OR WORKING MUSIC, MUSIC PROFESSIONALS.
SO WE PARLAYED THAT DONATION TO THEM BECAUSE IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING.
BUT IT'S BEEN A LITTLE FRUSTRATING.
AND I THINK PART OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THESE GUYS IN THE, THE, THE STAGE IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, HOW, HOW TO SET UP A FUND OR AN ORGANIZATION WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE GIG WORKERS WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR HEALTH BENEFITS CAN'T NECESSARILY AFFORD OBAMACARE ON THE, ON THE GIG PAY AND EITHER NEED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OR JUST HEALTH INSURANCE OR OF SOME SORT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I, I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE ALL WANT TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW THE CITY CAN HELP AT LEAST SET UP AVENUES FOR ACCESS FOR THAT.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, CERTAINLY IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, SUBJECT TO TOUCH ON.
UH, AS A MUSICIAN MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALSO AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, BY, YOU KNOW, THE PANDEMIC GIG ECONOMY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, IN MY TIME AT THE, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE, I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE SIMS FOUNDATION IN AUSTIN.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE SIMS FOUNDATION, BUT UM, WHAT IT'S DONE FOR THE LAST DECADE OR SO IS PROVIDE WELLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH, UH, UM, SERVICES TO MUSICIANS, THEIR PARTNERS AND DEPENDENTS ON A SLIDING SCALE.
AND THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS THAT THERE IS INTEREST IN COMING TO HOUSTON AND DOING AND SETTING UP A CHAPTER HERE.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE LOGISTICS OF, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HANDLE, UH, CLINICIANS, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM AUSTIN, BUT EVENTUALLY THOSE CLINICIANS NEED TO BE FOUND HERE FOR THEM TO SET UP, YOU KNOW, A BRICK AND MORTAR.
SO THERE ARE AVENUES WE JUST NEED TO SIT DOWN AS A COLLECTIVE AND EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS.
SO, I MEAN, IMAGINE THAT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR MUSICIANS,
[01:45:02]
SO IT'S OUT THERE.CAN I END WITH, UM, AS A PRODUCTION PROFESSIONAL, I LIKE REHEARSALS BEFORE YOU CALL ME OUT IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
CAN YOU COME UP TO THE MIC PLEASE? HI, MY NAME IS AUBREY.
I'M A LOCAL POP ARTIST HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND PART OF MY CONCERN, I GUESS IS IT'S JUST BEEN A LITTLE BIT ROCKY TO LAND LOCAL GIGS HERE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A LOT OF ARTISTS THAT DO WHAT I DO.
LIKE MY SOUND IS VERY UNIQUE AND IT'S VERY LIKE CINEMATIC POP AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND I, I WANNA CREATE A LOCAL BUZZ HERE BEFORE GOING SOMEWHERE SUPER COMPETITIVE LIKE LA UM, SO PART OF MY CONCERN, SO I DID GET FOR CONTEXT, I DID ALREADY GET ACCEPTED INTO THE HU HOUSTON MUSIC DIRECTORY.
UM, SO I'M LIKE AN OFFICIAL ARTIST OR WHATEVER.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW YET WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS YET.
I DON'T THINK WE REALLY TOUCHED, I THINK IT WAS BRIEFLY ABOUT LIKE IF BIGGER ENTITIES COME THROUGH HERE, LIKE, UH, THE SUPER BOWL OR WORLD CUP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY, YOU KNOW, REFERENCE THAT LIST.
BUT I GUESS PART OF MY CONCERN IS LIKE, LOCALLY, DOES ANYONE REFERENCE THAT LIST? JUST, JUST IF I WANT LIKE, LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND ALSO, I GUESS, SO I GUESS THOSE QUESTIONS ARE MORE GEARED TOWARDS, UM, I'M SORRY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? YAMAN JU JUY AND MARK.
JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ME WANTING TO EXPAND, GET MORE EXPOSURE, GET MORE GIGS AS A POP ARTIST.
'CAUSE IT'S HARD, I GUESS LOCALLY TO FIND ARTISTS THAT PAIR REALLY WELL WITH ME.
SO FOR ME, I KIND OF PICTURE MYSELF OPENING MORE FOR INCOMING ACTS THAT NEED LIKE ALTERNATIVE POP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I KNOW Y'ALL BRIEFLY TOUCHED ON IT AS WELL, BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S OUTSIDE OF Y'ALL'S CONTROL BECAUSE THEY EITHER HAVE THEIR OWN OPENER OR IT'S DETERMINED BY SOMEONE ELSE.
BUT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES COME UP, I GUESS.
AND SO, YEAH, THAT WAS JUST MY MAIN QUESTION GEARED TOWARDS Y'ALL ABOUT, UH, GIG OPPORTUNITIES.
PHIL KOSH WITH A K@LIVENATION.COM.
IT WOULD BE, BUT I'M KIND OF JOKING, BUT NOT REALLY.
I THINK I, NO, I'M, I'M IN CONTACT WITH HIM AS WELL.
AND HE IS VERY HARD TO, UM, LIKE CATCH, I GUESS I TRIED TO CATCH HIM AT SOME SHOWS WATCHING HOME RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, I TRIED TO CATCH HIM AT SOME SHOWS AND HE'S KIND OF HARD TO, TO CATCH.
BUT YEAH, I THINK, I THINK PART OF WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT I, MY SUGGESTION TO MOST MUSICIANS WHO POSE THE QUESTION ESSENTIALLY I TO SIMPLIFY WHAT I HEAR IS HOW DO I GET ON TOURING SHOWS? AND I THINK WHAT YOU DO IS LIKE THE MARK AUSTINS OR THE PEOPLE WHO BOOK WITH ME, WHICH IS BOOKING@PEGSTAR.NET.
YOU SEND, YOU SEND, WHEN YOU SEE AN ARTIST THAT'S BEEN BOOKED OR ANNOUNCED, YOU, YOU SEND YOUR STUFF AND YOU SAY, HEY, I THINK MY MUSIC WORKS WELL WITH THIS ARTIST.
MAYBE IT'S TOO LATE FOR THIS ARTIST.
BUT THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BELIEVE ME, WE LISTEN TO IT AND WE LOOK AT IT, IT DEFINITELY HAPPENS.
NOW IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY OR NOT TO DO IT, IT, LIKE WE SAID, IT'S A PROBLEM.
THERE'S, THERE'S LESS THOUGHTS LIKE THAT NOW.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK, WE'LL WORK RECTIFY THAT.
BUT YEAH, FIND OUT WHO'S BOOKING THESE SHOWS, IT'S PROBABLY PRETTY EASY.
GO TO THE VENUES AND ASK THEM IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANY, THE GENTLEMAN BEHIND JUST, WELL I'M ASKING THE VENUE.
BUT THE GENTLEMAN BEHIND YOU DOES CONTINENTAL AND YOU KNOW, SO YOU GO ONE BY ONE AND HAND 'EM YOUR MUSIC AND SAY, AND NOT JUST LIKE, HAND 'EM.
WELL NOW IT WOULD BE A LINK, NOT A CD, BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE SHOWS THAT YOU SHOULD BE ON, HIT THEM UP ABOUT THOSE SHOWS SPECIFICALLY ANNOY THEM AND REMIND THEM THAT YOU'RE THERE AND EVENTUALLY IT'LL HAPPEN.
YEAH, IT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
SUPPORT THOSE SHOWS, BUT YET BE, BECAUSE YOU'LL MEET THE, THAT BAND AT THE MERCH BOOTH AFTERWARDS AND THEY'LL LEARN ABOUT YOUR MUSIC OR YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE A BEER WITH THEIR SOUND TECH AND HE'LL ASK WHAT YOU DO AND YOU'LL TELL 'EM.
AND THEN HE'LL GO TELL THE BAND THAT GIRL SOUNDS REALLY COOL OR SHE LOOK YOUR MUSIC.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO, AND I WOULD LOVE TO DO SHOWS WITH LOCAL ARTISTS AS WELL.
I'M JUST SAYING I FEEL LIKE MY MUSIC DOESN'T ALWAYS FIT THE BILL WITH, WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M KIND OF SAYING I WOULD LOVE TO DO MORE FOR OTHER ARTISTS COMING IN, BUT THERE'S STILL LIKE THAT GAP FOR ME.
LIKE I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, I GUESS.
SO, SO, UH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT, UH, YOU'VE GOTTEN MY ATTENTION.
I THINK WE'RE FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OF PROMOTING YOURSELF, OF LISTENING TO YOUR MUSIC.
YOU HAVE ALL THE REASONS TO BE TO, AND, AND YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE A HUSTLE STRONG BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE ASKING QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF STRANGERS.
IF YOU SEE ARTISTS THAT, AND YOU'RE NOT 11 TIMES OUTTA 10, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET THE GIG BECAUSE FROM SOME OTHER REASON.
BUT BE PATIENT, BE CORDIAL, WRITE
[01:50:01]
VERY SHORT EMAILS WITH A COUPLE OF LINKS, LET US KNOW YOU GOT IT TOGETHER.HERE'S MY PLOT, MY INPUT LIST, MY PRESS PHOTO, MY BIO, MY W NINE.
YOU WON'T HAVE TO ASK ME FOR ANYTHING.
IF YOU BOOK ME, I'M GONNA BE REALLY EASY.
I'M GONNA SHOW UP AND I'M GONNA DO MY JOB AND I'M GONNA EARN MY MONEY AND HOPEFULLY I'M GONNA STEAL SOME OF THEIR FANS.
THE SECOND ONE IS, WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, OTHER PEOPLE THAT, THAT WOULD PLAY IN YOUR GENRE HERE OR WHATEVER, CREATE YOUR OWN SHOW, PROMOTE YOUR OWN SHOW, CALL ONE OF US, TAKE A TUESDAY AND SAY, I'M GONNA COME PROVE TO YOU I CAN BRING 50 PEOPLE THE FIRST TIME AND A HUNDRED THE NEXT TIME AND I'M GONNA GROW MY OWN FAN BASE.
BECAUSE A, A LOT OF WHAT, AND AGAIN THE, WHEN I FIRST MET BRENDAN, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, I SAID, COOL, ARE YOU GONNA START BOOKING ALL THESE HOUSTON BANDS? AND HE IS LIKE, TIME OUT.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN GET.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER.
AND WHEN, WHEN YOUR MENTALITY GOES THERE AND YOU'RE LIKE, I CAN, I CAN CREATE THIS, NOBODY WILL PROMOTE IT HARDER THAN ME.
THIS IS REFERENCING ALL THOSE OTHER PROMOTIONAL THINGS I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WHEN YOU GO DO IT FOR YOURSELF AND YOU EARN IT FOR YOURSELF, NOBODY CAN TAKE IT FROM YOU.
AND THE WAY I WORKED WITH ALL OF MY HOUSTON BANDS THAT TOURED NATIONALLY WAS YOU BUILD IT HERE AND YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A FAN BASE TO COME BACK TO.
HAYES, CARL PROBABLY DOESN'T LEAVE THE STATE OF TEXAS MORE THAN A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR.
AND HE MAKES A LOT OF MONEY INSIDE THIS STATE.
SO WHEN YOU MASTER YOUR HOME AND THEN THE AUSTIN, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO, YOU JUST KEEP GROWING UNTIL YOU'VE GOT 10 MARKETS IN TEXAS, YOU GOT NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
AND IF SOMEONE'S NOT GIVING YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY, CREATE IT.
BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS LOOKING, AND YOU CAN EMAIL ME IF YOU SEE A BAND ON OUR THAT WE ANNOUNCED, YOU'RE LIKE, IT DOESN'T HAVE AN OPENER LISTED, I SHOULD BE THE OPENER.
SEND ME A NICE LITTLE EMAIL AND I WILL PITCH YOU TO THE ARTIST AND SAY, THIS PERSON IS A GOOD FIT FOR YOU.
AND EVERY VENUE HAS TO DO THAT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, UNLESS THEY'RE, AGAIN, THEY'RE CARRYING THEIR SUPPORT.
DON'T SEND A HUNDRED EMAILS ALREADY, GET 300 TODAY KIND OF THING.
HAVE YOUR YOUR INFORMATION TOGETHER.
BUT THEN CREATE FOR YOURSELF TOO, BECAUSE I THINK YOU COULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
THERE'S LOTS OF LITTLE ROOMS IN THIS TOWN WHERE YOU CAN START AND GROW UP BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAD TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND A LOT OF THEM HERE, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
AND I JUST, I I WANTED TO COSIGN WHAT MARK SAID, WHICH IS TRUE.
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME BOOK YOUR OWN S**T.
LIKE SERIOUSLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE CORPORATE CHANNELS.
I USED TO PLAY IN BANDS ALL THE TIME AND I WANTED TO, THAT'S WHY I STARTED GIRLS ROCK CAMP.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF WOMEN PLAYING MUSIC IN MY, MY SCENE, WHICH IS PUNK ROCK MUSIC.
AND SO MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS, WELL, IF WE REACH THE YOUNG GIRLS AND WE PROVIDE THE SKILLSET, THE INSTRUMENTS, AND WE TEACH 'EM HOW TO PLAY, EVENTUALLY THERE'LL BE MORE WOMEN PLAYING MUSIC.
I DIDN'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO CREATE THAT FOR ME.
UH, SO YOU, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW MARK'S ADVICE ON YOGI'S ADVICE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, BOOK YOUR OWN SHOW, FIND A VENUE, YOU KNOW, PAY THE 50 BUCKS TO RENT THE VENUE FOR THE NIGHT OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY CHARGE.
AND YOU KNOW, JUST DO IT YOURSELF AND EVENTUALLY THEY'LL COME TO YOU IF YOU START BUILDING YOUR FOLLOWING.
AND LASTLY, I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL THE TALENT BUYERS AND, UH, OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE BOOKING IN THE INDUSTRY, UM, AS THIS, UH, MUSIC DIRECTORY CONTINUES TO GROW, TO USE THAT AS A RESOURCE ALSO FOR HIRING LOCAL TALENT.
UM, ALSO AGAIN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, JUST ANOTHER WAY TO NETWORK WITH OTHER, UH, MUSIC INDUSTRY, MUSIC, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY FOLKS HERE.
I'VE GOT, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AL ALEXANDER.
YOU WANNA COME UP? HI, MY NAME IS ANGELA MORGAN AND I'M A LOCAL, UM, VOCALIST, UM, WITH A PIECE, UH, A SEVEN PIECE BAND.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR SOME OF THE OLDER MUSICIANS HERE IN HOUSTON, UM, THAT WE CONSIDER LEGENDS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, FOR FORGOTTEN OR, UM, ARE IN NEED OF SERVICES TO THEIR HOMES OR MEDICINE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL MUSICIANS, UM, LEGENDS HERE IN THE CITY THAT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY FOR SERVICES WITH, UM, THE CITY TO HAVE THEIR HOMES REPAIRED, UM, FOR DIFFERENT AID.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO GET THE RUNAROUND.
I KNOW A NUMBER OF LEGENDS HERE IN THE CITY THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISION BETWEEN PAYING THEIR RENT OR MORTGAGE AND MEDICINE OR FOOD.
AND, UM, TWEED SMITH AND I HAVE STARTED AN INITIATIVE HERE WHERE WE HONOR THESE LEGENDS
[01:55:01]
DURING THE HOLIDAYS.TWEED SMITH IS ONE OF OUR LEGENDS HERSELF, WHO, UM, ALSO WORKS WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER OF HOUSTON AND A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
BUT WE HONOR THESE LEGENDS DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
WE GO TO THEIR HOMES, WE TAKE THEM.
THE CITY HAS GIVEN US PROCLAMATIONS FOR THESE LEGENDS.
WE TAKE THEM PERISHABLE AND NON-PERISHABLE FOODS, AS WELL AS A MONETARY DONATION FROM DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW WE GET THE CITY MORE INVOLVED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR NEEDS AS MUCH AS THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SOCIETY, TO THE WORLD.
A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE HIDDEN GEMS RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
THEY ARE THE FORGOTTENS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FABRIC OF MUSIC.
AND, UM, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR NEEDS AND MAYBE, UM, FAST TRACKING THEIR APPLICATIONS, UM, THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS TO GET ASSISTANCE.
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME WITH THAT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
UM, AL THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, MY NAME IS ALT ALEXANDER JR.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.
I'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON ABOUT 10 OR 12 YEARS OR SO, YOU KNOW, GIVE OR TAKE, MOVING BACK AND FORTH.
BUT I THINK MY MAIN CONCERN AS A, DEFINITELY AS A YOUNG MUSICIAN, I HEAR A LOT ABOUT MUSIC PERFORMANCE AND HOW TO BE AN ARTIST ON VARIOUS DIFFERENT LEVELS.
BUT I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD ANYBODY TALK ABOUT LIKE MUSIC EDUCATION AND NOT JUST SO MUCH IN THE SCHOOLS, BUT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH THE RAS CRUSADERS, WHICH IS THE SECOND COMING OF THE JAZZ CRUSADERS THAT WAS STARTED BY JOE SAMPLE.
SO I'VE HAD CHANCES TO PLAY AND I'VE ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY ON SPRINGBOARD THREE TIMES, ONCE WITH THE RAD CRUSADERS, ONCE WITH JOE BROWN, AND ANOTHER TIME WITH, UH, AL MA FERNANDEZ.
AND I SEE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THAT TOO.
SO MY MAIN CONCERN IS ABOUT THE MUSIC EDUCATION PART.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BLUES AND TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ROCK AND TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF JAZZ IN DIFFERENT FACETS.
BUT HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THOSE PEOPLE TO TAKE A PRIVATE LESSON? HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THOSE PEOPLE TO, TO GET THEM TO DO A MASTER CLASS? HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THOSE PEOPLE TO SHED? 'CAUSE SHED MOSTLY IMPORTANTLY IS THE, THE NAME OF THE GAME.
I MEAN, I THINK SOMETIMES THAT GETS OVERLOOKED.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU JUST NEED TO PRACTICE BY YOURSELF.
SO ESSENTIALLY, LIKE, I'M GLAD SHE TALKED ABOUT STARTING YOUR OWN THING.
I STARTED A THING CALLED THE HOUSTON URBAN ARCHIVE.
IT'S AN ECLECTIC HOUSE DESIGNED TO FIT THE MUSIC YOU AND WHAT WE ADVOCATE FOR YOU AND ALL OUR FELLOWS TO DO.
AND SO THAT'S OUR BIGGEST PART.
'CAUSE THE SAME THING SHE SAID AS A BLACK AMERICAN, I STARTED A LATIN CULTURE BAND.
I BOUGHT ALL THE DRUMS, I BOUGHT ALL THE INSTRUMENTS.
I TEACH ALL THE PEOPLE THE BEST STUFF I CAN FIND IN ALL OF THE BOOKS.
I STARTED A BIG BAND PROJECT THAT I'VE WORKED AND DONE THINGS THAT, UM, THRIFT STORES AND WITH A 15 PIECE GROUP AND PEOPLE COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER.
THAT TIME I STARTED A THING, WELL, I ACTUALLY STARTED BY BUSKING AT THE MARKETS.
SO ONE THING I DON'T SEE, I DON'T SEE PEOPLE BUSTING HOUSTON AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, I GET THE PERMITS, I GET WHATEVER I NEED AND PEOPLE ALLOW US TO COME OUT.
BUT THAT'S, I THINK THE MAIN THING.
AND ALSO, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO AT THE, LIKE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PLAYING THE TRUMPET AND PIANO SINCE THE THIRD GRADE, BUT I DON'T SEE MUSIC EDUCATION ADVOCATED THAT YOUNG.
THEY STARTED PEOPLE IN LIKE THE FIFTH GRADE, MAYBE THE SIXTH GRADE.
AND IF WITH, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT TITLE ONE SCHOOLS AND THEIR ECONOMIC DISPARAGES AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, WE'LL START YOU LATER AND EXPECT YOU TO CATCH UP.
SO IF WE START 'EM EARLIER AND THEY STRUGGLE LEARN BY THE TIME THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL, MAYBE WITH THAT STRUGGLE LEARNING STARTING EARLIER, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PLAY AND THEN THEY CAN COME PLAY WITH ME 'CAUSE I HAVE 'EM AT WHATEVER AGE THEY CAN PLAY AT.
SO THOSE ARE MY MAIN CONCERNS.
MUSIC, EDUCATION ON A HIGHER PERFORMANCE LEVEL.
'CAUSE ONCE YOU PASS COLLEGE, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T GET A GIG? YOU FLOAT AROUND AND YOU'RE DONE.
AND THEN YOU HOPE TO CATCH UP TO THE PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY HAD BETTER OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, SO THIS SEEMS LIKE THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WANT MORE THAN THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEKING THE HELP WITH.
I'M, UH, SERVING AS A SECRETARY ON THE BOARD.
UM, SO, UH, I AM, I'M, I'M ONE OF THE MUSIC EDUCATORS ALONG WITH DR.
UH, AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH WHAT HE'S SAYING.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN AT LEAST KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TWO FOLKS THAT ARE IN THAT, IN THAT REALM ON THIS BOARD THAT'S GONNA BRING THAT TO THE TABLE.
UH, GIVEN THAT I'M A PRODUCT OF TITLE ONE OF HOUSTON, ISD AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A, A FOCAL POINT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, AS WELL.
[02:00:01]
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO, TO, TO CONRAD JOHNSON.UH, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR, YOUR FATHER AND, UH, THE FACT THAT HE'S A BIG INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY I PROGRAM ONE OF HIS PIECES EVERY SINGLE TIME I HAVE A BAND.
UH, MOST RECENTLY WE DID DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS, THE ALTO SAX FEATURE, UH, WITH MY JAZZ BAND AT PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY.
UH, SO JUST KNOW THAT HIS LEGACY IS STILL GOING ON.
WANNA DO THE ONLINE QUESTION YET OR NO? UM, YEAH, I THINK THERE'S ONE, PROBABLY ONE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR MAYBE, UH, TWO MORE FOLKS.
UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STEP UP TO THE MIC?
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO YOU GUYS FOR FORMING LIKE VOLTRON, BUT, UM, EVEN BIGGER THING, I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING THIS WAY, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK THIS WAY 'CAUSE UM, A LOT OF THINGS START WITH US AND NETWORKING.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY HOW WE STARTED, UM, WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS GAME BECAUSE THIS IS A BUSINESS, AND I KNOW WE ALL MAY THINK THAT OUR TALENT SHOULD HAVE US PLAYING FOR THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS.
BUT WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT VENUES, WE DID OUR RESEARCH, OKAY, WHAT'S THIS CAPACITY? WHAT'S THAT CAPACITY? OKAY, WHAT BANDS HAVE PLAYED HERE? AND THEN WE DO OUR RESEARCH ON, WE MAY LOOK AT PICTURES OR VIDEOS.
IF THEY HAD A NICE DRAW, LET ME HIT THAT BAND UP.
HEY, LET'S DO A SHOW TOGETHER AT WHEREVER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GO LIKE THAT.
ALSO, UM, IT'S, IT'S THE GENRE THING, LIKE YOU SAID, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT WHEN YOU GO TO FESTIVALS, YOU MAY SEE 20 DIFFERENT ACTS WITH 20 DIFFERENT STYLES.
SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO JUST, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF A, OUR OWN CREATIVE SPACE AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS A NETWORKING THING.
HEY, I'M GONNA PLAY WITH THIS BAND.
I'M GONNA BRING MY FANS AND IF I CAN ROCK IT, THEIR FANS ARE GONNA ROCK WITH ME TOO.
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE PEOPLE LISTEN TO.
WE JUST HAVE TO SAY, HEY, LET'S BOOK THESE.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS ALL TOGETHER.
THIS IS GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THE BUSINESS AND NETWORKING.
SO I CHALLENGE EVERYBODY TO GET SOMEBODY'S NUMBER, GET SOMEBODY'S WEBSITE, THEIR INSTAGRAM, THEIR INFORMATION BEFORE YOU LEAVE HERE.
AND 'CAUSE WE CAN DEPEND ON THEM, BUT WE CAN'T ALL JUST DEPEND ON THEM.
LIKE IT'S GOTTA BE, WE HAVE DJS IN HERE, WE HAVE MEDIA PEOPLE, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO FLYERS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT HAVE A CONTACT WITH A VENUE.
WE HAVE SOUND PEOPLE THAT WORK AT MULTIPLE VENUES AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO BOOK BANDS ON OFF NIGHTS LIKE A TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY.
AND I MEAN, THAT'S HOW WE STARTED.
WE WERE PLAYING ON A FREAKING TUESDAY, BUT WE WERE LIKE, HEY, OKAY, LET'S PICK THIS TUESDAY BECAUSE IT'S SOMEBODY'S BIRTHDAY.
OKAY, WE GONNA CELEBRATE IT AS A BIRTHDAY AND AS A SHOW.
SO PEOPLE ARE GUARANTEED TO COME THAT NEVER SEEN US BEFORE.
THEN ONCE THEY SEE US AND WE GET 'EM IN THERE, WE SELL A MERCH AND WE SHOW 'EM THE PRODUCT.
DON'T JUST SELL IT AT SHOWS, SELL IT IN EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE SHOW.
SO PEOPLE CAN COME WEARING THAT AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE WEARING THAT AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, WHERE YOU GET THIS FROM MAN, IT'S OVER THERE AT THE MERCH TABLE.
SO I JUST CHALLENGE EVERYBODY TO NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S ALL JUST COME TOGETHER, LIKE EVERYBODY COME TOGETHER, NOT JUST DEPEND ON THEM TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD EVERYTHING FOR US.
WE BUILD AND THEN ONCE THEY SEE US BUILDING, THEY CAN COME IN AND ASSIST IN CERTAIN EXPERTISE THAT THEY HAVE TO HELP US GO FURTHER.
WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE PERSON.
UM, REAL QUICK, I COME, MY NAME IS JENNIFER WATTS AND I COME FROM THE, THE HANA MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND THE HANA MUSIC WAS BASICALLY BASED HERE IN TEXAS.
IT WAS THE ROOTS OF EVERYTHING.
YOU SEE RAP, YOU SEE R AND B, YOU SEE POP, YOU SEE COUNTRY, BUT WHERE DO YOU SEE LATIN MUSIC? WHERE DO YOU SEE TEJANO? WHEN WE HAD A TEJANO, UH, RADIO STATION BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND THE NINETIES, UNI V SEAN BOUGHT US OUT AND THEY THREW US OUT, LIKE UNDER THE ROCK.
AND WE HAVE TRIED SO MANY TIMES, SO MANY TIMES TO START A DOHAN MUSIC STATION TWICE, BUT NOT TWICE, THREE TIMES, NOT THREE TIMES, FOUR TIMES.
AND WE GOTTEN NO COMMUNITY FROM, EVEN FROM OUR OWN INDUSTRY.
NO ONE WILL LOVE AND SUPPORT AND GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.
I'M LOOKING FOR HOW DO RESTART A RADIO STATION.
WE HAVE LIKE 30 DIFFERENT ONLINE RADIO STATIONS ALL OVER TEXAS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN FM NOR
[02:05:01]
AN AM STATION.I USED TO WORK FOR AN FM AND AM STATION CALLED HAN IMAS.
AND THEN THAT YEAR LATER, THE GUY THAT THAT OWNED THE DIALS TOOK US OUT AND SAYS, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T MAKING HIM MONEY, WE MAKING HIM ENOUGH MONEY.
I GUARANTEE YOU, IN HOUSTON ALONE, YOU CAN GO TO ANY, I GUESS LIKE, UH, SPANISH CLUB AND THEY'LL PLAY YOU BANDA.
THEY'LL PLAY YUSA GUE, THEY'LL TRADE YOU, THEY'LL, THEY'LL PLAY YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT.
BUT NOT THE TEJANO MUSIC BECAUSE IT DOESN'T BRING WHAT IT USED TO BRING IN THE EIGHTIES.
YOU HAVE ONE BAND HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS THAT STARTED AS TEJANO, AND NOW THEY'RE INTERNATIONAL.
AND THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT MADE IT BIG.
WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE, UM, HOW DO I GET MYSELF OUT THERE? THEY DID IT.
THEY WERE FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF HOUSTON AND THEY, THEY STARTED OFF SMALL PLAYING WITH SMALL VINEYARDS AND THEY WORKED THEIR WAY OUT.
I, MY COUSIN TOLD ME, WHY DO YOU NEED TO MOVE TO A BIGGER CITY TO MAKE YOURSELF BIG? IF MAFIA CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU.
SO ANOTHER THING TOO IS, UM, SAN ANTONIO, THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE HANO MUSIC, BUT WHEN YOU COME TO HOUSTON, THERE'S LIKE HARDLY ANYTHING.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GO ONTO THE RADIO DIALS, THERE'S NOTHING BUT MALES.
THERE'S NO, IT'S LIKE MALE DOMINANT IN THE, IN THE LATIN INDUSTRY OR IN THE, THE HANO MUSIC INDUSTRY.
AND WE'RE CONSIDERED, UM, MEXICAN REGIONAL, UM, CATEGORY.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE LATIN GRAMMYS, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE CONSIDERED, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE OUR OWN CATEGORY ANYMORE 'CAUSE THEY TOOK US OUT.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE HARLEM MUSIC, YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S SO MALE DOMINATED, ALL THE MALE BANDS.
AND THEN WHEN WE TRY TO BRING IN ALL THESE FEMALES, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, OKAY.
AND THEN THEY HIDE US ON THE RUG 'CAUSE THEY THINK THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO I'M COMING FROM THE, THE HARLEM MUSIC INDUSTRY AS A TRUMPET PLAYER, AS A MUSICIAN, AS AN ARTIST MYSELF.
WHAT DO YOU DO? HOW DO YOU FIX THAT? HOW DO YOU GO AND, AND TRY TO START A RADIO STATION? PLUS, HOW DO YOU START WITH TRYING TO GET THE FEMALES ON DIALS? I MEAN, HOW DO, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU WORK WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I MEAN, I'VE TRIED, WE HAVE TRIED, WE'VE EVEN HAD A A, A TEJANA MUSIC CENTER HERE IN PASADENA, TEXAS THAT GOT THROWN OUT BECAUSE NO ONE WAS SUPPORTING US.
SO THEY, THEY WENT UNDER, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO? I MEAN, YOU'RE A VERY SMALL MUSIC DEPARTMENT COMPARED TO POP MUSIC AND WOK THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE GRAND AND BIG HERE, BUT WE'RE JUST ONE LITTLE SMALL COMMUNITY OF MUSIC.
I MEAN, COMPARED TO REGGATON AND BACHATA, SALSA, MANGA WE'RE NOTHING.
ANY THOUGHTS? WELL, FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR PASSION AND YOUR EMPATHY AND YOUR GRACE.
I I WANNA GIVE YOU THAT GRACE IN YOUR FLOWERS, BECAUSE I GREW UP OFF THE HANO MUSIC THAT IS MY MOM IN THE MORNING MAKING THOSE BIT SOPHIAS AND, AND, UH, SHE WAS EITHER CLEANING THE HOUSE OR SHE WAS COOKING WHILE SHE WAS HERE IN THE HANO.
THANK, SO I COME FROM A MO TOWN AND THE HANO BACKGROUND AS MY DAD WAS MOTOWN AND THOSE VINYL RECORDS, AND MY MOM WAS THE HANO.
SO I HAVE SELENA TATTOOED ON MY, MY LEG
UH, SO SHE WAS THE ONE PERSON THAT WAS A HEAVY INFLUENCE ON ME GROWING UP.
I CAME FROM THE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS GANG LIFE AND, UH, TO THE HANA WAS SOMETHING THAT SAVED ME.
I, I FEEL LIKE GROWING UP BEFORE I GOT INTO THE UNDERGROUND HIP HOP CULTURE, SO I WOULD LOVE TO BE IN DEBT TO GIVING SOMETHING BACK IN THAT EDUCATION, EDUCATING MYSELF AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND HOW COULD I BE A, A, A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
I'M HISPANIC, BORN AND RAISED RIGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR SAYING THAT AND ALL THOSE THINGS AND BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION BECAUSE THAT IS THE PROBLEM A A LITTLE BIT OF, OF A LOT WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY IS, IS NOT KNOWING WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS COMING TO.
BECAUSE HERE WE JUST HAD THE CHICANO FEST OVER AT MILLER OUTDOOR.
I MEAN, YOU SEE THAT HILL, IT'S PACKED.
AND THOSE ARE OUR OGS, RIGHT? WE CALL 'EM OUR OGS.
BUT WE HAVE NEW ARTISTS THAT ARE COMING OUT.
WE, AND, AND THEY DON'T WANT THAT.
THEY WANT, AND WE, WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS ON UNDERSTANDING.
THERE'S NIGHTS WHERE I END THE NIGHT AT COMMUNITY NIGHT, ALTHOUGH WE PLAYED HIP HOP ALL NIGHT AND BREAK BEATS AND ALL THAT.
I'LL PLAY A HANNO SONG AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WHO IS THAT? AND I'LL SAY, OH, IT'S LA MAFIA.
SO IS IT IS ANOTHER THING OF EDUCATING OUR YOUNGER KIDS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, TO, AND THAT'S ANOTHER GET THAT RESPONSE THAT THEY WANT MAFIA THEY WANT MOSQUES, THEY WANT ELIDA, THEY WANT PEOPLE THAT ARE OGS.
BUT WE HAVE NEW ARTISTS THAT ARE COMING IN AND THEY'RE NOT, OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT BRINGING 'EM IN.
'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, NO, 'CAUSE I WANT SOMEBODY FROM THE EIGHTIES.
THEY, THEY DON'T WANT THE NEW STUFF.
I MEAN, IT'S A MATTER TOO, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES I'VE, I'VE THROWN, UM, UH, HIP HOP AND LOW RIDER FESTIVALS HERE IN HOUSTON AS WELL.
SO WE'VE CORRELATED BOTH OF THOSE BECAUSE I HAVE THE, THE KIDS THAT LOVE THE BREAK DANCING, THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS, UM, HERE, WHERE I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, OVER TWO DECADES, BUT ALSO BRINGING IN THE LOWRIDER CULTURE BECAUSE IT IS MY HERITAGE, YOU KNOW, IT IS MY, MY MOTHER'S CHICANA, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS A WAY OF TRYING TO GET THESE KIDS
[02:10:01]
TO SEE BOTH ONE FROM THE OTHER, YOU KNOW? UM, SO I, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THERE.WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT, OBVIOUSLY.
WILL DEFINITELY LOVE TO TALK TO YOU MORE.
I ALSO, UH, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, NICK GAAN, UH, IN THE HOUSE,
AND, UH, THE REASON I POINT THAT OUT IS, UH, UM, BECAUSE HE'S, UH, BEEN PART OF A SERIES A MUSIC SERIES AT DISCOVERY GREEN CALLED THE HAS GOD SOUL.
NICK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SHARE A COUPLE OF WORDS, INVITE SOME FOLKS OUT NEXT MONTH.
UM, JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE ACTIVELY DOING STUFF IN THIS DENO SCENE.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE FM WE, WE HAD GARZA 90.1, WHICH LIKE, UH, LOTS OF OG
WE WAS ALWAYS SHOUTING OUT THAT COMMUNITY AND BUILDING MORE COMMUNITY.
SO THE INTENTION THERE, I BELIEVE, UH, I, I TRULY FEEL IN MY HEART, AND I'M PART OF THIS GROUP THAT I'VE BEEN PART OF, WE, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY A WHOLE LOT.
THEN, UH, WE WENT RADIO, WHICH WAS THE, THE ONE RADIO STATION SUPPORTING.
UM, THEN WE WENT AND GOT AN N GRANT FOR VIRTUALLY HOMETOWN.
UM, SUCH A BIG PART OF THAT SCENE AND OT, BUT ALSO ALL 2021 BEFORE, SORRY.
UM, AND THE EVENTS THAT, THAT GRACIE WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THE, UH, WE'RE HAVING LAST, BUT IT'S, IT'S THERE.
THEY'RE HERE, WE'RE DOING THAT.
I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT NEW, NEW ARTISTS, AND I SEE A LOT OF THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOING THAT THING, BECAUSE I MEAN, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT'S THE WAY THAT A LOT OF THAT I'M RUNNING INTO A LOT OF ARTISTS THAT I HADN'T HEARD OF BEFORE.
LOT, A LOT THAT SEE THAT AND I OFFICE SEE GROWING.
SO I SEE THE POSITIVE, AND I WOULDN'T EVEN CALL IT A NEGATIVE, BUT I SEE PEOPLE TRYING IN DIFFERENT SPACES AND IT'S GROWING.
AND ANOTHER THING I WANNA ENCOURAGE, OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS CONNECTING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE NICK WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE, UH, ASIDE FROM THE FM RADIO, UH, JUST THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY WERE DOING, YOU SAID LIVE STREAMS OR YOU DOING THINGS VIRTUAL, WE WERE DOING LIVE STREAMS DURING COVID MM-HMM
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE ALL HAD TO DO AT THAT TIME.
SO YEAH, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THINGS EVOLVE, YOU KNOW, MEDIA CHANGES AND YOU HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ON HOW TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE SOMETHING DIY LIKE, UM, ECHOING WHAT ANNA JUST SAID, AND, UH, JUST LOOK FOR OTHER WAYS TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, UH, PUT THE MUSIC OUT, SHOWCASE, UH, NEW TALENT, CONNECT OLD TALENT WITH NEW TALENT.
I MEAN, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE AND, AND THINGS ARE ALSO CHANGING AND INTERTWINING TOO.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S GROUPS LIKE BOULEVARD THAT ARE GOING AROUND, YOU KNOW, HAVING PARTIES THAT ARE PLAYING AND ALSO PLAYING STUFF THAT'S LIKESTYLE THINGS, STUFF HAPPEN.
AND A QUICK REMINDER, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO TE HANNO, WHICH, UM, IS OBVIOUSLY SO UNIQUE TO OUR STATE, LET'S NOT FORGET THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, AND THE ACCORDION, YOU KNOW, TIES US, UM, VERY CLOSELY TO ZYDECO, WHICH IS ALSO HAS ITS ROOTS HERE IN, UM, IN, IN HOUSTON, AND OF COURSE MBIA.
SO YEAH, WE'RE NOT THAT MUCH SEPARATED, YOU KNOW, THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE WHAT BRING WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.
WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER? I FEEL INCREDIBLE.
WILL YOU SPEAK UP, PLEASE? I'M SORRY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY? GREETINGS EVERYBODY.
UM, I LOVE THIS POINT ABOUT WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.
I FEEL INCREDIBLY HUMBLED TO BE HERE AND TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN FROM ALL OF YOU.
UM, I, I COME HERE HUMBLY BECAUSE I'M A RECENT TRANSPLANT TO HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I MOVED HERE FROM NEW YORK CITY IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, I'M HERE NOW, BUT I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, BORN AND RAISED IN THIRD WARD, COME UP UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF DR.
I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM NOW IF IT WAS NOT FOR HER.
AND THE COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER OF HOUSTON, AND PEOPLE LIKE HER IN MY COMMUNITY.
SO I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW THAT IS, OF WHAT THAT MEANS IN THIS MOMENT.
I RUN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED WOMEN OF COLOR IN THE ARTS.
[02:15:01]
ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WOMEN OF COLOR THAT ARE WORKING AS CULTURAL PRODUCERS AND AGENTS AND, AND ARTIST MANAGERS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT DON'T GET ENOUGH RECOGNITION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP.AND YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT, OKAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTISTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ARTS PROFESSIONALS THAT HELPS TO BUILD THIS COMMUNITY THAT HELPS TO FUEL THIS ECOSYSTEM, WHICH IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
BUT ALL THIS TALK THAT WE, UM, THAT I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO, AND I'M GROWING AND I'M LEARNING, RELEARNING THE SCENE AFTER BEING AWAY FOR 30 YEARS BACK IN MY NATIVE HOUSTON, WHAT WHAT RESONATES TO ME MOST IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT, IS THAT VALUE BE PLACED ON THE ARTS.
AND ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS ARE ARTISTS, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO, EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE OF, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WANNA POSE THE QUESTION.
HAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND YET CONSIDERED, UM, AND GUARANTEED SALARY FOR ARTISTS HERE IN THE CITY, LIKE HAS BEEN PILOTED IN NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO SO THAT WE CAN GUARANTEE INCOME, STEADY INCOME FOR OUR ARTISTS THAT ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY, HARDLY TRYING TO PAY THEIR RENT, TRYING TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE, TRYING TO BUY THEIR MEDICINE EVERY DAY.
SO I'M JUST, I'M CURIOUS, HAS, HAS THAT COME UP YET? AND IF SO, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS BEEN AROUND THAT THING? THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, THIS BOARD WAS JUST ESTABLISHED LAST MONTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MUSIC DIRECTORY WAS ROLLED OUT LAST MONTH.
UM, AND THIS IS GENUINELY THEIR FIRST, UH, TOWN HALL, IF YOU WILL, WITH, UH, OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WILL HAVE WITH THE BOARD AND IN HOPES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOME SOLUTIONS.
SO TAKING THAT FIRST STEP FORWARD IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE WORK IS COMING AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD WILL BE HAVING WITH THE CITY, OUR OFFICE, TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO, WHERE WE CAN HELP.
I HAVE, UM, UH, SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR VIRTUAL, UM, ATTENDEES.
SO WE DID, WE DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UH, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ON, UH, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS? AND IF SO, WILL WE ACCEPT PROPOSALS TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS? WHEN YOU SAY PRIVATE AND PARTNER, LIKE, I'M SORRY, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU.
SO THAT'S LIKE A, A, A PERSON HOOKING UP WITH AN ORGANIZATION OR I'D ASSUME SO.
I'M ASSUMING MORE SO MAYBE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND THAT, YES.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THIS IS A COMMENT FROM ONE OF THE VIEWERS ONLINE THAT I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I'M BRINGING TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION.
I WOULD ASSUME IT IS THAT IT WOULD BE PRIVATE ENTITIES AS, AS THEM AS INDIVIDUALS GOING WITH PUBLIC PART, LIKE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
AND I, I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS.
I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO ANOTHER ONE OF MANY GOOD QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE.
UM, WANNA TAKE JUST THIS LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY LAST COMMENTS BEFORE WE CLOSE THE SESSION, THE SESSION OUT? UM, ANY THOUGHTS, ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE BOARD MIGHT SHARE? OKAY.
I'M DJ HOLLYGROVE, UH, UH, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CHOP STARS AND ALUMNI OF OCEAN OF SOUL.
I JUST WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT HE SAID EARLIER ABOUT MUSIC EDUCATION.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON.
I COME FROM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.
I'VE BEEN PLAYING MY TROMBONE SINCE I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE.
UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T SEE HERE IN HOUSTON, A LOT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD KIND OF HELP ON.
I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM SOME OF MY PEOPLE THAT MARCH FOR, YOU KNOW, TSU AS WELL AS PV, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HORNS FOR THESE STUDENTS.
SO MAYBE THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WRITE, YOU KNOW, YAMAHA OR YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE OTHER, UH, INSTRUMENT MAKERS AND SEE IF THEY CAN DONATE TO THE PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE GOTTA SAVE THE ARTS.
YOU KNOW, I I, I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS AS I SEE, AND TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, OCEAN SOUL, MARSHALL BAND, OG RON C AND GO, DJ BLACK MILE SAVED MY LIFE.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE DO IT.
AND I WANNA SAY, UH, I JUST RECEIVED A PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SO I THANK Y'ALL AND I'M GOING TO USE MY DAY
[02:20:01]
TO MAKE A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR INITIALLY OCEAN OF SOUL STUDENTS.AND THEN I WANNA EXPAND IT TO OTHER SCHOOLS AS WELL.
IF, UM, THERE AREN'T ANY MORE COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY, I WANNA CLOSE THIS SESSION OUT, UH, BY THANKING, UM, YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO, UH, JOIN US HERE.
UM, HOPING THIS IS, UH, ONE OF, UM, SEVERAL THAT WE CAN DO, UH, WITH YOU GUYS AND, UH, LEARN MORE, UH, GLEAN MORE FROM, UM, THIS DIALOGUE AND, UH, HOPE TO START TAKING THOSE NEXT STEPS TO, UM, START FINDING SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD.
UM, ALSO WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR BEING HERE AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL VOLUNTARY WORK, BUT I DO APPRECIATE NOT ONLY YOUR TIME, YOU KNOW, SPENT HERE AND THE WORK THAT'S GETTING READY TO COME, UH, FOR Y'ALL, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOUR EXPERTISE AND, UH, YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, UH, THANKS TO MY DIRECTOR, UH, UH, NICOLE IRVIN WITH, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WHO WAS HERE, UM, THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, UH, BRENDAN AND CHIP, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TONIGHT.
UH, AND OF COURSE, THE HEIGHTS THEATER, THE ENTIRE TEAM HERE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS PRODUCTION HAPPEN.
AND OF COURSE, HTV, UH, FOR BROADCASTING IT LIVE SO THAT THOSE FOLKS THAT COULD MAKE IT HERE, WE CAN STILL HAVE THAT, UH, VIRTUAL CONNECTION AND, UH, HOPE TO CONTINUE THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO AS WE WRAP THIS, UH, WANNA INVITE EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
WE DO HAVE, UM, REFRESHMENTS, UH, OPEN BAR AND, I'M SORRY, CASH BAR
AND ALSO OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO, UM, CHAT WITH, UH, SOME OF THE FOLKS AT SOME OF THE, OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, THANK YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR JOINING US HERE TONIGHT.