A Day Without A Musician

I've been following the progress of an organization here in Austin called "Save Austin Music" that is trying to bring about change in the way musicians are paid and treated in general as well as engaging city leaders in forums and meetings on ways to change how the music industry is viewed in Austin. Troy Dillinger is spearheading the organization and has literally moved heaven and earth to make his case for both the well being of the city of Austin and the musicians that make the city their base of operations.

In order to fully appreciate what musicians bring to the city, imagine if you will a day without a musician in Austin. A couple of years ago there was a movie entitled " A Day Without A Mexican" in which it was depicted how life would be for the populace if there were no Mexicans to do the work that most people either can't or won't do. While it may have been politically incorrect and offensive to some, it was a stark realization to say the least and I think the same could be said for the city of Austin if there were no musicians for one day.

Just think about it for a minute, what would there be to do here? There would be plenty of bars open for sure, just like Dallas or Houston or any other city in America and they would be playing music of course, recorded, canned music just like everywhere else. And you could go to the movies or plays or sporting events just like any other city in the country. And that's what you would have. The same thing that every other city in America has.

So, what would Austin be known for then? Why is there a statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn on Town Lake? Why is Antone's famous the world over? Why is Austin City Limits one of the most popular and enduring shows on television? Why does Willie Nelson live here? Why are there so many recording studios here? Why is there so much movie and television production work done here? Why is South By Southwest done here?

I hear people complain sometimes about the noise level in downtown Austin and to me that sounds the same as people that move next to an airport and complain about the noise the planes make. Did you not see the clubs there when you bought your condo? If the image of this city is altered and homogenized to become like every other city in America then get ready to see the value of that condo drop dramatically because then you will just own a condo in a large city with a huge tax bill. Good luck on selling that one.

I think it's time to wake up people, there are things that can be done to save the music scene in Austin and it's a no brainer that it's a very important part of the culture in this city even if you have no interest in the music business personally. It's just part of our fiber, our history, and our economy.

Go to http://www.saveaustinmusic.com/ for more details. And do it today, I can hear musicians unplugging their amps as we speak.