Pause/Play

Pause/Play > All Episodes

November 16, 2020

Jackie Venson Artist Feature

By: Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen

For the first 50 days of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, Austin musician Jackie Venson live-streamed hours of musical performances from her home. She awoke at the end of the meditative marathon to a new normal for Austin musicians: no touring, no in-person shows, and no idea of what would come next. But in her calmed state of mind, Venson focused on her practice and her music, and used her platform to stand for Black musicians and Black lives. Last month, she received the honor of playing her first ACL Live performance – a culmination of her patience and perseverance in this uncertain year.

Video by Julia Reihs.


Episodes

July 1, 2025

Social Media & Music: Love It, Hate It, or Use It?

Social media has completely changed how musicians share their work and connect with fans — but not everyone is here for the endless scroll. Some artists are over it and have even ditched it altogether. In this episode, we dive into the love-hate relationship musicians have with social media. Hear from Chinasa Broxton, Carlos Dashawn […]

Listen

June 17, 2025

Doing all the things: The new blueprint for making a living in music

Pay for musicians in Austin has stayed the same for decades, and streaming often doesn’t bring in my money. So if you can’t make money playing music and you can’t make money selling music, what can you do? You’ll hear how Sara L. Houser, Chinasa Broxton and Carlos Dashawn Daniels Moore from Tribe Mafia, and […]

Listen

June 3, 2025

Season 6 of Pause Play starts June 17th!

The world is shifting faster than ever, and for many, the future feels more uncertain than clear. In season six of Pause/Play, we are taking a look at the future of Austin’s music scene.

Listen

September 4, 2024

Don’t Austin My Lockhart: How Austin musicians seeking affordability are impacting surrounding towns

We’re looking at what happens to small towns like Lockhart when a bunch of Austin musicians seeking affordable places to live move there. You’ll hear from musician Emily Gimble, musician and co-owner of Fiddler’s Green Jenn Miori Hodges, co-founders Courthouse Nights and Rach and Rhodes presents Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes, musician Pierson Saxon and […]

Listen

August 21, 2024

How SXSW went from an Austin festival to an international experience

SXSW started in 1987 as a regional music festival in Austin. You’ll hear how it started and how it changed over the years from the perspectives of some of the musicians who’ve played it, and what’s next for the festival.

Listen

August 7, 2024

Pause/Play is taking a quick break

There should be a new episode of Pause/Play this week. But, we got hit by a mix of travel, COVID, and unforeseen circumstances. So there’s no episode right now. But there will be in two weeks! In the next episode, you’ll hear about the history of SXSW, and how it’s changed over the years. And […]

Listen

July 24, 2024

An Austin Artist’s Guide to Success: Part 2

The latest episode of Pause/Play is part two of an Austin Artist’s Guide to Success. You’ll hear from many people in the everchanging Austin music scene about their tips and tricks for making it here. You’ll hear about the role of streaming in an artist’s career, what makes a great artist and advice from people […]

Listen

July 10, 2024

An Austin Artist’s Guide to Success: Part 1

The latest episode of Pause/Play is an Austin Artist’s Guide to Success. You’ll hear from many people in the everchanging Austin music scene about their tips and tricks for making here.

Listen