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October 26, 2022

Why doesn’t commercial music in the U.S. get any financial support outside of, say, fans?

By: Elizabeth McQueen

Austin is home to a thriving music scene, but that scene hasn’t received much financial support outside of fans buying music and going to shows. That’s not uncommon in the U.S. While some art forms like the opera and the symphony get regular public and private investments, commercial music typically gets left to fend for itself. Why is that?

In the first episode of Season 4 of Pause/Play, Hosts Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen try to answer that question with the help of UT Professor Charles Carson.  They also examine the idea that the best music comes from struggle. And they explore what the city of Austin owes the music scene, and how the city might better support the for-profit music sector.

Charles Carson, an associate professor of music at the University of Texas at Austin, is pictured on campus on Oct. 18, 2022, in Austin. Michael Minasi / KUT News

Episodes

March 29, 2023

All About Our Listeners

This episode is all about our listeners. We asked what they thought we should do to support the Austin Music Scene, and they answered! Plus, you’ll learn about one listener who started a business to employ Austin musicians — the Handyband Collective.

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March 13, 2023

Nonprofit aims to reverse Austin’s 1928 master plan and get SXSW money to the BIPOC community

SXSW brings in millions each year, but Black and brown Austinites don’t always benefit from the influx of money. DAWA, a local nonprofit, has put together a series of music shows and panels to elevate and direct resources to Austin’s BIPOC community. Find more information about everything happening during Vision:8291 here.

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March 8, 2023

What Touring is Like Now

Musicians talk about what it’s like to tour on this side of the pandemic.  You’ll hear from Jane Ellen Bryant and Daniel Leopold of Jane Leo,  Eimaral Sol, Blakchyl, Matt the Electrician, Ali Holder, Sean Michael Giddings,  Scott Collins + Janet Weiss and Sam Coomes of the band Quasi.

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