Austin Music Foundation
Bringing energy to Austin’s music community
Words by Gabby Frasier Photo by Shelby Bella
A massive replica of The Continental Club’s iconic neon sign hangs over the lobby, which has an elevated music stage of its own, complete with electric guitars ready to be strummed. Instead of a drum set, however, the iconic centerpiece is a plush leather couch, driving home the fact that AMF’s office is a place for discourse and support for Austin’s music community.
Since 2002, AMF has been providing workshops, panels, and individual artist consultations for members of Austin’s music community. They are staffed by three full-time female members and an additional three contracted artist consultants who provide AMF’s musicians with firsthand coaching.
“We want to provide tangible opportunities for the artists to really connect to the industry, to get meaningful advice from people who have an expertise in the areas that they’re needing to talk through,” says Jennifer Dugas, AMF’s programs director. “AMF’s main goal is to be the trusted advisor to musicians at all stages in their careers.”
The foundation’s culture of support led to the 2017 launch of the Artist Development Program: an intensive seven-month program that provides several hand-selected Austin musicians with advanced education, peer-to-peer collaboration, and, perhaps most valuable of all, direct access to industry professionals. Last year alone, AMF’s artist consultants devoted over 140 hours of individual consultation to the musicians in the Artist Development Program.
Measuring success in the modern music industry is more complicated than tracking album sales, according to Kristyn Ciani, who doubles as AMF’s board chair and a C3 Presents venue booker. She suggests a musician’s success can be measured holistically, starting with the development of a local fan base, which then translates to how many tickets each band or artist can sell for each show they play. Kristyn says, “Whether you’re a [venue] booker or us at AMF, you’re constantly looking for bands who are willing to put in the work [and] who have drive.”
On February 19, AMF is hosting their biggest community event of the year: the 5th annual ‘Feel The Love’ Music Industry Expo at Emo’s. This beloved Austin music event brings together industry professionals and organizations for one night of networking, connection, and education. This year, AMF is excited to announce additional initiatives that intend on reaching a broader audience with even more events and high-profile speakers.
The current change and expansion of Austin’s music industry are parallel to the East Austin’s own growth. “Different [genre] showcases are important to grow our scene here, rather than only sticking to the traditional roots that Austin’s had before,” says Kate Priestley, AMF’s full-time accountant and grant writer who moonlights as a local musician herself. “We need to support those up-and-coming artists who have totally different genres.”
Native Knowledge
Live and In Action
The giant replica of The Continental Club’s sign in AMF’s lobby was donated to AMF by Jimmy Kimmel from the set of his live talk-show tapings in Austin during 2014 SXSW.
Contact:
austinmusicfoundation.org
(512) 542-0077
info@austinmusicfoundation.org
