The Questions I Have.

My short stint in the Austin Live Music Environment has and continues to be an amazing adventure. The amazing talent within this “Live Music Capital of the World” is a constant source of incredible experiences for me to behold. These are memorable treasures that add value to my life. But for them to mean anything, they must be shared. I do so with my gift. I do so with my photography. The foundation of Seven Pillars Photography is not only capturing memorable moments for viewing but to create works of art that will catch the attention of those unfamiliar with local live music and give them a reason to investigate. This is my mission.

Increasing attendance of local live music events is the only way to preserve this environment. To do so, attendees must have a desire to return. This puts the burden on two main ingredients of the local music scene, the musicians, and the venues.  City administration is critical but will only act when they must. It will not be the starting point of change.

There are questions that need to be answered. The asking of these questions is not designed to offend anyone but to hold up a mirror for an honest assessment and evaluation. The questions that need to be answered have their roots embedded in the fertile soil of the following inquiry:

Are you serious about the local live music environment?

I have been to many venues and seen many bands with many, many more to see. I started this adventure as music was returning to the greater Austin area. I can tell you that the trajectory of excellence has been on a steady climb upwards. This year 2023, I have witnessed more exceptional performances than any year before. Yet, I predict a ceiling is soon to be hit. Audiences are going to want more and the lack of being able to deliver will cause fans to settle. When this occurs, the difficulty to move this static mindset increases.

 Psychological research suggests that once our minds are made up on important matters, changing them can be as difficult as stopping a train hurtling at full speed, even when there’s danger straight ahead.

Why Is It So Hard to Change People’s Minds? (berkeley.edu)

Complacency is the enemy. Thus, the local music environment of Austin must continuously “bedazzle” their citizens, not only to keep those who attend expecting but to attract newcomers. The mindset of those who would not normally go to a local music event must be seeded with curiosity. A dilemma as to whether the show on the television is to be viewed or attending a local event must be created. An uncomfortableness to “staying at home” for entertainment should be a regular occurrence in the greater Austin homes. This can only occur if the environment is attractive and interesting. Once again, the burden rests upon musicians, the venues, and the city administration.

Venues

Are you a sport or a music venue? You cannot be both at the same time because the limited funds equally divided will not allow either to reach their full potential. How can anything that does not have one’s full attention ever be the best?

Attention, like time, is limited — and once you use it, you can’t get it back. Learning to starve your distractions can help you find flow to do more great work.

And if you consistently build the habits of feeding your focus, you will unleash your best self in the process. Your creative work could grow exponentially in the process. And you will achieve so much more in the shortest possible time.

“If you’re trying to be more productive, don’t analyze how you spend your time. Pay attention to what consumes your attention, writes Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton and the author of “Originals”.

Fragmented Attention is the Enemy of Deep Work | by Thomas Oppong | Mind Cafe | Medium

What I have witnessed thus far is that there are very few true music venues. My definition for “true music venue” is as follows:

A true music venue does not have anything that would distract the audience’s attention from the music being played by musicians on the stage.

 You cannot have televisions on while a band is performing and call yourself a “music venue.”

Blended environments, if managed, can produce an acceptable outcome for both attention seekers with the recognition of the following:

At no point should a musician’s performance be disrupted by the audience’s attention being directed elsewhere. At no point should a viewer’s attention be distracted, by musicians, from their enjoyment of drinking a beverage and watching an event on the televisions while talking to their friends at the table.

I have experienced all scenarios of these blended venues, bad to managed well. Televisions turned off during a performance is the only solution to be able to appear as a music venue. Televisions muted still offer the opportunity to be visually distracted and act accordingly.

Sound and lighting are other factors that can either enhance or distract from the venue that wants to have music. Sound excellence is critical for if not then it didn’t matter that the band spent weeks, months, or years perfecting their sound. Excellence in sound has been achieved by many true music venues. It will never be achieved in a blended environment.

Lighting has and continues to be the overlooked or forgotten factor in the music scene. Few, I can count on both hands, have reached a level of excellence.

…scientists have known for years that we also hear with our eyes. In a landmark study published in 1976, researchers found that people integrated both auditory cues and visual ones, like mouth and face movements, when they heard speech.

People Hear With Their Skin as Well as Their Ears, Study Says – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Venues have a responsibility to not only make certain the band is heard correctly but seen in the best possible light. Viewers need not be distracted with purposeless changing light schemes that present musicians on stage as ripe tomatoes, magenta lollipops, or blue Smurfs. At NO TIME, should musicians be bathed in shadow or darkness. Simple clear static lighting is preferable than mismanagement of lights. Few venues give lighting a thought.

The most overpowering question about lighting I have is this: Why would a viewer tolerate on the stage what they would never tolerate from their television? Letting the venues know will go a long way towards improving the music environment.

Musicians

I am a photographer; I am an artist. I will only present photos that honor the musician(s). I strive to make every photo an object that is not only viewed but interpreted. Never should anyone question why they are looking at my photographs. Your time viewing will never be a waste. These are the same standards that I have for local musicians. I am a music fan and I stand firmly on the conviction that my needs for great photography are key ingredients to creating a great experience.

So, I ask, when you step onto the stage are your intentions to give your audience an experience, a reason to return or are you just playing music to be heard? Your presentation will be interpreted by the audience and a determination will be made whether the value they received warrants further investment of their time and money. The venue will want a return. Do you attract large audiences?

Seven Pillars Photography has been speaking loudly and consistently on creating an experience. Other than the joy of going, I can think of no other reason that would compel one to attend than the fear of missing out. A memorable experience will leave one wanting a repeat.

A key factor in creating an experience is clothing. When you step onto the stage does your attire complement your music. Will the audience see a musician performing or someone who is singing.

You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.

 —Edith Head

I am not expecting matching outfits or sequenced garments. What a music fan is expecting is not to have their attention to the music distracted by an unkempt look, unless that is part of the appeal.

What a photographer is expecting is to post a photo that gets them seen and in return gets the musician seen. Why would a photographer post a photo if the musician didn’t take the time to consider their attire for their performance? Both the photographer and musician are in the image enhancing business. Photographers get known by your image being seen. Correctly done an attraction to the musician should occur. Once there, it is your responsibility to keep them and wanting more.

City Administration

Short and to the point. Claiming to be the “Gastro Capital of the World” would entail only two things, good food and pleasurable places to eat the food. Stating you are the “Live Music Capital of the World” entails two things; available live music and pleasurable places to see it. It is the latter that I believe the city is failing at. Sixth Street is an example. Instead of homeless people on the streets there should be musicians.

Standards should be set; monitored and enforced to have the right to claim to be a “music venue.” The Texas Music Office has designations for “Music Friendly Cities”, why not “Music Friendly Venues”?

It is understood that a city is a complex system of meeting the needs of many but when one claims to be something then there is a responsibility to not only promote but to preserve, enhance and create the environment for growth. Such decisions will override what other cities would claim to be a priority.

Seven Pillars Photography will do all it can to enhance every musician in town. I have been and always will be your servant.