Marta – She is Everywhere

Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, or Lakeland, if there is good music to be heard there is a high percentage you will see Marta. (Far Right). Since late 2020 when I began my adventure this young woman would always be there. The few conversations I have had with her, because I am always walking about photographing musicians have highlighted the fact that she is a beautiful, angelic woman who loves Austin Live Music. I have said repeatedly that Austin live music has a healing quality about it. Let’s have Marta tell Austin about herself.

1). Who is Marta?  

This is a question I struggled with for years after losing my late husband in July of 2012. He had just turned 42 two weeks prior on July 4th and I was 44 at the time.  Now I see myself first and foremost as a mom, lover of music, and big fan of the Austin Music scene. 

My life changed forever in July of 2012 when my late husband passed away unexpectedly.  We had moved to the Austin (Pflugerville to be exact) area in May of 1994 from Nacogdoches where we had both gone to college at SFA. He felt this was the area he could find a job in accounting.  I had a social work degree but started working at HEB as a second job while doing temporary work for state agencies.  In May 97 we got married on Cinco de Mayo and my first child was born in December of that year. We had three more after that.  When he passed away, I lost a huge part of who I was.  I struggled to get that back. I spent the first couple of years in a fog, not knowing what I was going to do. How was I going to raise four young kids on my own?  My oldest was a freshman in High school and started band two days after her dad’s funeral. My youngest was seven and I spent the next five years just barely living life. I went to things at school and football games to support my kids.  Other than that, I pretty much went to work and came home to fix dinner. I would then go in my room and get on the computer and watch TV.  I missed the life I had, before everything happened. I had one of my middle children diagnosed with mental Illness and going through so much due to losing her dad.  There were times I myself did not want to be here.  I wondered why God chose me to go through all of this and still do sometimes today.  

I had always had a love of music and would go see all the up-and-coming Country artists like Toby Keith and Tracy Bryd while I was in college at SFA. I was the one waiting for songs to come on the radio so I could hit record on that cassette tape.  About 2016 or 2017, I was invited to a friend’s birthday party at Wagner’s Backyard and Suede was playing. That was my first foray into live music in Austin. I started going to see them more in 2018 along with Lixbox at Shooters.  I did not know any of them at that time.  I met Glenn Frey in 2019 at Shooters after seeing Suede at the Oasis. I had been stood up for a date but went out anyway. Glenn proceeded to tell me about his group of friends he hung out with and how they all loved music.  He invited me to a Halloween party at Parmer Lane Tavern the following week. I went and the rest is history. That is how I met so many great people and musicians I am now proud to call my friends.  Music brought me out of the funk and depression I did not realize I was in.  One of the first people I met was Maressa Cobb and she was just the sweetest person ever.   Then I met Shelly Mier and many others who became good friends.  So much talent in the Austin Music scene and these musicians are all so welcoming to their fans. Proud to be a fan and friend to all these talented folks.

2). What is it about the Austin Music Scene that appeals to you?

 I love the diverse music scene we have here in Austin. On any given weeknight or weekend you can find any Genre of music playing from eighties to country to heavy metal. There is something to appeal to every music taste out there.  I have been blessed to call so many great musicians’ friends now.  I love how they all just come together and support one another and do fundraisers when someone is in need.

3). Give your interpretation of the Austin Music scene, past, present, and future.

I did not start getting into the Austin Music scene until about 2019. I have seen a lot of changes though due to Covid hitting. I remember when Covid first started and everything shut down.  The musicians could not play and I knew, for a lot of them, music was their only source of income.  They had lost their livelihood.  They did not let this stop them from playing and doing Jams with each other to practice. It just changed where the jams were held.  I think in the present Austin is rebuilding from covid and the Austin Music scene has grown and getting back to where it was before Covid hit and destroyed the live music capital of the world.  In the future I see it only getting better and hopefully Austin getting back to being known as the live music capital of the world again. Looking forward to all the new collaborations of bands forming out there and bringing new music to Austin Music scene.

4). A.I. and music. Your thoughts? No

Honestly, I don’t think A.I. belongs in music at all. I feel like it would take away from all the incredible musicians and the work they do now.  When I go out to hear them play and sing, I know I am hearing the real thing most of the time. I don’t want to hear computer generated music when there is so much raw talent out there. 

5). What is the one thing that you feel is needed most in the Austin Music scene?

I feel that better pay for Austin Musicians is needed from the venues that hire them.  I also feel that some places could provide better stages for them to play on as well.

Music keeps my mind off of all the other things going on in my life and makes me happy. It help bring me back to life after loosing my husband and brought me back to a happy place in life. We have some incredibly talented musicians in the Austin area and by going out to see them I met some of the most incredible friends anyone could ask for. I feel blessed to be friends with some of the best musicians in Austin in my opinion and call them friends. Thankful for what Music has done to change my life in the last six years. – Marta Hussion Graham