Team 6 Blog Update

Adam Cherian and Kaitlyn Wilkes

Local music runs through Austin’s blood, it's the lifeline of the city. The passion that these performers have for their art is so awe-inspiring, it fills the city with energy like you just shotgunned a redbull. With a field like journalism, you wouldn’t expect people whose jobs it is to tell the hard truth to work with someone so creative. But like white on rice, music journalists work with these local acts to keep the scene going, making them feel like their art is being heard. As music journalists ourselves, difficulty can lie in trying to track down exciting new acts, and we know that the acts are climbing an uphill battle trying to get noticed. That is why we’re so passionate about taking both of those issues and finding a mutually beneficial solution.

Our design challenge was this: How do we get locals to listen to local musicians to increase arts engagement in the community? Since local music is the air to this city’s lungs, it is vital that locals remain connected with the art scene.

Our first task was to send out two separate surveys: one for artists and one for Austin locals. We asked the locals various questions about the local music scene, and all seem to have similar grievances: a lack of diversity in musical acts, lack of knowledge of where these artists play, and no central location where people can find these artists. The artist survey showed that artists are frustrated with the oversaturation of Austin’s local scene and the need for better advertising of shows.

These artists surveys, as well as the interviews we conducted with artists and music publications, has inspired us to work on our prototype. We are calling it “Austin Bandwagon,” and it will be a website where bands can enter their information to be on a database. There will also be a blog section where writers can flex their creative muscles and post their work. It’s in its infancy, but we think it is a step in the right direction for connecting artists and journalists!