Hey everyone
I'm thrilled and honored to receive the Austin Chronicle Musician of the Year award. Thank you all for the love and support!
Big thanks to the Chronicle and their readers for recognizing my work. It means so much to me.
I couldn't have done it without my amazing band, family, management, mentors and friends. I am fortunate to be held up by their professionalism and dedication to excellence.
Special shoutout to all Ribs fans, you're the reason I do what I do. Your support keeps me going.
To all local musicians , I see you, support you and accept this award on behalf of all of us. The hours, the sacrifices, the ups and the downs. I know it’s not easy. But the world needs your music.
While we have more talent and great music coming out of this city than ever before, by contrast we also have more challenges. It’s never been more difficult to be a working musician in the Live Music Capitol of the World. Having said that, Austin is unique like no place else on earth in the fact that we have a more supportive music community than just about anywhere. Things like the Live Music Fund, the city’s purchase of legacy venues like the Hole In the Wall are just a few examples.
We still have some very big issues to confront… musicians need:
Education - how to access royalties, market our music, and discover new, more sustainable streams of income
Preservation - fortifying existing spaces and new creative hubs so that all of our diverse musicians and genres have opportunities to work
Advocacy - knowing that we can make changes on city, state and federal policy is more important than ever.
I’m on the Musicians Advisory Panel for an organization called Austin Texas Musicians, and for five years now we’ve been working on these exact things. Check us out at @atxmusicians on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or at austintexasmusicians.org. And consider supporting us or any one of the great nonprofits helping keep music alive during Amplify Austin Day, coming up on March 6.
Thanks again for this incredible honor. I'm so grateful!
Peace and love to you all!
Shinyribs
Kevin Russell
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