Austin is home to many musicians that have come from all over the world to join the music community. Organizations like Black Fret are keeping local musicians doing what they do best. They believe that local music, like the symphony or the opera, is worthy of public support. Their mission is focused on enabling the creation and performance of new music by the exceptional musicians of Austin.
Black Fret recently awarded a total of $230,000 to grant nominees at the Black Fret Ball on Dec. 9 at The Paramount Theatre. That amount of grant dollars combined with the money they’ve awarded Austin musicians over the past four years amounts to $730,000 in grant giving. Black Fret has made a total financial impact on the Austin music community that reaches over $1 million with direct payments going to artists for performances and a new, secondary grant program.
The fourth annual Black Fret Ball awarded major grants of $18,000 to The Bright Light Social Hour, Carolyn Wonderland, Eric Tessmer, Jackie Venson, Leopold and his Fiction, Mobley, Sarah Sharp, The Deer, Warren Hood and the Whiskey Shivers. Minor grant recipients who each received $5,555 include Akina Adderley, Cowboy Diplomacy, Croy and the Boys, Daniel Eyes, David Ramirez, Greyhounds, Jane Ellen Bryant, Kinky Machine and Los Coast. Black Pistol Fire, who was also nominated for a grant, chose to remove themselves from consideration and asked that Black Fret allocate funds they would have received to the minor grant recipients.
The Black Fret 2018 Season Kickoff will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 at the Mohawk (912 Red River St., Austin, Texas 78701). Doors open at 7 PM and the event is for Black Fret Members and their guests. To attend the event, you can join Black Fret by signing up to become a member here: www.blackfret.org/join.
Catherine grew up watching action flicks at a very young age which led to her love of film. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelors in Radio-TV-Film in 2012. Always the adventurer, Catherine traveled and lived in Sydney, Australia for a year where she took a selfie with Brad Pitt. She runs Shuffle with passion, lots of caffeine and tacos. When she’s not editing or writing you can find her crafting and planning her next adventure.