Sept. 22nd & Oct. 6th: Kozmetsky Center of Excellence Community Forum Series
Is Austin Still the Live Music Capital?
This September, ATXM and the Kozmetsky Center for Civic Engagement will launch a new Community Forum Series focused on the future of Austin's music ecosystem.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 22, 1 PM - 3 PM, and Tuesday, October 6, 1 PM- 3 PM, at Jones Auditorium at St. Edward’s University in downtown Austin.
Austin has proudly carried the title of the Live Music Capital of the World®, yet rising costs, changing economics, venue challenges, evolving technology, and shifting audience behavior have created important questions about the future of the city's music ecosystem.
This two-part public forum series will bring together artists, venues, promoters, policymakers, educators, students, and community leaders for balanced, solution-oriented conversations about protecting Austin's creative culture and strengthening the live music economy. Each forum will include a Community Mixer & Live Music in the Kozmetsky Center Carriage House garden on campus.
Series Goals
Educate the public on Austin's music ecosystem.
Foster respectful, solution-oriented conversations.
Strengthen collaboration among artists, venues, industry, government, and community organizations.
Provide experiential learning opportunities for students.
Develop educational resources extending beyond the live events.
Image courtesy of Kozmetsky Center of Excellence, St. Edward’s University.
Forum One – September 22, 2026
Is Austin Still the Live Music Capital? Protecting Austin's Creative Culture
Hear artists, musicians, and policymakers discuss how Austin can preserve the creative culture that defines the city while supporting the people who create it.
This civic forum will bring together musicians, artists, policymakers, civic and business leaders, university students and faculty, music-industry professionals, community advocates, music fans, and local media.
Panelists will explore:
What being the Live Music Capital means today—and whether Austin is living up to that promise
The economic and cultural pressures facing musicians and artists
How housing, wages, affordability, venues, and development affect Austin’s creative community
Which policies and public investments are working—and where gaps remain
How musicians and residents can participate more effectively in civic decision-making
The shared responsibilities of government, businesses, universities, nonprofits, and the community
Tangible actions Austin can take to strengthen its music ecosystem for the next generation
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Reception Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Reception Location: Carriage House/Kozmetsky Center for Civic Excellence
Enjoy food, drinks, and live music by Guy Forsyth. Join musicians, students, civic leaders, community members, media, and panelists before the Forum discussion.
Forum Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Forum Location: Jones Auditorium (In Ragsdale Center Building) St. Edward’s University
1st Floor Building RAGS RM, Ragsdale Center, Moody Dr #101, Austin, TX 78704
Admission: Free and open to the public. Capacity is limited to 310 guests; RSVP required.
Featured Panelists
Pat Buchta — Executive Director and CEO, Austin Texas Musicians
Pat Buchta is an Austin musician, composer, and music-industry advocate who leads Austin Texas Musicians, a nonprofit advancing advocacy, education, and economic opportunity for Central Texas working musicians. Under his leadership, ATXM has helped elevate fair-pay standards, public investment, professional education, and policy solutions that strengthen Austin’s music ecosystem. Buchta also serves on the City of Austin Downtown Commission and the Texas Music Museum board, bringing a working musician’s perspective to civic and cultural leadership.
Chip Adams — Director, Texas Music Office, Office of the Governor
Chip Adams directs the Texas Music Office, leading statewide efforts to support and grow Texas’ commercial music industry. His work connects musicians, music businesses, venues, communities, and government while advancing economic-development initiatives including the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community program and the Texas Music Incubator Rebate Program. Before becoming director, Adams helped expand the office’s community engagement and outreach and brought private-sector experience as a co-founder of Austin-based record label and management company Modern Outsider.
Angela Means — Director, City of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment
Angela Means is the inaugural director of the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment (AACME) department, which brings the city’s cultural arts, public art, heritage, music, and special-events resources into one coordinated hub. A public-sector leader with deep experience in administration, budgeting, organizational strategy, and community engagement, she is focused on expanding opportunity for artists and cultural organizations while strengthening Austin’s creative economy and identity as a global cultural destination.
Mike Tolleson — Owner, Mike Tolleson & Associates, LLP
Mike Tolleson is a pioneering Texas entertainment attorney whose career spans more than four decades in music, film, television, digital media, intellectual property, and related business matters. He co-founded the Armadillo World Headquarters, helped produce the first Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic, and helped bring Willie Nelson and KLRU together for the pilot of Austin City Limits. Tolleson also co-founded the State Bar of Texas Entertainment and Sports Law Section and directs its annual Entertainment Law Institute. His firm supports artists and creative businesses and offers a weekly free Arts and Entertainment Legal Clinic.
Courtney Santana — Recording Artist | Civic Advocate | Founder & Tech Entrepreneur
Courtney Santana is an Austin-based recording artist, survivor advocate, author, speaker, and technology entrepreneur. She is the founder of Sanctuary PBC, a mission-driven public benefit corporation developing a trauma-informed SaaS platform that helps first responders and service organizations rapidly locate confidential emergency housing for survivors of domestic violence. Her civic service has included the City of Austin Human Rights Commission, the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, and policy work addressing family violence. As a vocalist and songwriter, Santana has toured, recorded, and released her album Living Through It All, bringing lived experience, public advocacy, and music together in a distinctive civic voice.
Guy Forsyth — Independent musician and longtime community advocate
Guy Forsyth is an award-winning Austin singer, songwriter, storyteller, and multi-instrumentalist whose career spans more than three decades of blues, roots, folk, rock, and Americana. A co-founder of the Asylum Street Spankers, he has released roughly 20 recordings, toured internationally, and earned multiple Austin Music Awards. Beyond the stage, Forsyth has supported Austin’s musician community and HAAM and has volunteered years of free tai chi instruction for veterans, children, and other community members—an extension of his belief in service, balance, and collective action.
Joe Nick Patoski — Writer and Texas historian
Joe Nick Patoski is an author, journalist, filmmaker, radio host, and Texas historian who has chronicled the state and its people for more than five decades. A former Texas Monthly staff writer and longtime contributor to Texas Highways and other publications, he has written acclaimed books on Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Selena, the Dallas Cowboys, and the evolution of Austin. He also hosts the Texas Music Hour of Power, connecting the state’s musical history, communities, and cultural traditions for contemporary audiences.
Moderator: David Thomason, Ph.D., Executive Director, Kozmetsky Center for Civic Engagement
David Thomason, Ph.D, directs the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence at St. Edward’s University, and serves as an associate professor of Political Science at St. Edward’s University. He brings more than 20 years of experience in government-related leadership, public policy, and higher education, with expertise in state and local policy, public budgeting, advocacy, civic engagement, and the legislative process. Thomason created and directed the university’s Civics Lab and has worked in the Texas Senate, the Arizona Legislature, a major Texas health-care association, and public-policy consulting across more than 15 states. He also co-developed the $750,000 American Civic Explorers initiative, which expands hands-on civic education for students, educators, and community leaders.
Getting There / Parking Directions
Driving Directions:
Target the Carriage House, St. Edwards University via Google Maps for lunch reception: https://maps.app.goo.gl/13SqvhPP7s8erXBu5
Target Ragsdale Center Building via Google Maps. Easy access from South Congress. The Jones Auditorium is located on the first floor, upon entrance:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SM6i4qvmb65NhJX87
Register vehicle before you drive to event:
Enter code: Kozmetsky2026
Parking
Target Faculty (black), Standard (green), Economy (yellow) lots near the Ragsdale or Carriage House buildings. Lots of options!
Wear comfortable walking shoes!
Forum Two – October 6, 2026
Is Austin Still the Live Music Capital? Understanding Austin’s Live Music Venue Ecosystem
Hear venue owners, producers, promoters, and ticketing professionals discuss how Austin can continue to make live music accessible while ensuring artists and venues remain financially sustainable.
Panelists will Explore
Education for the public on Austin's music ecosystem.
Foster respectful, solution-oriented conversations.
Strengthen collaboration among artists, venues, industry, government, and community organizations.
Provide experiential learning opportunities for students.
Develop educational resources extending beyond the live events.
Event Details
Date : Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Reception Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Reception Location: Carriage House/Kozmetsky Center for Civic Engagement
Enjoy food, drinks, and music. Join musicians, students, civic leaders, community members, media, and panelists before the Forum discussion.
Forum Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Forum Location: Jones Auditorium (In Ragsdale Center Building) St. Edward’s University
1st Floor Building RAGS RM, Ragsdale Center, Moody Dr #101, Austin, TX 78704
Admission: Free and open to the public. Capacity is limited to 310 guests; RSVP required.
Featured Panelists
Rebecca Reynolds — President & Founder, Music Venue Alliance Austin
Rebecca Reynolds is an Austin-based attorney and venue advocate who founded Music Venue Alliance Austin to give independent music venues a coordinated voice in public policy. She has worked with venue operators and civic leaders on preservation funding, emergency relief, and the regulatory and economic conditions that shape whether small and midsize stages can survive. Her advocacy connects the day-to-day realities of venue businesses with the policy decisions that determine Austin's cultural future.
Nicole Klepadlo — Executive Director, Red River Cultural District
Nicole Klepadlo is a community and economic development leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing mission-driven initiatives and public policy. With a background in social work and urban planning, she brings a deep understanding of the relationship between people, place, commerce, and cultural experience. As Executive Director of the Red River Cultural District, Klepadlo works to preserve and strengthen a district facing intense development and business-viability pressures. She also builds coalitions across music nonprofits and local, state, and federal partners to protect vulnerable creative-economy infrastructure.
Will Bridges — Owner, Antone’s Nightclub
Will Bridges is an owner of Antone's Nightclub, Austin's renowned home of the blues. As part of the team stewarding the venue into its next generation, he has helped protect Antone's musical legacy while building a sustainable future for the club. Recent work includes a long-term lease and plans for the Antone's World Famous Museum of the Blues, an example of how venue leadership, cultural preservation, philanthropy, and civic investment can work together.
Graham Williams — CEO & Executive of Talent Buying, Resound Presents
Graham Williams is the founder and CEO of Resound Presents and serves as its Executive of Talent Buying. An Austin concert promoter with experience spanning independent clubs, festivals, and regional touring, he has booked shows since his teens and has built organizations around artist development and distinctive live experiences. His career gives him a broad view of the relationships among artists, agents, promoters, venues, ticket buyers, and the costs that shape a viable show.
Emmett Beliveau — COO, C3 Presents, Chair of Rally Austin
Emmett S. Beliveau is Chief Operating Officer of Austin-based C3 Presents, which produces major festivals and live events in the United States and around the world. Before joining C3 in 2015, he served for seven years in senior roles at the Obama White House, including Director of the White House Military Office, where he led a 2,500-person organization supporting presidential operations. He also served as CEO of the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Beliveau chairs Rally Austin and serves on the board of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.
Pedro Carvahlo — Owner and CEO, The Far Out Lounge, Co-Chair, Austin Music Commission
Pedro Carvalho is an owner and the CEO of The Far Out Lounge, the South Austin venue and gathering place opened in 2019. He also serves in civic music leadership as Co-Chair of the Austin Music Commission. Working at the intersection of venue operations and public policy, Carvalho brings direct experience with programming, staffing, production, neighborhood relationships, outdoor-event logistics, and the financial realities of sustaining an independent cultural business.
Moderator: David Thomason, Ph.D., Executive Director, Kozmetsky Center for Civic Engagement
David Thomason, Ph.D, directs the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence at St. Edward’s University, and serves as an associate professor of Political Science at St. Edward’s University. He brings more than 20 years of experience in government-related leadership, public policy, and higher education, with expertise in state and local policy, public budgeting, advocacy, civic engagement, and the legislative process. Thomason created and directed the university’s Civics Lab and has worked in the Texas Senate, the Arizona Legislature, a major Texas health-care association, and public-policy consulting across more than 15 states. He also co-developed the $750,000 American Civic Explorers initiative, which expands hands-on civic education for students, educators, and community leaders.
Getting There / Parking Directions
Driving Directions:
Target the Carriage House, St. Edwards University via Google Maps for lunch reception: https://maps.app.goo.gl/13SqvhPP7s8erXBu5
Target Ragsdale Center Building via Google Maps. Easy access from South Congress. The Jones Auditorium is located on the first floor, upon entrance:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SM6i4qvmb65NhJX87
Register vehicle before you drive to event:
Enter code: Kozmetsky2026
Parking
Target Faculty (black), Standard (green), Economy (yellow) lots near the Ragsdale or Carriage House buildings. Lots of options!
Wear comfortable walking shoes!
About Dr. Thomason and The Kozmetsky Center of Civic Engagement at St. Edward’s University
David Thomason, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Kozmetsky Center for Civic Engagement and Associate Professor of Political Science at St. Edward’s University. He brings more than 20 years of experience in government-related leadership and higher education, with expertise in state and local government, public budgeting and policy, advocacy, civic engagement, grassroots organizing, and the legislative process.
At St. Edward’s, Dr. Thomason created and directed the Civics Lab, an innovative program that equips students with the knowledge and practical tools to become active, engaged citizens. Today, he leads the Kozmetsky Center’s work connecting students, faculty, and the broader Austin community with nonprofit leaders, public officials, scholars, and media experts to generate collaborative solutions to challenging public issues.
Dr. Thomason holds a doctorate in political science from Arizona State University, a Master of Arts from the University of Missouri, and a Bachelor of Arts from West Texas A&M University. He will moderate the Kozmetsky Center Community Forum, “Is Austin Still the Live Music Capital? Protecting Austin’s Creative Culture.” Visit https://www.stedwards.edu/academics/centers-institutes-arts/kozmetsky-center-excellence for more information or to get involved.
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