When the Music Stopped: How ATXM Helped Unlock $6M for Austin Musicians
Turning a Crisis into $6M in Emergency Relief for Musicians
What happened
When SXSW was cancelled in 2020, Austin’s music economy flatlined overnight. Within weeks, Patrick and Nakia were meeting with City Council offices asking a basic question: “How are we going to get money into musicians’ hands?”
They helped secure council sponsorship of a resolution that created the Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund—$1,000 emergency grants for musicians, with two rounds totaling $6 million.
ATXM also worked with MusiCares (the GRAMMYs’ charitable arm) to serve as the grant administrator, since they were already set up to handle exactly this kind of need-based distribution.
Where advocacy shows up
Met with council members within weeks of the SXSW cancellation.
Helped get a resolution drafted, sponsored, and passed unanimously.
Pushed for an experienced, musician-centered administrator (MusiCares).
Where education shows up
ATXM created and circulated step-by-step instructions for applying.
Their graphics and outreach were so effective that local media used ATXM’s visuals.
They collected feedback from musicians on application hurdles and brought that back to the city.
Economic impact
$6 million in direct grants to working musicians.
Faster, smoother second-round rollout thanks to community feedback.
Hundreds (if not thousands) of musicians kept afloat long enough to survive the shutdowns and continue their careers in Austin.ss. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
