SXSW in Austin

It’s that time of year again. The giant week-long music/film/interactive festival in Austin known as South by Southwest. Where people from all over the world come to check out and celebrate this year’s new creations and innovations in art and technology. It’s a perfect time to discover a new band, attend a panel with some of the world’s leading tech developers and chow down on some authentic Austin BBQ.

While South by Southwest has always notably supported and showcased independent artists and filmmakers and companies, the past few years have brought a lot of mainstream media attention to the festival. Now acts like Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga all want to be a part of the famous festival. If not for the ‘cool’ factor, then definitely for those multi-million dollar sponsorships. Cough, cough, Lady Gaga, I’m looking at you. (And I’m shaking my head.)

But still, the festival does a fantastic job of giving credit to creators and innovators on a low budget. And, in fact, it’s very exciting to say that one of our former teachers will even be playing with his band Grizfolk this week. (Mini-plug for Bill’s band, we miss him and support him whenever we can) And who knows, with a few music lessons under your belt, you could be headed to SXSW yourself in a few years!

Anyway, if you ever have the means/time to go for a few days and check out the festivities, I highly recommend it. I’ve had it on my 20’s bucket list for a while now and, well, I’ve only got a few more years to make that a reality. In the meantime, check out the film trailers and music videos from artists presenting and performing this year. There’s some really great stuff featured. And fortunately for you, they're in a play all list on YouTube. So you can get out the gluten-free brownies, sit back and enjoy back-to-back videos. If nothing else, they'll be a great motivation to get up and create! The world is your oyster, friend.