Day-long benefit to keep musicians healthy

by Hermelinda Vargas

published October 3, 2006

originally published at: www.news8austin.com

Singer-songwriter Ryan Turner counts on his fans to keep him in business.

And he counts on the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, or HAAM, to keep him healthy.

"It makes chasing this dream of music so much easier, and less stressful on a person, like me," Turner said.

It's more than just peace of mind. It's about "staying in business."

"Getting sore throats and what not, used to turn to a very stressful situation. Where, if you lost your voice, me being the lead singer, you have to cancel a lot of shows," Turner said.

On Tuesday, Thundercloud Subs and other Austin businesses will support the cause. They will donate 5 percent or more of their proceeds to help HAAM help musicians.

Mike Haggerty, owner of Thundercloud Subs, said the cause is a worthy one.

"Musicians have been an incredibly important part of Thundercloud: our growth, our personality, and, I think, our identity and part of what I think of the culture of Thundercloud." Haggerty said.

Haggerty says 20 percent of his employees are musicians, including Sean "Bones" Davis, a member of the Lower Class Brats.

"Obviously, just making money on the road doesn't cover all medical bills or anything like that. It's really important. There are a lot of people in Austin that can barely afford housing... being musicians. But at least there's something that society can give 'em back, like HAAM and that's awesome," Bones, who needs dental work, said.

But support for musicians isn't just a one-way street. Businesses recognize their impact on Austin.

"I think this is a really caring place for musicians. People keep talking and saying this is the Live Music Capital of the World. But, I think, people are actually putting their money where their mouth is," Bones said.

Music industry tips

While HAAM works to improve musicians' health care, other Austin groups hope to give their careers a shot in the arm.

The Austin Music Foundation runs a series of Industry Boot Camps to give artists access to recording studio insiders.

Monday's session at the Lucky Lounge focused on how to make the most of independent recording labels.

The biggest name on the panel was Richard Knowles, the father of Beyonce and manager of multiple Grammy award-winning groups.

"I think it's important that Austin artists have access to the kinds of folks who can make careers happen and are out working in that business every day. So, the knowledge they share as a collective is really important for our people to understand in order to build their own careers," Nikki Rowling of the Austin Music Foundation said.