Office of the Texas Governor Greg Abbott

TMO August 2020 Newsletter: Artist Emergency Grant Deadline Approaching! Read on to learn about new emergency grants for music industry professionals, unemployment benefits info, and much more!

Office of the Governor Texas sent this bulletin at 08/13/2020 03:17 PM CDT

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AUGUST 2020 EDITION

"20 in 2020": TMO Continues On Path To Certify 20 Music Friendly Communities

The Texas Music Office has continued its work with numerous Texas music communities seeking the "Music Friendly Community" certification, including Alpine, Waco, Bastrop, Lubbock, and Bandera. Learn about recently certified communities and MFC workshops.

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TWC graphic images: your questions answered

Texas Workforce Commission's Unemployment Assistance

Have you recently received a letter from the Texas Workforce Commission about overpayment; "Do I need to pay my overpayment back now?" some Texans have asked. Currently, there is no penalty for not paying back the amount immediately and TWC is taking the approach of asking claimants to pay what they can, when they can. The TMO has compiled a list of additional frequently asked questions that we receive concerning unemployment assistance benefits provided by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

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image of Crew Nation grant graphic design / poster

Assistance Information and Resources For Music Industry Professionals Affected by COVID-19

We've updated our master list of Grants, Loans, & Resources List to include the City of Austin's Creative Worker Relief Grant, as well as their reopened Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund Grant, the Relief For Texas Folk & Traditional Artists Grant (deadline 8/14), and LiveNation's Crew Nation Global Relief Fund (deadline 8/16) for live music crews.

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photo of Brendon Anthony from the "On The Rise" podcast

"On The Rise" with TMO Director Brendon Anthony

Last month, Rise Music Group debuted its podcast interview with TMO Director Brendon Anthony as a part of their "On The Rise" podcast series. The Rise Music Group sat down w/Anthony to discuss the Texas Music Office's work supporting artists and music businesses, and the Texas music scene at large.

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photo of Waco native Tom Wilson who is highlighted in the "Invisible Icons" podcast

Waco Shines Light On "Invisible Icons"

Our Music Friendly Community partners in Waco (including Keep Waco Loud, Lindsay Liepman, and Rogue Media Network) have launched a podcast docuseries called "Invisible Icons." The first episode talks about the late Wacoan, Tom Wilson, who played a huge role in shaping American music history.

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Upcoming Events

August 17 (6:00 pm)
Sequestered Songwriters: Tom Waits Tribute Virtual Guitar Pull
livestream info

August 19 (2:30 pm - 3:00 pm)
Texas Music Office's Texas Music Mixtape radio program
livestream info | archived shows

August 25
Virtual Music Friendly Community certification ceremony
Lubbock, TX more info

In lieu of the cancellation of annual events featuring live music (which typically appear in the space), we've put together a list of Texas-based artists who are performing weekly livestream concerts. learn more

The Texas Music Office (TMO) is a state-funded business promotion office and information clearinghouse for the Texas music industry. The TMO assists more than 15,000 individual clients each year. Under mandate from the Texas Legislature, the office "promotes the development of the music industry in the state by informing members of that industry and the public about the resources available in the state for music production."

State of Texas, Office of the Governor, Texas Music Office
Texas Music Office • P.O. Box 12428 • Austin, Texas 78711 • (512) 463-6666

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