AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin announced today a slate of new projects from Longhorn Live: the Live Music Initiative, a campuswide effort aimed to expand live music experiences on the Forty Acres while integrating the campus into Austin’s vibrant live music community. As part of Longhorn Live, the University will host its second songwriter in residence, refresh the legendary Cactus Cafe, elevate student musicians, create new music-focused events, launch the Longhorn Piano Project, and host experiences in support of HAAM Benefit Day.
President Jay Hartzell unveiled UT’s Live Music Initiative in 2022, with goals to expand live music performances on campus, better connect the University to the larger Austin culture, and reclaim the University’s roots as an incubator for some of Texas’ best-known musical talent.
“Live music is synonymous with Austin, as is UT. Longhorn Live will merge Austin’s vibrant music scene with the budding talent on campus and elevate the programming for our communities,” Hartzell said.
“We have a thriving live music scene on campus, from renowned ensembles in the Butler School of Music to world-class performers visiting campus through Texas Performing Arts and the Moody Center to the KUTX radio station,” said Ramón Rivera-Servera, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “Longhorn Live builds on these platforms and continues to place students at the forefront as we showcase their talent, create new opportunities for students to interact with high-profile musicians, and keep them connected to Austin’s live music scene.”
New items of focus for Longhorn Live throughout the University’s fall semester include:
- Songwriter in Residence Program: President Hartzell announced that the school’s new resident songwriter is hometown hero Carrie Rodriguez. As part of the residency, the celebrated composer, violinist and bilingual singer-songwriter will lead workshops for students to gain insight into the music industry, the songwriting process and the traditions that inform her “Ameri-Chicana” sound. In January, Rodriguez will premiere “Postcards From the Border,” an original collaboration commissioned and produced by Texas Performing Arts based on words and images from acclaimed novelist and UT faculty member Oscar Cásares and photographer Joel Salcido.The show, featuring Rodriguez and her band, will be narrated by Cásares alongside Salcido’s stirring images and runs Jan. 24-25 at Texas Performing Arts’ McCullough Theatre. Tickets are available now at texasperformingarts.org. Hartzell also announced the return of Darden Smith, the school’s inaugural songwriter in residence. He returns to campus to offer workshops, classroom visits and live performances in an emeritus capacity.
- Hiring of Andy Langer as senior director of Live Music and Entertainment: As Austin music’s best-known multi-hyphenate, Langer is a journalist, radio host, moderator, emcee, event producer, television reporter and podcaster. Before joining UT, Langer was a host on “Austin City Limits Radio” (KGSR Austin, 97.1 FM), a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and, for 16 years, the music columnist at Esquire. In this new role, Langer will serve as the liaison for all live music and entertainment events on campus, create new alliances between the University and the city’s music community, and elevate campus-grown talent. He will also manage the Songwriter in Residence program and the revitalization plan for the Cactus Cafe.
- HAAM Benefit Day: Today, Sept. 24, UT will host two experiences in support of HAAM Benefit Day. The College of Fine Arts and Longhorn Live will co-sponsor this year’s Latinapalooza showcase at Radio East that features UT’s Mariachi Paredes de Tejastitlán, plus Haydn Vitera & the Mariachi Rock Revolution, Lesly Reynaga, and Vallejo. Laurie Gallardo of KUTX will also represent the University by emceeing the event. The show is free and begins at 4 p.m. This evening, University Unions and Longhorn Live will host a song swap at the Cactus Cafe featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Jack Ingram and Songwriter in Residence Emeritus Darden Smith. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.
- Moody Center Concert Club: Moody Center and Longhorn Live will soon unveil its Concert Club, a new resource for students to secure discounted tickets for select Moody Center shows. UT students may opt in using their school-issued electronic identification (EID) to receive periodic emails offering discounted tickets, giveaways and venue perks.
- The Longhorn Piano Project: UT will unveil the Longhorn Piano Project later this semester. More than a dozen recently decommissioned concert pianos from the Butler School of Music will be placed in high-traffic locations across campus. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to play the pianos at any time, and each piano will feature unique and eye-catching UT- and Texas-themed artwork. The school will soon announce installation details and a special Longhorn Piano Project mini-festival that will feature an all-day schedule of Butler School of Music students and high-profile Austin musicians.
