BLOWCOMOTION
CONTINUES TO GROW!

All the news and updates you need about your favorite community brass band.

News & Updates

Austin-American Statesman Coverage

Blowcomotion was honored to receive THREE separate features in the Austin-American Statesman last month. Two reporters from the Statesman, Sara Diggins and Omar Gallaga, attended multiple rehearsals and our gig at Kenny Dorham’s and interviewed various members of the band to put together an excellent photojournalism piece, a short documentary, and a large feature story that was on the front page of the Arts section of the Sunday edition of the paper. This coverage was HUGE in helping get the word out about our band and the resources we offer our community. We’ve already seen a sizable influx of new folks coming to practice who learned about us from the article and we’re so thrilled to see the band growing at such a quick pace!

New Instructors

We’ve recently acquired new instructors for our saxophone and percussion sections: Lauryn Gould and Benjamin Russell! We’re thrilled to have these folks added to our lineup of incredible instructors, who are the lifeblood of this band and our mission to help introduce and/or reignite musical passion in the lives of people in the Austin area.

New Year, New Board Members

The Blowcomotion Board of Directors held our annual election in May. As with any board, every yearly cycle brings change and we were sad to see longtime board members Debbie Fehrenkamp (trombone) and Rocky Mazariegos (percussion) step down from the board this year. Their contributions to the band and board will really be missed. However, we’re thrilled to have some new members join the board in their stead: Ruben Hernandez (sousaphone) and David Garcia (trombone).

This year, Matt Mossman (trombone) was elected Board President, Brian Miller (trumpet), Vice President, Niko Druzhinin (sousa/trombone), Secretary, and John Montgomery (non-band member) held his seat as Treasurer. Bev Larkin (percussion), Ike Eickstaedt (sousa/trumpet), and Lauryn Gould (sax) also remained on as board members.

We’ve got a great team keeping this amazing band running and helping us grow year after year!

Blowcomotion Board of Directors

Pictured above (left to right, top to bottom): Matt Mossman, Blowcomotion Board President; Brian Miller, Vice President; Niko Druzhinin, Secretary; John Montgomery, Treasurer; Bev Larkin; Ike Eickstaedt; Ruben Hernandez; David Garcia; Lauryn Gould.

Instructor Pay Increase

In recognition of their hard work and dedication and taking into account the average cost of private music lessons here in Austin, Blowcomotion’s Board of Directors voted to increase the hourly rate we pay our instructors earlier this year. We deeply appreciate the work our instructors put in every week and want them to know how valuable they are to us with more than just our words. Thanks for all that you do, Blowco instructors!

Shutting Down the MeetUp Group

After trying it out for a year, we’ve decided to shut down the Blowcomotion MeetUp account because the subscription price far exceeds the few band members who have found us through the site.

Blowcomotion is always experimenting with new ideas that might help more people find out about our group, so if you have any ideas send an email to blowcomotion@gmail.com.

Upcoming Shows

Los Kurados 10th Anniversary

September 9 - Flamingo Cantina

The high energy luchador-themed ska band, Los Kurados, is celebrating their tenth anniversary as a band and Blowco will be kicking off the event by busking on 6th St outside of the venue and finishing our set out inside Flamingo Cantina. This is going to be a really fun night featuring some great bands and an Aztec dance group!

Under the Oaks

September 17 - Jonestown, TX

Blowco will play our first out of town set as part of the Under the Oaks concert series in scenic Jonestown, Texas. We’ll be playing two 45-minutes sets with a break for refreshments in between. It will be a great chance to see Blowcomotion play in a beautiful Hill Country setting (pictured above).

For more information or to RSVP for the show (FYI: band members should not RSVP), visit undertheoaksevents.com. RSVPs are limited to 50 people, so make your reservation quickly!

North ATX Good Neighbor Fest

September 24 - St. Mark UMC

Blowcomotion will be playing a special set for attendees of North ATX Good Neighbor Fest. This set will have a particularly interactive element in which we’ll encourage audience participation and actively engage them in call and response activities, rhythmic exercises, and more. Blowco will also have a table set up throughout the event to talk to fest attendees about who we are, what we do, and how they can get involved.

Blowco’s 4th Birthday Party

October 2 - Kenny Dorham’s Backyard

Can’t wait for this one! Blowcomotion is celebrating our 4th anniversary as a band and nonprofit organization here in Austin and we’re throwing a big party for the whole community to celebrate!

Besides Blowcomotion, performances will include Grupo Ladeira, Moontower Brass Band, and the band whose members helped start Blowcomotion 4 years ago: Minor Mishap Marching Band! Blowcomotion will be joined by each of the other bands for a separate collaborative song during our performance.

This show will act as a fundraiser for Blowcomotion’s community music education programming and we will be collecting instrument donations throughout the event. Another local music nonprofit, Kids In a New Groove (KING), who provide free music lessons and mentorship for children in foster care, will also be present at the event and will be accepting instrument donations like guitars, basses, and ukeleles.

Also, Thirsty Planet Brewing Company has agreed to donate several cases of beer for the event! We won’t be able to charge anyone for the beer, but we will have a tip jar conveniently placed nearby in case folks would like to offer Blowco a donation! Huge thank you to Thirsty Planet!

We’re going to need some volunteers for this event! We’ll need people to do things like work the Blowco information table, accept instrument donations, take admission at the back entrances, and monitor the beer station. If you’d like to volunteer, sign up below! Unless you want to work the information table, you don’t have to be a member of the band to help out.

Cumbia Night
w/ El Tule

October 15 - Hotel Vegas

Blowco will once again take the stage with the latin-funk-reggae-etc superstars, El Tule, for the monthly Cumbia Night series at Hotel Vegas. This long-running series promises to include a packed house of dancers ready to move to the rhythm Blowcomotion brings them–it’s gonna get LOUD and should be a blast to play for such a lively crowd.

Help Us Grow!

Join a Committee

Did you know that Blowcomotion is a completely volunteer run organization? You don’t have to be a member of the band or of the board to get involved–you can join one of several committees that meet to work together on specific needs of the band. We can always use more help!

Here are the committees we’re currently seeking new members for:

Fundraising - Help us find new ways to raise money to support Blowcomotion's community music education program.

Curriculum - Help new learners more quickly acclimate to their instruments and playing with a group by working to improve Blowco’s music ed resources and songbook.
Community Outreach - Help Blowco expand the reach of our band by finding new ways to connect with the Austin community.
Marketing - Help Blowco reach a bigger audience through digital and print media campaign planning.

If you’d like to join a committee, please fill out this Google Form and let us know how you’d like to help!

Join our Patreon

Blowcomotion is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that requires consistent donations to continue providing free music education to the Austin community. If you appreciate the musical outlet and resources provided to you by Blowcomotion, consider becoming a member of our Patreon and scheduling a monthly contribution that helps us pay our instructors, purchase and repair instruments for our lending library, pay for merch and marketing materials, cover taxes and fees and much more!

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BLOWCOMOTION CONTINUES TO GROW!