Micael Priest’s music poster for The Ramones’ show at Armadillo World Headquarters, 1977

Sometimes you see them flitting by in the wind on a city street like a brightly colored bird. Sometimes you see them posted on telephone poles. You see others on walls inside clubs.

I’m talking about music posters. While they are silent in sound, their designs portend grand audio and visual experiences to come, as bands perform at a certain time and place.

For poster collectors, the memories these powerful scraps of paper evoke can be potent. Colored lights, sounds, lyrics, emotions, jockeying for the best position to see the stage, that special night at a club that doesn’t exist anymore…except in your mind.

Preserving Austin Music Posters of the Past

Most posters were ripped off walls after the show or destroyed by weather and time. [Read more…]

Joel Laviolette is the founder of The Rattletree School of Marimba

Have you ever been so inspired by something, you stopped what you were doing and began a quest to learn everything you could about it? Joel Laviolette has.

How It Started

Almost 20 years ago, Joel was traveling through New Mexico when he heard the music of the mbira. The instrument is indigenous to Africa and, after listening, Joel wanted to learn everything about it.

Traveling across North America, Joel did exactly that. When our fair continent could no longer provide new knowledge, he went to the source of another African instrument, the marimba. Over the course of several trips to Zimbabwe, Joel stayed with master musicians and continued his education.

He made his way to Austin six years ago and started a band named Joel Laviolette and Rattletree. He also started a marimba school named The Rattletree School of Marimba. [Read more…]