La La Land in San Antonio: How Jazz and Business Work Together
Jake told us ahead of time that we would be going on an off campus field trip for our capstone class, however I had no idea where exactly we were going. We met in our normal classroom then carpooled over to the Pearl. Our destination was revealed: we were going to JazzTX. Not only did I not know there was an underground jazz club in my own backyard, we were going to meet the founder, Doc Watkins, after seeing him perform.
When we got to the venue, I felt transported into the set of La La Land. There was such an old, speakeasy vibe to the place that I loved. Jake had a table reserved for us and we snacked on some appetizers as Doc played piano with a small jazz trio. As a musician myself, this was an incredible treat. They played some standard tunes along with a few I had never heard before.
After his set, Doc took us to the Pearl’s outdoor amphitheatre and told us his story. By the end of it I was half convinced he was the inspiration for the movie La La Land as it is just too similar. Essentially he started the club after realizing he wanted to just play music. Teaching wasn’t something he enjoyed and he realized he needed a solid venue in order to continue playing full time. After on and off negotiations with the Pearl, getting investors to believe in such a crazy plan, and building out the old bottling house, JazzTX was born. They now have jazz musicians from all over performing there, along with great food and drinks to accompany the experience.
One thing that really struck me about his story was that he really has to prioritize his opportunities. As a talented musician, he could have done a lot of things. He talked to us about how he has to say no to really exciting gigs because he simply can’t do them all. But most importantly, he said that you have to be prepared for your next big break. Before he got the job to run a jazz bar, he was building up a network of qualified musicians to book each night. WHile it is hard to know what is ahead, planning for success means doing as much as you can to prepare for that opportunity.
Doc also talked about how hard it is on his young family. JazzTX is still fairly new and as an club, it comes with some very late nights. Doc’s advice was that when it’s your business you give it your all, and that it will come with sacrifices. As I think about my experiences, I know from the failure of UConvo that business truly do need all your attention to succeed. And as I think about my future, I hope when it is time for me to start my next venture I can give it my all.
-Kylie Moden
When we got to the venue, I felt transported into the set of La La Land. There was such an old, speakeasy vibe to the place that I loved. Jake had a table reserved for us and we snacked on some appetizers as Doc played piano with a small jazz trio. As a musician myself, this was an incredible treat. They played some standard tunes along with a few I had never heard before.
After his set, Doc took us to the Pearl’s outdoor amphitheatre and told us his story. By the end of it I was half convinced he was the inspiration for the movie La La Land as it is just too similar. Essentially he started the club after realizing he wanted to just play music. Teaching wasn’t something he enjoyed and he realized he needed a solid venue in order to continue playing full time. After on and off negotiations with the Pearl, getting investors to believe in such a crazy plan, and building out the old bottling house, JazzTX was born. They now have jazz musicians from all over performing there, along with great food and drinks to accompany the experience.
One thing that really struck me about his story was that he really has to prioritize his opportunities. As a talented musician, he could have done a lot of things. He talked to us about how he has to say no to really exciting gigs because he simply can’t do them all. But most importantly, he said that you have to be prepared for your next big break. Before he got the job to run a jazz bar, he was building up a network of qualified musicians to book each night. WHile it is hard to know what is ahead, planning for success means doing as much as you can to prepare for that opportunity.
Doc also talked about how hard it is on his young family. JazzTX is still fairly new and as an club, it comes with some very late nights. Doc’s advice was that when it’s your business you give it your all, and that it will come with sacrifices. As I think about my experiences, I know from the failure of UConvo that business truly do need all your attention to succeed. And as I think about my future, I hope when it is time for me to start my next venture I can give it my all.
-Kylie Moden
Comments
Post a Comment