Austin musician John Inmon said just one show's pay in 1966 could pay his rent and afford him expensive steak dinners.
Today, many musicians still receive the same pay they did more than 40 years ago, which is not enough to live off of, Inmon said.
"A lot of musicians used to make more money than their dads did. It was great," Inmon said. "Now most musicians I know that do not work out on the road and that are not top-tier have two jobs and play music."
Inmon, who has played guitar for Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely and Jimmy LaFave, said many local musicians wonder if their work is even valued.
"It is the musician blues," Inmon said. "We find ourselves at the bottom of the pile and getting the last dollar."
Concerns for musicians in "The Live Music Capital of the World" were addressed at a meeting at the Austin Moose Lodge on Monday night. The Year of Austin Music group led the meeting.
The main problem the meeting addressed was that while the overall population in the city has doubled, audience attendance at Austin venues have decreased by 60 to 70 percent. The number of Austin venues has also decreased steadily over the last 10 years, said Troy Dillinger, the organization's founder.
Dillinger said the rate for performances pays less now than it did 20 years ago.
The Year of Austin group introduced a five-step plan that they believe will help the local music industry, Dillinger said.
The group first proposed that the Austin City Council proclaim 2008 as the official year of Austin Music. Mayor Will Wynn's chief of staff said they will announce the decision at Thursday's council meeting.
Other ideas were to create a working forum between musicians, operators, local government and media. The group wants to organize a public relations campaign to encourage every Austinite to see one Austin band each month.
"Austin is flooded by new residents that do not know how to connect with the music community," Dillinger said. "Also, as a business community, we have been ineffective in getting our product to customers."
But local musicians are not the only ones getting hurt. Venue owners have also seen a decrease in their incomes because of the nation's slumping economy, Inmon said. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the average American's disposable income decreased 0.3 percent in November 2007.
"There is a possibility that this may bring musicians and owners together to save the industry," Inmon said. "Let's face it: If the musicians can't afford to play, they will go away, and Austin will become another boring city."
Zillinger said he encourages UT students to get involved in the local music industry.
"A lot of students go to clubs where there are DJs, and that dries out live music," Inmon said. "There's nothing like seeing live music in Austin, so if you don't normally do it, go do it."
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