Meet Pat Buchta

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pat Buchta. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pat below.

Pat, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic undoubtedly comes from the inspiring story of my own father: My mom recently told me a bit more about his experiences as a young boy with polio during WWII. Never having left the farm and speaking only Czech, he was placed in the Galveston Polio Ward, scared, alone, and waiting for the miraculous vaccine that would save so many lives. As he recovered, to compensate for the muscle that had atrophied dad began lifting farm equipment and old railroad ties to regain his strength, ultimately becoming a football star at Angleton High, a University of Houston graduate, and a very successful businessman. Later, as a very sick child with liver disease, dad used to push me to go running with him through the neighborhood, as if he knew I would need to muster my own strength as my journey with illness continued.

Just a year after dad passed from early onset Alzheimer’s, I finally received the liver transplant that would save my life, and I began to rebuild just as dad had: running, growing strong for the very first time in my life, and paying my gift of life forward through the service that ultimately led me to where I am today. Using dad’s example, I strive to serve with a warrior’s heart as we grow Austin Texas Musicians advocacy nonprofit.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am grateful to serve my tribe, the Central Texas music community, through my work with Austin Texas Musicians advocacy nonprofit. We represent musicians on city, state, and federal policy and offer basic services to better the lives of those we serve.

The most amazing thing about our work is the fact that we get to make a positive difference in the lives of over 5,000 musicians within our membership. After over four years at this job, I feel blessed to see the tangible effects of our work as we build a better quality of life for musicians.

This year, we’ve fought anti-LGBTQIA legislation that would negatively impact a wide range of performers, we’ve worked to successfully raise the City of Austin performance pay rate to $200 per musician, and we’ve disbursed almost $50k in paid performance opportunities to our members. We’re currently involved in several preservation projects to fortify Austin’s African American Cultural Heritage District and to create a groundbreaking music hub and services for musicians working downtown.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Never be afraid to lead with your heart. In my many years working as Community Service Manager at KVUE-TV, I learned a valuable lesson from our GM Patti Smith, would would never fail to start a company meeting without getting choked up from her tears of gratitude and dedication. I have found that service with an open heart helps one rise above the static of everyday challenges to create something truly meaningful.

2. Your ethics and integrity are the most valuable assets you have. Stick to what’s right: not just for you, but for everyone. Listen to others’ needs and concerns, take constant stock in self-reflection, and always be honest… lying will ultimately hurt you more than it hurts others. Mistakes will be made; owning up and fixing your errors will always say more about your character than striving for perfection. The only way we grow is by learning from experience, and experience often comes from falling flat on one’s face. “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” – James Lane Allen

3. Never give up. If we always listened to those voices in our heads that tell us we’re not good enough, or that an idea is worthless, the world would be a very different place. The great thinkers, innovators and inventors are no different than you or I; they simply followed through on a crazy idea that ended up changing the world. Five years ago, as I was leaving a toxic workplace, my good friend Bijoy Goswami told me “this was just a stepping stone along the path to something greater”. Two weeks later I started Austin Texas Musicians.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
It’s no secret that in Austin, many face unprecedented challenges surrounding affordability. Working musicians are especially affected, as profit margins from performance, sales and streaming are lower than ever, in contrast to the unfathomable cost of living in the “Live Music Capital of the World” that we helped to create.

From city to federal, Austin Texas Musicians strives to create policy changes that positively affect musicians’ bottom line. From City Standard Pay Raises, Hotel Occupancy Taxes for musicians, COVID Relief Funds, and paid performance opportunities, we’ve made a real impact, and look forward to creating groundbreaking solutions that prioritize equity, opportunity, and education.

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