The Live Music Capital of the World has a new music maestro. Erica Shamaly has been hired as music and entertainment manager at the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department.
Shamaly, who comes to the City of Austin after being director of marketing for the ACL Live and 3TEN ACL Live music venues, will oversee day-to-day operations of the city’s nine-employee music and entertainment division. The division is branded as ATX Music.
She replaces Don Pitts, who resigned in mid-February in the wake of an investigation by the City of Austin’s auditor. He had been on administrative leave since mid-January. Pitts, who admitted failing to follow city protocol in a workplace “incident” he handled, had directed the music and entertainment division since its creation in 2010.
Kevin Johns, the City of Austin’s economic development director, says Shamaly’s “broad professional experience and direct knowledge of the music and creative industries will prove invaluable as we continue to refine and expand programming and services.”
Shamaly will be the city’s public face for a music industry that produces an annual economic impact of $1.8 billion for the Austin area. Among the yearly events that contribute to that economic impact are South by Southwest and Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Shamaly joined ACL Live in 2014. Before that, she was co-founder and co-executive director of the Austin School of Film @ Motion Media Arts Center, and director of marketing and business development for the Reverberation Appreciation Society and Austin Psych Fest.
Shamaly earned a bachelor’s degree in art history and a bachelor’s degree in studio art, both from the University of Texas at Austin.
