Its easy to heap praise on Franklin BBQ, and its been done. Bon Appetit did not mince words and called it the best barbecue in America. This smokehouse joint began out of a turquoise trailer on  the east side, and has now laid anchor in a brick and mortar location not far from the original outpost. The Tipsy Texan is a sandwich to rival the great reubens of New York delis or the better known po boys of New Orleans And, yes, the brisket does merit the praise it has received- top quality beef carefully prepared in a process that begins in the wee hours of the morning.

I have been a patron of Franklin’s since soon after it opened, and I’m delighted that they have since offered their patronage to Groundwork. Aaron Franklin grew up in a musical family.  His grandfather owned a music store in Aaron’s home town of Bryan, Texas and played with Lone Star State luminary, Bob Wills. Aaron himself played on the Austin music scene before he was taken by the muse of the smoker. He was very enthusiastic when I approached him about helping us get twelve summer-long classes going in the Austin area. Thanks, Aaron, for the great food and thanks for bringing music to Austin kids.

One last note about music and Franklin Barbecue (pun intended): Aaron plans to build a beer garden at his restaurant and feature live music by which to enjoy his fine Texas cuisine. Groundwork will be sure to share the news when this happens.

Neal Kassanoff

Director

Bouldin Creek Coffee shop has been with Groundwork from the beginning, and was a top supporter of GMP’s summer initiative in 2011. Bouldin’s owner, Leslie Martin, was one of Groundwork’s first board members and helped move the organization along in its earliest years. This August, Bouldin picked a day and committed 10% of its sales toward providing summer music classes. This was a big help in getting 12 summer-long classes to various preschools in the Austin area.

If you have not been by the new Bouldin, please check it out! In the last year they moved to 1900 S. First, just a few blocks south of the original location. This renovated building has a great feel, and the coffee and food are as good as ever.

Thanks for the support, Bouldin!

Do512.com has become a staple resource for happenings on the Austin music scene, and now they are reaching out to families by promoting kid friendly music events (and more) with Do512 Family.

This summer, Do512 has also showed their support of music for Austin kids by contributing to Groundwork Music Project. Their support, along with other contributors, has helped put teachers in twelve Austin and San Marcos area classrooms.

“What better way to show our support of Austin music than by making sure that the youngest kids in our community start with the basics,” says Do512 president Jimmy Stewart, “I’m glad to see this organization growing and reaching more kids.”

Do512 Family will be instrumental in helping to publicize Groundwork’s Fall Family Fest on October 16th at Nutty Brown. You can find out more at Do512.com/family or on their Facebook page.

Do512.com Family is also supporting Groundwork’s upcoming house concert and latest CD with a feature on their blog.

Thanks, Do512, for supporting Groundwork!

Dusty Kraatz, the founder of XI Media, is an old hand at bringing music into people’s lives. His company is a premier provider of live concert streaming, and he has worked with NPR, Rolling Stone Media, South by Southwest and an all star list of artists, like Bright Eyes, LCD Sound System, Fleet Foxes and Okkervil River.

In getting acquainted with Groundwork Music Project, Dusty is bringing music into people’s lives, in an altogether more intimate way.

“After having a lot of success with XI Media, I was really looking for a way to give back and I wanted to do something that was music-related. I found info about Groundwork online and contacted them right away.”

Since initial contact, just a few months ago, Dusty has become a Groundwork board member and has spearheaded a San Marcos outreach program. With XI media and other contributions, he has helped launch four summer classes at First Steps Preschool.

“I was so happy to see these classes get started. I sat in on the first day of classes and I had a blast, just like the kids did.”

Throughout the summer, children at First Step Preschool will enjoy and learn from weekly classes that include singing, dancing and instrument play. All children will receive a copy of the recordingIntroducing the Groundwork Music Orchestra, so that children can bring their music home and share it with their families.

Check out more about XI media at XImediaproductions.com.

More details here.

The Arts and Fitness Program for Young Children brings a host enrichment activities and teacher training to underserved preschools. GMP and AFPYC are working together on several campuses for both fall 2010 and spring 2011. Groundwork will be training classroom teachers and providing weekly classes through this partnership. AFPYC’s innovative programs enhance the learning environment, and help schools to meet high standards so that schools can receive professional accreditation. You can find out more about AFPYC at their website. The partnership between AFPYC and GMP has been a boon to both organizations.

Join the Groundwork Music Orchestra with special guests Ben Kweller, Guy Forsyth, Sarah Sharp, Whammo and others. The event is on Sunday October 17th from four to seven p.m., and will feature songs from the new recording Introducing the Groundwork Music Orchestra. Kweller and Forsyth both played on the forthcoming release.

The event will also feature a bouncy castle, face painting, balloon animals and a raffle. All proceeds will go toward providing preschool music classes during the upcoming school year.

Listen to the new recording here.