College Sound: Growing up in the Austin scene

Zoe Cordes Selbin never thought she would see the Descendents perform a live show. It had been almost a decade since the pop punk band had previously reunited but on the last night of the fifth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest, Selbin finally had her chance.

"It was just a pipe dream, and to be able to sing along and pump my fist to ‘Everything Sux' was magical," said Selbin.

Selbin is also the operations coordinator for Transmission Entertainment, an independent music booking, promotions, and media collective that puts together the music festival.

When Selbin is not working with the company organizing festivals and shows around town, she's also an Austin Community College student as part of the Early College Start program. This program allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit before their high school graduation.

Yes, that means that Selbin is also a high school student.

After the original Sunday headliner, Devo, had to cancel their appearance weeks before the festival because guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh sustained a hand injury, Graham Williams, Fun Fun Fun Fest and Transmission Entertainment founder, successfully booked the Descendents as the last-minute replacement.

While enjoying the reunion from one of the last three headliners that weekend, it was also a bittersweet end for Selbin.

"Sunday nights (after the festival ends) are surreal because you put your life into this festival and all of the sudden, it's like oh, it's done," said Selbin. "It's this crazy mix of I'm really stoked. I can sleep now. This is great, and also wow, it's done."

Selbin started working in the music business when she was 12 years-old, but she always knew she wanted to work with music. And, with the support of her family, music has always been a part of her life.

"My dad has always loved music. He was always taking me to shows when I was little like kids' shows or Austin City Limits. I was nine when I really got into music. I always liked it, but that's when I really started persuing it as something more," said Selbin. "I was 11 when I went to the first show ever that I picked, and it was Yellowcard at Austin Music Hall."

While most parents would be hesitant to let their children attend music shows in some of the notoriously grungy music venues downtown, Selbin's parents were a bit more relaxed because of her older sister.

"She's six years older than me, so she paved the way of going to shows and showing my parents that she wasn't going to get killed in a ditch somewhere," said Selbin. "It was really all my older sister because she chaperoned me and she would take me to shows that I wanted to go to which is really nice of her because we didn't agree on music at all."

Even though Selbin has now established her place in the music industry working with Transmission Entertainment and Youth Spin, a radio show on the community radio station KOOP 91.7 FM, the 17-year-old runs into situations where people are quick to dismiss her abilities because her age.

However, Selbin doesn't let this bother her.

"I just have to keep talking to them and prove to them that I'm not just a little kid, and I think they can see as I continue talking to them. ‘Ok this girl's legit. She knows what she's talking about.' But there are people who totally discredited me because of my age," said Selbin. "I would like to say I'll have the last laugh."

"Also, I'm in touch with the teenage market. That's the market that everyone wants. It would be ridiculous to not take advantage of someone who is actually completely immersed in that market."

During her interview and spotting her all over the festival grounds, Selbin came across calm and collective for someone who has to balance classes between two schools as well as her jobs.

"I think if you talk to some of my best friends, you would know that sometimes I do kind of lose it," said Selbin. "But it's moments like seeing the Descendents that really make it worth it."