Texas Music Office
Encyclopedia
The Texas Music Office is a state-funded business promotion office and information clearinghouse for the Texas
music industry. It is headquartered in the State Insurance Building in Austin
.
More than 14,000 individual clients use TMO resources and assistance each year, including more than 8,600 direct referrals to Texas music businesses, performers, and event planners. The TMO is the sister office to the Texas Film Commission, both of which are within the Office of the Governor.
that held hearings for and issued annual reports to the Legislature. Its primary advocate was House Speaker Gib Lewis, whose staff, notably Bekki Lammert, handled the support for the volunteer Commission's nine members. This was the first law passed by a state legislature in the United States
creating an office promoting commercial music business.
In 1987, the Texas Legislature appropriated $25,000 to the new Texas Department of Commerce (TDC) to further research the music industry and to determine the best way for a state entity to assist music business development. In 1988 TDC partially funded Texas' first Group Stand at MIDEM
, at that time the world's largest music business convention, consisting of various Texas music businesses presenting their music at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes
, France
.
The TMC recommended the creation of a staffed office in the Executive branch promoting music business as a sister office to the Texas Film Commission
(TFC). As part of the TDC budget, the Texas Legislature passed a new law that stated, "(a) The office shall promote the development of the music industry in the state by informing members of that industry and the public about the resources available in the state for music production."
In September 1989, the TFC appropriated $39,000 for music and posted a job notice for the first director of the TMO. TFC Director Joseph Dial and Deputy Director Tom Copeland selected Casey Monahan, a music journalist with the Austin American-Statesman
since 1985. The TMO officially opened January 20, 1990 during the administration of Texas Governor William P. Clements. During its first year the TMO interviewed more than 1,000 music businesses and compiled Texas' first Business Referral Network for music.
In January 1991, Ann Richards
was sworn in as Texas Governor. One of her first legislative requests was to move the TMO and the TFC from the Texas Department of Commerce to the Office of the Governor. Richards' longtime personal interest in Texas music and film greatly raised the public profile of both industries, and bringing these two programs into the Governor's Office institutionalized music and film as key parts of Texas' future economic growth plans. Other Richards music milestones include publishing the first Texas Music Industry Directory (1991), and her "Welcome to Texas" speech to the opening-day registrants of the 1993 South By Southwest
conference.
In 1994, Monahan joined Austin area artist manager Carlyne Majer, Asleep at the Wheel
band leader Ray Benson, SXSW director Roland Swenson, and City of Austin
music liaison Bob Meyer to bring the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
to Texas in 1994: the first new chapter in 22 years. That same year, the TMO created its first annual calendar of annual live music events, and in 1995, the TMO collaborated with the Texas State Library & Archives Commission to create its first website, www.governor.state.tx.us/music.
In 1999, the TMO created the first statewide referral network for Mariachi
Education and Mariachi Talent. Also in 1999, the TMO collaborated with University of Texas School of Law Fellowship recipient Kate Hayman to produce Getting Started in the Texas Music Business. This online publication provides answers to basic legal and business questions associated with the music industry. The 2011 edition has been expanded to cover many Internet-related topics, including digital music copyright law.
The TMO brought together the Texas State Historical Association
and Texas State University's new Center for Texas Music History to publish The Handbook of Texas Music, an encyclopedia of the state's rich musical history and heritage in 2001. That same year, the TMO began its annual Capitol Salute to Texas Music, a reception during South by Southwest
bringing together state legislators with music industry leaders to discuss music opportunities and to hear Texas legends such as Johnny Gimble
, W.C. Clark, Junior Brown
, Randy Garibay, Reckless Kelly
, Ryan Bingham
, and Hayes Carll
.
In 2002 the TMO created the Texas Music History Tour, an online guide to the large number of classic Texas music venues and historical music sites. The Texas Legislature passed a bill authored by former Sam Lightnin' Hopkins'
bassist Rep. Ron Wilson (D-Houston) creating an Enjoy Texas Music special license plate, which Governor Rick Perry
signed into law in 2003. $22 of the $30 extra fee goes into a TMO-administered fund that awards grants to schools to purchase musical instruments and lesson from Texas retailers and instructors.
In 2005, the TMO worked with Austin attorney Cindi Lazzari to expand to musicians the protections enjoyed by visual artists during bankruptcy proceedings. With the assistance of Texas Women for the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust, the TMO created the Intermediate Masters Program in 2007 benefiting a Texas music student's graduate studies.
EnjoyTexasMusic.com, the TMO's official website, contains 19,234 business, band or event listings totaling 3,669 printed pages. In 2010, it attracted 231,998 unique visitors resulting in 514,789 page views.
Texas Music Industry Directory
List of Texas state agencies
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
music industry. It is headquartered in the State Insurance Building in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
More than 14,000 individual clients use TMO resources and assistance each year, including more than 8,600 direct referrals to Texas music businesses, performers, and event planners. The TMO is the sister office to the Texas Film Commission, both of which are within the Office of the Governor.
History
By creating the Texas Music Commission (TMC) in 1985, the 70th session of the Texas Legislature identified music as an industry in need of state government recognition and assistance. The TMC was a nine-member advisory board appointed by the Governor Mark WhiteMark White
Mark Wells White is an American lawyer, who served as the 43rd Governor of Texas from January 18,1983-January 20,1987.-Biography:...
that held hearings for and issued annual reports to the Legislature. Its primary advocate was House Speaker Gib Lewis, whose staff, notably Bekki Lammert, handled the support for the volunteer Commission's nine members. This was the first law passed by a state legislature in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
creating an office promoting commercial music business.
In 1987, the Texas Legislature appropriated $25,000 to the new Texas Department of Commerce (TDC) to further research the music industry and to determine the best way for a state entity to assist music business development. In 1988 TDC partially funded Texas' first Group Stand at MIDEM
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
, at that time the world's largest music business convention, consisting of various Texas music businesses presenting their music at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The TMC recommended the creation of a staffed office in the Executive branch promoting music business as a sister office to the Texas Film Commission
Texas Film Commission
The Texas Film Commission is a state agency of Texas, under the oversight of the Governor of Texas. Its headquarters are in Suite 3.410 in the Texas Insurance Building in Downtown Austin.-External links:*...
(TFC). As part of the TDC budget, the Texas Legislature passed a new law that stated, "(a) The office shall promote the development of the music industry in the state by informing members of that industry and the public about the resources available in the state for music production."
In September 1989, the TFC appropriated $39,000 for music and posted a job notice for the first director of the TMO. TFC Director Joseph Dial and Deputy Director Tom Copeland selected Casey Monahan, a music journalist with the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
since 1985. The TMO officially opened January 20, 1990 during the administration of Texas Governor William P. Clements. During its first year the TMO interviewed more than 1,000 music businesses and compiled Texas' first Business Referral Network for music.
In January 1991, Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
was sworn in as Texas Governor. One of her first legislative requests was to move the TMO and the TFC from the Texas Department of Commerce to the Office of the Governor. Richards' longtime personal interest in Texas music and film greatly raised the public profile of both industries, and bringing these two programs into the Governor's Office institutionalized music and film as key parts of Texas' future economic growth plans. Other Richards music milestones include publishing the first Texas Music Industry Directory (1991), and her "Welcome to Texas" speech to the opening-day registrants of the 1993 South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
conference.
Development of the TMO
In March 1991 the TMO published the first of 16 annual editions of the Texas Music Industry Directory (TMID). The TMID, released concurrently with SXSW, went from 199 pages with 1169 listings in 1991, to 432 pages with 15,278 listings in its final edition in 2006. The TMID referenced 96 different types of music business and was edited by Monahan with assistance of publication coordinators Deb Freeman (1991-1998), Jodi Jenkins (1999-2004), and Andrew Leeper (2005-2006).In 1994, Monahan joined Austin area artist manager Carlyne Majer, Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
band leader Ray Benson, SXSW director Roland Swenson, and City of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
music liaison Bob Meyer to bring the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
to Texas in 1994: the first new chapter in 22 years. That same year, the TMO created its first annual calendar of annual live music events, and in 1995, the TMO collaborated with the Texas State Library & Archives Commission to create its first website, www.governor.state.tx.us/music.
In 1999, the TMO created the first statewide referral network for Mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
Education and Mariachi Talent. Also in 1999, the TMO collaborated with University of Texas School of Law Fellowship recipient Kate Hayman to produce Getting Started in the Texas Music Business. This online publication provides answers to basic legal and business questions associated with the music industry. The 2011 edition has been expanded to cover many Internet-related topics, including digital music copyright law.
The TMO brought together the Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. It was founded on March 2, 1897. As of November 2008, TSHA moved from Austin to the University of North Texas in Denton.The executive...
and Texas State University's new Center for Texas Music History to publish The Handbook of Texas Music, an encyclopedia of the state's rich musical history and heritage in 2001. That same year, the TMO began its annual Capitol Salute to Texas Music, a reception during South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
bringing together state legislators with music industry leaders to discuss music opportunities and to hear Texas legends such as Johnny Gimble
Johnny Gimble
John Paul Gimble , better known as Johnny Gimble, is an American country musician associated with Western swing. He is an award-winning fiddle player and considered one of the most impressive fiddlers in the genre's history....
, W.C. Clark, Junior Brown
Junior Brown
Jamieson "Junior" Brown is an American country guitarist and singer. He has released nine studio albums in his career, and has charted twice on the Billboard country singles charts. Brown's signature instrument is the "guit-steel" double neck guitar, a hybrid of electric guitar and lap steel...
, Randy Garibay, Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly (band)
Reckless Kelly is an Austin, Texas based Americana/Texas Country band. The band was formed in Bend, Oregon, but moved to Austin in January 1997...
, Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham is an Americana singer-songwriter currently based in Los Angeles, California.After garnering critical acclaim for his first two studio releases on Lost Highway Records, 2007's Mescalito and 2009's Roadhouse Sun, Ryan Bingham went on to collaborate with Grammy-winning producer T Bone...
, and Hayes Carll
Hayes Carll
Joshua Hayes Carll , known as Hayes Carll, is a Texas Country singer-songwriter from The Woodlands, Texas ....
.
In 2002 the TMO created the Texas Music History Tour, an online guide to the large number of classic Texas music venues and historical music sites. The Texas Legislature passed a bill authored by former Sam Lightnin' Hopkins'
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
bassist Rep. Ron Wilson (D-Houston) creating an Enjoy Texas Music special license plate, which Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
signed into law in 2003. $22 of the $30 extra fee goes into a TMO-administered fund that awards grants to schools to purchase musical instruments and lesson from Texas retailers and instructors.
In 2005, the TMO worked with Austin attorney Cindi Lazzari to expand to musicians the protections enjoyed by visual artists during bankruptcy proceedings. With the assistance of Texas Women for the Arts and the Texas Cultural Trust, the TMO created the Intermediate Masters Program in 2007 benefiting a Texas music student's graduate studies.
Present Day
The TMO now serves the Texas music industry primarily through its Business Referral Network: Texas Music Industry Directory (86,609 Texas music businesses in 96 music business categories); 690 Texas Music Events; Texas Talent Register (7,200 recording artists); 824 Texas Radio Stations; US Music Contacts; Classical Texas (detailed information for all classical music organizations in Texas); and International (1,569 foreign businesses interested in Texas music), and business guides.EnjoyTexasMusic.com, the TMO's official website, contains 19,234 business, band or event listings totaling 3,669 printed pages. In 2010, it attracted 231,998 unique visitors resulting in 514,789 page views.
Further Reading
Texas Music Office HistoryTexas Music Industry Directory
External links
List of Texas state agencies