Texas Music Trail presentation
The Texas Music Office traveled to Plainview, TX to participate in the 9th annual Texas Plains Trail Region Tourism and Preservation Roundup.
The theme of this year’s heritage tourism conference was “Texas Trails and Texas Tunes.” Music-related programming the first night of the conference included a tour of the new Jimmy Dean Museum on the campus of Wayland Baptist University, and a West Texas Music history program from McMurry University’s Dr. Joe Specht that included stories and songs from unsung musicians of the region, including information on the connection between David Bowie and West Texas music. Attendees also enjoyed the award-winning piano stylings of Lucy Dean Record of Lockney, TX.
On Thursday, July 20, Stephen Ray from the Texas Music Office delivered the lunchtime keynote “A Music Trail For Texas” highlighting the Texas Music History Trail recently created by the Texas Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.
Ray's presentation was followed by a panel discussing music-related destinations across the Plains Trail Region led by the Lubbock Heritage Society’s Pamela Brink. Panelists included: Rodney Watson from the Jimmy Dean Museum, Jacqueline Bober, Curator of the Buddy Holly Center; Mike Sinks of the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center; and Darryl Holland from Lubbock’s Cactus Theater.
The conference wrapped up on Friday with a roundtable discussion on “Making The Most Of Your Music Heritage.” Texas Plains Trail Region Executive Director Barbara Brannon kept things lively throughout the event with Texas music trivia and prizes.
Additionally, Ray traveled to Amarillo to meet with High Plains Public Radio Music Director and Morning Host Jenny Inzerillo, and to Lubbock where he met with Brooke Witcher, Managing Director of the Buddy Holly Center.