News – News
Virtual Music Friendly Community Workshop Coming To Dripping Springs, Houston, and Arlington in October
On Wednesday, October 21, the TMO will co-host a virtual Music Friendly Community (MFC) Workshop with the City of Dripping Springs. On Monday, October 26, the TMO and the City of Houston will co-host a virtual MFC Workshop. And on Tuesday, October 27, the TMO will co-host a virtual MFC Workshop with the City of Arlington. TMO Community Relations and Outreach Specialist Chip Adams will host the workshops via livestream to represent the TMO, answer questions, and speak about how the Music Friendly Community program provides economic development opportunities for Texas communities.
Texas State Musician Nominations Due October 15
Nominations for Texas State Musician - and Poet Laureate, and Visual Artist (2D and 3D) - are open through October 15. Any Texas citizen can nominate a living Texas artist for the Texas Legislature's highest honor for artists. Artists will be selected for both 2021 and 2022, so nominate more than one artist to join folks like Willie Nelson, Ray Benson, Little Joe Hernandez, Shelley King, Emily Gimble, and more as honorees.
Texas Workforce Commission’s Unemployment Assistance For Contract Workers
The Texas Music Office has complied frequently asked questions about the Texas Workforce Commission's unemployment assistance benefits. Learn how to apply, what to do if you receive a letter about overpayment, and much more.
Music Friendly Community Program Marches Forward To Certify 20 Cities in 2020
July and August 2020 have proved to be very busy for the Texas Music Office's Music Friendly Community program, as multiple cities hold virtual workshops and certification ceremonies.
Texas Workforce Commission’s Most Frequently Asked Questions (in regards to music industry professionals / contract workers)
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced today (Tuesday, June 30th) that it will delay the reinstatement of the work search requirement for unemployment benefits in Texas. This requirement, which is federal law, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the outset, TWC has stated that bringing back work search would be conditions-based. “Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Texas, TWC has decided to pause the return of work search requirements at this time,” said Ed Serna, TWC Executive Director. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make further recommendations in late July.” The Texas Music Office has also compiled links to some of TWC's most frequently asked questions.
Governor’s Strike Force To Open Texas Executive Order GA 28 & GA 29
On Friday, June 26, Governor Abbott announced EXECUTIVE ORDER GA 28 relating to the targeted response to the COVID-19 disaster as part of the reopening of Texas. County judges and mayors, as appropriate, can prohibit certain outdoor gatherings of over 100 people by withholding approval of such gatherings, or can approve such gatherings with any conditions or restrictions not inconsistent with GA-28. On July 2, Governor Abbott issued EXECUTIVE ORDER GA 29 requiring all Texans to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth in public spaces, with few exceptions, in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases.
Assistance Information and Resources For Music Industry Professionals Affected by COVID-19
The Texas Music Office is compiling assistance information and resources for music industry professionals whose creative industries and incomes are being adversely impacted by COVID-19, resulting in loss of work due to venue closures, festival and event cancellations and travel restrictions. The TMO will continue to update this page as more information and resources become available. Likewise, some of the grants run out of funds, and then are later replished via new donations. So make sure to check back if a grant you're interested in is temporarily suspended because it ran out of funding.
Texas Music Mixtape: interview with ATX Music Office Manager Erica Shamaly About the City of Austin’s New Disaster Relief Grant Programs For Artists
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 the TMO released the debut episode of the Texas Music Mixtape, a program featuring Texas music news, interviews, and music. Featured here are the first 20 minutes of the program, including an interview with the City of Austin's Music & Entertainment Division Manager Erica Shamaly. Erica talks with Texas Music Office Marketing & Communications Specialist Marc Fort about the City of Austin's new grant programs: the Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund providing $1,000 grants to the city's most vulnerable musicians, and the Austin Creative Space Disaster Relief Program providing up to $50,000 grants to organizations and independent artists facing displacement and difficulty paying rent for their commercial creative spaces.