7th Annual Texas Sounds & Cities Conference November 5-6, 2025 in Corpus Christi, TX! 

Join the City of Corpus Christi, the Visit Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi Film & Music Commission, and the Office of the Governor's Texas Music Office for the 7th Annual Texas Sounds & Cities Conference in Corpus Christi, TX November 5-6, 2025!

This conference will include panel discussions on Texas music scene development, conversations about potential state-wide collaboration between the certified communities, as well as conversations spotlighting economic development best practices which in turn lead to increased music tourism and music scene cohesion. This yearly conference is a time for our Music Friendly Texas Certified Communities to come together and learn from each other. Music Friendly Texas Community Liaisons are invited to present updates from their respective programs. There will be time for round table discussions to learn from the successes and challenges of their fellow certified communities.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (*subject to change)

***Wednesday, November 5 – Arrival Day

3:00pm – 5:00pm – Corpus Christi music tour: Freddie Records. Shuttle Load In: 2:30 PM at the Omni Hotel. ***Please note that seating on the bus is limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis***

4:00pm – Hotel Check In & Registration (Aransas Room)

6:00pm – 9:00pm – Opening Reception – House of Rock (511 Starr Street) and featuring music by El Dusty. 

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***Thursday, November 6 – Conference Day

7:30am-9:00am – Arrival & Breakfast at Rockit’s Saloon (709 North Chaparral Street). 

9:00am – Welcome from Emily Zertuche, Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Corpus Christi

9:05am – Welcome from Chip Adams, Director of the Texas Music Office

9:15am – Music Friendly Texas and Texas Music Industry Directory Updates – Gini Mascorro, Community Relations & Outreach Specialist, Texas Music Office

9:30am – Music License Plate Grant, Education & Community Grant Program Update – Steve Ray, Special Projects Manager, Texas Music Office

9:40am – Texas Music Incubator Rebate Program Update – Jaclyn Zapata, TMIR Program Specialist, Texas Music Office

10:00am – Break

10:10am – The Texas Music History Trail with the Texas Historical Commission’s Sarah Page, Team Lead for Heritage Tourism, and Ana Alicia Acosta, Heritage Tourism Program Specialist, Community Heritage Development Division

10:40am – Make Music Day (Texas Edition) with Matt Fox, Chapter Advisor for Make Music Alliance, Inc.

11:00am – The Recording Academy^® Membership, Advocacy, & Community Service with Christee Albino, Texas Chapter Sr. Executive Director, and Avi Minkoff, Texas Chapter Sr. Manager

11:40am – Announcement for Sounds & Cities 2026

12:00pm – Networking Lunch – Back Patio at Rockit’s

1:00pm – The Skyrocketing Cost of Venue Insurance with Cameron Smith, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at HUB International

1:30pm – Municipality Blanket License Compliance and Working with Performance Rights Organizations with John Troup of SESAC

2:00pm – Industry Panel with Sharee Davis - Civic Arts Manager for the City of Sugar Land’s Civic Arts Division, the TMO’s Music Friendly Texas Sugar Land liaison, Women In Music Houston Chapter Co-chair, and working artist and musician; Emmaline McCourt, Director of Membership at A2IM (American Association of Independent Music); and Ashley White, Founder/Principal of Ashley White Public Relations and Chapter Co-Chair of Women in Music Austin

2:45pm – Corpus On Corpus Dream Team Interview with House of Rock owner Casey Lain and producer/DJ El Dusty

3:15pm – Freddie Records celebration & proclamation with Freddie Martinez, Sr.

3:30pm – Break

3:45pm - Round Table Breakout Sessions with S. David Ramirez, CFEE, Founder and Principal Consultant for SDMRamirez Marketing and Events

4:30pm – Round Table Reports + Awards

5:00pm – Wrap. Walk across the street to BUS (702 North Chaparral Street).

5:00pm-6:00pm – Closing reception, location: BUS (light bites). 

7:00pm - Stone Temple Pilots and Toadies show at Concrete Street

SHUTTLE SCHEDULE:

November 5th – Destination Excursion

• Route: Omni Hotel → Freddie Records
• Shuttle Load In: 3:00 PM – Omni Hotel
• Pick Up: 3:00 PM – Omni Hotel
• Drop Off: 5:00 PM – Omni Hotel

November 5th – Opening Reception

• Route: Omni Hotel → House of Rock
• Shuttle Starts: 5:45 PM
• Shuttle Ends: 9:30 PM

November 6th – Conference

• Route: Omni Hotel → Rockit’s Whiskey Bar
• Shuttle Starts: 7:30 AM
• Shuttle Ends: 9:30 AM

November 6th – Closing Reception

• Route: Rockit’s → BUS → Omni Hotel
• Shuttle Starts: 5:00 PM
• Shuttle Ends: 7:00 PM