Texas Music Roadtrip
March 17 - October 14, 2012

Take a journey through Texas and a century of music with Texas Music Roadtrip. This special exhibition explores the people and places that put Texas music on the map.

From the explosion of '30s jazz in Dallas's Deep Ellum, to the emergence of '50s Rock and Roll in the Panhandle, to the rise of zydeco, tejano, and country rock — Texas Music Roadtrip takes you past the musical landmarks that compose the Texas landscape.

The Lone Star State is a cultural crossroads with a western persona, southern traditions, and a long history of immigration. Native Americans, MexicanAmericans, African Americans, Anglos,Germans, Czechs,French-speaking blacks and whites, and numerous other ethnicgroups have settled the state over the years, each with influences that resonate in the larger musical symphony of the Southwest.

So, hop in, crank up the tunes, and come along for the ride! Travel through major regions of the state that have played a part in the "cultural crossroads." Stop over in towns both large and small to encounter the musicians and musical genres that make Texas music unique and dynamic. Hear songs both familiar and new, listen to instruments central to all genres of Texas music, and gain an appreciation for the diversity of music to be found in the Lone Star State.

Guest-curated by Dr. Gary Hartman, the director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University-San Marcos, Texas Music Roadtrip opens at the Museum March 17, 2012.

This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and by a grant from Patti Harrison and the PSH Foundation through Texas State University-San Marcos and the Center for Texas Music History.

Texas Music Roadtrip will be on view in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall of Special Exhibitions March 17 through October 14, 2012. Admission to the Museum’s exhibits, including Texas Music Roadtrip is $9 for adults; $8 for college students (with valid ID); $7 for seniors/military (with valid ID); $6 for youth ages 4-17, free for ages 3 and under. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is located at 1800 N. Congress Avenue at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. For more information, call (512) 936-4649.

Image of Flaco Jiminez performing with Ry Cooder at Austin City Limits, ca. 1976, courtesy of The Witliff Collections, Albert B. Alekek Library, Texas State University.