Letter from the Director

Founded in 1999 by Gary Hartman and Gregg Andrews, the Center for Texas Music History works to document the diverse musical heritage of the Lone Star State.  From Bob Wills’s western swing to T-Bone Walker’s electric blues, Narciso Martinez’s conjunto accordion to Lydia Mendoza’s heartbreak songs, Janis Joplin’s wail to DJ Screw’s mix tapes, few states have made the impact that Texas has in American music.  The Center approaches these subjects as an educational endeavor. 

As a part of Texas State University’s History Department, we offer a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in order to train the next generation of music historians.  We publish the newest literature on Texas and Southwestern music in our annual Journal of Texas Music History and develop academic monographs, biographies, and oral histories through the John and Robin Dickson Book Series at Texas A & M University Press.  The Center also stages events with artists, scholars, and music professionals for students and the Central Texas community.

You can find further information on each of these activities on this website, and we invite your continuing engagement and participation. This music, and this past, is a shared experience, and the best way to learn about its many diverse streams is to listen, together.

-- Jason Mellard, Director