Rockwall on path to earn ‘Music Friendly Community’ certification

ROCKWALL, TX (Sept. 1, 2021) Rockwall is already known as the Free Live Music Capital of North Texas, but soon it may be dubbed a “Music Friendly Community,” thanks to a program offered through the Texas Music Office (TMO).

Yesterday, Visit Rockwall welcomed several community leaders, musicians, restaurateurs, and venue owners to a workshop at the Hilton to learn more about what the TMO ‘Music Friendly Community’ certification is, and what the official designation would mean for Rockwall.

Also discussed were the initiatives being developed to help grow Rockwall’s music community, how to collaborate with surrounding music education programs, how to track the economic impact of Rockwall’s music community, and what Rockwall’s ‘Music Friendly Certification’ means for the Texas music industry as a whole.

“We’re here to help you set up a framework to build off of; we want to create a real system for cities to listen to and support the [music] industry. In a sense we’re helping create smaller versions of the Texas Music Office throughout the state,” explained Chip Adams, Community Relations and Outreach Specialist with the Texas Music Office, heading up the Music Friendly Communities Program.

Chip began his career promoting Texas music over 20 years ago in Dallas as a radio DJ. He has an extensive background in radio and marketing as well as formerly serving as Governor of the Board of the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy.

“Not only are we certified cities, but we’re creating a system for collaboration across the state. All these cities are connected…a first of its kind, fully connected network…I definitely feel that a connected music industry is a more established, more powerful music industry, putting Texas on the map and helping us compete at a global level,” he said.

Participation in TMO’s Music Friendly Community program provides Texas communities with a network for fostering music industry development and sends a clear message to industry professionals that certified communities are serious about attracting and developing music industry growth. Rockwall’s workshop was the first step in the certification process.

Other steps include:

Establish a Music Office/Liaison within a division of city government (city office, economic development corporation, CVB/destination tourism office) that will be responsible for monthly reports concerning the progress of local music industry development programs.
Register with the Texas Music Office’s Texas Music Industry Directory. The liaison’s organization also signs a mutually agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that creates a working arrangement for the sharing of Music Directory data, and establishes protocols for keeping the directory information up to date.
Demonstration of partnerships with the community’s music-related 501c3 nonprofits in order to foster community development.
Collaboration with music education programs, including area college or university music schools.
Create an advisory board made up of local music community industry stakeholders.

Upon completion of the multi-step certification process, Rockwall will join more than 20 other Texas cities that have received the official Music Friendly Community designation. These cities include Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Denton, Lindale, Stephenville, Conroe, San Angelo, Nacogdoches, Abilene, McKinney, Waxahachie, Waco, Alpine, Bastrop, New Braunfels, Victoria, Lubbock, Denison, Arlington, Brenham, Dripping Springs, Round Rock, El Paso, Odessa, and Vidor. Cities that are currently working through the certification process include McAllen, San Marcos, Kerrville, Grand Prairie, Houston and Dallas.

For more information on TMO’s Music Friendly Community program, visit gov.texas.gov/music/page/music-friendly-communities.