Crockett Prepares to Be “Music Friendly”
By Liza Clark, Executive Director Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce
Special to the Messenger
CROCKETT – Crockett is known for its rich musical heritage and growing music scene and now we can officially recognize and celebrate our musical culture by becoming a certified “Music Friendly Community.” The Downtown Crockett Association and the City of Crockett are working with The Texas Music Office, a division of the Governor’s Office, to have Crockett designated as a Texas Friendly Community. The ultimate goal is to foster economic development, tourism and the overall cultural vitality of Crockett.
So, what does it mean to be a “Music Friendly Community?” Essentially, it’s a designation that recognizes a town’s commitment to supporting and promoting its local music industry, whether through creating musician-friendly policies and ordinances, providing resources and support for music businesses or hosting and promoting music events and festivals.
Thursday, April 20 at the Crockett Civic Center, the Downtown Crockett Association completed the first task on its way to making Crockett a Music Friendly community by hosting a video seminar with Chip Davis from the Texas Music Association with the governor’s office. Mr. Davis explained the Texas Music Office (TMO) has 42 communities currently designated as Texas Music Friendly towns, with almost 20 more currently seeking certification.
“The Music Friendly Communities Program brings our industry together at both the city and state levels,” Davis said. “We work to give cities a platform to encourage meaningful conversations and collaborations. The TMO is striving to build a truly connected statewide music industry and is the only standalone State Music office in the US.”
Hosting and promoting music events and festivals is another crucial way Crockett is seeking to become Music Friendly. The Downtown Crockett Association (DCA) is currently working on a Blues Festival in the fall of 2024. “Blues in the Pines” is scheduled for April 22, hosted by Jeremiah Silsby. Local live music can be found weekly at various venues in and around Crockett, such as Camp Street Cafe, Bear Hall, Credeur’s Cajun Cookin’, Stesti Beer Garden and Davy Crockett Grill. Piney Woods Fine Arts Association (PWFAA) hosts music acts each season, such as Little Texas, Mark Chestnut, and other big names and free live music concerts each Friday in June at Davy Crockett Memorial Park. The Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the Davy Crockett Festival each May with live music all day by various local artists. This data would be compiled by the DCA and submitted monthly to the Texas Music Office as part of its Texas Music Friendly designation.
What’s next to make it official? The City of Crockett and the Downtown Crockett Association will work together to create a liaison to help navigate city policy and provide monthly reports to the Texas Music Office. A Memorandum of Understanding must be filed between the City of Crockett and the Texas Music Office, and the City of Crockett would need to create its own Music Industry Database. The DCA must collaborate with music education programs and demonstrate partnerships with Crockett’s 501c3 non-profits. Finally, an advisory board will need to be created from a cross-section of music industry stakeholders in the Crockett Community.
Overall, becoming a certified Music Friendly Community is a great way for Crockett to celebrate and support our local music scene while also boosting our economic and cultural vitality and we are well on our way! Whether you’re a musician, music venue owner or simply a music lover, contact Robin Ogg at FG Metalwork for more information on how you can get involved with Crockett’s bid to become a Music Friendly Community.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
