Texas Music
The first musical sounds heard across the pre-Texas landscape may have been birdsong, followed by the chants of nomadic tribes.
In historic times, the ritual songs of the first Native Americans predate the Spanish colonial hymns brought to the New World by the Catholic Church.
Sing Out
Then comes the age of the guitar and the Spanish folk ballad before Anglo-Europeans arrived with pianos and orchestral arrangements, German singing societies, and a cacophony of symphonies, operas, and theatrical scores.
Texas' provincial state of affairs lasted through the end of the second World War and, as a result, its musical tastes tended towards the type of sounds and lyrics that best expressed its rural soul-western swing and country. After the 1950s, musical development in Texas mirrored the general trend rising across the rest of the country, although the state also offered up its own music stars like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Willie Nelson. We can also lay claim to our own unique musical style—Tejano—the Texas/Mexican fusion of balladry, folk, and polka developed in the early 20th century, a style that went global in the modern age thanks to another of our brightest homegrown music stars—Selena.
Explore Texas Music
Independence Trail Region
Texas Polka Music Museum
625 N Main St. Schulenburg, TX 78956 (979) 743-4752 Website
Forest Trail Region
Music City Texas Theater
108 Legion Street Linden, TX 75563 (903) 756-9934 Website
Plains Trail Region
TEXAS Outdoor Musical Drama
11450 Park Road 5 Pioneer Amphitheatre Canyon, TX 79015 (806) 655-2181 Website
Forts Trail Region
Heart of Texas Country Music Museum
1701 South Bridge Brady, TX 76825 (325) 597-1895 Website
Forest Trail Region
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame & Tex Ritter Museum
300 W. Panola Carthage, TX 75633 (903) 694-9561 Website
Plains Trail Region
Jimmy Dean and Llano Estacado Museum
Wayland Baptist University 1900 West 7th St. Plainview, TX 79072 (806) 291-3660 Website
Forest Trail Region
The Symphony of Southeast Texas
4345 Phelan Blvd Beaumont, TX 77707 (409) 892-2257 Website
Forest Trail Region
Camp Street Café & Store
215 South Third Street Crockett, TX 75835 936-544-8656 or 877-544-8656 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum 402 W. Robertson St, San Benito, TX 78586 (956) 361-3800 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Arlington Music Hall
224 North Center Street Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 226-4400 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Cowtown Opry — Cowboy Concerts
131 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76106 (817) 366-9675 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
225 East Stenger St. San Benito, TX 78586 (956) 367-0335 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
John T. Floore Country Store
14492 Old Bandera Rd Helotes, TX 78023 (210) 695-8827 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame
213 North Wright Street Alice, TX 78332 (361) 701-6028 Website
Independence Trail Region
Concordia Hall
952 S. Tesch St. Bellville, TX 77418 (979) 885-8601 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Gruene Hall
1281 Gruene Road New Braunfels, TX 78130 (830) 606-1281 Website
Tropical Trail Region
Selena Museum
5410 Leopard St. Museum housed at Q-Productions Corpus Christi, TX 78408 (361) 289-9013 Website
Forest Trail Region
Museum of the Gulf Coast
700 Procter Street Port Arthur, TX 77640 (409) 982-7000 Website
Forest Trail Region
Winnsboro Center for the Arts
200 North Market Street Winnsboro, TX 75494 (903) 342-0686 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Luckenbach Dance Hall
412 Luckenbach Town Loop Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (830) 997-3224 or (888) 311-8990 Website
Tropical Trail Region
La Villita Dance Hall
261 West Robertson San Benito, TX 78586 (956) 233-3420 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Scholz Garten and Saengerrunde Hall
1607 San Jacinto Blvd Austin, TX 78701 (512) 474-1958 Website
Plains Trail Region
Buddy Holly Center
1801 Crickets Avenue Lubbock, TX 79401 (806) 775-3560 Website
Plains Trail Region
Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center
320 S. Cuyler Pampa, TX 79065 (806) 664-0824 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Anhalt Hall
2390 Anhalt Road Spring Branch, TX 78070 (830) 438-2873 Website
Independence Trail Region
Sengelmann Hall
531 North Main Street Schulenburg, TX 78956 (979) 743-2300 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Kendalia Halle
1135 FM 3351 North Kendalia, TX 78027 (210) 863-1100 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
Twin Sisters Dance Hall
6720 Hwy 281 Blanco, TX 78606 (830) 833-5773 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Deep Ellum Historic District
2500 Block Elm, 2509-2513 Main Street Dallas, TX 75202 (214) 984-7300 Website
Lakes Trail Region
White Elephant Saloon
106 East Exchange Avenue Fort Worth, TX 76106 (817) 624-8273 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Latino Cultural Center of Dallas
2600 Live Oak St. Dallas, TX 75204 (214) 671-0045 Website
Forest Trail Region
Museum of Regional History
219 State Line Avenue Texarkana, TX 75501 (903) 793-4831 Website
Independence Trail Region
Round Top Festival Institute
248 Jaster Road Round Top, TX 78954 (979) 249-3129 Website