San Marcos Becomes a Music Friendly Community

By Preethi Mangadu
Web Content Contributer

The Texas Music Office (TMO) designated San Marcos as a Music Friendly Community at the Music on the Square event on Thursday.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced that San Marcos is a Music Friendly Community on Tuesday, October 5, 2021. TMO Community Relations and Outreach Specialist Chip Adams presented the certification to City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Derrick at Music on the Square located on the San Marcos Courthouse lawn at 7 p.m.

“San Marcos is the home to many live music venues, where patrons can enjoy performances from local artists who are looking to further their careers and share their art with the community,” said Senator Donna Campbell in the press release. “Designating San Marcos as a Music Friendly Community will benefit our musicians and increase revenue, allowing the city to grow and continue producing talented artists. I’m proud to represent this song-filled city!”

San Marcos is the 30th city to become a Music Friendly Community.

The cities that are also currently Music Friendly Communities are Austin, San Antonio, Round Rock, New Braunfels, Fort Worth, Denton, Dallas, Lindale, Stephenville, Conroe, San Angelo, Nacogdoches, Abilene, McKinney, Waxahachie, Waco, Alpine, Bastrop, Victoria, Lubbock, Denison, Arlington, Brenham, Dripping Springs, El Paso, Odessa, Vidor, Grand Prairie, and Port Aransas.

According to the TMO website, The 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.”

With this and other programs, TMO produced 210,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs and $27.3 billion in economic activity in 2019, Gov. Abbott said.

“Becoming a Music Friendly Community is good for our city,”  Councilwoman Derrick said in the press release. “It is good for our businesses, vendors, and organizations. It is good for musicians and music lovers. It is good for our culture. It is good for the soul of San Marcos.”

For more information on Music Friendly Communities visit https://gov.texas.gov/music/page/music-friendly-communities.

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