Ceremony to take place Feb. 26 at The Grand 1894 Opera House
Galveston has earned the distinction of becoming an official Music Friendly Texas Certified Community by the Texas Music Office (TMO). A celebration to mark the designation will take place Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. at The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St. Members of the community are invited to attend the free ceremony that will feature live music from several local performers, including Fanfare Lutheran Academy, the Galveston Community Band, and Louis Morales The Music Friendly Texas Certified Community Program, the first in the nation since being introduced by TMO in 2016, seeks to foster music business-related economic development and job creation in Texas cities and communities. More than 50 cities in Texas are certified.
For about a year, Visit Galveston representatives, City of Galveston staff, and community members worked with the TMO to qualify as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community. The process included hosting a workshop with the TMO, establishing a music liaison to track its progress, registering with the TMO’s Texas Music Industry Directory and keeping it updated.
Lead by the Galveston Park Board, stakeholders established a music development advisory committee to guide the work. Committee members are Bob Bullwinkel, Chair, Maureen Patton, Vice-Chair, and members Ulli Budelmann, June Collins Pulliam, Robert Kuhn, Joel Mora, Robert Quintero, Gina Spagnola and Will Wright.
“Music and the arts are a vital part of the island community,” Visit Galveston Destination Services Manager Dave Baca said. Baca will also serve as the music liaison for the program. “Becoming a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community will unlock opportunities and foster connections for our local artists and musicians. It also sends the message that Galveston is deeply dedicated to nurturing the music industry’s evolution.”
“Congratulations to Galveston Island on earning the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community designation,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Music is key to the Texas brand and is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of our great state. Music Friendly Texas Communities certified by the Texas Music Office work hard to attract and develop the local music industry to boost local job creation and economic growth. In fact, with support from the Texas Music Office, the Texas music industry accounted for more than 192,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs. The industry generated more than $26 billion in economic activity statewide in 2022. Together, we will continue to work alongside communities in every region of our state to amplify their growth and success.”
About Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country, including several National Historic Landmarks. Galveston Island
is the birthplace of Juneteenth and home to popular amusements such as Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, as well as a variety of museums and recreational activities from surfing to birding. For more information on Galveston Island go to www.visitgalveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.
