|
|
|
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Texas musicians have made enormous contributions to |
|
American culture, and the state would realize significant benefits |
|
through the establishment of a major museum to celebrate the |
|
richness and diversity of the music created by its sons and |
|
daughters; and |
|
WHEREAS, Around the world, music fans recognize the Lone Star |
|
State as the birthplace of such giants as Van Cliburn, Bob Wills, |
|
Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray |
|
Vaughan, Beyoncé, George Strait, Ornette Coleman, and the members |
|
of ZZ Top; a state museum would attract a host of visitors eager to |
|
learn more about these legends, and it would provide an opportunity |
|
to raise awareness of the important role Texas has played in the |
|
evolution of a wide array of genres, including folk, blues, |
|
country, rock 'n' roll, gospel, Tejano, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop; in |
|
addition, it would introduce young Texans to seminal figures in the |
|
evolution of American music, among them Scott Joplin, Sippie |
|
Wallace, Lightnin' Hopkins, Dale Evans, George Jones, Lefty |
|
Frizzell, Lydia Mendoza, Flaco Jiménez, Selena Quintanilla Perez, |
|
and many others; and |
|
WHEREAS, Austin's status as the state's capital and its |
|
reputation as "the Live Music Capital of the World" make the city an |
|
obvious choice for the site of such a museum; moreover, Central |
|
Texas has long been identified with musicology, not only through |
|
the pioneering work of internationally known folklorists John and |
|
Alan Lomax, but also through programs of The University of Texas at |
|
Austin, Texas State University, the Texas Historical Commission, |
|
and the Bullock Texas State History Museum; and |
|
WHEREAS, Indeed, the Bullock Museum would be an ideal home |
|
for a music museum, given its mission to engage a broad public |
|
audience in the unfolding story of the history, culture, and people |
|
of Texas, as well as its strong record of incorporating the arts in |
|
exhibitions and in such programming as the popular Music Under the |
|
Star concert series; a new music museum within the Bullock Museum |
|
could develop fruitful partnerships with other relevant |
|
institutions and agencies, among them the Texas Music Office, the |
|
Economic Development and Tourism Division of the Governor's Office, |
|
the Austin Music Commission, the Texas Music Museum, the Texas |
|
Music Hall of Fame, and museums devoted to specific genres; and |
|
WHEREAS, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland drives |
|
more than $107 million in economic impact each year; in Nashville, |
|
the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has an annual economic |
|
impact in excess of $30 million, with annual attendance of more than |
|
564,000; and |
|
WHEREAS, Establishing a music museum within the Bullock Texas |
|
State History Museum would be a natural extension of that |
|
institution's mission, and it would heighten appreciation for one |
|
of the most important aspects of Texas culture while drawing |
|
greater attention to a growing industry and spurring further |
|
economic development; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
|
hereby encourage the State Preservation Board and the director of |
|
the Bullock Texas State History Museum to establish a museum of |
|
Texas music history and dedicate the third floor of the Bullock |
|
Museum to this permanent and integral program; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature encourage the State |
|
Preservation Board and the director of the Bullock Texas State |
|
History Museum to explore initiatives to generate revenue for the |
|
project, such as the use of the facility for catered events; and, be |
|
it further |
|
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature encourage the State |
|
Preservation Board and the director of the Bullock Texas State |
|
History Museum, in order to expedite the establishment of a museum |
|
of Texas music history and to benefit from the Texas Music Office's |
|
experience, resources, and proven record of success, to assign |
|
primary responsibility for developing and operating this museum to |
|
the Texas Music Office; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature encourage the Texas |
|
Music Office to consider contracting with third parties to assist |
|
in the development and operation of the museum of Texas music |
|
history; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
|
copies of this resolution to the executive director of the State |
|
Preservation Board and to the director of the Bullock Texas State |
|
History Museum. |