Texas Music Roadtrip
March 17 - October 14, 2012

Take a journey through Texas and a century of music with Texas Music Roadtrip. This special exhibition explores the people and places that put Texas music on the map.

From the explosion of '30s jazz in Dallas's Deep Ellum, to the emergence of '50s Rock and Roll in the Panhandle, to the rise of zydeco, tejano, and country rock — Texas Music Roadtrip takes you past the musical landmarks that compose the Texas landscape.

The Lone Star State is a cultural crossroads with a western persona, southern traditions, and a long history of immigration. Native Americans, Mexican Americans, African Americans, Anglos,Germans, Czechs, French-speaking blacks and whites, and numerous other ethnicgroups have settled the state over the years, each with influences that resonate in the larger musical symphony of the Southwest.

Guest-curated by Dr. Gary Hartman, the director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University-San Marcos, this extensive exhibit —one of the largest ever to focus on the history and impact of Texas music— occupies 7,000 square feet and features more than 150 rare and fascinating artifacts.

Objects include vintage photos, elaborate costumes, gig posters, hand-written lyrics, and a variety of historic instruments, including the baby grand piano from the Armadillo World Headquarters and an extremely rare chance to see Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Number One" Stratocaster guitar.

So, hop in, crank up the tunes, and come along for the ride! Travel through major regions of the state that have played a part in the "cultural crossroads" and encounter the musicians and musical genres that make Texas music unique and dynamic. Along the way, you'll gain an appreciation for the diversity of music to be found in the Lone Star State.

Texas Music Roadtrip opens at the Museum March 17, 2012.

See the Schedule of Events for Opening Day Activities.

This exhibition is supported in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and by a grant from Patti Harrison and the PSH Foundation through Texas State University-San Marcos and the Center for Texas Music History.

Texas Music Roadtrip will be on view in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall of Special Exhibitions March 17 through October 14, 2012. Admission to the Museum’s exhibits, including Texas Music Roadtrip is $9 for adults; $8 for college students (with valid ID); $7 for seniors/military (with valid ID); $6 for youth ages 4-17, free for ages 3 and under. The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is located at 1800 N. Congress Avenue at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. For more information, call (512) 936-4649.

1) Image of Flaco Jimenez performing with Ry Cooder at Austin City Limits, ca. 1976, courtesy of The Witliff Collections, Albert B. Alkek Library, Texas State University. 2) Gabbnelli accordion belonging to Bruno Villarreal courtesy Texas Music Museum, Austin. 3) Armadillo World Headquarters grand opening poster, ca. 1970, courtesy Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. 4) House of JB custom "Sin Wagon" guitar belonging to Natalie Maines, ca. 2003, courtesy Maines Family.