"You can't hear American music without hearing Texas." That's the official motto of the governor's Texas Music Office, and it is a startlingly true statement. This simple truism speaks to the diversity of Texas music, to its reach into the American musical landscape, and to its tremendous influence on blues, jazz, rock and roll, and country and western--music considered quintessentially American. Texas has a breathtaking sonic landscape: in part this is due to its unparalleled size among the forty-eight contiguous states, to the diversity of its early and newly arrived communities, to its shared 1,200-mile border with Mexico, and to its unique history as a republic. All of these elements contribute to the contemporary musical traditions of the Lone Star State.

With close to 25 million inhabitants, it is common sense that plenty of music making goes on throughout the small and large towns. Add to this the fact that Texas is home to more true urban centers than any other state in the country