Why Local Music Matters

September 25, 2004 - We're pretty lucky here in Texas. Our geographical size gives us not only a variety of landscapes - coastal, wooded, plains, desert, hill country, city - it cuts a large swath across many different cultures, interests, and styles.

While one can say that people are, on average, the same everywhere, no one can deny that the feel of North Dallas differs greatly from the of Del Rio, and that it's hard to mistake Tyler for Lubbock. And, nowhere else are these differences more apparent than in local music scenes. Every Texas town with a vibrant music community has its local favorites, be they singers, songwriters, or bands. While some claim legends (Buddy Holly of Lubbock, Janis Joplin of Beaumont/Port Arthur) and others claim The Next Big Thing (San Angelo gets the Los Lonely Boys), nearly everyplace has at least a handful of hardworking, get-to-the-gig, write-the-next-song local artists.

Most of these artists will never grace traditional AM/FM radio, be it commercial powerhouses like Texas' own Clear Channel Communications Inc., smaller stations like KHOS (Sonora) and KLBJ (Austin), or listener-supported radio (KNON in Dallas, KUHT in Houston). Your best chance of hearing these artists is to get out of the house and see them live.

And, when you see live music, you're making musical diversity happen. Nearly every band you see in a club, every songwriter you hear in a coffee house, and every act you see at a local festival is making their own sound. Sure, they may be inspired by others, they may borrow licks, riffs, and themes, and they may even do the occasional cover, but the good artists make each their own. Listen to Bugs Henderson's "Black Spring" or Maylee Thomas' "Midnight Rider" and you'll know what I mean.

Most artists would still write, sing, play, and hone their craft even if nobody listened, but live professional performances are what move their efforts from hobby to career. Career or professional artists reach a much bigger audience than the hobbiest, meaning they stand the greatest chance of enriching peoples' lives with new and different thoughts and musical styles. What enables these artists to reach people is the local music scene. Your cover charge, concert or festival ticket, tip, CD purchase, and word of mouth are integral parts of the musician-fan-diversity-enrichment equation. When you get up and go out, whether to hear a performance or browse the "Texas/Local" selection at a music store, you're enabling artists to continue their work and thereby better people's lives. If you've ever purchased a CD from a band after their gig, then you've seen and probably felt the system at work.

So, next time you're trying to decide between the latest reality television show or another round of Doom or Everquest, take the third choice. Put on some shoes, grab the car keys, and go hear a local singer, songwriter, or band.

Bill Good, a.k.a. djlonestar, is the owner and operator of Texas Noise, an online radio station playing rock, blues, R&B, alternative, country & rockabilly music from Texas singers, songwriters, and bands. When not seeing live music, browsing music stores, and playing very bad guitar, Bill can be found at Inceptual Inc., the e-commerce and intranet/extranet software company he founded in Dallas in 2001.

Bill can be reach at djlonestar@/.