Texas Sounds and Cities

Texas Sounds and Cities

Join Visit Fort Worth and The Texas Music Office, Office of the Governor for Texas Sounds and Cities, Friday, April 26, 2019 at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center.

 The conference is designed for organizations that want to boost their collaboration with musicians, music venues and the Texas music industry.

  • Sounds & Cities Conference + Fortress Festival 2-day pass: $249
  • Sounds & Cities Conference: $199

Register Now

Conference Schedule:

8:30AM
Arrival: Coffee Bar & Breakfast  

9:00AM
Music Friendly Cities Discussion & Showcase 

Hear from some of the first Texas Music Office music-friendly certified cities and learn about initiatives they’ve implemented to elevate their music scene.

Moderator: Brendon Anthony, Director, Texas Music Office

Panelists:
Tom Martens, Creative Director, Visit Fort Worth
Shannon Overby, Director, Conroe Convention & Visitors Bureau
Frank Jackson, Sr. VP of Sales & Marketing, Smith Music Group
Julie Glover, Economic Development Program Administrator, City of Denton

10:00AM
Build a Thriving Music Scene in Your City
Ted Talk alum and U.S. lead for Sound Diplomacy, Elizabeth Cawein shares ideas to build a thriving music scene.

Speaker: Elizabeth Cawein of Sound Diplomacy

10:45AM              
Bloody Mary Break by Black Eyed Distilling 

11:00AM              Funding & Development 
Financial industry experts share tips and resources for fundraising and building support for music program development. 

Moderator: Jamey Ice, Musician + Entrepreneur

Panelists:
Cindy Hames: President, Junior Achievement of Chisholm Trail
Erika Hersh: Regional Lending Manager, DFW People Fund
Jeffrey Chestnut: Jeff Chesnut, Public Finance and Economic Development Attorney, Underwood Law Firm

11:45AM              
Austin: Live Music Capital of the World
Learn from the individuals and organizations who are at the forefront of making Austin the Live Music Capital of the World.

Moderator: Tiffany Kerr, Director of Marketing, Visit Austin

Panelists:
Erica Shamaly, Director of the Austin Music Eco Dev Office
Nick Shuley: President, Austin Music Movement
Graham Weber: Artistic Director, House of Songs Austin

12:30PM             
Lunch 

1:30PM                 
Creating Opportunities for Musicians
Discussion on how to elevate local musicians while paving a path for career opportunities in your city and beyond.

Moderator:
Tony Green, Musician and Entertainment Entrepreneur

Panelists:
Kate Dussalt: Founder, HiFi House Omaha
Jamie Lou Connolly: House Manager and Public Relations, House of Songs Ozarks
Tyler Hale – Digital Music Editor & Content Producer, KCRW Los Angeles

2:15PM                 
House of Songs: A Conversation with Troy Campbell
House of Songs invites songwriters from around the world to share the universal language of music in collaborations designed to bridge cultures, build friendships and cultivate peace. Founder Troy Campbell shares the story behind this vision. 

Moderator: Mitch Whitten, EVP Marketing & Strategy, Visit Fort Worth
Troy Campbell: Founder, House of Songs

3:00PM                 
Break: Almas Popsicles & Treats and Tastings from Acre Distilling 

3:15PM                 
Making Places for Music 
Learn how cities are getting creative and creating community spaces for live music.

Moderator:
Sandra Doan, Director of Artistic Planning, Van Cliburn Foundation

Panelists:
Kat Orsak: Executive Director, The Lot Downtown Mansfield
Seong MacLaren: Director of Tourism & Downtown Development, City of Lindale
Shanna Cate, Director of Programming & Development, TRVA
Rebecca Reynolds, President Music Venue Alliance Austin

4:00PM                 
A Conversation with Brendon Anthony: Musician to Be Announced

4:45PM                 
Happy Hour with local brews from Wild Acre Brewing + Live Music

6:00PM                
KERA Art and Seek at the Kimbell Art Museum

Fort Worth Rising: Is the Indie Music Scene Achieving Liftoff?