2017-075 Certified Music Friendly CommunityDate: October 20, 2017 Report No. 2017-075
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Denton is becoming a Certified Music Friendly Community through the Governor’s Texas Music
Office.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
For nearly 30 years, the Texas Music Office (TMO) has served the Texas music industry. Its mission
is to create opportunity and connect businesses. Their core functions are to serve as a clearinghouse
for Texas music industry information via the TMO's Texas Music Industry Directory (a business
referral network comprised of 15,000-plus Texas music businesses), serve as a liaison between music
businesses and government offices and agencies, publicize significant developments within the
industry, and to attract essential music industry to foster the economic development of Texas music
businesses and musicians.
In July 2017, the TMO launched a program aimed at engaging communities to recognize the music
industry as a viable tool for economic development. The TMO reached out to Denton, as they
believed that Denton should be one of the first Certified Music Friendly Communities in Texas. At
this time, Austin and Fort Worth have received certification.
The Music Friendly Communities mission statement:
“The Texas Music Office believes that it is essential to the well-being of our statewide music
industry that we become a more interconnected and organized community. Every city in
Texas has its own identity and contribution to our unique industry landscape. We want to
work with all of them to help grow their local music industry economies. By establishing a
single point of contact within a city organization to service the concerns of the local music
industry, cities can more effectively communicate with industry professionals and articulate
industry issues that may need to be addressed by c ity leadership. These strategies will greatly
benefit music industry professionals statewide, and will allow each city to better market itself
globally. As the TMO works to expand the Music Friendly Communities program, we will
also work to connect these p oints of contact with one another to share best practice concepts.
It is our firm belief that by sharing information about industry successes, as well as missteps,
we will make Texas a more productive and profitable music industry and a more
strategically-placed player in the international music industry landscape.”
No action is required on the part of the Council for Denton to become a Certified Music Friendly
Community; staff will keep Councilmembers updated on the progress of the certification process.
BACKGROUND:
Denton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau staff became aware of the TMO’s program and contacted
Economic Development staff. A meeting was held by staff with Brendon Anthony, Director of the
Texas Music Office, in June 2017 to discuss certification for Denton.
Date: October 20, 2017 Report No. 2017-075
The certification steps are:
1. Attend a Texas Music Office sponsored Music Friendly Community Workshop
2. Establish a City/County/Region Music Office liaison, who can respond to constituent
questions. The liaison must work within a division of government, an economic development
corporation, a convention and visitor’s bureau, or within a 501(c)(3) non-governmental
organization.
3. Register with the Texas Music Office’s Texas Music Industry Directory. The liaison’s
organization also signs a mutually agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that
creates a working arrangement for the sharing of Music Directory data, and establishes
protocols for keeping the directory information up to date.
4. Demonstration of partnerships with the community’s music related 501(c)(3) nonprofits in
order to foster community development.
5. Collaboration with music education programs, including area college or university music
schools.
In July 2017, City and CVB staff met with the Denton Music and Arts Collaborative (DMAC), a
501(c)(3) non-profit that is concentrating on providing affordable insurance to musicians and artists
in the area.
In August 2017, City staff set up a meeting in Denton with several area artists and musicians,
DMAC, and Brendon Anthony to discuss the certification process.
At this time the following steps have been accomplished:
1. Attended a Music Friendly Workshop (9-7-17)
2. Establish a liaison (City Economic Development Program Administrator, Julie Glover)
3. Register with the TMO Music Industry Directory
4. Demonstrate partnerships with music related 501(c)(3) (DMAC)
Next steps include:
1. Sign a MOU between the City and the TMO to share Music Directory data
2. Collaboration with music education programs, college or university music schools
No action is required on the part of the Council for Denton to become a Certified Music Friendly
Community; staff will keep Councilmembers updated on the progress of the certification process.
CONCLUSION:
The music industry is important to the economic health and cultural identity of Denton and should
have the support of City government, local businesses, artists, and nonprofits.
STAFF CONTACT:
Julie Glover
940-349-7732
julie.glover@cityofdenton.com