Mont Belvieu is bringing more music to the town's streets after being recognized as a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community by the Texas Music Office (TMO), Governor Greg Abbott announced. As per the statement, the town has completed a series of steps to acquire the certification, intended to bolster the local music industry and create jobs. The TMO initiative, rolling out in 2016, is the first of its kind in the U.S. and aims to amplify Texas cities as hubs of musical economic development.
In his announcement, Governor Abbott stated, "Congratulations to the City of Mont Belvieu on earning the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community designation." Abbott highlighted the importance of music in Texas culture and its significant contribution to the state's economy. Referring to TMO's support, he noted, "the Texas music industry accounted for more than 192,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs and generated more than $26 billion in economic activity statewide in 2022." The governor expressed his commitment to continue to fully back communities across the state to expand and succeed.
The city's officials have welcomed the new title with enthusiasm. "We’ve had such an amazing response from the community to our Rock the Park concert series – we see Mont Belvieu becoming a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community as a natural extension of that," Mayor Joey McWilliams told gov.texas.gov. Brian Ligon, Mont Belvieu's Communications and Marketing Director, voiced his excitement for joining the program, acknowledging the local talent contributing to this achievement.
The certification ceremony is set to take place at the Mont Belvieu Council Chamber on February 12, with community leaders expected to join the discussion on the city's musical future. Mont Belvieu, now the 57th community to receive the certification, is poised to increasingly showcase its musical roots and educational initiatives, according to Barbers Hill ISD's Chris Brannan. "This accolade speaks to the level of talent in Mont Belvieu, along with the talent in our school community," Brannan proclaimed.
Mont Belvieu's embrace of the Music Friendly Texas certification comes with visions of stirring growth in live performances and fostering musical talent. Owners of music education centers like the Dencie Lee School of Performing Arts see this as an important step. "I feel the Music Friendly Texas program in our community will help bring to the forefront the importance of music, whether in education or performance," Dencie Lee declared.
The public can mark their calendars for the Music Friendly Texas Community Certification Ceremony, which will be co-hosted by the TMO and the City of Mont Belvieu. This celebratory event, promising to be a milestone for the city's vibrant music scene, will take place at 6:00 PM on Monday, February 12, at 11607 Eagle Dr., Mont Belvieu, TX 77580, with further details available on the city's Facebook event page. Inquiries about the certification and ceremony can be directed to Brian Ligon at (281) 576-2213 or via email at [email protected].
