Marble Falls deemed Music Friendly Texas Certified Community

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Marble Falls has been designated a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community, as announced by Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday. Awarded by the Texas Music Office, the program focuses on facilitating "music business-related economic development and job creation in Texas cities and communities," per the release.

Designated cities go through a multi-step certification process before receiving the recognition. Certification steps include:

• Hosting a Texas Music Office-sponsored Music Friendly Texas workshop
• Creating a music office or liaison within a division of the city government, such as a city office, economic development corporation or destination/tourism office to oversee monthly reports relaying local music industry developments
• Registering with the Texas Music Office's Texas Music Industry Directory
• Demonstrating partnerships with the city's music-related nonprofits to help instill community development
• Working alongside music education programs, such as area college or university music schools
• Creating an advisory board comprising local music industry stakeholders

“Congratulations to the City of Marble Falls on earning the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community designation,” Abbott said in the release. "Music is key to the Texas brand and is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of our great state. Music Friendly Texas Communities certified by the Texas Music Office work hard to attract and develop the local music industry to boost local job creation and economic growth. In fact, with support from the Texas Music Office, 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. Together, we will continue to work alongside communities in every region of our state to amplify their growth and success.”

The City of Marble Falls, Visit Marble Falls and the Texas Music Office will host a certification ceremony at 6 p.m. on Jan. 16. The ceremony will be held at Marbles Falls City Hall during a special city council meeting.